The Herald-news., February 27, 1941, Image 4

About The Herald-news. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1940-current

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
Thursday, February 27, 1941
From Bull Teams to Luxury Liners
Airlines Now Traveling Route Followed by Old Bull Whackers; Extension of Airline From Great Falls to Canada Recalls Early Days of Bull
Teams, 4-Horse Stages and Railways; Reminiscences of One of the Best Drivers Ever to Tool a 4-Horse Stagecoach Over the Old McLeod Trail
By E. BL CUPBEAN
It’s a long hop from bull trains
to fiyinr fortresses bat the hop
has finally been completed. With
the recent completion of plans for
the extension of the Western Air
lide from Great Falls to Leth
bridge, over which huge airliners
will fly daily, another important
link In world aviation has been
welded to the chain. Planes on this
extension will make the trip from
Great Falls to Lethbridge, Canada,
In approximately 75 minutes, the
same trip which required weeks
during the days of the bull teams.
To the comparatively few old-timers
who have lived through the days of
the bull teams, the 4-horse stages, the
narrow gauge and standard guage rail
way, up to and including the present
day air routes, is recalled the story of
the passing of the bull teams which
gave way to the “Turkey Trail" rail
way.
Extension of the railroads, more than
50 years ago, over the trade routes of
northern Mont Ana and southern Al
berta, and the evolution of the pioneer
railway from the narrow guage, com
monly known as the “Turkey .Trail”
into the heavier and more substantial
standard guage, marked the end of the
bull trains of the prairies and the pass
ing of that type of transportation
Which had been maintained from Fort
Benton on the Montana side of the
international border, up to Lethbridge
and Fort Macleod on the Canadian
side.
‘Tolly” Pollinger, one of the old time
“bull whackers” of northern Montana,
who took VP his residence on the
Blackfeet reservation when the bull
train ceased to function, was one of
the best of his line. He was a mag
nificent driver when sober, but when
he was drunk he was sublime. Later
he tooled the four-horse stage over
the Macleod trail, making the antique,
leather springed coach rattle down the
Lethbridge hills during the days when
“Kamoose” Taylor’s hotel boasted of
one four-post bedstead—the patch of
floor under the billiard table.
Pollinger, while in a reminiscent
mood, one day told of his experiences
with,the bull train:
“I. G. Baker’s bull train was a great
institution in those days, and it was
at Fort Macleod that I got my first
introduction to it, when Dave Jenkins,
or ‘Jinks,’ enrolled me as a full-fledged
‘bullwhacker' at SSO a month and
board.
“I had just got my scanty dunnage
from ‘Kamoose’ Taylor’s, and watched
the boys yoking my seven pair of
oxen and hitching them to the three
wagons, one behind the other, lead,
swing and tall, after which we were
ready for the start.
“Now three empty wagons make a
light load for 14 healthy western cattle
and on the start my leaders gradually
forged ahead, turning out to pass the
Jews in Amsterdam
Drub Nazi Oppressors
German authorities ordered all gen
tiles out of the old Jewish quarter of
Amsterdam around Waterloo square,
raising the possibility of a moated
ghetto of 50,000 inhabitants.
The German order, it was stated, was
the result of street fighting in which
Dutch nazls and armed opponents
from Waterloo square clashed on Feb.
9, and of a series of drubbings which
the Jews gave nazls in that district
in the ensuing two days. Traffic to
and from the Waterloo square district
can be controlled by raising or lower
ing canal drawbridges.
■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■l
A 1 >l7' "l
WWetiZ
WWwtf TiMiMMiim
... or WHY Side-dressing
Beets Means More-Tonnage—
More than^hundred tests (1939) oa sues*
1. Phosphate at plaadna time or before is*
creases yield over fields with os phosphate.
2. Fields that *ot ao earns hundred pounds per
acre, side-dressed, outyielded even the
field which got it at seedins time alone,
want the proof?
Get thef acts! h
S2D.ce fumud \ /MA
S./’SlMnfoT / /
nuioa .boat II I
keeping eoil far- II t
Tell w 17 /
yea raise east /
we’ll send facts te
answer these qaestienss
How much per acre is needed?
what does ft cost?
How do Ipet it on?
How can Iprsee lu value?
USD « MSB TO WW MET, 801 10
ANACONDA, MONTANA
WHOeOMtU
(gawwwt
■■■■■■■■uui
Quizmaster
4
Ed East, 265-pound master of cere
monies of Columbia network’s “Ask*lt
Basket” program, has been in show
business ever since he quit school at 15
to become barker for a high diver. His
chief weaknesses are songs and cold
beans, having written and published
over 500 of the former and eaten
roughly half a ton of the latter.
next team. I recognized this was not
in the game and shouted ‘whoa’ but
the bulls did not respond. They made
the pace more furious, until they were
trotting, with the swaying wagons be- i
hind them jolting and tumbling over 1
the rough prairie. To add to this con- ;
fusion, a head protruded from under;
the cover of the swing wagon and a|
volley of oaths in French-Canadian
and broken English began to scintillate
from Clement, a bull whacker who had
looked on the red wine in Macleod and
was sleeping off the effects in the
empty wagon.
“Just before we reached a steep hill,
where worse things might have hap-
Eened, Dave Jinks on his buckskin
roncho galloped up and ended the
stampede.
“Clement, unwilling to risk another
rude awakening, got out, and being
stout and good tempered, began to in
still into my mind the first principles
of the art, which mainly consisted of
addressing your bulls, unless you want
ed them to pull—which was another
story—as gently as a team of sucking
turtle doves.
“Eight teams there were to a train
and at noon and night, as we came
in camp, they circled out, four on
either side of the road, like the com
mencement of some figure in a dance,
and ranged the wagons in two half
circles 12 on a side, forming a tight
corral with an opening on either end.
“Into this space the herders would
drive the 200 cattle and eight teamsters
would commence the task of picking
out their teams in order and yoking
them, off ox and nigh, each one in
his proper place. Twenty oxen made
a full team and it was no light task to
learn to select. In correct rotation, your
own team from leaders to wheelers,
though a couple of weeks' practice
would teach you to know them all, not
only by name but by disposition, so
that you could curse your luck if the
boss assigned to you some particularly
lazy yoke of cattle, entailing more work
In driving and a choicer selection of
expletives.
“Lethbridge, terminus of the toy
railway, was the loading place and we
carried either miscellaneous merchan
dise from the tiny box cars or coal
from the mouth of the Galt mines, a
full load being 10 tons, five to the
lead, three on the swing and two on
the trail wagons. When It came to
negotiate a steep hill or an awkward
ford the teams were then doubled and
It wasa sight to see 20 yoke of bulls,
with 40 wriggling tails, putting their
necks Into the yoke, three men with
cracking whips and lurid language
urging them on, hauling a load up the
steep hills that rose on the bank of
the Belly river opposite Lethbridge.
"The I. G. Baker firm was Ameri
can, and so were most of the bosses
and men, good fellows all willing to
take pains to teach the newcomer all
the mysteries, from braiding a 16-
strand whip to handling It scientifi
cally. I spent many a long nqpn dili
gently 'popping' the 18 feet of whip
lash, until I could make It crack with
the best of them. i
“It was a careless happy-go-lucky
outfit and although prohibition reigned
supreme In the territories this was no
barrier to the ‘good time’ that was
enjoyed whenever the train reached
Macleod, where the checks were paid,
and where SSO and nothing In par
ticular to spend it on opened up a
vista of enjoyment, although the
doubtful Bourbon packed from across
the line past the two nations, was re
tailed at 50 cents a glass and the best
was sold by drug stores at $1 for a
six-ounce bottle.
"Then, stud poker (ace in the hole),
which was the only favored form of
gambling, gave such a fine chance of
doubling your money while suave
gentlemen in back parlors were always
ready with kind offers to ‘get up a
little game’ that the bull whacker with
his newly drawn wages got a flatter
ing and polite rebeptlon.
“Just as the train was going into
winter quarters poor Hank, one of our
bull whackers who had saved enough
to put him through the five months
of winter in comfort, had a vision of
the royal winter be could put in on
double the sum and he went into a
game for that purpose — emej-ging
broke. Old Lem White, on the other
hand, used to gamble and whenever
he had a streak of luck he gave part
of his winnings to ■Kamoose’ Taylor
with the understanding that at the end
of the summer the house was open to
him for the winter.
“No count was kept of Sundays in a
bull camp. We worked day after day,
unless nature interfered and we had to
America Offers Freedom
In Midst of World Chaos
I am an American:
When I hear an airplane I have no
fear it may be a bomber.
When my wife goes marketing she
is not restricted In her purchase of
food by a government decree.
When evening comes I walk through
well-lighted streets without fear of a
raid.
In my newspaper I read the truth
about home and abroad —not propa
ganda manufactured by my govern
ment to keep me in Ignorance of
realities.
I may belong to any organization
or club I wish.
In politics I may affiliate with any
party I choose, always with the reser
vation of criticism if I deem it proper,
even with the policies of the party in
power, without fear of a detention
camp or worse.
If I am not fully In accord with
the administration methods I do not
seek a change through bloody revolu
tion.
I do not have to keep registered
with the police.
lie up with a swollen, unfordable
stream in front of us, or when we
chanced to reach the High river
mission school on Saturday night and
the good priests forbade our unload
ing until Monday morning. Then all
hands went out fishing.
“Those long trips, like that to High
River were the best part of the season.
When once the tram was loaded the
work was light, the grub excellent and,
given fair weather, the life was de
lightful.
“Our night.herder was Alberta Jim,
an Englishman with an Qxford educa
tion, and one night a terrific thunder
storm broke over us. Alberta Jim de
serted his charged and left them to
stampede, seeking for himself the
friendly shelter of the mess tent, slip
ping out "when the eastern sky was
gray and coming back with only four
out of a herd of 200. All that wild
night, according to his story, he had
followed the sound of the bell (one ox
carried a bell) and when the pitchy
darkness lifted, lo! he was out of sight
of camp with a bell ox and three
others. Whether Dave Jinks swallowed
the yam I cannot say but Alberta Jim
was kept busy for two days, helping to
round up the strayed herd while we
made holiday, greased our wagons and
braided whips.
“As we neared High River a settler
came into camp armed with a rifle and
a revolver, his body encircled In three
directions with cartridge belts and
warned us the Indians were excited
and he had left his home to escape
them. We kept him that night and
the next day came across the bell tents
of a small detachment of the North
west Mounted Police, who were adjust
ing the trouble that had arisen over
the looting of an empty house and the
shooting of one of the marauders while
the goods were being recovered. Noth
ing disturbed the peace of the bull
train.
“Breaking in a new steer, wild from
the ranges, broke the monotony of the
mornings and noons and from the time
the rope was on him until he was being
reluctantly hauled along as one of the
team, the fun was fast and furious.
Especially would this be the case if he
broke loose and with a heavy yoke
swinging around his neck would make
us crawl under the wagons until the
key broke, the yoke flew off at a
tangent and the business began afresh.
“The bull team, in common with
many picturesque features of the west
ern prairies, has long been a thing of
the past. Dave Jinks left for the south
suddenly on his buckskin horse
through some trouble that brought him
in contact with the police; which was
a pity for Dave was a splendid fellow,
strong as one of his oxen, a good
horseman, and, withal, though one of
the most peaceable of men, ready to
jump into a row without asking any
questions if a friend got into trouble.
“Some of the old time bullwhackers,
once Indian fighters on the border, to
Patriot
KAMHE
|. K ^^^L
James Boyd, awthor of “Dram" and
other novela. Io chairman of a newly
formed group of outstanding American
writers and playwrights known as the
Free Company who are contributing
their talents to a concerted counter-at
tack against foreign propaganda tn
this country. The group is preparing
a series of dramas to be broadcast over
a coast-to-coast Columbia network to
emphssim the principles of American
freedom. Boyd characterized the pro
posed series as “voluntary statements
of faith by a group of Americans quali
fied to give them eloquent expression.”
THE HERALD-NEWS
I can converse freely with friends or
even chance acquaintances, on any
subject, without fear.
When the postman leaves my mall
I know It has not been opened by
government agents nor do they tap
my telephone.
I carry Identification cards only in
case of a traffic or other accident.
I think of those living in other coun
tries as international neighbors rather
than foreign enemies, ana even though
we may speak different languages I
do not feel It is necessary to go to
| war should we, not always agree.
I can worship God In my own way
I without government Interference.
i My children are safe at home—we
have not had to send them away with
gas masks for fear of being blown up
or gassed if they remain with us.
My moral problems and troubles are
not being constantly overshadowed by
fear of sudden death.
I will struggle to preserve all this—
the priceless privilege of Americanism.
I am indeed a fortunate man.
I am an American.
whom an Indian was one degree below
a coyote, who turned up every spring,
year after year, who blew In their sum
mer wages and wintered in some out
lying herder’s camp: to these the bull
train almost stood for home and they
must have felt like evicted tenants
when the shriek of the locomotive
sounded the destruction of the bull
camp.”
Looking Back
Twenty Years
The following news item was taken
from the old files of the Roosevelt
County Independent, Oct. 31, 1921,
Ferrell’s Air Delivery
Antedates Joe Hocking
Anent the recently published story of
Joe Hocking having delivered a Royal
typewriter from his office in Glasgow
to a resident of Malta by airplane
within two hours after he received the
order, the statement is made that this
was the first Instance on record where
an order of, goods was delivered by
airplane in Montana.
-I
Fred M. Ferrell, who says he was first
to make use of airplane in business in
Montana.
Now comes Fred M. Ferrell, manager
of the Fergus Motor company of Lew
istown and disputes the correctness of
this statement. Ferrell’s claim to the
premier delivery of merchandise by the
air route Is amply supported by state
ments from other citizens of Lewis
town. More than a year ago the Fergus
Motor company received a call from a
farmer near Danvers. The farmer stat
ed that he was tied up in his har
vesting by the breaking of a part on
his Fordson tractor. An airplane was
hitched on the landing ground Just
above town. Ferrell ordered his men to
get the part out of stock. Ten minutes
later he was seated in the plane in
full sail for Danvers, 20 miles distant,
and in less than one hour from the
time of the receipt of the order the
farmer had in hand the broken Ford
son part and 20 minutes later had re
sumed his threshing work.
ASK CANTONMENT
FOR FORT PECK
Senator James E. Murray told re
porters In Washington, D. C., that he
had recommended to President Roose
velt the establishment of an army can
tonment at Fort Peck, Mont., and an
air bombing squadron at Great Falls.
Senator Murray explained the ex
isting facilities at Fort Peck make a
cantonment there feasible. He advo
cated use of the buildings erected there
for workers during construction of the
Fort Peck dam.
Four other democratic senators and
representatives were In the discussion
with the president.
Montana business men and labor
leaders In Increasing numbers are ad
vocating defense Industries for Mon
tana, one of the states short-changed
In the awarding of defense contracts.
CITY ORDINANCES CODED
City ordinances and resolutions for
the towns of Belgrade, Belt, Denton,
Fort Benton, Libby, Roundup, Troy
and Westby have been completely
codified ana returned to their respec
tive cities in bound volumes, State
WPA Administrator Joseph E Parker
reported.
On CBS Again
14
Shirley Temple returned to the CBS
microphone for her second appearance
in three months on “Lux Radio
Theater” when she starred in a radio
adaptation of her early screen success,
“Captain January," the story of a little
girl orphaned by a storm and adopted
by a lighthouse keeper.
SURGEONS’ TEAMS
AIDED BY NURSES
LATE DR. HOYT OF GLASGOW
SERVED SOLDIERS W’OUNDED
IN FRONT LINES
“Red Cross nurses, under fire, were
the finest bunch of women I ever met.
They worked like dogs, they slept in
mud, they became lousy every day
from working over boys wounded In
the front lines, but they never com
plained and they always came up
smiling."
This was the statement made by Dr.
Mark T. Hoyt, who, died recently in
Glasgow, where he was mayor, on his
return from France at the close of
the first World war.
In August, 1937. he was a first lieu
tenant in the medical reserve but after
nine months of active service he gained
the rank of major.
He was a member of a team of six
surgeons and with other surgical teams
moved from battlefront to battlefront
and worked directly behind the first
lines. One such hospital had 18 op
erating tables and 55 surgical teams
working during a battle. The teams
performed 5,500 operations In one
month.
Dr. Hoyt was one of the doctors who
served with the American army In the
Argonne.
He was the son of one of the earliest
Montana pioneers. He established the
first hospital at Glasgow and In
northern Montana In 1889, using three
freight cars for buildings.
Prefers His Sheepskin
Over Gridiron Laurels
A prominent college football player
recently announced he was retiring
from competition so that he could
make a better showing in his studies.
He said he preferred a sheepskin to
the pigskin.
The claim is often made 'that foot
ball does not Interfere with studies.
However, the above action seems the
logical answer to such a contention.
ITS NAME A
Sa StA
OFBIue
Ribbon
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
SERVED AT MONTANA'S
IMPORTANT OCCASIONS
FOR OVER 50 TEARS
GEORGE BENZ tCNt MC. CT. PAUL, AUNNE4OTA
BUTTE WILL HAVE
NEW STOCKYARDS
$200,000 INDUSTRY WILL BE BOON
TO STOCKMEN; DUE TO
OPEN IN JUNE
The Butte Public Stockyards, estab
lished with the filing of articles of
incorporation at Helena, will assist In
the continued development of the
Montana livestock Industry. It will be
particularly helpful to the stockmen of
southwestern and western Montana. It
is estimated that the initial cost of
the enterprise will be $200,000, and the
plant will be so designed that addi
tions can be made as the business
warrants.
L. A. Snyder is to be the general
manager of the Butte stockyards.
Snyder is a native Montanan, born at
Lewistown, and has spent his life in
the livestock business. He has a cattle
ranch near Lewistown. For some time
he has been the western representative
of the Sioux City Stockyards Co. with
headquarters in Montana. He knows
the cattle business In this state thor
oughly.
This stockyards brings the market
1.500 miles farther west.
Sioux City Enterprise
The Butte stockyards is an enter
prise of the Sioux City Stockyards Co.,
which has established In that lowa
city one of the largest and most suc
cessful livestock marketing facilities In
the United States. The concern was
started in 1887 and for many years
has conducted a market where buyers
representing America’s foremost pack
ers and feeders conduct their business.
It is affiliated with stockyards con
cerns all over the country.
The company has purchased 58 acres
of land from the Hansen Packing Co.
On this tract It will build a modem
stockyards plant, consisting of a cov
ered division for the accommodation
of hogs and sheep and open sales pens
for cattle. There will be a modem ad
ministration building to house the of
fices of'the stockyards company, the
commission men and buyers who will
make their headquarters there.
Opening Set for June
Construction of the yards will start
as the weather permits, probably in
March. The company expects to nave
the business in operation by the middle
of June.
What this means to the livestock in
terests of western Montana and to the
community Is quickly apparent. With
the incomparable livestock areas ad
jacent to Butte, the Big Hole, the
Flint creek coqntry, the Grasshopper
and other areas, a ready market within
75 or 100 miles will become a boon to
the stockmen.
®
NATION S FINGERS CROSSED
Removal of the "moral embargo”
against shipment of airplanes to Russia
was purely a diplomatic move. Russia
is as airtight a dictatorship as Ger
many or Italy, and has played ball
with Hitler. But the British and
United States governments still hope
that Russia may yet be weaned away
from the axis. Lifting the embargo was
obviously designed to drive a wedge
between Hitler and Stalin.
Read the Classified Advertisements!
FEMALE HUN
WITH UPSET
NERVOUS SPELLS—
You women who suffer pain of Irreg
ular periods with nervous, cranky
spells due to monthly functional
disturbances should find Lydia E.
Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound
simply marvelous to relieve such
annoying symptoms.
Pinkham's Compound Is made
especially for women to help relieve
such distressing feelings and thus
help them go smiling thru such
"difficult days." Over 1,000,000 women
have reported remarkable benefits.
WORTH TRYING! Any drugstore.