{ title: 'The Ekalaka Eagle (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, March 02, 1917, Page 7, Image 7', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about Chronicling America - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn85053090/1917-03-02/ed-1/seq-7.png', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn85053090/1917-03-02/ed-1/seq-7.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn85053090/1917-03-02/ed-1/seq-7/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn85053090/1917-03-02/ed-1/seq-7/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
About The Ekalaka Eagle (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920 | View This Issue
The Ekalaka Eagle (Ekalaka, Mont.), 02 March 1917, located at <http://montananewspapers.org/lccn/sn85053090/1917-03-02/ed-1/seq-7/>, image provided by MONTANA NEWSPAPERS, Montana Historical Society, Helena, Montana.
't 4 NON-PARTISANS' CAMPAIGN BEON PEK.MAN p:NT HEADQUARTERS FOR LEAGUE ESTABLISHED IN'GREAT FALLS. D. C. Dorman, ForMer Lieutenant Of Townley of North Dakota Fame, Takes Charge of Recruiting Cam- paign; SO Automobiles Bought and as Many Organizers Put Into Field The Non-partisan league, which achieved such spectacular success in North Dakota, capturing the entire machinery of the state government, hag opened its campaign in Montana — with the esta.blishment of permanent state headquarters in Great Falls. The organization of the league was undertaken in Montana only last September and since that time, ac- cording to the claims of the league leaders, 4,000 members have been recruited from among the farmers of this state, each paying a minimum of $16, dues -in advance for two years, With the money obtained in this way the league has bought 30 automobiles as the means for as inany organizers to reach the farmers of the state. Will Have More Autoniobiles. This is only a•beginning,.say the officers of the league, wno have pro - 1). ('. claimed their intention of having 80 automobiles with as many organizers in the field within three months, at least one organizer for each county in the state. • There are both advantages and dis- advantages attached to the organiza- tion of the league in Montana that were absent from Be organization in North Dakota. On th one hand Montana has not such a large pro- portion of farmers to its total popu- _lation as has North Dakota. This is due to the extent of the mining and manufacturing interests in Identana. which have no counterpart in North Dakota. On the other hand, leaguers claim organizers now do not have to be trained out of raw niaterial as was the case when A. C. Townley'. and his associatee undertook the organiza- tion of the Non-partisan league in North Dakota last year. 'Dorman' State Superintendent. As national president of the non- partisan league, Townley himself has direct supervision of the campaign in Montan:011nd one of his principal lieutenants, I). C. Dorman, has been placed in charge of the state head- quarters at Great Falls with the title of state superintendent. He is reit- ponsible to an executive committee, which held its first meeting in Great Falls during the past week. This committee is composed of A. F. Mc- Lean of Dooley, Sheridan county; eJns Hansen of Dagrnar, Sheridan county; R. J. Whitaker of Missoula; Clarence' Langley of Chester„ Hill county, and C. E. Reed of Inverness, Lewis and Clark county. Until the last few days the cam- peign of the league was confined to Sheridan and Richland counties, ad- joining North Dakota. Hence of the 4,000 members of the league in this state, fully half, or abo 2,000, are residents of the extreme northeastern corner of the state. The others are members obtained without solicitation on the part of paid organizers. Most of these are _scattered through Valley, Phillips, Blaine and Hill counties. In some of these counties the league officials x- m'ct Hoon te have as niany as three organizers. Mr. Dorman, when he was sked a THIEr HENRY PLUMMER, B • At Heitht of His Bloodthirsty Career Married Girl Who Did Not Know Her Husband Was a Highwayman , Until After He Was:Hanged; His Son Was Named After Him. The morld knows of HenrY Plum- mer, all' 4. bandit chieftain. of the golden days of Alder gulch, who played in the role of Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, in that, while clandestinely he was the head of one of the strong - es organizations of banditti ever existing in the west, he • also enjoyed the confidence of the public. and was high sheriff of the border, elect- ed to that office by the miners whom he and his band were plundering. ile is remembered as the commander of the cutthroats who ruled the terri- tory, a man of blood and iron, ready to' commit murder on the slightest provocation. But he had a softer side. Ile fell in love with and won the affections of Electra Bryan, a beau- tiful girl, who lived with her rela- tives at Sun -River Crossing. He mar- ried her while at the height of his career. When he felt the net of the Vigilantes closing about him he sent her to her home in Cedar Rapids, Io- wa. Shortly after her arrival there he sent, her $10,000 dust..She bore him a son, who.lives some place in Iowa now. Until his execution the girl did not know of his real character. Tales reached her of his misdeeds, but she would 'not believe them, - and was heartbroken when, after he was dead at the hands of the Vigilantes. proof came to her he was the head of the bandit organization. . Mr. and Mrs. Vail had charge of thugpvernment stockade at Sun Riv- er Crossing. They kept a little road house there for the accommodation of the travelers. Electra Bilan•was Mrs. Vail's younger sister. few days age to state the general purpoee of the Non-partisan league in Montana, replied that it proposed \to restore . the government to the people.\ \Of course the farmers do not constitute all the people,\ he re- marked, \but the program of the farmers is such as would be equally . beneficial to the workingmen and the consumers By'' -- eliminating un- necessary middlemen we hope to raise prices for the farmer and at the same time lower them for the con- sumer.\ Ile said that the Non-partisan league of Montana would probahly work for the establishment of gov- ernment or state-owned elevatcrs, but that this would not conflict with the Equity's policy of establishing co-operative elevators. No Water in Capitalization. \There is no water in the capital- ization of Equity elevators \ he said, 'and so in North Dakota the 11:quity has voted to turn over to the state Vovernment all co-operative plants at their physical valuation whenever provision is made for their operation by the state. \It should be remembered, how- ever that there is no connection be- tween the . Equity and the Non -Parti- san league except for the community f paraose to raise -the condition of the farmers. Ad organizations they are entirely separate. Of course, an organizer of the leagu( finds it easi- er usually to enlist ti member of the Equity than a man who- has given no study to the problems to be met by farmers' organizations, but fre- quently a man who for reasons suffi- cient unto himself lute been hostile to the Equity, hae been persuaded with little difficulty to join the Non- partisan league. Within the next three months we expect to nearly triple the number of our organizers and to have 80 automobiles in the field. Of these the league will prob- ably own 60 while a score or more of the care will be machines owned by the organizers themselves.\ Until a little more than two weeks ago when the league opened perman- ent hea quarters at Great Falls, it conducte its recruiting campaign for the s te of Montana from Glas- gow In Va ey county. When . opera- tions were UM last September, 15 organizers were put in the field, but for the most part to work on a half- time basis only. This first corps of organizers was comprised largely of volunteers, in large part enthusiasts from across the line in North Dakotd or me - n who, from towns near the line in Sheridan and Richland counties, had been close observere of the tri- umph of the North Dakota league. S200 REWARD The Ilanson I'acking Company of Butte, Montana, ono of the largest institutions of its kind in the state, wants names for its Montana cured ham and On. its hiontana. cured bacon. It invites suggestions as tO these names. To the person offering the,best and most appropriate name for its Montana cured ham it will pay $100. To the person offering the best and most appropriate name for its Alt-intim& cured bacon it will y11100. - If you have an idea along ese lines, fill out_the coupon below and mail it. Coupon: Hanson Packing Company, Butte, Montanac* I submit the following names for your Montana made Hams and Bacon: Nacne for Hams ' Name for Bacon Signature A (I dress 1 , Mention this Paper. Mail eoupon to the Hanson Packing Company, Butte. Montan • *, • - Plummer and some of s his „gang frequently rode .on forays from Vir 7 ginia 'City to Fort Benton. They would stop at Sun River Crossing to recuperate. On one of these trips Plummer met Mies Bryan. She was a tall girl, of exquisite features and beautiful figure, withsa wealth of au - bunt hair. Was This Girl's 'Hero. Pluminer was a fine looking man of middle age at• the tittle. He was the best dressed man in•the territorY, and had an eye that would locik right through a man He came to the girl •in a halo of . romance, as the dashing frOntier sheriff, who rode forth every day and took his life in his hands in - the diseharge of his duties. } Plummer's men, all swaggering cetthroats, paid him the deference that a private soldier would to his colonel. They were - contemptuous of all but their chieftain, and this did not detract from Plummer's at- tractiveness in the eyes of the girl. It was in the days of quick court- ships. Plummer and the girl met in the morning. That night they were engaged to be married. Mrs. Vail gave her consent and the robber, with his men, rode away happy. In a few weeks they returned, and spent several days at the Crossing. F. S. Goss, now a reeident of Browning, was living at the Crossing at the time. He was in Vail's employ. With Plummer on this occasion came the infamous Jack Cleveland, the killer, one of Plummer's' lieutenants. Cleveland's sharp eye, always on the alert, saw danger in Goss. He asked Goss if he was not from Gale; na, Illinois. Goss was. Cleveland then told him that he, too, was from Galena, and that his real name was William Farnsworth. He explained his change of name by saying that he had gotten into some difficulty in Il- linois, and had to leave the state. \I am safe here,\ said the killer, as his eyes bored through Gose. \That is•unless some — - — - — like you writes back to Ga- , lena about me. I want to give you some advice. If you write -anything east about me your life will not be wor.fh 10 cents. I will kill you.\ - Goss told Vail of his .conversation with Cleveland. He also eltpressed the opinion that Plummer and his associates were a band of cutthroats, and advised Vail to be on his guard. Vail told his wife. Mre. Vail told Electra Bryan, and the fat was in the fire. The -,enamoured girl told .her sweetheart, Plummer. Plummer was furious. Goss had a ptormy in- terview with him. When the con- versation was warming up, Mrs. Vail came into the room, and nothing _more was said. A few hours later Plummer saw Goss alone again. The robber took a different tack. He tqld Goss that he could place him in a nice easy job in Bannack, and the discreet Goss ac- cepted the job and said he would re- port in Bannack as soon as he had finished his work with Vail. Later Jack Cleveland wrote Goss a letter, in which he urged him to hurry to Bannack to -go' to work for Plummer. But Gosa hakbecome sus- picious. He felt that Cleveland wanted to get him out of the way. Instead of going to Bannack he went to Fort Benton, where he was in comparative safety, as the Plummer gang's operations were ,confined largely to the country around Vir- ginia City and Bannack. Why GOSS Is Alive. Goss firmly believes that he is alive today because he went to Fort Benton instead of to Bannack. Plummer continued to pay his de- votions tellies Bryan. The girl was simply wild about him. In May, 1863, he, with some of his fellows, rode over to the Crossing and es- corted Miss Bryan to St. Peter's mis- sion, where the priest made them man and wife. A few days after his marriage Plummer and Bill 13runton held up the Fort Benton stage, at Dearborn, and robbed the express messenger of $10,000 in gold dust. Some talk of Cne part Plummer had played*in this holdup reached the ears of Plummer's wife. She would not believe the stories.. Plummer had 'told her that he had many ene- mies in the territory, because of the fact that he had to make many- ar- . reste, and she was convinced that his - enemies were trying to put him in a bad light- with -her. It was about this time that the Vi- gilantes were organized. Plummer heard of the organization, 'and while he profeesed, among his associates, Mat he did not think it would amount to anything, he was undoubt- edly of the opinion that the end would come sometime scion. So he decided to send his trife to her home in the east, where, a little later, he expected to join her. Her people lived in Cedar itapids, and in the fall of 1863, probably' about six• months after she became Plummer's bride, she went away-- . Vigilantes Blocked His Plan. Plummer had promised her that he would leave Montana the following spring. Some who w'ere in his confi- dence said he fully intended to do this. The Vigilantes captured him on the night of January 10, 1864. His execution followed scpeedily. A posthumous son was born to the dead bandit it few months after his death. News traveled slowly in those days. The bride of the bandit chief- tain was a widow Ond a mother as well before she knew of the summary late of her.husband. She named her little son after the highwayman. Reny, .Plumnier, BOR of the.Mon- tana _bandit, grew into manhood in Cedar Rapide. Several years ago he wawliving there. His mother bought some farm property with the money Plummer sent her. She would not believe that her husband was a high- .ivayman until' she had read Dims - 'dale's book, \Vigilante Days and Ways.\ In her latcr years she was very bittertowards the man v..ho had married her when he was redhanded with the blood of murdered men. FORMER SENGIfOR PARIS GODSON NAMES FORGOTTEN HERO FOR THE HALL OF FAKE (Written by Senator:Paris Gibson 25 Years Agb.) In 1865, during the placer gold excitement, when Montana, from the Rocky mountains to its eastern bor- der, was the domain of•the Blackfeet and the Sioux, W. M. Sprague, a pio- neer gold seeker in this country, per- formed one of the most remarkable acts of heroism and physical strength and endurance I have ever known. As the exploit to- which I refer oc- curred here at the falls of the Missou- ri, where the city of Great Palls now stands, I will relate the facts as they were given me by one or two pio- neers and by Mr. Sprague himself. With his mining partner, Sprague built a boat at, or near, Helena, with which to descend the Missouri river to Fort pent:on, the head ot naviga- tion, a distance of about 160 miles. The boat was so constructed that it could be taken apart and packed from the head of the falls, a distance of 19.miles, to the mouth of Portage coulee, the first point below the rapide at which boats can be safely launched. Having supplied them - - selves with the necessary outfit for such a journey, they launched their boat and proceeded down the river through the canyon and under its beetling entire, reaching the more quiet waters below the Half Breed rapids, without accident or interrup- tion. As they were journeying lei- surely down the river, they discov- ered between the present town of Cascade and the mouth of Smith riv- er, a huge grizzly bear swimming from the shore to -an island which they reached just after his bearship had left the river and entered the thick underbruoh. As the boat struck the island, Sprague's partner leaped Rebore, rifle in hand, and following the trail of the bear, soon came upon him. The next moment a well direct- ed but ineffectual shot was followed by an attack from the enraged. mon- ster. Sprague, hearing the ery of his companion, hurried to the scene, and, by a most fortunate shot, killed the grizzly. Turning his attention' to hie companion. lie found him still alive, although his body and limbs were so horribly torn as to render him completely helpless. Lifting him in his arms. he carried him to atill of the surgeon, the man grailp-; a ly grew weaker and was nearing! the boat, and making him as com- the point of death, when, at the Rug- fortable as possible. proceeded down. gestion of an old fur trader a Black- I 'foot squaw was permitted o •treat him. Gathering sage from the river! Former Senator Paris Clinton, Who Writes of a Hero of Pioneer Times. daunted, he secreted his boat among the willows, so that Indians might not molly discover it, and with cour- age aupreme, prepared to carry the wounded man, whose weight was ful- ly 190 pounds, on his shoulders to the mouth of Portage coulee, distant, as stilted, 19 . miles frem his place' of landing. William Sprague was in- the prime of manhood and had been accus- tomed to the hardships and dangers of pioneer life. Without superflu- ous flesh. he weighy pf d 240 pounds, and with the thews an Ajax, this Aeneas, bearnig his father on hie self-reliant man felt equal to the ard- shoulder's from burning Troy, pales nous task before him. Wrapping the before the deed of this hardy pioneer wounded man in his blankets, he of the Rocky mountainh. took him on hin shoulders and with As IIomer and Virgil immortalized fdod, water and rifle w - e1gliing in all the names of many brave men in the more than 200 pounds. began his shadowy peat, some gifted poet of weary journey to Portage coulee. Nor our time will surely engrave upon t did he falter or halt, except at long! intervals, until he had reached the end of his journey. Here, having made his companion as comfortable , as possible and placing food and wa- ter within his reach, he returned to the mouth of Sun river and packed his boat and - supplies to the spot' where he had left him. Having , again put his boat tn order. lie hur- ried on to Fort Benton, where the , wounded man was at once placed in the care of a surgeon. It is related that, in spite of the the river as speedily as he,k- Gould, force his boat, until he rekched the mouth of Sun river. IIere, entirely hank and steeping it, she bathed his! alone with his helpless charge and wounda with the strong liquid, at the no white mad nearer than Wirt. Ben- same time frequently covering the ton, this man made his appearance wounded parts with hot sage leaves. In the role of a true hero. Nothing These applications, faithfully admin- istered by this woman of the plains, imon placed him on the road to re- covery. In my journeys over the long road from the mouth of Sun river to the foot of Portage 'coulee, I have seen, in imagination, William Sprague, strong and tireless, moving resolutely forward under hie heavy burden and have said to Myself, this man will live in Montana's history . long after the names of her public men have passed into oblivion. the literature of this new etnpire, the heroic deed of this man. And may we not hope that, at no distant time, there will be erected in one of the parks overlooking these falls, the, bronze statue of William, Sprague, bearing upon his shoulders the al- most Iffeless body of his Bomrade. Druggists Win Fight. • The students of the school of phar- macy at the state university were dealt a blow in the house lately, when the bill of Higgins of Missoula, to give them the right to practice pharmacy on their university certifi- cates, was killed on third reading. All the druggists of the state were up in arms over 'the bill, contending that drug students should receive no greater consideration than law, medi- cal or other students, all of whom have to pasts examinations before some state authority before being. permitted to practice their profession in the state. To,the Wifc if your husband should tornor- t r a o s u t *. ? h a l () % 1 1 1 . g oul u d w y li o d u u te the Motley children? Are you pro ted by suf- ficient ficoiratice, the safeguard of t i n; her i n E l e P tu 7 itsble Life (the strongest Insuranee in force $ 17 .ma tli . e ts z toa orhoo ll . assets $540.000.000.00. issues a policy which in ease of death by accident pays double. and an income for life in CARP Of tetni perManent disability. For informa- tion write. Rickards & Ellis, man- agers. ((plena, Wont. SUPREME COURT DECLINES TO INTERFERE WITH GOVERN- OR'S APPOINTEE. House and'Benate Were at Deadlock During Last Days of Session; Jean- nette Rankin . and congressman EValiff May Become Rivals Because of Congeessional Division Law. the Montana Newspaper Legislative Bureau of Aasoglation. Helena The supreme court declined to con- sider the ouster proceedings brought by Attorney General Ford in an ef- fort to unseat Kepreientative liam Cutts of Silver Bow' county. Cutts was appointed by Governor Stewart to fill the legislative vacan- cy caused by the death of Represen- tative Jerry Flannigan. • •• The legislative sensation of the past week was the deadlock between the senate and house. The two houses agr8ed early in the session that no bills should be transmitted from one house to another after the fifty-first day of. the session. When the dread day came the house was caught\ with- numerous measures, which. 4ct become laws, Must go through the senate mill. Twenty- • Senator J. C. Kinney. eight senators signed an iron clad agreement to the effect that they would stand by the rule. which pro- vided that only appropriation bills and measures pertaining to revenue would receive consideration. ,' • • • Rev. Joseph Pope, head of the an- ti -saloon movement, expressed his displeasure at the attitude of certain members in a bulletin issued by the anti -saloon league, in vvhich he. charged that members were trading votes against prohibition. Represen- tative Hussar introduced a resolution excluding Pope from the floor of the house, but it failed of passage. • • • The congressional district bill was one of the first measures to become a law. The state is now divided into two districts. Miss Rankin and Con- gressman John Evans are residents of the same city, Missoula. Although opposed to each other politically they are good friends personally. The new Arrangement develops an inter- esting situation. the event that both aspire to succeed themselves, as is very probable, they are destined toNbecome political rivals at the next congressional election. • • • The head janitor has been promot- ed. He is no longer head janitor, but under a new law is capitol cus- todian. His salary will be $2,000 a year. • • The state bank examiner has been clothed with more power. In the matter of charters for banks his de- cision is final and absolute. In the past the state board of examiners, - on an appeal being taken from his decision, had the power to overrule him, but no more. • • . • Crowley's bill, to do away with the state dairy inspector's department which would have deprived . e_ large number of inspectors of their emolu- ments, was killed. Crowley made a vigorous effort to save it, declaring that inspectors were as thick as the hairs on a (log's back. ibutik led the fight to kill the bill, asserting that more than $17,000,000 was invested in dairy properties, the products of which, in 1916, vvere - worth $11,000,- 000. Lusk also predicted that . dairy- ing would some day become one of the most important industries in the state. Senator Kane's bill to increase COM- pensation paid for injuriee to and deaths of working men, was slaugh- tered. Kane complained that It had been kept in committee with the idea of smothering it. • • • John Wrath, assistant sergeant at arms of the house, will leave Helena for Salt Creek immediately after the adjournment of the leiislature. Salt Creek is supposed to be the place of refuge for defeated politicians, where they reflect on the bitternees of ,de- feat. But in this case it is different. Mr. Wrath's destination is Salt Creek, W t yoming, the oil field that are at- Jracting so much attention just now. - Mr. Wrath has just cold 40 acres of proven oil land in the heart of the Salt Creek field. He and several al- sociates are interested in 320 ad*es of good oil land on which there ure seVeraI producing wells, and of which the 40 acre tract just disposed of le a part. Mr. Wrath's deal represents a competency to hiln, and he expects - to realize a fortune out of his re- maining holdings. •
