The Billings Gazette from Billings, Montana • 15

Wop HUXtst "GREATER MIDLAND EMPIRE" EDITION VOL. XLVNO. 298. BILLINGS, MONTANA, SUNDAY, JULY 30, 1933. (Fifth Tabloid Section) PRICE, FIVE CENTS YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY FIRST SEEN BY WHITE AMERICANS IN JULY OF 1 806 CLARK'S JOURNALS EARLY-DAY THE MIDLAND EMPIRE: A BOUNTIFUL LAND ft SJinvFurniRPQ rwnvtw yp mu I Lil 1 UI1LU LllLI I 41 'wiitfvrnnv nr niinniiri Itwjwvm I 9 IJU6ITH BA3IN ,1 Ml ACHE.

WHEATLAND R. i ViNNfrt I PETROLEUM I A ft n.JlJA VSS tSH iJ-V BUWI TOAI.f FY ttowyToNE i y-- 5 I 6 HORN. I mwmm 1 I I Mil NVfi TELL OF COUNTRY'S TEEMING WILD LIFE Pioneer Settlement Was Fort Built in 1807 at Big Horn's Mouth. Perhaps the first white Americans to touch soil in what is now Yellow stone county were members of Capt. William Clark's parV.

who reached the site of Billings, July 25, 1806, on the return trip of the Lewis and Clark expedition through the north west to the Paficic coast. A few days before reaching the present site of Billings, Clark had built cottonwood canoes west of the site of Park City for the trip down the Yellowstone. In his Journals, Clark mentions the large number of buffalo, deer and other game seen in this vicinity. He makes notes of some yellow cliffs, which are undoubtedly the bluffs south of the river. Clark left a few names in this section, notably Pom-peys Pillar, for the isolated rock near the Yellowstone, long a landmark in the region; Clark's Fork and Pryor creek.

His name, scratched on the rock at Pompeys Pillar, is still preserved. In 1807 Manuel Lisa built a fort at the mouth of the Big Horn, which was the first place to be occupied by wnite men in Montana for any length of time. A year later John colter probably came through the confines of the county when he es caped from the Blackfeet, after run ning the gauntlet and killing his last pursuer. He traveled seven days. without clothing or food other than roots, down the Yellowstone until he reached Fort Lisa.

In the years of fur trading, explor ing and adventuring that followed it is difficult to obtain authentic information of what parties came through tnis region. A number of forts were built along the lower Yellowstone and undoubtedly traders and trappers came west into the Yellowstone county area. Missionary Visits Crows. Father Peter J. De Smet visited the Crow Indians in 1840 on his first re turn to St.

Louis from his work among the Flatheads in western Montana and passed through the Yellowstone country. He found the Crows, for the most part indifferent toward the Christian religion although they treated him with courtesy and hospitality. In 1853, Lieut. John Mullan, who had charge of most of the exploration work in the first railroad survey through the northwest, conducted by Isaac Stevens of the territory of Washington, came up the Yellowstone from Fort Union to about the site of Billings and then went north to the Musselshell and over to the neighborhood of Fort Benton, where he joined the main body. During the years from 1858 to 1860, a military and scientific party under command of Col.

Reynolds and with Prof Frederick Hayden, a noted geologist and explorer, in charge of the scientific work, made the first geological survey of the Yellowstone country Another episode of the Yellowstone centers about James Stuart, who, with 15 men, explored the region for gold in 1863 and laid out a town-site at the mouth of the Big Horn. Near the site of Billings the daring of Stuart in covering a Crow chief with his gun and demanding restoration of stolen property probably saved the band from disaster. Soldiers Protect Surveyors. The same year John Bozeman and J. M.

Jacobs established the Bozeman and Jacobs cutoff (Bozeman trail), the shortest route from the east to the new gold discoveries in western Montana. It was traversed by thousands of emigrants during the next four or five years. Skirting the northern limits of the Big Horn and Pryor mountains, it was just south of the present boundaries of Yellowstone county. Fort C. F.

Smith, built a short distance below the Big Horn canyon in 1866 to protect the route, was the scene of several battles with the Sioux, Cheyennes and other Indians under Red Cloud, who finally forced (Continued on Page 2, Column 2.) Park Discoverer's Most Thrilling Event Was by Blackfeet. The remarkable adventures of John Colter, discoverer of Yellowstone park and a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, would, if all were related, comprise a good-sized volume. All form a part of the early-day history of Montana from the time Colter took leave from the expedition to pioneer In the territory. Most thrilling, perhaps, and best-known of Colter's adventures was his capture by Blackfeet Indians. The frontiersman, according to his recitals after returning to St.

Louis some years later, left Port Manuel Lisa (at the mouth of the Big Horn) to contact the Indian tribes in the Interior wilderness for the purpose of promoting trade with the Indians for the frontier post. Whether Colter left the post alone or was accompanied by another trapper. Potts by name, has never been definitely settled in the minds of historians. At any rate, Potts was with Colter when they met up with the warlike Blackfeet which was climaxed by his escape from a band of some 600 Indians in a barefoot race for life. It is believed the two men met the friendly Crows in the Wind Elver country of northern Wyoming and a email party of them crossed over the Wind River mountains through what Is now known as Union pass and over the Teton range through the pass of $hat name.

Exactly where Colter met with his remarkable adventure of his career is not known. Neither is it known of exact time. The frontiersman told of the Crows being attacked by a war party of Blackfeet in which Colter was badly wounded in the leg. The Crows fled in alarm, leaving the grounded man to shift for himself. Abandoning the idea of forming friendly relations with the Blackfeet, Colter decided to return to the fort.

Although the story here is vague, it Is considered likely Potts and Colter began the trek back together. They crossed the southern portion of Yellowstone park, and wounded as he was, Colter stuck bravely to the trail and eventually reached the Yellowstone river. Surrounded By Reds. The episode of Colter's capture and scape began along a creek where the two men were examining their traps In a canoe. They were suddenly sur- rounded on both sides of the creek by five or six hundred Indians, who beckoned them to come ashore.

Be' alizlng an escape at that moment was impossible. Colter headed the canoe toward shore; and at the moment of touching an Indian seized the tifle belonging to Potts. But Colter, who was a remarkably strong man, lmme dlately retook it and handed it to Potts, who remained in the canoe. On receiving his rifle, the latter pushed off into the stream and had scarcely struck out when he was wounded with an arrow. Colter urged the man to return, but instead of complying Potts leveled his rifle at an Indian and shot him dead' on the spot.

This act, according to Tom Stout In his History of Montana, may appear to have been an act of madness, but it was doubtless the effect of sudden, but sound enough reasoning; lOr if taken alive he must have ex pec ted to have been tortured to death. And, in this respect the Indians of that region excelled all others in the ingenuity they displayed in torturing their prisoners. He was instantly pierced with arrows. so numerous that, to use the lan guage of Colter, "he was made a rid dle of." The Indians now seized Colter, stripped him entirely naked and be gan to consult on the manner in which he should be put to death, They were first inclined to set him up as a mark to be shot at; but the chief Intervened and, seizing him by the shoulder, asked him if he could run fast. Colter had, in a considerable degree, acquired the Blackfeet language and also was well acquainted with their customs.

He felt certain i ij I'D CAMPBELL Travel far and wide and you will find no more beautifully situated country, nor one with a more distinct personality than the Midland Empire region. HISTORIANS DIFFER IN THEIR CHRONICLES ADOUT SITTING BULL Author Claims Sioux Chief Neither a Liar Nor a Coward. Historians and biographers of the last decade have thrown an entirely different light on the life and tradi tions of one of the greatest of all In dian warriors Sitting Bull. Contrary to the stories and articles published soon after the Custer battle, this later generation of writers say Chief Sit ting Bull was not a coward, a liar and a wanton killer, but led his war riors against enemy tribes and against federal troops only when his terri torial rights were abused or in retali ation for unjustified attacks. True, Sitting Bull predicted, planned and executed the annihila tion of Custer and his troppers.

Trea ties had been made and broken. Sit ting Bull had no desire to have his braves, their squaws and children herded onto a reservation to become wards of the government. He wished only peace, and the right to hunt and roam the plains inherited from his forefathers. White hunters and trappers were slaughtering the buffalo and big game; settlers were driving the wild animals into inaccessible regions Sitting Bull did not like the white man's civilization he saw only starv ation and the destruction of his race The white man's soldiers came to kill his people, and he fought back. For several years after Sitting Bull had fled to Canada with his followers, attempts were made to induce Sitting Bull to return to the reservation.

Sitting Bull's replies were always the same: They have driven me out, why do they want me to come back? Stanley Vestal, in his late biography of the famous Sioux chief, an swering the declaration of earlier writers, says: "They said he (Sitting Bull) was a coward, though no one who has the slightest knowledge of plains Indians can believe for a mo ment that a coward could for years (Continued on Page 2, Column 5.) taULATIN 7 A --Pv The West will ever remain in the Midland Empire region of Montana and Wyoming. MONTANA'S WATER POWER RESOURCES WELL DEVELOPED First Power Plant Built Near Great Falls in 1891. Montana ia uniaue in that within its borders originate the headwaters of rivers flowing respectively into the Gulf of Mexico, Hudson's bay, and the Pacific ocean. The Madison, Jef ferson and Gallatin rivers combine at Three Porks to form the Missouri which, flowing first north, then east, then south, Joins the Mississippi near St. Louis.

The Yellowstone river, rising in Yellowstone National park, flows in a northeasterly direction and Joins the Missouri at a point near the Montana-North Dakota state line. The Waterton and St. Mary rivers, rising in Glacier National park, flow Into the Saskatchewan and thence into Hudson's bay. Silver Bow creek, which is formed largely by water pumped from the Butte mines, flows in a westerly direction and is progressively known as the Deer Lodge river, Missoula river. and finally Clark Fork river.

The Clark Fork is one of the principal tributaries of the Columbia river. Early Developments. The Mississippi together with Its principal tributary, the Missouri, form the longest river in the United States. The Columbia Is the largest In point of volume. These great rivers, rising in the main range of the Rockies at elevations of over 5,000 feet, provide a very large potential water power.

It is estimated that the total potential power available In Montana amounts to 2,550,000 horsepower. Of this total 400,000 horsepower has been developed and Is now being distrib uted by several companies operating in the central and western parts of the state. The Montana Power com pany is the largest of these operators and has 11 water power plants on the Missouri river and its tributaries, on the Clark Fork river, and on the (Continued on Page 8, Column 3.) CARBON 1VO V-- I a inA 5 Rl MSL, MINERAL SPRINGS FOUND IN MANY PARTS OF STATE Montana Is liberally supplied by nature with hot mineral springs of many kinds. They are popular resorts for seekers of health, rest and recreation. The following are among well-known springs, where hotels and other accommodations are provided for the public: Alhambra Hot Springs, Jefferson county, near Helena.

Barkels Hot Springs, Madison county, at Silver Star. Big Hole Hot Springs, Beaverhead county, at Jackson. 3oulder Hot Springs, Jefferson county, near Boulder. Broadwater Natatorlum, Lewis and Clark county, near Helena. Camas Hot Springs, Sanders county, near Plains.

Chico, Park county, near Yellowstone park, Elkhorn Hot Springs, Beaverhead county, near Dillon. Gregson Hot Springs, Silver Bow county, near Butte. Hunter's Hot Springs, Park county, near Livingston. Lolo Hot Springs, Missoula county, near Missoula. Medicine Rock Hot Springs, Ravalli county, near Como.

Norris Hot Springs, Madison county, at Norris. Pipestone Hot Springs, Jefferson county, near Butte. Potosl Hot Springs, Madison county, near Pony. Pullers Hot Springs, Madison county, near Alder. Sleeping Child Hot Springs, near Missoula.

White Sulphur Springs, Meagher county, at White Sulphur Springs. KILLS LARGE MOUNTAIN LION. The hide of one of the largest mountain lions ever killed In Montana, measuring 10 feet from tip to tip, was displayed at Helena a few weeks ago by August Johnson of Canyon Creek. It and those of two other lions killed by Johnson in the Little Prickly Pear valley, near Helena, will bring the hunter $135 Continued on Page 12, Column 1.