The Fairfield Times from Fairfield, Montana • 3

A of Once Rival Town to Great Falls, Was Located Across the cording Missouri to Its from the Founder, Future John Electric Largent, City and Were Its Just as Prospects, Great Ac- as Its Neighbor, Connected With It Only By a Ferry When the Melting Snow Caused High Water THE FAIRFIELD TIMES Its Neighbor, By MRS. M. E. PLASSMANN IS not quite 50 years since the founding of the city of Great Falls, yet there are few of its original settlers now living, and their number is rapidly growless. So much has transpired in that period, both here and throughout the world, that those days are well' nigh forgotten.

How many are there of the residents of Great Falls who know there was at the beginning of its history, a rival town across the Missouri opposite the townsite, bearing the name of Johnstown? Aside from the fact that Great Falls was being boomed to a greater extent, there was In 1884, as bright a future for Johnstown as for the so-called "Fu- Mrs. M. E. Plassmann- the Missouri with about equal chances of gaining control of the water power, vet Johnstown is now simply a memory, Great Falls having stretched its long arms over the river and gathered in its ambitious rival. Because of its advantageous situation the remark often was made by those not conversant with the plans of the builder of Great Falls- Paris Gibson-that Johnstown eventually would occupy the same relation to the former city that Brooklyn does to New York.

There was some foundation. for this belief as Johnstown in 1884 possessed about as favorable an outlook for becoming a thriving city as did Great Falls. The number of its buildings was nearly the same. It had a store, a restaurant and a livery stable constituting its bustness center and a ferry connected the two infant villages. Nor was this all.

According to a correspondent of the Sun River Sun--the journal devoted to the interests of the Sun River valley and later destined to be transferred to Great Falls where it not only gained another "local habitation," but a "name," becoming in time the Great Falls Tribune with the added prestige of being a daily instead of a weekly paper--plans were even then on foot to build a bridge across the river. Used Ferry Coming to Great Falls in the spring of 1884, I was ferried over the river. Except in time of low water when the river could be forded, this was our sole means of communication with Johnstown or the Sun River valley until the promised bridge was built. Johnstown was named for a pioneer of this section. John Largent, well who owned the greater part the prospective city.

Largent, who. was born in Illinois, arrived at Fort Benton in 1862, and entered the service of the American Fur company--in what capacity we are not informed, nor how long he remained with them. Evidently he did not remain at Fort Benton for any great length of time, as not long after the discovery of gold near Great Falls was made public, he left employ of the fur company to go prospecting. Before this occurred, however, had a number of thrilling experiences, enough to fully initiate him into the perils, of frontier life. While at Fort Benton he received the munificent salary of $19.50 month.

The company, thinking it desirable to have a post at the mouth of the Musselshell, dispatched George Steell there to superintend its building. Largent went there, likewise, at the advanced salary of $40 a month. Steell and some others made the trip by the comparatively easy river route, while Largent and a companion took the land journey. This might have been enjoyable under favorable circumstances, but it was anything but that, traveling as these men did without any food but hardtack and a little salt given them with the expectation, doubtless, that they would find plenty of game. They had no matches, their fires being kindled by the use of "flint a piece of steel and gunpowder.

This was considered a hardship by these men, but our ancestors knew no other method they considered easier, and Indians dispensed with the powder. Eat Wolf Meat That winter, Largent told Robert In 1884 Great Falls and its rival and what is known now as West Great Falls, fording of the stream. Vaughn, provisions became scarce. and they had to live part of on wolf meat. The wolves were caught in traps.

This was the enforced diet white men, and yet we speak contemptuously of Indians eating dogs, although white men who have tried this variety of "hot dogs" testify that they were good and far pref- crable to wolf meat. When the buffalo came north in the spring or early summer, Largent went out to kill some. Buffalo meat would be a welcome change from wolf meat "straight," as it was termed. Catching sight of a herd of buffalo he noticed they were in great commotion, and soon discovered this arose from their being stampeded by Indians: Unfortunately, the Indians spied him at the same time and closed in on either hand to head him off. He recognized that his only safety lay in flight, and behind him the herd came thundering on.

Turning his horse he tried to outstrip the buffalo. It was a hopeless undertaking. Soon he was in the midst of the herd, which protected him from Indians, to be sure, but he was in constant danger of being run down by the buffalo. Should his horse stumble and he be thrown, he would be trampled to death by a thousand hoofs. On and on they raced, buffalo, man and horse, until reaching a bluff, over they went pell mell, but' the horse did not lose its footing and in the blinding dust raised by the herd, Largent managed to reach the fort safely.

This was not by any means John Largent's one undesired acquaintance with Indians, Once when out some dispanion some Indians approaching from, the fort, he and his comon foot. The white men, being on fairly good horses, could easily have escaped, had not the other man insisted the approaching red men were friendly Indians. Largent doubted this and urged his companion to go with him to the fort and to waste no time doing so. Captured by Indians His advice was unheeded and Largent, expressing his opinion of the other fellow's conduct in language of considerable strength even for those days when strong language was the fashion, tried to turn his horse's head and hurry fortward. In an effort to persuade him, Largent used a hatchet.

Whether or not he struck the horse with it, is uncertain, but he managed nearly to cut off a couple of his fingers instead, yet the horse refused to budge. The Indians by now had overhauled them and at once made the white men understand they were prisoners. They were forced to dismount, their guns were taken them and then the whole party started in the direction of the fort, Largent on foot, closely guarded and the other man riding. Largent could not understand why they were going in the direction of the fort. until at length it occurred to him he was to be held for ransom, which was preferable to making an Indian's holi- German Prince Visited Northern Montana Area Nearly 100 Years Ago IT IS a fact worth knowing that Montana was visited nearly one hundred years ago by a German prince.

The time was less than a third century after Lewis and Clark made their historic trip of discovery to the Pacific ocean by way of the waters of the Missouri river and the Columbia river. The nobleman was Alexander Philip Maximilian, Prince of Weide, who lived for A time at Fort McKenzie, near the mouth of the Marias river, in 1833. On coming to this country he was accompanied by a painter of Swiss origin, Carl Bodmer, who took much a pains and exercised great skill 1 in depicting the customs and portraits of Indians and of any specimens the prince desired to be preserved in that way. Before coming to the United States the Prince of Weide made a trip to the wilds of the Amazon river in Brazil, where he remained for two years collecthe afterwards prepared published. ing specimens and data fond work that The result of his labors served to establish his reputation as a scientist throughout the world.

It was after this work was published that he came to the United States. The prince fought in the Napoleonic wars and was at the battle of Jena and helped to end the career the Little Corporate general. at Waterloo, When the where war he was was ended a the Prince of Weide quit the army and resumed the study of science. He had long wished to visit the northwestern portion of the United States and the Rocky mountain region. was free to go and at once prepared for the trip.

Besides Bodmer, he was accompanied by another man, Deidroppel, who acted as hunter and general utility man and who was with Maximilian in the Amazon river region. Maximilian and his two companions sailed from his native land dOL in 1832 and reached Boston July 4. They reached St. Louis in the spring. of 1833 and went up the river steamer Yellowstone, belonging to the American Fur company.

At Fort Pierre the prince transferred to the steamer Assiniboine and proceeded up the river to Fort Clark, near where the town of Bismarck, N. now stands. That place was then occupied by Mandan Indian villages. The following day the boat went on up river to the mouth of- the Yellowstone and then on to Fort Benton, where it arrived June 24. The prince-naturalist remained Cleverness of Wolverine Told by Armington Man Now Trapper in Arctic equally prosperous looking city, Johnstown, were connected only by the ferry shown day, or night- whichever it might beas he scruples about serving as barbecue.

When they camped that night, he still was dubious as to his fate. These were Blood Indians, who had earned their distinctive name from other tribes who recognized their cruelty. The next morning, however, saw them once more on their way to the fort. At a distance from there, the party halted and a courier was dispatched with the demand for ransom. Are Ransomed Then followed an indecisive hour, which ended happily at the appearance! of George Steell coming to their rescue with the amount of goods required for their exchange.

So terminated Largent's Second encounter with Indians. At another time an Indian tried to take his horse away from him. He refused to give it up. Wounded by an arrow. he changed his mind and saw the Indian ride away on it.

He hoped he would have the opportunity to kill that Indian, but this privilege was not granted him, as some one else acted in his stead later and the horse thief was slain. While Mr. Largent was down the river, either at the mouth of the Milk or the Musselshell river, his friend Mitchell, who came up the Missouri with him on the Spread Eagle, which arrived at Fort Benton, according to Vol. 1 of the Montana Historical society's Reports, on June 20, 1862, became homesick and decided to seize, the first chance that offered to go the river. It was not long before that chance came.

A party of miners returning from Canada with a large amount of gold, built themselves a boat at Fort Benton and started for "the States." Mitchell to go with them his request granted. asked, This was the party that stopped at Fort Pierre and were there warned to heeded with the result that all were beware of Indians. a The advice was not massacred- with the rest. There was a woman on the boat and some children. The gold had been concealed under the flooring.

It was found by the Indians or some one else for the particulars of the massacre were never known. It has even been claimed it was not Indians, but white men who were the murderers. This might well be, occurring as it did in the lawless period of our history. The miners made secret of the gold they carried with them. Under the cireumstances, it is surprising they ever reached Fort Benton with it.

Dies With Secret Another man killed about this time was the partner of John Lepley and all knowledge of the rich mine he is said to have located died with him. No one' has since discovered it, although diligent search has been made for it. Mr. Lepley always believed what his partner told him regarding the mine. Rich gold mines were found in Montana, yet still richer ones were reported from Alberta and British Columbia and gold is a lure few men can withstand.

John Largent, together with John Wren, hearing of these northern discoveries, started for British Columbia via the Edmonton route. On reaching the SasKitchewan they found themselves without money or horses, for the Indians the money men probably spent had relieved them, of their horses, and on the way north. For one season Largent mined there, then returned to Fort Benton, which must at that time have taken on the semblance of a town. In 1862, according to Mr. Largent's letter to Robert Vaughn, there was nothing there but the fort.

meantime Montana became a territory; settlers were rushing in, and Fort was its main distributing point. In 1867, Mr. Largent established himself on Sun river, where he opened a store and a hotel for those traveling between the capital--then Virginia Cityand Fort Benton. Eight years later he sold to George Steell, although he reserved his homestead on which stood the first building in Sun River. At the time of the sale, Sun River was a promising town with roseate dreams of becoming the commercial center of that rich agricultural section.

John Largent and John Healey built, it is said, the first Sun river bridge. This also was sold to Steell. John's Town It will be seen from the foregoing that Mr. Largent was, for a number of years and until his death, one of the most prominent settlers in the Sun River valley. It was fitting that his.

name should have been given to the little village across the -river from Great Falls, now known as West Great Falls. The little town consisting of restaurant, store, postoffice where E. B. Largent was postmaster--and one or two other buildings, has grown rapidly, having now the aspect of a city. In some' manner memory of its founder should be kept alive.

I am indebted to the files of the Sun River Sun, now in Historical library at Helena, and to "Then and Now" by Robert Vaughn, for the facts contained in this article. In some minor particulars, these authorities do not agree. For instance, the Sun' gives Mr. Largent's birthplace as Illinois, while Mr. Vaughn states he was a native of Virginia.

To be certain on the subject, I consulted former Supt. D. Largent of the Great Falls schools, who is a cousin of John Largent. He said he was not sure, but thought the latter was born in Illinois. In his letter to Vaughn, Mr.

Largent says he was 90 days in reaching Fort Benton and seems doubtful whether boat took him up the river, or he the boat. From this we are led to infer that during low water steamboats, like keel boats, had to be cordelled. a Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of in it every day, and at last we cannot I break located just across the Missouri on above, except when low water permitted MONTANAN GOES INTO COLOMBIA GEORGE HARKER, FORMERLY OF COLUMBUS, TO DO CONSTRUCTION WORK IN SOUTH AMERICA Leaves With Wife and Daughter to Take Up Residence in City of Medillon, Located in Heart of Mountains of Region Where He Will Be Employed George Harker, for a number of years a resident of Stillwater county has left vith his wife and daughter for South America where he will spend the next two years in construction work for the Vinston Construction company of Minneapolis in the interior of the United States of Colombia. Mr. Harker spent two years in railroad work in Colombia for the company, returning two years ago last August.

a year or two previous to his first South trip, he was employed by the company during the building of the Mystic lake dam and power plant of the Montana Power company, having charge of the construction and maintenance of the road built up to the power project on the West Rosebud. On his former trip, Mr. Harker was alone but this time is taking his family with him. They will live at Medillon, Colombia, one of the finest and most healthful cities in South America. More than a month will be consumed in reaching Medillon, which is in the heart of the mountains.

They will go to New York and take passage on a United Fruit company steamer which carries about 70 first class passengers. After touching at Kingston, Jamaica and other Caribbean sea points, they will transfer to a river steamer on Magdalena river, going up the great river for nearly two weeks before they strike a railroad head. They will pass by the great oil fields of the Tropical Oil company which has nearly 300 oil wells. Few Highways All transportation in Colombia is either by railroad or river boat or by mule. There are practically no highways where wagons or cars can be used but the building of railroads in the is rapidly being developed.

On his previous trip, Mr. Harker worked on a government railroad project up the Cacua river, a large tributary of the Magdalena. The road, which is still under construction, is being built into the coffee growing areas in the uplands of Colombia. On this stay in Colombia, Mr. Harker will be employed at huge gold placer mine of the Nare Mining corporation, a subsidiary of the company.

Water which is brought down from the central Cordilleras through an 18-inch pipe is 'sent through a two inch pipe at the mine, exercising a tremendous hydraulic pressure in washing out the mineral. Medillon is a beautiful city, situated at an altitude of 4,800 feet, he said. It lies between the main Cordilleras or Alps and a lower parallel range. While the lower country is hot and unhealthful with prevalent fevers, the climate at Medillon is delightful. There is perpetual spring there with a continual climate like June in Montana.

The palm trees are always green and the grass luxuriant. From the sides of the mountains, Medillon with Its white buildings and red-tiled roofs. surrounded by the green countryside, is a beautiful sight. American Capital Aids Antioca, the state in which Medillon gle men, according to Mr. Harker.

Labor Costs Low is situated, is one of the most progressive sections of the country and a large amount of improvements has been carred on in recent years. Colombia has been rapidly developed years, largely with the aid of American capital. The Andes mountains high throughout their long extent although the highest portion is farther south. From the region where Mr. Harker has been working, a snow-capped mountain which is almost under the equator can be seen, although in the immediate vicinity the peaks do not reach into the region of perpetual snow.

Living conditions in Columbia, especially in the higher and more progressive areas, are quite attractive, although sometimes the Americans wish there were a few more of their kind. There are quite a number of Germans who are the keenest competitors of the Americans. Quite a few British citizens are connected with banks commercial houses in the cities. Young men from England usually sign up for a period of from three to five years' service with the banking houses doing business in Colombia. The country offers real opportunities for young Americans, especially sin- Practcially all the labor is done by the lower classes and their work as a whole is quite satisfactory and they give little trouble, according to Mr.

Harker. They average about a dollar a day, which under living conditions there, is as good as three or four dollars here. There Is very little labor turnover on construction work and the men do not give, near the difficulty and do as good the ordinary construction worker in this country, Mr. Harker declares. There are three classes in Colombia, the very rich, who own practically everything; a class supervisors and better class employes of the rich, and the common workmen whose wants are little and are always carefree and happy.

Most of these people in the years past have worked on coffee plantations. Because of the demand for construction labor, many desert the plantations but they usually go back every two or three years to preserve their rights on the home The cleverness of the wolverine, one of the most difficult. fur bearing animals to catch, was told at Armington recently by Andrew G. Hay of that city, who with his brother, Edgar has spent seven years trapping and trading for furs in the great stretch of country which lies north of Edmonton. Last vear Mr.

Hay spent the winter trapping at the delta of the McKenzie river, where it flows into the Arctic ocean. Despite the difficulty with which the wolverine is caught this fur is not valuable and is used mostly to trim the hoods of the Eskimo parkas worn by natives and traders and trappers. It is the only fur which will not gather frost and hence is very useful as a trimming for the outer edges of the hood. Intelligent Animal The wolverine seems to have a grudge against all trappers and its- intelligence, according to Mr. Hay, is shown by the destruction which it often causes along the trap lines.

Although weighing only between 40 and 50 pounds, the wolverine is very powerful and when caught in traps usually succeeds in freeing itself. It climbs trees like the bear but is clumsy looking like the padger. Quite often a wolverine will follow the trails for hundreds of miles, destroying animals that have been caught in the trap lines, Mr. Hay said. Sometimes the animals are eaten by the wolverine but more often they are taken from the traps and buried in the snow.

This animal is naturally very inquisitive: with a supreme desire to to to to to to to get into everything and tear things to to pieces. Its teeth to are very strong. They are tusk-like and about the size of a man's little finger. Upon returning from one of his trapping expeditions last winter, Mr. Hay opened the door of his cabin to find a wolverine curled up on his bed.

The animal bounded at him, but Mr. Hay grabbed a heavy club standing beside the door and hit the animal a stunning blow. Investigation revealed 50 trails leading from the cabin, over which the wolverine had carried away everything moveable in the cabin and cached it. Only the stove and the bare furniture had been left. Little Vegetation "There is very little vegetation within the artic said Mr.

Hay in speaking of his trapping season there. "The country is quite barren with some small spruce and willows. During the summer the thermometer registers as high as 80 above, which, due to the lack of altitude, 1S very warm. In the winter the thermometer registers as low as 68 degrees below zero. There is a constant breeze blowing from off the Arctic ocean, which is made more disagreeable by the lack of trees and shelter.

"I made headquarters last winter at Eklavik, an Eskimo village 011 the delta of the McKenzie river at the tide waters the Arctic ocean, 3,000 north Great Falls and 2,000 miles of north of the end of the most northern railroad, at Fort McMurray, 300 miles north of Edmonton. The Eskimos are intelligent and many of them own their own schooners, with auxiliary motors, costing in- the neighborhood of $7,000. Their life is just an existence. They trap and fish, have virtually no amusements and their only food is fish, caribou, seal, MRS. WINSLOW, PIONEER, DIES EARLY DAY RESIDENT OF ALDER GULCH REGION PASSES AWAY AT HOME OF DAUGHTER IN OLYMPIA With the passing recently of Mrs.

ElTen C. Winslow. at the home daughter, Mrs. Z. E.

Parks of Olympia, Jefferson county and lost another of the few remaining sterling pioneer women. Se was a woman of integrity, great fortitude and kindness, her home in the early days having been a haven of rest to hundreds who were in need of shelter or food. A splendid nurse as well as a perfect housewife. she was never too busy to lend a helping hand to sick or needy. neighbors, or to those cowboys of the old school who, when winter set in and work was scarce, used to live by "riding the grub line" from one ranch to another, spending as much as a month at the Winslow ranch.

Ellen Christine Linn was born in Stockholm, Sweden, January 14, 1841, and at the age of 11 years was brought to the United States by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jonas Linn. In 1862 Miss Linn was married to James I. Winslow at Fairplay, and shortly after that the young couple started for what is now Montana.

Coming by team and wagon to Bannack, where they stayed but a short time before moving to Alder Gulch, where, in 1864. their son, Harry Ivan, was born, the first white boy to be born in Alder Gulchine fall of the same year they returned to Minnesota to spend the winter. They again started for Montana the following spring in a train of 200 Oxdrawn wagons. The trip took them slightly over three months and was fraught with danger from Indians who attacked the party but were repulsed, the party losing only a few horses which they had brought with them. Arriving at the Jefferson river the couple and their one child decided to settle there and build a toll bridge at what is now known as Parson's crossing.

They also bought the first Z. Sir Foster ranch property and later sold the bridge and small home they had built there and settled on the ranch, where they lived until Mr. Winslow's death in June, 1898. Mrs. Winslow is survived by her four children, Harry I.

Winslow of Sheridan, Charles W. Winslow of Whitehall and Mrs. Carrie Parks and Mrs. Alice Brown of Olympia; 13 grandchildren and '12 great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held by the Christian Science church of Olympia after which the was taken to Tacoma for cremation in fulfillment of Mrs.

Winslow's last request. The ashes will be interred in the grave of her husband in the Creeklyn cemetery, one the first burial grounds in the state of Montana. plantations. The planters in the old days looked after and cared for the people on the plantations in much the same way as those of the south looked after the negroes on their plantations and the workman does not want to be cut off entirely from' his claims to consideration at his old home. Practically all the Colombians are of Spanish descent and the mixture with Indian blood is not as large as among the Mexicans.

Three or four of the men who were with the Winston Construction company at the time of building the Mystic lake plant are now with the company in South America, Mr. Harker "okchuk," a light grease rendered from whale and polar bear. For butter they use the blubber fat of the whale. The odor of this grease is horrible, but neverthethe Eskimo pours okchuk over everything, that, he eats. Eskimo dances," continued Mr.

Hay, "he dances single or in pairs, but never together as the white men and women. His dance is an interpretative dance and the onlooker can easily discern whether the dancer Is building an igloo or skinning a bear. His house is built of ice and snow and papered with caribou skin with polar bear skins for a carpet. Although most of the food eaten is frozen, the Eskimo uses a small oil stove for cooking purposes and in which he burns whale oil. They never bathe and seldom change their parkas.

The Eskimo widow is marked with tatoo stripes on the cheeks and chin. Such wild fruits as blueberries and low bush and high bush cranberries grow within the Arctic circle, Mr. Hay said, while summer finds there such feathered friends as the golden wing highholder (woodpecker), hundreds of robins and a few meadow larks. The furbearing animals within the circle are mostly marten, lynx, muskrat, fox, wolverine, beaver, seal and polar bear. Martens were especially plentiful last winter and Mr.

Hay secured 80, the biggest catch of any of the trappers in the district. He also caught a number of lynx, beaver, fox and muskrat. His catch included one blue and one silver fox and wolverines. Fox were scarce all over the McKenzie valley due to a dearth of rabbits, their principal food. On his return to Edmonton in July, Mr.

Hay came within cents of topping market on lynx skins, receiving $62.50 for each skin he sold. Will Return He plans to return to the Arctic circle next summer, leaving here in March and mushing with dogs into British Columbia and down the Leard river to the McKenzie. This is the only section of the north over which Mr. Hay has not traveled, having mushed in previously by way of the Athabasca and Peace rivers. Hudson's Bay company trading posts have been established every 150 to 200 miles throughout the north country and most of the trappers sell their more common furs at these posts because of better prices.

Only the very best grades of fur is taken out to Edmonton, where it is sold to Canadian and American buyers through a newly organized commission firm. Trading and trapping license fees for the two Hay brothers annually cost $900, aside from the equipment which it is necessary to carry. STRANGE ORIGIN OF UTICA NAME FOUR NEW YORK PROSPECTORS BELIEVED THEMSELVES CRAZY FOR COMING TO SPOT Quartet Recalls That Insane Asylum 1s Located in Utica, N. and Give That Name to Spot That Became Supply Point for Yogo Mine Rush at Fort Union for two weeks, then by means of a keel boat he traveled to the post of the great federated tribes of Blackfeet Indians on the Marias river, Fort McKenzie. The prince decided to remain there two months to study the Indians, the country and the fur traders and while he was there feud of long standing broke out between the Piegans and Blackfeet.

The first battle took place right at the fort and Maximilian had an excellent opportunity to see it and to participate in the contest. In the latter part of August, 1833, a small party of Piegans was encamped near fort for trade when suddenly they were attacked by fifteen hundred Assiniboine warriors. Major Culbertson and his assistants thought the Indians were making an attack on the fort and at once made preparation to resist with arms. Prince Maximilian became very much excited at the approach of the onrushing savages and taking his rifle in hand manned one of the portholes. He proceeded at once to hurriedly load the weapon, although it was fully loaded at the time.

The double load proved unfortunate for the prince. for when he fired the weapon at the howling savages the recoil was so great that it threw him clear across the bastion and rendered him momentarily unconscious. One Assiniboine warrior was killed before it was ascertained that they were attacking not the fort but the Piegans. Inmates of the fort then ceased firing and Major Culbertson endeavored to assist the beleagured Piegans in their effort to get within the stockade. In this he was partly successful and might have been entirely so had it: not been for the fact.

that the Piegan Indians were SO anxious to save their accoutrements. They also rushed to the opening in such numbers as to block progress and their assailants came boldly on and killed quite a few of them while they were trying to escape. Not long after the Indian battle, dan milian villages took his down departure the river, for where Man- he remained the ensuing winter, returning to Germany the following spring. His subsequent writings, which were illustrated by Bodmer, the artist, proved a most interesting and scientific treatise on a subject and people little known in the world. By MRS.

C. O. PHELPS There is more romance connected with Utica than with any other town in the Judith Basin. Older than Fergus county even, stands today a relic of the past. Many original buildings still stand but with the coming of the railroad and later the automobile it has fallen into decay and all that remains is the Judith Basin Mercantile company which also houses the small postoffice.

a few. dwellings, and the large community hall and the filling station, both of the latter being 'of a later vintage. The church is closed and its membership scattered. The school, originally a log cabin near the cemetery, taught, by Mrs. Dawkins, grew to a four-room building, with an enrollment of 125 pupils, but it has shrunk to two teachers, with.

less than 50 pupils. The old blacksmith show 1s falling to pieces and the hotel is closed. Yogo Mine Rush Utica settlement began when, miners made the rush to Yogo. There was not enough gold for all so some took up land and began a settlement. Four of the earliest settlers were J.

D. Waite, Frank Wright, John Murphy and Joseph Cutting, all from near Utica, N. whence the new town got its name. The story is told that during a particularly bad blizzard these men decided that they must have been crazy come to this region and named the settlement for Utica, N. because an insane asylum is located there.

In 1879 or 1880, Mr. Cutting started the first store there in a little log building, which also housed the postoffice. John Ferguson, Brethett Gray, do George Heiseman, Jakey Hoover, C. C. David, P.

W. Korell. L. B. Divers and C.

M. Belden were later settlers. Utica was the headquarters for the Judith roundup. There was a storehouse here, where the roundup kept saddles and bridles from year year and when the numerous riders came to town with 500 horses this was the liveliest place in central Montana. Changes Hands Often The late Frank Wright, whose widow lives at Lewistown became the partner of Cutting in the store but Cutting died and Wright was elected county treasurer of Fergus county, so he disposed of the store to Charles Lehman in 1886.

Lehman later sold out the business to George Bach. In 1898 the store "was. taken over by the T. C. Power company, a corporation composed of Power, John Power, S.

S. Hobson, Mrs. M. M. Erickson, George J.

Weideman, W. D. Finch and George J. Bach. This for a number of years the largest store in the Basin, handling a complete department line as well as hardware.

Families otters came 60 miles to do their trading It continued as a business center even after the railroad came into Hobson but the advent of the automobile has affected it as it has affected almost every other small town store in the country. No story of Utica is complete without mention of the fact that it was the stamping ground of the late. Charles Russell, the cowboy artist. The little cabin where he spent his first winter in Montana with Jakey Hoover is still standing several miles above town. He rode night herd here for a number of- years and some of the old settlers have specimens of his work.

P. W. Korell has some of his earliest sketches, Mrs. Zella Messner Cowan, now of Chicago, a five -foot painting on a smoothed plank showing the antelope hunt, and C. M.

Belden has an oil painting depicting an Indian scene called "Sunrise." Him whom a little will not content, nothing will.