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About The Ekalaka Eagle (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920 | View This Issue
The Ekalaka Eagle (Ekalaka, Mont.), 06 April 1917, located at <http://montananewspapers.org/lccn/sn85053090/1917-04-06/ed-1/seq-7/>, image provided by MONTANA NEWSPAPERS, Montana Historical Society, Helena, Montana.
- THE El \ LALAKA EAGLE HILGER CAMP ON A HISTORIC SITE LEWIST9WN MAN WILL SPEND RIS SUMMERS ON SHORES OF WATER LAKE. Land Part oi One of Earliest Rainches Filed on in Montana 'and Owned for Third Century by Father of Prime Owner; Buys Fast Motor B at Witir 50 -Horsepower Engine. On the shores of the beautiful Hot- ter lake, which will be created this year brthe backing up of the waters of the Missouri river behind the new dam of the Montana Power company uear Wolf Creek, David Hilger of Lewistown plans to establish one of , the finest summer ctunps in the state. Besides being a beautiful spot, the site of this camp has an especial in- terest for Mr. Hilger because of the historic associations connected with it, and also.the connection of the land with his family history The site of the camp is one of the oldest ranches in Montana, originally includ- ing a. tract of 500 acres which was filed upon in 1865 by Horace Clark, son of the famous Indian trader, Mal- colm Clark, who was killed by In- dians in the Prickly Pear canyon in 1869. This was the fifth ranch filed on in Lewis and Clark county, as is shown by the county records, the en- try of the filing . being found in book A, on page 5, of the record of ranches and ditches As the county was all unsurveyed, the description found in the record is an interesting one. It follows: An Old 'Description. \Horace Clark's Ranch, Missouri River. \Say 5 miles S. East, Bear's Tooth mountain, at the mouth of valley bearing and running east, from up- per crossing of Little Prickly Pear, and some 8 miles distant from said crossing. This ranch commences at a pine tree in the hills some 800 feet north of a large spring, thence south one-half mile; thence east one-half mile to Missouri bank; thence north one-halif mile crossing the Missouri river diagonally; thence west recross- ing the river to the place of begin- ning. The above ranch I staked and marked on the 18th inst., and the improvements will be attended to. HORACE CLARK. TO THE PEOPLE OF MONTANA Governor S. V. Stewart. Whatever the outcome of the present crisis in. American affairs, the one big fait confronting us now is that our country has,called - upon the state of Montana for a regiment of infantry. - To increase the several com- panies composing the National Guard to war strength will require .the enlistment of a large number of recruits. That we.shall speedily attain this desiruble end I have all possi- ,ble faith. The spirit of Montana men has been tried in time of ac- tual war and near war, and they MAJOR MAGINNIS TUNES HIS LYRE WRITES POEM PICTURE WHICH SHOULD BECOME POPULAR, STATE SONG. Words Await Effort of Some State Composer; Major Alaginnis Repre- sented Territory, as Delegate, for Many Years in Congress; Had Voice But No Vote. FOUNIYGRAVE—OF --- - ; MAVOL)1, Q 1 3 „ GENERAL SHERMAN ; STARTLED BY DISCOVERY,OF FRIEND'S TOMB IN MONTANA WILDS.? • ' Famous Military Leader a.nd Noted Indian Trader Who Was 'Murdered By Blackfoot 111 Prickly Ptiar Cak- yon Were Classmates at.. West Point Before Civil War. ginnis represented Montana . in con - For many years Major M .rtin Ma -1 When General William Tt fiber - man was commander-in 7 chief of the gress. This was in the old territorial! United States army in 1877, he vis- days, when - Montana was entitled to! ited Moutana for the purpose bt in-• a delegate in the lower house. This: specting military posts and of visit- deletate could be heard on all mat- ' ing General Gibbons, who was recu- ters pertaining to Montana's welfare,' perating from a wound received in but had no vote. Maier Maginnisi the battle of the j3ig Hole at the fam- made an able representative of the ous Malcolm' Clarke ranch - in the young territory, and helped to Pave Prickly Pear valley, and it was Imre. the way to statehood. that the great military leader had an have never been found wanting. Major Maginnis has just written a' experience that both startled and song, which when the lyrics are set deeply imprepsed him. The ranch was the spot where the It may be that to some of us the to music, should prove to be one of cr s does not seem to be so acute isi the most popular state songs extant.' famous Indian trader and frontiers - The poem picture awaits the efforts! man, Malcolm Clarke, was murdered ts as to call our men to the perform- of some !lows: state composer. It is as fol- in 1869 by Blackfeet Indians, and 'after the death of Clarke the prop- ance of a high patriotic duty. The Shining Mountains. I erty had been purchased by James Land of the mountains and the plains, Montana.1Fergus, after whom Fergus county - was named. Sherman and his staff Gomm streams and golden grains. Your high peaks pierce the azure skies, arrived at the ranch from Helena one afternoon and were given a hos- pitable welcome by Mr. Fergus. Aft- er dinner, General Sherman strolled Your shining mountains are the crown, about the - grounds alone smoking a The founts of rivers, rolling down. cigar. Montana. Solitude Imoressive. It was a still, summer evening, and in the heart of the • mountain's the solitude and the grandeur of the scenery were particularly impressive. The western frontier had always held a strong fascination for the gen- eral as a boy, and the quiet evening in this land of romance brought back a flood of recollections of his youth. Thinking over the days at West Point brought to mind many of his classmates, and one by one he went over the names of those who had been killed during the war of the re- bellion. But among them all there was one whose career after leaving the military academy had always been a mystery to him, and concern- ing whose fate he had often won- dered. He remembered this school- mate as one of the most brilliant and popular young men at the Point, for whom the instructors and cadets had all prophecied a bright future. As he strolled along, the general's attention was suddenly arrested by a grave beside the pathway. He stopped to look at the name on the headstone. It bore the name, \Mal- colm Clarke,\ and the general was startled and deeply affected, for ,it was the name of the man who had just been in his thoughts. Tells Story of Clarke. Retracing his steps to the ranch house, General Sherman inquired concerning the identity of the man buried there. and learned that it was his classmate at West Point. He then related how, at the military academy, Clarke, having been pro- moted to the rank of company com- mander, had been grossly insulted by another cadet. Clarkt immediately sent a challenge for a duel, but in- stead of accepting, the youth whom he challenged sent the communica- tion to the commandant. Clarke was cited for courtmartial, but the next morning, before the entire cadet body and the officers, he seized his enemy and pulling him from the ranks, thrashed him soundly. Clarke was tried and expelled from West Point. Thereafter he went west and led an adventurous life among the Indians, until his death at the hand of a treacherous relative of the In- dian woman he had married. General Sherman stated that he had often looked for Clarke's name in dispatches during the civil war, expecting to see that he had distin- guished himself in connection with some heroic enterprise, but that he had lost all trace of him until the discovery of hi% sepulchure among the wklds of the Rocky mountains. But surely the situation is so pregnant with possibilities that we as a nation should not dare to leave lour vales are fair as paradise, Our hearts. our hopes, our joys arise I At thoughts of thee, Montana. anything to chance. We must not drift with the tide, but it is our greatest duty to be ful- ly prepared for any eventuality that may be forced upon us. In the actual war that may be our lot, Montana will be an important section of the country with her great industries and her transcontinental lines that link the east and the west. We must, of course, be guided by the plans of the war department, and whether it shall develop that our country must engage directly in armed conflict or shall only take such steps as may be necessary for defense, it still remains a powerful fact that Montana should respond to the nation's call in no uncertain way. The world should be made to know that when our country is threatened our patriotic citizens stand to the last man for the land we are proud to call our own. I cherish the belief that it will be so. S. V. STEWART, Governor. ceived for record and duly recorded \The above instrument , was re- p lummer on the ith day of February, A. I). 1865. \N. IIII,GER ; Deputy Cleric.\ Many people are familiar with the' the guns to those worthies. To re - The ranch, situated in a beautiful story of Henry Plummer, sheriff and quite him for his expenditures, he •basin at the gate of the mountains, chief of the road agents of the (lays wait empowered to levy upon three consisted of 500 acres. It will be of the VigilantesA.Montana, but not horses belonging to Cleveland's es - noted that the filing of the ori-ginal so many recall the vendetta between, tate. location was recorded by N. gilger, Plummer and -Mtn* , Crawfordl who At this point Plummer assumed who later became judge of the pro- lived in Virginia - City many years the role of an open enemy of Craw - bate court of Lewis and Clark coun- after Plummer had been hanged in ford. Doubtless to a cutthroat of his ty, and ivas father of David }Diger. execution of the judgment of the high -stomach of the official proceed - Some ten years after making ths rec- miners' court. ings to which he had been subjected Crawford was a resident of Vir- by a vacillating public opinion had ginia City till the eighties, and there been unpalatable, and Crawford had are pioneers in Niontana still living incurred his hatred as the chief func- who femember him. thought it is 53 tionary of the self -constituted au - years since that fateful winter when Glorifies who extemporarily had in- Vigllantes, organized of the peaceful terfered with his sanguinary prac- and — moral elements of society, long Gees and invaded his liberty. trampled upon by highwaymen and The incidents and -episodes that murderers, instituted law and order follow throw in strong relief the in the state for all time. practices of the period. Plummer 7 as reputed to be the quickest shot Quarrel Over Woman. \the mountains.\ Crawford was nexperienced with weapons. According to the usage of the time, men were permitted to settle their offenses by impromptu duels, and he who was slain some times received sympathy and sometimes was cen- sured for his lack of judgment, but the homicide or to question its law- fulness. If there had been some- thing resembling a fight that was sufficient. Was Bluffed by Crawfor ord, Judge Hilger bought the prop- erty from John II. Ming, who had. who had purchased it from Ilorace Clark. Judge Ili!ger retained pos- session of the ranch until his death in 1913 at the age of 83 years, when the property went into the possessio of hie second son, Nicholas D. Hi'ger, who now lives there and conducts a cattle ranch. 300 Acres Flooded. When the Montana Power com- pany completed plans for the con- struction of the Holter Lake dam, it was found by survey that 300 acres of the Hilger ranch would be flood- ed., so the company paid Judge MI- ger $20,000 for the flood rights, and when this is covered wth the waters of Ilolter lake, there will be two hun- dred acres left. When the first Hauser Lake dam burst tn 1908, the HiIgor ranch was flooded and the house moved back by the water some distance. Judge IIIIgor's valuable papers, including the diary of his journey with General Sully through the bad lat.& of Mon- tana, when most of their way WEIR fought through hoatile Sioux, were in the house, and, although they were damaged by water, they were not destroyed. Judge linger made his ranch fam- ous by the purchase of \The Rose of Helena,\ a steel sternwheel river steamboat, which plied up and down the river through the famous Gate Plummer for a long period desired to kill Crawford. The latter knew it, and though at a disadvantage, be- ing a brave man, was determined to protect his life even though he had to take that of his enemy. Plummer had killed Jack Cleveland, a desper- ado, with whom he had traveled from California to Montana. It was in Goodrich's saloon in Ban- nack, the scene of many bloody en- counters at the time. Quite a while before the men had quarreled over a woman, whom Plummer afterward married, and had thereafter buried the hatchet. On this occasion Cleve- land, drunk, noisily proclaimed him- self \chief which in the vernacular of the day meant cock of the walk, and to that added that he knew all the adventurers from the \other side,\ meaning the south and west, and intended to have revenue upon them. Plummer, in the saloon, doubtless the man for whom the remarks were intended, answered with the cotn- of the Mountains, aften carrying par -1 ; ment that he \was tired of that,\ and ties of the judge's frilsnds from liel-; drew his pistol and shot Cleveland ena and elsewhere. This old boat is , tw . co in the body and once in the still lying along the river bank, but head. Cleveland fell upon the floor, David Hilger will perpetwite the n.;(.- and the occupants of the saloon scat- tical tendencies of the family by put- toted, leaving him dying there. ting on Holler lake this summer a Crawford Wall a butcher. Ile was fine and speedy 35 -foot motor launch six feet in beam, which has a 5n - horsepower engine and makes 25 miles an hour. This boat, which will be christened \Rose of lIelena II, ' to his room, where the latter died will navigate the placid waters of within three hours. Holter lake, which will be 29 miles long, while the original \Rose of Helena\ used to fight her way up the stiff current and through the rap- ids Of the river. Service and Strength Great Falls is geographi ca 11 y situated to give better service to country banks than any other city within the state. The First Na- tional is the big- gest bank in north Montana and is fully equipped to render prompt efficient service. It:our patronage is solicited. FIRST NATIONAL' BANK Groat Falls Montana. Established 1886. told of the shooting, and that nobody dared give (7Ieveland attention for fear of the deadly and violent Plum- mer. Crawford had Cleveland taken Public I% Imlignant. Plummer gained the impression Cleveland had revealed his past to Crawford, or pretended he did, though, Crawford told him, when questioned, that all Cleveland had said before (lying was, \Poor Jack has no friends.\ At this juncture the wanton mur- der of three Indians and a white man by desperadoes, who had bombarded an Indian campOodie with their guns, roused a flash of public indignation, and Charlie Reeves and Bill Moore were tried for that crime and Plum- mer for the slaying of Cleveland. Crawford was made sheriff for the occasion. An early chronicler says Plummer was \vindicated.\ The other pair were sentenced to banishment, but the punishment was not enforced. Cleveland, at a miners' meeting, was authorized fo sell the firearms of the three defendants to pay the costs of their detention and trial. Plammer Becomes Hostile. Then there was a revente of form in public sentiment, as expressed by 'another meeting, and Crawford was compelled to repurchase and restore Open Fight Necessary. Ilowever, no man had a license to pursyfoot up behind his fellow des- perado or law-abiding comrade in the wilderness, and plug him under the fifth rib or in the occiput without no- tice. That was tacitly understood to be a hanging matter. So Plummer sought to draw Craw- ford into the semblance of a fight. One day Ile violently accused Craw- ford of interfering with his use of one of the defune Cleveland's horses, Crawford's right to the ani- mals having been subjectld to a con- tention. Crawford denied the charges, and Plummer dared him to wait where he was so that Bill Hunter, another highwayman of the time, could be called to sustain them. Crawford agreed to wait. Some friends at hand drew their guns and said they would assist him to do so. Hunter was brought in, but he weakened and failed to give the expected teatimony. Plummer was balked. Crawford Is Insulted. Next. Plummer had George Ives and others of his fraternity lie in wait outside a saloon that Crawford frequented with rhotguns to shoot him, and sent a follower who was a stranger into the saloon to pick a quarrel with Crawford and draw him outside to fight. Plummer's decoy insulted Craw- ford and was insulted in return. He offered to fight the butcher with pis- tols. The latter declined that, but accepted the next proposal, to fight with fists, and put the gun he had begun to carry on tne bar, where- upon the stranger produced a con- cealed weapon, when Crawford had slapped his face, and tried to shoot the latter. Crawford' closed with the man, and Plummer came to the latter's assist- ance. However, Harry Flegger, a friend of Crawford, joined hire, and together the pair secured the pistol from the desperadoes. Flogger took Crawford away with him, casually re- marking, \This is no4place for you; anyway, they are frying to murder you.\ The next day the saloonkeep- er revealed the plot. Three thnes Plummer lay out upon ter, accusing him of slanders of the road agent. Plummer boasted he could \lick\ Perkins or Crawford, and invited either out to fight. Per- kins said he wa3 afraid to go out Ravalli, D. T. Curran of Missoula, with Plummer; Crawford, on the democrat. contrary, declared he was not afraid District No. 3, composed of the counties of Beaverhead, Madison and Gallatin, C. H. Buford of Virginia City democrat. viting Crawford to follow, which the District No. 4, composed of the latter did, keeping close to the high- counties of Silver Bow, Deer Lodge wayman. Outside Plummer said, and Granite, Oscar Rohn of Butte, \Draw your gun.\ Crawford repliedirepublican. that gun -fighting was not his forted District No. 6, composed of the but that he would have a go at Plum- counties of Lewis and Clark, Bread- mer in any other fashion. Then water, Powell and Jefferson, Frank Plummer said, \If you don't pull Conley of Deer Lodge, republican. your pistol I'll kill you like a sheep!\ District No. 6, composed of the At Crawford put his hand on counties of Cascade, Musselshell, Plummer's shoulder, looked him in Meagher and Fergus, H. A. Temple - the eye, and said, \If that is your ton of Great Falls, republican. purpose, go ahead,\ and turned and District No. 7, composed of the walked away from him. counties of Choteau, Teton, Hill and Plummer dared not shporai .de- Toole C. W. Morrison of I4'ort Ben - fenceless man in the WY, so again ton, republican. his purpose failed. During this re- District No. 8, composed of the encounter Crawford had kept at the countiea of Blaine, Sheridan, Valley bandit's shoulder all the time, ready. and Phillips, A. W. Mahn of Glasgow, for a hand-to-hand conflict with him democrat. should he attempt to draw a weapon. District No. 9, composed of the In those days many men depended counties of Carbon, Stillwater, Sweet upon such tacticks. At close quarters Grass and Park, Samuel Webb of one who had a ! hardy sPirit, a cool Columbus, democrat. head and an active and muscular District No. 10, composed of the body could cope even with a gun- counties of Rosebud, Yellowstone fighter, and the narratives of,the pe- and Big Horn ; E. A. Richardson of riod show that it was a rnethod of Forsyth, republican. self defense much in us% District No. 11, composed of the This epigode convincid rawford counties of Custer, Prairie and Fal- that Plummer was.pditt upon killing Ion, II. R. Wells of Miles City, demo - him, and he got a shotgun and went crat. in search of Plummer. , He (lid not District No. 12, composed of the find him that night. Tile next day counties of Wibaux. Dawson and lie went armed to his shop. Plum- Richland, 'I'. F. Hagan of Gigndive, mer was on the street in sight two democrat. or three times, bur was attended by friends, who surrounded him and ('rawford refrained front shooting at him. All seas are watered from your breast, Your golden sunimit is the crest, The wonderful twizt east and west. Treasure State, the first and best, Montana. Your Millen; cleave the mountain side, O'er ranges green, your cowboys ride, Montana. Your farmers' homes are safe and warm, Your flocks are sheltered from the storm; No savage foe can thee alarin, Your sons will shield thee from a Nf li o n h t a a r n m a: Your summit alrs are pure as snow, Crystal clear your waters flow, Monlana. Your sons are brave, your daughters fair, Your name is honored everywhere, No land can with thee compare; Thee we love, for thee we care, Montana. Glorious land of liberty. Our hearts, our SOWS are all with thee, Montana. For thee we live, for thee we'd die. Ali hall thee! our tinned ery. d May God protect thee from ou high. Anti forever bless, Montana. the highway to waylay Crawford, but the latter, apparently by good for- tune every time escaped. Then Hun- ter was sent to quarrel with him, but failed to get him at a disadvantage or to lure him into a foolish encounter that would excuse his murder. Stewart has named the following Following this, Pla- - er found commissioners: Crawford in conversation with District No. 1, composed of the George Perkins, aLd abused the lat- counties of Lincoln, Flathead and Sanders, J. H. Johnson of Kalispell, republican. District No. 2, composed of the counties of Mineral, Missoula and to go out with any man. \Draw Your Gun!\ Plummer started for the door, in - UNDER HIGHWAY LAW Under the new law which divides the state into 12 districts Governor Plummer offers Peace. a/ Plummer sent an emissary to pro- pose the abandonment of the feud. Crawford, aware this -but a subter- fuge to put him off his guard, de- clined the proposal. Later a friend told him the highway man was plan- ning to shoot him in the door of his house Crawford shunned the door. At noon he crossed the street from his shop to a restaurant, without a gun, and while eating, saw Plummer, armed with a shotgun, pacing in front of his shop. A—friend named Frank Ray produeen a rifle, and Crawford fired at Plummer, breaking the brigand's right arm, tho lodging in the wrist bone, forever wrecking his wonderful aim. Friends of the highwayman carried him away. Plummer sent Crawford a chal- lenge to fight again in fifteen days, which the latter disregarded, and Crawford rode out of the country horseback a short time afterward, on the way to Fort Benton and the east. He was married in Wisconsin, and returned to Montana, oUt his old and vindictive enemy, -Plummer, had been hanged by the Vigilantes while he was absent- •••••• STATE FARM LOANS Farmers who may be planning making a farm loan, either for pay- ing off loan that may be coming doe. or for any other purpose, will find It to their interest to“figure ith Banking Cornoration. Hel- ena, Montana. There is a great ad- vantage in doing business of this kind near home, and ihis Company. on account of its hirge capital and convenient locatton. Is able to take care of farm loan business promptly. Prompt service. liberal prepayments, fair rates, nee Its features. See their local agent in your town, or %%rite to them direct for information and rates. •••••••••••••••••••••••**** PROTECT YOUlt PROPERTY AGAINST IA)SS OR DAMAGE Fire -Lightning -Hail Insurance Department, American Society of Equity, the Greatest Farmers' Organization in America, offers you in TIIE EQUITY MU- TUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY this protection at actual cost. Safe, sound insurance conducted on business principles. _Guaranty fund plan. Money always on hand to pay losses promptly. No farm- er can afford to be without this protection. Also, in THE MONTANA EQUITY MUTUAL IIAIL AND FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY we furnished over $2,000,000.00 of Hail Instmince, last year to over 2,000 Montana farmers at Sixty Cents (00c) per acre. They are satisfied. Why pay any more? Write VA for full information. Address: Insurance Departroftt; The American Society of Equity Home Offices: 27-28-29-80-81 Tod Block. GREAT FAIALS, MONTANA.
