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INNALS  of  WYOMING 


January,  1940 


No.  1 


WINTER  AT  WYOMING'S  STATE   CAPITOL 
1940 


Published  Quarterly 

by 
The  Wyoming'  Historical  Department 

Cheyenne,  Wyoming 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

LYRASIS  IVIembers  and  Sloan  Foundation 


http://www.archive.org/details/annalsofwyom12141940wyom 


ANNALS  of  WYOMING 

^ol.  12  January,  1940  No.  1 

Contents 

Page 

FOEEWORD   3 

WYOMING    (Poem)    5 

By  W.  Milton  York 

"THE  WYOMING  TERRITORY  CAPITOL  AT  CHEYENNE" 7 

(From  Leslie's  Illustrated  Newspaper,  1887) 

GOVERNORS  OF  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING 9 

By  Harry  B.  Henderson,  Sr. 

A  HISTORICAL  REVIEW  OF  WOMAN  SUFFRAGE 21 

By  Katharine  A.  Morton 
WYOMING'S  FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY  YEAR  MARKS 

HUNDREDTH   ANNIVERSARY   OF  C.   G.   COUTANT 33 

NAMING  WYOMING    (Poem) 34 

By  Lillian  L.  Van  Burgh 
HISTORY  OF  WYOMING  WRITTEN  BY  C.  G.  COUTANT, 
PIONEER  HISTORIAN,  AND  HERETOFORE  UN- 
PUBLISHED      35 

DO  YOU  KNOW  THAT— 46 

THE   CHINESE    MASSACRE 47 

By  Paul  Crane  and  Alfred  Larson 
HOW  FORT  WILLIAM,  NOW  FORT  LARAMIE,  WAS  NAMED 

(A  Review)   56 

By  Dan  W.  Greenburg 
A  TRIP  TO  THE  YELLOWSTONE  AND  THE  OREGON  COUN- 
TRY IN  1834  (From  The  Washington  Historical  Quarterly) 62 

By  Charles  Gauld,  III 

HUNTING  EXPERIENCES   OF   EARLY   DAYS 64 

(From  Diary  of  W.  A.  Richards) 
BASIC  HISTORICAL  INFORMATION   THAT   EVERY 

WYOMING  CITIZEN  SHOULD  KNOW 70 

WITH    OUR    CORRESPONDENTS 75 

THANK    YOU    77 

INTERESTING    MUSEUM    ACCESSIONS 78 

DO  YOU  KNOW  THAT— 80 

ACCESSIONS    (Listed)    81 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

WINTER  AT  WYOMING'S  STATE  CAPITOL   (Front  Cover) 
LAYING  THE  CORNER.  STONE  OF  THE  NEW  CAPITOL 

AT  CHEYENNE   6 

WYOMING   TERRITORY— THE  PROPOSED   NEW   CAPITOL 

AT  CHEYENNE   7 

FIRST  STATE  GOVERNORS 10 

ESTHER  HOBART  MORRIS  (Mother  of  Woman  Suffrage  in  Wvo.)-  20 
WOMAN  SUFFRAGE  IN  WYOMING  TERRITORY- 
SCENES  AT  THE  POLLS  IN  CHEYENNE 32 

Published  Quarterly 

by 

THE     WYOMING     HISTORICAL     DEPARTMENT 

GLADYS  F.  RILEY 

State  Librarian  and  Ex-Oflficio  State  Historian 

Cheyenne,  Wj'oming 


STATE  HISTORICAL  BOARD 


Governor .       Nels   H.   Smith 

Secretary  of   State .       Lester   C.   Hunt 

State  Treasurer Mart  T.  Christensen 

State  Auditor Wm.  "Seotty"  Jack 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction       .       Esther  L.   Anderson 
State  Librarian  and  Ex-Officio  Historian       .       Gladys  F.  Eiley 


Inez  Babb   Taylor,  Assistant   Historian 


The  original  title,  "ANNALS  OF  WYOMING,"  under  which  this 
magazine  was  published  from  1925  to  September,  1934,  was  resumed, 
with  the  April,  1939  issue — having  carried  the  name,  "Wyoming  Annals" 
from  January,  1938,  to  and  including  January,  1939. 


The  State  Historical  Board,  the  State  Advisory  Committee  and  the 
State  Historical  Department  assume  no  responsibility  for  any  statement 
of  fact  or  opinion  expressed  by  contributors  to  the  Annals  of  Wyoming. 


The  Wyoming  State  Historical  Department  invites  the  presentation 
of  museum  items,  letters,  diaries,  family  histories  and  manuscripts  of 
Wyoming  citizens.  It  welcomes  the  writings  and  observations  of  those 
familiar  with  important  and  significant  events  in  the  State 's  history. 

In  all  ways  the  Department  strives  to  present  to  the  people  of  Wyo- 
ming and  the  Nation  a  true  picture  of  the  State.  The  ANNALS  OF 
WYOMING  is  one  medium  through  which  the  Department  seeks  to 
gain  this  objective.  All  communications  concerning  the  Annals  should 
be  addressed  to  Mrs.  Gladys  F.  Eiley,  Wyoming  Historical  Department, 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 
( 


The  Annals  of  Wyoming  are  sent  free  of  charge  to  all  State  Offi' 
cials,  heads  of  State  Departments,  members  of  tJae  State  Historical 
Advisory  Committee,  Wyoming  County  Libraries  and  Wyoming  news- 
papers. It  is  published  in  January,  April,  July  and  October.  Subscrip- 
tion price,  $1.00  per  year;  single  copies,  3.5c. 


Copyright,  1940,  by  the  Wyoming  Historical  Department. 


FOREWORD 

"Nowhere  in  all  the  country  do  the  aeons  and  cycles  of 
time  seem  to  have  indulged  in  such  mad  abandonment  of  freak 
and  frolic  as  up  on  this  'Great  Plain,'  where,  by  the  processes 
of  countless  ages,  it  was  being  fashioned  into  suitable  dwelling 
for  man, ' ' — spake  an  eloquent  orator  in  declaring  the  simple 
fact  that  Wyoming  is  ' '  old  as  the  hills. "  .  .  .  "  Through  the 
early  development  of  our  historj^,  while  men  were  fighting,  ex- 
ploring, pushing  their  Avay  across  a  continent,  Wyoming  stood 
apart — withdrawn  into  the  silence  and  dignity  of  an  unknown 
wilderness  calmly  awaiting  the  hour  of  revelation." 

The  "hour  of  revelation"  eventually  arrived  .  .  .  and 
on  July  10,  A.  D.,  1940,  Wyoming  will  arrive  at  her  Fiftieth 
Anniversary  of  Statehood.  Still  young,  as  rank  the  ages  of 
commonwealths,  she  now  represents  the  forty-fourth  brilliant 
star  in  the  blue  field  of  the  American  flag. 

The  Wyoming  of  TODAY  is  a  glorious  reality,  inviting 
fullest  enjoyment  of  every  precious  moment  as  it  comes.  .  .  . 

The  Wyoming  of  TOMORROW  is  an  enchanting  and  entic- 
ing Rainbow  of  Promise,  leading  the  faithful  to  a  rich  re- 
ward.   .    .    . 

But  the  Wyoming  of  YESTERDAY— of  which  countless 
sagas  have  been  written — is  a  fascinating  panoramic  picture  of 
color  and  romance  .  .  .  high-lig'hted  with  innumerable  epi- 
sodes of  achievement  and  failure,  of  danger  and  daring  .  .  . 
of  life  and  death. 

Across  the  picturesque  stage  of  the  potential  Empire — 
and  sharply  silhouetted  against  the  illuminated  skyline  of  time 
— moves  a  glorified  procession  .  .  .  covered-wagons  and  THE 
PIONEERS !  Figures  of  men  and  women,  framed  in  the  bow- 
shaped  openings  .  .  .  wagons  creaking  .  .  .  wheels  turning 
laboriously   along   the   trackless   trail — bringing   Civilization  I 

To  these  dauntless  waymakers — Pioneers  living  and  Pioneers 
who  have  passed  on  over  that  "One-Way  Trail" — this  num- 
ber of  THE  ANNALS  and  the  three  succeeding  issues  of 
the  1940  volume,  are  reverently  dedicated,  in  observance  of 
Wyoming's  Golden  Anniversary  of  Statehood. 


Historically  minded  citizens  who  appreciate  Wyoming  and 
its  traditions,  have  evidenced  their  willingness  to  cooperate  in 
the  important  undertaking  of  presenting  and  preserving  histor- 
ical information  regarding  this  great  State,  by  making  valuable 
contributions  for  this  and  preceding  issues  of  the  ANNALS. 
These  have  been  gratefully  received  by  those  responsible  for 
publication  of  the  magazine. 


Wyoming,  a  huge  rectangle,  in  size  the  combined  area  of 
Pennsjivania  and  New  York,  has  climbed  higu  on  the  scale 


of  progress,  socially  and  economically,  since  Statehood  was  at- 
tained, a  mere  half -century  ago.  Population  has  increased  from 
less  than  62,000  in  1890  to  approximately  240,000  in  1940.  A 
tremendous  development  of  natural  resources  and  industrial 
enterprise  has  taken  place ;  the  value  of  property  has  been 
repeatedly  multiplied,  and  there  has  been  achieved  a  record 
of  governmental  and  other  civic  progressiveness  unsurpassed  by 
any  other  State.  The  people  may  view  with  admiration  and 
satisfaction  the  advancement  which  has  been  made  during  fifty 
years  of  Statehood,  and  may  paint,  validly,  a  commanding  pic- 
ture of  developments  to  come  in  the  most  vivid  hues  of  reason- 
able imagination. 

Plans  are  being  made  for  appropriate  observance  of  this 
Golden  Anniversary,  by  a  committee  appointed  by  Governor 
Nels  H.  Smith,  and  for  a  state-wide  organization  for  the  pro- 
motion and  holding  of  celebrations  and  programs  in  the  vari- 
ous counties  and  the  communities  thereof.  The  committee  is 
comprised  of  Mr.  George  0.  Houser,  of  the  State  Department  of 
Commerce  and  Industry;  Miss  Esther  Anderson,  State  Super- 
intendent of  Public  Instruction ;  Mr.  John  C.  Thompson,  mem- 
ber of  the  WyO;ming  Historical  Landmark  Commission ;  and 
Mrs.  Gladys  F.  Riley,  State  Librarian  and  ex-officio  State 
Historian. 

Two  worthy  objectives  for  this  ambitious  undertaking  are : 
First,  that  the  citizens  themselves  may  become  more  historically- 
minded  and  therefore  gain  a  new  appreciation  for  the  priceless 
historic  values  of  their  State ;  and  second,  that  the  State  may 
attract  to  itself  the  benefits  of  far-flung,  constructive  adver- 
tising. 

The  historical  data  and  pageantry  covered  by  the  programs 
of  the  Golden  Anniversary  year  will  comprehend  not  merely 
the  fifty  years  of  Statehood,  but  that  of  twenty-one  years  of 
Territorial  status  and  the  sixty-two  years  of  historical  record 
preceding  establishment  of  the  Territory — a  total  of  one  hun- 
dred thirty-three  years. 

A  State  passes  but  once  through  a  Golden  Anniversary 
year  ...  it  has  only  one  Fiftieth  Birthday!  Therefore, 
under  the  persuasive  invitation  of  the  Anniversary  Committee, 
not  only  are  the  citizens  of  Wyoming  beseeched  to  lend  full 
cooperation  to  this,  the  first  enterprise  of  its  kind  which  oppor- 
tunity has  ever  offered  to  the  people  of  the  State — but  atten- 
tion of  folk  elsewhere  should  be  called  to  the  qualities  of  Wyo- 
ming and  the  boundlessness  of  the  opportunities  which  it  affords. 
It  is  but  another  step  for  Wonderful  Wyoming,  on  its  way  to 
a  manifest  destiny— the  Wyoming  of"^  TOMORROW,  with 
its   Rainbow   of   Promise. 

Gladys  F.  Riley,  Editor, 

Inez  Babb  Taylor,  Associate  Editor. 


WYOMING 

By  W.  Milton  York 

I  stand  and  gaze  with  reverence,  on  Wyoming's  lofty  peaks, 
Where  Time's  slow  hand  carves  wondrous  things,  and  silence 

almost  speaks. 
The  places  where  God's  creatures  roam,  the  mighty  Master's 

plan, 
No  art  can  paint,  or  mind  conceive,  the  loom  His  fingers  span. 
Each  waste  place  has  its  uses,  as  the  timeless  centuries  flow, 
I  find  no  place  that  God  forgot,  wherever  I  may  go. 
Where  winds  the  famous  Bighorn,  and  the  North  Platte  river 

flows, 
With  giant  peaks  on  either  hand,  crowned  with  eternal  snows. 
I  see  far  back  to  other  days,  I  hear  the  Bison's  tread, 
Ere  progress  blazed  the  unknown  ways,  by  covered  wagons  led. 
I  seem  to  see  the  film  of  Time,  the  centuries  pyramid  piled. 
His  art  stupendous  and  sublime,  the  mysterious,  boundless,  wild. 
I  see  sun-crested  golden  peaks,  I  hear  the  call  for  men. 
The  coursing  water's  silvered  streaks,  the  canyon's  roaring  glen. 
I  mark  the  red  man's  crimsoned  tread,  the  time-worn  trails  of 

old. 
The  yellow  dust  in  river  bed,  the  miner's  quest  for  gold. 
The  arrow's  flint,  the  red  man's  plume,  the  mysteries  of  the 

wild. 
The  pioneer,  the  Master's  Loom,  the  place  where  God  has  smiled. 
Now  belching   stacks  besmear  the  skies,   while   teeming   cities 

gleam. 
Yet  backward  still  the  memory  flies,  o'er  mountain,  vale  and 

stream. 
To  Indian  mounds,  and  unmarked  graves,  to  time-worn  trails  of 

old, 
When  white  men  fought  the  feathered  braves,  and  delved  for 

muck  called  "Gold". 


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Wyoming    Territory— The    Proposed   New    Capitol    at    Cheyenne. 

Prom  a  Photo,  by  C.  D.  Kirkland. 


'"^he  Wyoming  Territory  Capitol  at  Cheyenne** 


(From   Frank   Leslie's   Illustrated   Newspaper,*   June    11,   1887) 

Under  the  above  headline  a  story  describing  the  laving  of 
the  corner-stone  of  the  Capitol  building  at  Cheyenne  on  May 
18,  1887,  carried  to  the  world  the  news  of  that  historic  event 
in  the  pages  of  Frank  Leslie's  Illustrated  Newspaper,  in  its 
issue  of  June  11,  1887.  G-enerously  illustrated  with  pictures 
made  from  wood  cuts,  an  art  of  former  days,  the  weekly  news- 
paper would  be  referred  to  in  modern  times  as  a  magazine. 
Published  in  New  York  City,  in  tabloid  size,  it  was  one  of  the 
leading  works  of  journalism  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

The  article  describing  the  ceremony  was  illustrated  with 
two  pictures  from  photos  by  C.  D.  Kirkland,  a  pioneer  photog- 
rapher of  Cheyenne,  which,  together  with  the  story,  are  pre- 
sented here-sWth : 


*0n  file  in  the  archives  of  the  State  Historical  Department,  Chev- 
enne,  Wyoming. 


8  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

' '  On  the  18th  iilt.  the  corner-stone  of  a  stately  new  Capitol 
was  laid  at  Cheyenne,  Wyoming  Territory,  and  the  occasion 
was  enthusiastically  celebrated.  The  civic,  military  and  Masonic 
demonstrations  were  the  most  brilliant  ever  seen  in  Cheyenne. 
The  city  was  in  holiday  dress,  and  the  crowds  thronging  the 
streets  were  increased  by  a  large  influx  of  visitors  from  other 
towns  of  the  Territory.  Governor  Thomas  Moonlight  partici- 
pated in  the  exercises,  and  Judge  Joseph  M.  Carey  delivered 
an  eloquent  and  patriotic  oration.  The  corner-stone  contained 
numerous  documents,  photographs,  and  other  articles  of  future 
historical  interest,  and  bore  the  following  inscription :  '  Laid 
by  the  Grand  Lodge  A.  F.  and  A.  M.  A.  L.  5287,  A  D.  1887. 
N.  R.  Davis,  Grand  Master.' 

' '  The  site  of  the  New  Capitol  is  an  eminence  at  the  junction 
of  Twenty-fourth  Street  and  Capitol  Avenue,  not  far  from  the 
Union  Pacific  and  Cheyenne  and  Burlington  Railroads.  It 
will  be  the  most  massive  and  elegant  structure  in  the  State. 
The  architectural  style  of  the  building  may  be  called  a  modified 
French  Renaissance.  It  is  at  once  stately  and  symmetrical. 
Its  outlines  and  ornamentations,  as  shown  by  the  architect's 
drawing,  are  airy  and  graceful,  and  its  massive  dome  will  form 
a  fitting  climax  to  its  architectural  beauty.  Its  erection  was 
authorized  by  the  last  Legislative  Assembly,  when  $150,000 
were  appropriated  to  commence  the  work.  The  plans  were  pre- 
pared by  D.  W.  Gibbs  &  Co.,  of  Toledo,  0.  The  completed 
building  will  be  230  feet  in  length  from  east  to  west,  and  144 
feet  in  width  from  north  to  south.  It  is  set  on  a  foundation 
of  Fort  Collins  stone,  which  rises  ten  feet  above  the  gTound. 
The  centre  of  the  building  vdll  be  pierced  by  a  huge  iron  tower 
152  feet  in  height,  and  the  rotunda  will  be  carried  to  the  top 
of  the  interior  of  the  tower,  from  which  much  of  the  necessary 
light  will  be  secured.  The  superstructure  is  built  of  Rawlins 
stone,  which  presents  a  beautiful  appearance.  The  construction 
has  already  reached  the  height  of  the  first  floor  all  around. 
The  building  will  contain  forty  commodious  rooms,  exclusive 
of  the  basement.  The  interior  will  be  finished  in  cherry,  oak 
and  butternut.  The  Council  and  House  Chambers  will  be 
48x70  feet  in  dimensions.  It  is  expected  that  the  building  will 
be  sufficiently  advanced  towards  completion  to  permit  the  meet- 
ings of  the  Legislature  to  be  held  there  next  Januar,v. ' ' 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  9 

GOVERNORS  OF  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING 
By  Harry  B.  Henderson,  Sr. 

Upon  the  men  first  selected  for  Governors  of  the  State 
of  Wyoming  there  was  a  great  responsibility.  That  they 
accepted  and  discharged  the  obligation  with  fidelity  is  at- 
tested by  the  records  of  their  administrations.  There  was 
a  transition  of  government  from  a  dependency  to  a  sovereignty. 
The  Territory  comprising  "Wyoming,  which  had  been  bartered 
and  traded  as  boys  would  trade  jack  knives  became  a  State 
July  10,  1890.  Thereafter  a  government  of  the  people  was 
set  up.  The  first  State  election  was  held,  officers  were  selected, 
and  upon  their  taking  the  oath  of  office,  the  ship  of  State 
was^  launched. 

Governor  Warren,  the  First  Governor  of  the  State,  served 
from  September,  1890  to  November  18,  1890,  at  which  time 
he  was  succeeded  by  Amos  W.  Barber,  the  then  qualified  Sec- 
retary of  State  who  by  virtue  of  the  Constitution  became 
acting  Governor  until  January  2nd,  1893,  at  which  time  he 
w^as  succeeded  by  John  E.  Osborne,  the  regularly  elected 
governor  at  the  1892  election.  Governor  Osborne  was  suc- 
ceeded by  William  A.  Richards  on  the  first  Monday  of  Janu- 
ary, 1895. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  present  a  brief  sketch  concerning  each 
of  these  splendid  men. 


NOTE — This  is  the  second  of  a  series  of  five  articles  written  for 
the  ANNALS  by  Mr.  Henderson  on  the  Governors  who  have  guided 
the  affairs  of  the  Territory  and  State,  respectively,  since  1869.  The 
first  appeared  in  the  October,  1939,  issue  of  the  magazine  and  chron- 
icled highlights  of  the  regimes  of  the  eight  Territorial  Governors.  Ihis 
and  three  succeeding  treatises  on  the  State  Governors  of  Wyoming, 
for  the  three  subsequent  numbers  in  1940,  represent  one  of  the  special 
features  of  this  historical  quarterly,  in  its  observance  of  the  Golden 
Anniversary   of   Statehood. 


FIRST  STATE  GOVERNORS 


(Left  to   right,   top) :     Francis   E.   Warren — October  11,   1890-Noveniber 

24,    1890;    Amos    W.    Barber    (Acting)— November    24,    1890- January    2, 

1893;     (Lower)    John    E.    Osborne — January    2,    1893-January    7,    1895; 

William   A.   Eichards — January    7,   1895-January   2,   1899. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  11 

Governor  Warren 

Francis  E.  Warren,  the  first  governor  of  the  State  of 
Wyoming  was  born  at  Hinsdale,  Massachusetts,  June  20,  1844. 
His  ancestors  belonged  to  the  Revolutionary  days  and  strongly 
advocated  American  Independence. 

Mr.  Warren  was  given  the  common  school  education  of 
his  community  and  a  course  in  Hinsdale  Academy,  an  insti- 
tution comparable  to  the  present  day  high  school.  He  en- 
listed in  Company  C,  49th  Massachusetts  Infantry  in  1861 
and  served  during  the  Civil  War.  In  1868  he  located  in  Iowa, 
and  came  further  west  in  the  same  year,  locating  at  Cheyenne, 
entering  the  employ  of  A.  E.  Converse;  later  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  Mr.  Converse,  who  was  engaged  in  mercan- 
tile and  livestock  business. 

In  1872  he  was  elected  to  the  City  Council  of  Cheyenne, 
Avas  a  member  of  the  Territorial  Assembly,  Territorial  Treas- 
urer September  30,  1876  to  December  15,  1877  and  from  De- 
cember 10,  1879  to  March  2,  1885.  He  was  Mayor  of  Cheyenne 
from  January  to  March  1885 ;  Governor  of  the  Territory  of 
Wyoming  in  1885  and  1886,  and  again  in  1889-1890,  succeed- 
ing himself  as  Territorial  Governor  at  the  first  State  election 
held  September  11,  1890,  when  he  was  elected  the  first  Gov- 
ernor of  Wyoming.  He  resigned  in  November,  1890,  and 
was  at  once  elected  United  States  Senator,  serving  until  1898. 
He  was  elected  again  to  the  Senate  in  1895  and  continued  in 
such  office  until  his  death  on  November  24,  1929.  His  Senate 
service  covered  about  thirty-eight  years. 

Mr.  Warren  acquired  the  stock  and  mercantile  business 
of  his  partner,  A.  R.  Converse,  in  1878,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
passing  was  counted  as  one  of  the  largest  growers  of  sheep 
in  the  United  States. 

Governor  Warren,  in  his  message  of  January,  1890,  urged 
upon  the  Territorial  Legislature  to  deliberate  with  two  pros- 
pects in  view :  A  transformation  from  a  dependency  to  a 
Sovereign  State  or  a  continuance  of  a  Territorial  Govern- 
ment. He  further  urged  the  necessity  for  transportation, 
citing  that  development  would  be  slow  unless  railroads  to 
remote  sections  of  the  territory  were  constructed. 

The  Governor,  in  his  message  to  the  First  State  Legisla- 
ture said,  "No  unnecessary  offices  should  be  created  or  con- 
tinued and  the  salaries  and  emoluments  of  all  public  officials 
should  be  reduced  to  the  least  possible  limit  that  will  procure 
faithful  and  efficient  service." 

To   emphasize  his   recommendations  he   again  stated  in 


12  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

his  message,  "It  is  better  to  dispense  with  some  offices,  provide 
moderate  salaries  for  the  present  than  to  become  fettered  by 
indebtedness." 

It  will  be  suggested  to  the  mind  of  the  reader  that  the 
Governor  was  counselling  from  his  experience  in  business. 
He  knew  the  rule  that  must  be  applied  in  public  affairs  if 
expenses  were  to  be  kept  down  and  the  tax  burden  made  light. 

Why  not  have  such  doctrine  proclaimed  now,  and  the 
tax  burden  lessened?  It  is  just  as  necessary  as  it  was  fifty 
j'ears  ago. 

Governor  Warren  also  urged  the  Legislature  "to  recom- 
mend to  Congress  that  the  Homestead  laws  be  amended  so 
that  the  settler  could  engage  in  either  agriculture  or  livestock 
business  on  a  scale  that  would  support  his  family  and  bear 
the  carrying  charges  of  the  property." 

As  citizen,  Governor  and  United  States  Senator — Mr. 
Warren  was  ever  alert  to  Wyoming 's  interests ;  he  not  only 
recommended  and  urged  the  development  of  the  State  and  its 
resources,  but  was  active  in  the  construction  of  splendid  busi- 
ness blocks  in  the  city  of  Cheyenne,  merchandising,  raising 
livestock,  improving  ranch  properties,  the  building  of  the 
electric  light  plant,  said  to  be  one  of  the  first  in  the  United 
States ;  the  building  of  Ft.  D.  A.  Russell,  now  Fort  Francis  E. 
Warren;  the  incorporation  of  the  Cheyenne  and  Northern 
Railway  and  the  subsequent  construction  of  the  railroad;  the 
building  of  the  Burlington  Railway  into  Cheyenne,  and  many 
other  activities  which  have  been  of  great  value  to  the  State. 
Governor  Warren  was  always  progressive  and  never  selfish 
in  his  efforts. 

The  imprints  of  his  hand  and  mind  are  indelible  in  the 
affairs  of  this  great  State.  He  was  one  of  the  few  men  who 
attained  greatness  in  the  United  States  Senate  and  the  affairs 
of  the  Nation. 

Francis  E.  Warren  and  Helen  M.  Smith  of  Hinsdale, 
Massachusetts,  were  married  in  1871  and  at  once  established 
their  home  in  Cheyenne.  Two  children,  Frances  and  Fred 
were  born  to  this  family.  Frances  Warren  in  her  young 
v/omanhood  became  the  wife  of  Captain  Pershing,  now  Gen- 
eral Pershing.  She,  with  three  children  perished  in  a  fire  at 
the  Presidio  in  California  in  August,  1915.  Mr.  Fred  Warren, 
one  of  our  first  citizens,  has  succeeded  to  the  management  of 
the  Warren  Live  Stock  Company. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMINOr  13 


Governor  Barber 


Amos  W.  Barber,  Secretary  of  State,  became  Acting  Gov- 
ernor of  the  State  of  Wyoming  upon  the  resignation  of  Francis 
E.  Warren,  the  first  Governor-elect,  and  served  from  November, 
1890,  to  January  2,  1893. 

Dr.  Barber  was  born  April  26,  1861,  at  Doylestown,  Pa., 
of  Quaker  family.  His  ancestry  was  conspicuous  for  its  gal- 
lantry and  patriotic  devotion  during  the  War  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, the  War  of  1812  and  during  the  Civil  War.  His  father 
was  an  important  secret  service  officer  during  the  latter  war. 

Dr.  Barber  was  educated  in  the  common  school  of  his  dis- 
trict, an  Academy  located  at  Doylestown  and  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania,  where  he  pursued  a  full  literary  and  medical 
course.  He  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1883  and  immediately 
became  the  resident  physician  at  the  University  Hospital.  He 
served  on  the  staff  of  several  hospitals  with  credit  and  dis- 
tinction during  the  following  two  years,  when  lie  was  selected 
to  have  charge  of  the  Military  Hospital  at  Ft.  Fetterman,  Wyo- 
ming, then  located  on  the  Platte  River  about  100  miles  north 
of  the  then  Rock  Creek  Station,  on  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad 
and  about  six  miles  north  of  the  site  of  the  present  town  of 
Douglas. 

Central  Wyoming  had  rapidly  advanced  as  a  cattle  coun- 
try with  a  cow-hand  population  of  considerable  number.  There 
were  no  towns,  neither  was  there  a  physician  save  at  Ft.  Fetter- 
man.  Dr.  Barber,  during  his  comparatively  short  residence  in 
the  district,  acquired  a  high  reputation  among  the  settlers  resid- 
ing along  the  Platte  and  foothill  streams  for  a  distance,  east  to 
west  of  approximately  100  miles.  He  was  faithful  as  well  as 
conscientious  in  the  performance  of  his  professional  duty.  He 
was  the  sole  person  to  determine  just  what  remedy  should  be 
applied  to  the  sufferer  and  hoW  to  apply  it.  Generally,  he  was 
not  only  regarded  as  outstanding  in  his  work,  but  in  actuality, 
he  was  one  of  the  great  physicians  of  the  Territory,  and  was 
very  popular  in  central  Wyoming. 

After  the  abandonment  of  Ft.  Fetterman,  Dr.  Barber  es- 
tablished his  office  at  Douglas  and  continued  his  active  and 
large  practice  in  medicine  and  surgery  in  the  district  of  which 
Douglas  was  the  centralized  point. 

In  the  nomination  of  first  State  officers.  Dr.  Barber  was 
nominated  for  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State  and  was  elected 
to  that  position  at  the  September  elei'tion  in  1890.  Upon  the 
election  of  Governor  Warren  as  United  States  Senator.  Secre- 
tary of  State  Barber  became  acting  Governor  of  the  State  and 
continued  as  such  officer  until  Januaiy  2,  1893.  During  this 
particular  time  there  was  what  was  termed  the  "cattlemen's 
invasion"  which  was  an  act   on  the  part   of  individuals  that 


14  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

brought  upon  the  State  unfavorable  criticism.  Governor  Barber 
requested  the  President  to  give  to  the  State,  the  aid  of  the  sol- 
diers stationed  at  the  military  post  at  Ft.  McKinney,  Wyoming. 
The  request  was  granted  and  soldiers  were  at  once  dispatched 
to  rescue  the  besieged,  and  arrest  the  men  constitutini^  the  in- 
vading party.  Had  Governor  Barber  not  acted  promptl}^  upon 
learning  of  what  was  taking  place  in  Johnson  County,  there 
doubtless  would  have  been  a  great  loss  of  men  because  of  what 
would  have  been  a  finish  fight  between  the  settlers  and  the  in- 
vaders. 

During  Governor  Barber's  administration  there  was  trouble 
with  the  Sioux  Indians  who  had  entered  the  State,  under  alleged 
treaty  rights  to  hunt  game.  The  Governor  again  acted  forth- 
with in  asserting  the  sovereignty  of  the  State,  which  was  resisted. 
The  subject  was  eventually  determined  by  U.  S.  Supreme  Court 
decision  in  favor  of  the  contentions  of  the  Governor. 

The  Second  State  Legislature  did  not  convene  until  after 
Governor  Barber  had  turned  over  the  office  of  Governor  to  his 
successor,  therefore  he  did  not  address  the  Legislature. 

Governor  Barber  administered  the  affairs  of  the  State  for 
the  two  years  he  was  acting  Governor  as  economically  as  pos- 
sible. He  had  a  chief  clerk,  and  a  second  clerk  who  was  also 
Secretary  to  him  as  Governor.  There  were  but  three  persons 
identified  with  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State  and  that  of  Gov- 
ernor during  the  administration  of  Secretary  Barber.  He  re- 
linquished the  office  to  John  E.  Osborne,  the  regularly  elected 
governor  at  the  November,  1892,  election,  January  2,  1893. 

Governor  Barber's  term  as  Secretary  of  State  ended  Jan- 
uary 1,  1895.  He  was  not  a  candidate  to  succeed  himself,  but 
preferred  to,  and  did,  direct  his  energies  toward  the  practice 
of  medicine  and  surgery  at  Cheyenne.  He  was  outstanding  in 
his  profession. 

Dr.  Barber  was  regarded  not  only  as  a  first  citizen  but  was 
counted  professionally  ,as  one  whose  patients  were  put  on  the 
road  to  recovery  because  of  his  sincere  and  cheerful  presence 
in  the  sick  room.     He  was  medicine  to  his  patients. 

In  1892  he  married  Miss  Amelia  Kent,  a  beautiful  girl  of 
Cheyenne.  Two  children  blessed  their  home  and  are  today  an 
honor  to  their  parents. 

The  good  doctor  continued  to  reside  in  Chevenne  until  his 
death  in  1915. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  15 

Governor  Osborne 

John  E.  Osborne  of  Rawlins,  elected  Governor  of  Wyo- 
ming at  the  November,  1892  election,  was  born  June  19,  1858, 
at  Westport,  Essex  County,  New  York.  His  home  was  in 
that  district  which  daring  Revolutionary  days,  was  very  much 
"Pro-King  George."  It  was  The  Tory  District,  largely  Eng- 
lish descendants.  Mr.  Osborne's  ancestors  were  greatly  in 
favor  of  American  Independence.  He  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  of  his  native  town,  apprenticed  to  a  druggist 
in  Vermont  when  fifteen  years  of  age,  continued  his  school 
work,  subsequently  entering  the  University  of  Vermont  at 
Burlington,  studied  and  graduated  in  medicine  and  suro;ery 
and  moved  to  Rawlins  and  began  the  practice  of  medicine 
in  1882. 

One  of  his  first  acts  at  Rawlins  was  to  buy  a  comer  lot, 
erect  a  two-story  frame  building  thereon,  establish  a  drug 
store  on  the  first  floor,  and  use  the  second  floor  for  his  office 
and  apartments. 

Dr.  Osborne  Avas  a  member  of  the  Territorial  Legislature 
in  1883,  was  Mayor  of  Rawlins  in  1887  and  Chairman  of  the 
Wyoming  Penitentiary  Building  Commission  in  1888. 

Dr.  Osborne  received  the  Democratic  nomination  at  the 
primaries  in  1892  and  at  the  general  election  held  in  November 
was  elected  to  the  high  office  of  Governor. 

The  year  1892  presented  many  dramatic  incidents.  The 
Populist  party  held  its  first  National  nominating  convention. 
It  was  a  year  of  "fusion."  The  Republicans  and  Populists 
fused  in  the  South — the  Democrats  and  Populists  merged 
their  efforts  in  the  North.  In  the  election  in  Wyoming  the 
State  and  Congressional  offices  were  captured  by  the  Demo- 
crats while  the  Presidential  electors  selected  were  Republican. 
Naturally,  the  campaign  preceding  the  election  was  odjb 
wherein  the  contestants  opposed  each  other  most  vigorously. 
Happily  however,  when  the  results  of  the  election  were  deter- 
mined, the  people  forgot  their  political  animosities  and  sap- 
ported  the  officers  chosen,  one  of  whom  was  John  E.  Osborne 
of  Rawlins,  a  man  of  splendid  character  and  ability. 

Upon  the  convening  of  the  second  State  Legislature  the 
Governor  delivered  a  carefully  prepared  message  covering 
the  affairs  of  the  State,  public  and  private.  He  pointed  out 
the  unfortunate  things  that  had  happened  in  the  State  and 
called  attention  to  the  courts  in  which  we  had  confidence, 
where  controversial  mattei*s  should  be  settled. 

Governor  Osborne  urged  upon  the  Legislature  the  enact- 
ment of  such  laws  as  would  be  for  the  best  interests  of  the 
citizens  of  the  State.     He  was  particalarly  interested  in  the 


16  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

development  of  our  resources  and  inviting  settlement  of  our 
lands.  He  said,  "Your  attention  is  called  to  the  need  of 
legislation  to  assist  the  more  rapid  development  of  our  great 
natural  resources  and  encourage  the  immigration  of  settlers 
to  our  State.  It  is  truly  said  'men  constitute  the  State.'  The 
great  need  of  Wyoming  is  an  influx  of  settlers  and  the  invest- 
ment of  capital." 

In  reference  to  the  election  of  a  United  States  Senator 
the  Governor  said,  "Out  of  the  many  aspirants  for  this 
exalted  position,  having  the  ability,  attainments  and  purity 
of  character,  to  represent  this  place  with  honor,  I  have  no 
doubt  you  will  make  a  fitting  selection.  I  deem  it  important 
that  such  a  gentleman  should  properly  represent  the  senti- 
ments of  our  State  on  the  silver  question." 

The  Legislature  being  composed  of  members  of  three 
political  groups,  and  there  being  several  candidates  for  the 
United  States  Senate,  there  was  practically  no  legislation 
enacted  and  no  Senator  was  elected.  The  Governor  was 
greatly  disappointed  that  the  suggestions  made  by  him  had 
not  been  given  the  consideration  they  merited.  The  panic 
of  1893  occurred  during  his  administration.  Business  was 
at  a  low  ebb,  money  was  scarce  and  State,  County,  and 
School  expense,  necessarily  had  to  be  limited.  In  reality 
this  became  a  blessing  to  the  tax  payer,  because  economy  was 
practiced  publicly  as  well  as  privately. 

Governor  Osborne,  like  his  predecessor,  was  greatly  inter- 
ested in  his  profession.  He  was  an  outstanding  physician  in 
Carbon  County.  He  also  had  large  business  interests  which 
were  annually  requiring  more  of  his  time.  At  the  end  of  his 
term  as  Governor  he  sidestepped  politics  for  the  time  being, 
but  later  was  a  member  of  Congress  for  two  years.  He  was 
appointed  first  assistant  Secretary  of  State,  serving  under 
the  President  Wilson  Administration,  1913-1917,  inclusive. 

The  Governor  has  always  made  his  home  at  Rawlins  where 
he  has  large  and  successful  business  interests.  He  is  one  of 
the  four  elected  Governors  of  Wj^oming  now  living.  He  has 
a  wife  and  daughter. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  17 

Governor  Richards 

"William  A.  Richards,  Wyoming's  third  elected  Governor 
was  born  in  1849  at  Hazel  Green,  Wisconsin.  As  a  boy  he 
worked  on  the  farm  and  in  the  shop  of  his  father.  At  an 
early  age  he  began  working  in  and  about  the  lead  mines  near 
Hazel  Green  and  at  Galena,  Illinois.  During  the  winter 
months  he  attended  the  common  school  of  the  district  in 
which  he  lived.  His  parents,  Truman  Richards  and  Eleanor 
Swinnerton  Richards,  were  poor  financially  and  could  not 
give  their  children  a  college  education. 

Mr.  Richards  was  as  a  boy,  quite  patriotic  and  in  1863 
made  his  way  to  Washington  where  he  tried  to  enlist  in  the 
army.  Inasmuch  as  he  was  but  about  fourteen  years  of  age 
he  was  rejected  bj-  the  recruiting  service.  He  made  it  known 
that  he  wanted  a  job  of  some  kind.  He  said  he  could  drive 
and  handle  horses,  whereupon  he  was  detailed  to  the  service 
of  ambulance  driver.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned 
'to  Wisconsin  and  taught  a  country  school  for  three  winters, 
working  on  the  farm  or  at  the  lead  mines  in  the  summer.  In 
1866  he  met  General  Grant  at  Galena,  and  tbe  two  men 
became  warm  personal  friends. 

At  the  age  of  twenty  Mr.  Richards  came  west,  finding 
employment  in  Omaha,  later  joining  a  government  surveying 
party,  work  for  which  because  of  his  strong  body  and  keen 
mind  he  was  well  fitted.  It  was  during  his  time  in  the  field 
that  he  studied  engineering  and  became  proficient  as  a  sur- 
veyor. He  surveyed  the  south  and  west  boundary  lines  of 
Wyoming,    later   becoming   a   writer  for   Omaha    newspapers. 

Mr.  Richards  then  went  to  California  and  located  in 
Santa  Clara  County.  He  married  Harriet  Alice  Hunt  in  1875 
— was  elected  County  Surveyor  in  1879  and  had  an  extensive 
engineering  business.  He  became  ill  and  being  informed  he 
had  consumption  he  treked  eastward  in  1881  and  located  in 
Colorado  Springs,  Colorado.  He  continued  his  business  of 
Civil  Engineering  and  was  elected  County  Surveyor  of  El  Paso 
County,   Colorado,  in   1883. 

In  the  year  1884  Mr.  Ricluirds  made  Homestead  and 
Desert  Entry  filings  at  the  Land  Office  on  lands  located  on 
Red  Bank  Creek,  a  tributary  of  the  No  Wood,  in  Johnson 
County,  Wyoming,  and  in  the  Spring  of  1886  began  develop- 
ing his  property  and  the  growing  of  livestock.  The  outdoor 
life  incident  to  ranching  restored  him  to  nonnal  physical 
condition.  He  was  elected  County  Commissioner  of  Johnson 
County  at  the  election  held  in  November,  1886,  the  west 
border  of  the  Countv  at  that  time  being  the  Big  Horn  River 


18  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

President  Harrison  appointed  Mr.  Richards  Surveyor 
General  of  Wyoming  in  1889,  in  which  office  he  served  with 
distinction  for  more  than  four  years.  He  returned  to  his 
ranch  at  Red  Bank  in  1893  and  gave  his  personal  attention 
to  the  development  of  his  livestock  business. 

In  1894  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  office  of  Governor 
of  Wyoming  and  was  elected  at  the  November  election  of 
that  year.  He  served  the  State  for  the  full  four-year  period 
of  governorship,  conducting  its  affairs  npon  as  prudent  busi- 
ness principles  as  those  he  applied  to  his  individual  affairs  on 
the  ranch.  The  State  had  less  than  thirty  million  dollars 
valuation  at  the  time  of  his  election  and  the  revenues  from 
sources  other  than  taxation  were  exceedingly  limited.  Gov- 
ernor Richards  insisted  that  the  provisions  of  the  Constitution 
of  the  State  relative  to  indebtedness,  should  be  rigidly  en- 
forced. By  reason  of  his  attitude,  public  expenditures  were 
kept  within  the  revenues  during  his  administration. 

Governor  Richards  in  his  message  of  January  8,  1895, 
stated:  "Perfection  in  County  government  depends,  to  a 
great  extent,  upon  the  wise  administration  of  state  affairs." 
His  counsels  were  reflected  largely  in  County  managements. 

Being  a  ranchman  and  knowing  the  value  of  water  for 
irrigation  purposes,  the  Governor  discussed  generally  the 
subject  of  water  rights,  the  selection  of  State  Lands  and 
their  availability  for  agricultural  and  grazing  purposes.  He 
urged  upon  the  Legislature  such  legislation  as  would  promote 
development  of  the  State  resources. 

A  bill  was  passed  by  the  Legislature  of  1895,  approved 
by  the  Governor,  to  promote  the  growing  of  sugar  beets  in 
Wyoming.  Beet-sugar  refining  plants  were  exempted  for 
ten  years  from  taxation.  This  legislation  was  at  once  taken 
advantage  of  by  sugar  companies  and  now,  (1940)  forty-five 
years  later,  more  than  eleven  million  pounds  of  sugar  are 
being  manufactured  annually  in  the  State,  and  perhaps  another 
million  pounds  are  manufactured  from  beets  shipped  out  of 
the  State.  This  was  constructive  legislation  worth  while. 
The  law  creating  the  Wyoming  Historical  Society  was  enacted 
in  1895  and  received  the  Governor's  approval. 

During  Governor  Richards'  first  two  years  in  office  he 
acquainted  himself  with  every  detail  of  State  and  County 
government,  the  economies  that  could  be  put  into  effect  and 
the  limitation  of  indebtedness,  all  of  which  are  ably  pre- 
sented in  his  second  message,  delivered  January  12,  1897.  He 
again  gives  major  consideration  to  the  subject  of  irrigation 
and  its  value  to  the  State.    The  grazing  of  the  Public  Domain 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  19 

is  discussed,  and  the  suggestion  is  made  that  if  such  lands 
were  leased  at  one  cent  per  acre  per  annum  the  income  would 
be  large.  The  suggestion  is  also  made  that  the  United  States 
should  retire  from  the  public  land  business. 

Governor  Richards  was  anxious  that  "Wyoming  provide 
its  quota  of  soldiers  for  the  Spanish- American  War.  Request 
to  organize  a  Battalion  was  made  April  23,  1898:  The  Gov- 
ernor, on  May  10th,  advised  the  Secretary  of  War  that  Wyo- 
ming's four  companies  were   mustered  into   service. 

Governor  Richards  was  not  a  candidate  to  succeed  him- 
self, but  after  his  retirement  was  appointed  assistant  Com- 
missioner, and  later  Commissioner  of  the  General  Land 
Office  at  Washington,  which  position  he  held  for  several 
years.  During  his  term  of  office  he  conducted  the  opening 
of  the  Indian  Territory  to  the  white  settlers  in  such  manner 
as  won  him  national  comment  for  the  plan  evolved  and  the 
fairness  with  which  the  allotments  of  lands  were  made.  Upon 
retiring  from  the  office  of  Commissioner  in  1907,  he  returned 
temporarily  to  his  ranch  and  subsequently  spent  a  year  or 
more  in  studying  irrigation  development  in  Australia.  He 
died  July  25,  1912  in  Victoria,  Australia. 

William  A.  Richards  was  one  of  the  plain  men  who  left 
a  large  vacancy  when  he  passed  on  to  the  New  Home.  He 
was  one  of  the  great  men  of  his  time. 


ESTHER  HOBART  MORRIS 

Mother  of  Woman  Suffrage  in  Wyoming 

Born,  August  8,  1814,  Spencer.  N.  Y. 
Died,  April  2,  1902,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming 


"Men's  due  deserts  each  reader  may  recite, 

For  men  of  men  do  make  a  goodh^  show ; 
But  women's  works  can  seldom  come  to  light, 

No  mortal  man  their  famous  acts  may  know; 

Pew  writers  will  a  little  time  bestow. 
The  worthy  acts  of  women  to  repeat ; 

Though  their  renown  and  the  deserts  be  great." 

— From  "Pioneer  Women  of  the  West," 
by  Mrs.  Ellet,  in  1856. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  21 

A  HISTORICAL  REVIEW  OF  WOMAN  SUFFRAGE 
By  Katharine  A.  Morton* 

For  background  to  any  discussion  of  woman  suffrage,  it 
should  be  stated  that  the  history  of  the  political  progress  of 
the  world  is  the  record  of  successive  extensions  of  suffrage  to 
classes  hitherto  disfranchised. 

Prior  to  the  settlement  of  America,  mankind  in  general 
believed  in  tlie  Divine  Right  of  Kings.  At  the  close  of  the 
Revolutionary  War,  only  those  who  owned  property  could  vote. 
All  citizens  who  were  still  disfranchised  called  our  nation  "a 
rich  man's  government."  They  were  not  satisfied  and  adopted 
as  their  rallying  cry,  "a  white  man's  government."  This  was 
achieved  in  1800  when  property  qualifications  were  swept  away 
and  for  the  first  time  laborers,  mechanics  and  farmers  could 
vote.  Class  was  no  longer  an  issue.  Then  came  the  Civil  War, 
resulting  in  suffrage  for  negro  men.  Birth,  wealth,  race  had 
therefore  been  successively  overcome.  Sex,  only,  remained  as 
the  last  barrier  to  equality  for  all  citizens. 

Sometimes  we  think,  because  suffrage  for  women  came  so 
suddenly  in  Wyoming,  that  no  general  movement  for  this 
reform  existed  before  that  time.  This  is  not  true.  The  first 
overt  act  was  recorded  over  a  hundred  years  ago.  In  1835.  and 
again  in  1846,  women  petitioned  the  legislature  of  New  York 
for  the  ballot. 


*BIOGEAPHICAL  SKETCH— Katliarine  (Mrs.  Eobert  A.)  Morton, 
according  to  "Women  of  Wyoming"  by  Mrs.  Beach,  was  born  Katharine 
Amnion  in  Brown  County,  Kansas,  of  pioneer  parents.  She  attended 
Northwestern  University  and  in  1903  began  a  teaching  career  in  the 
Cheyenne  schools.     In   ioOo   she  and   Mr.   Morton  were  married. 

In  1918  she  was  elected  State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 
and  served  for  twelve  years,  "during  which  time  the  schools  of  the 
state  made  splendid  progress"  and  were  accorded  a  high  rating  by 
national  educators.  She  was  elected  president  of  the  Wyoming  State 
Teachers'  Association  in  1921. 

In  addition  to  her  official  duties  and  those  of  her  home,  ilrs.  Morton 
also  has  given  generously  of  time  and  talent  to  social  .and  civic  interests 
and  continues  to  take  part  in  various  community  activities.  From  1913 
to  1917  she  served  as  president  of  the  Wyoming  State  Federation  of 
Women's  clubs,  and  during  the  World  War,  1917-1918,  she  was  "the 
only  woman  member  of  the  Wyoming  State  Council  of  National  Defense 
and  acted  as   secretary  of  the   council." 

Mrs.  Morton  is  a  longtime  member  of  the  Cheyenne  Woman's  club, 
and  has  given  mai^y  years  of  leadership  service  to  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Cheyenne,  of  which  she  is  a  member.  The  Morton  home  is 
situated  at  319'  West  Twenty-sixth  Street,  Cheyenne. 


22  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

First  Meeting  of  Equal  Rights  Association 

In  1848,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  C.  Stanton  called  the  first  meeting 
of  the  Equal  Rights  Association  at  her  home  at  Seneca  Falls, 
New  York.  No  woman's  meeting  of  any  kind  had  ever  been 
heard  of  before  and  it  was  followed  by  an  outburst  of  jeering 
sarcasm,  censure  and  abuse  seldom  witnessed  in  this  country. 
The  press  indulged  in  caricature  and  misrepresentation.  Fore- 
most in  directing  the  attack  was  the  pulpit.  Since  women  at 
that  time  were  more  influenced  by  the  church  than  anything 
else,  it  is  a  wonder  that  the  movement  surviA^ed. 

To  make  any  unbiased  consideration  of  the  question  almost 
impossible  was  the  accepted  status  of  women  at  the  beginning 
of  1848,  when  this  first  meeting  of  women  was  held.  At  that 
time  the  English  Common  Law  was  in  effect.  The  Law  defined 
the  position  of  wife  thus:  "The  very  being  and  existence  of 
the  woman  is  suspended  during  the  marriage  or  at  least  is  in- 
corporated and  consolidated  into  that  of  her  husband,  under 
whose  wing,  protection  and  covert,  she  performs  everything." 
The  husband,  also,  by  the  old  law  might  give  his  wife  moderate 
correction.  For,  as  he  was  to  answer  for  her  misbehavior,  the 
law  thought  it  reasonable  to  intrust  him  with  this  power  of 
restraining  her  by  domestic  chastisement  in  the  same  moderation 
that  a  man  was  allowed  to  connect  his  apprentices  or  children. 

"The  Civil  Law  gave  larger  authority  over  his  wife,  allow- 
ing him  for  some  misdemeanors  to  beat  his  wife  severely  with 
whips  and  cudgels;  for  others  only  to  administer  moderate 
chastisement.  *  *  *  gy  marriage,  the  husband  and  wife 
are  one  person  in  law ;  that  is,  the  legal  existence  of  the  woman 
is  merged  in  that  of  her  husband.  He  is  her  baron  and  lord, 
bound  to  supply  her  with  shelter,  food,  clothing  and  medicine, 
and  is  entitled  to  her  earnings  and  the  use  and  custody  of  her 
person,  which  he  may  seize  wherever  he  may  find  it. ' ' 

Right  to  Hold  Property  Gained,  1848 

But  that  same  year,  1848,  saw  the  first  break  in  the  servi- 
tude of  women,  their  first  glimmer  of  freedom.  New  York  and 
Pennsylvania  simultaneously,  by  special  statutes,  gave  married 
women  the  right  to  hold  property. 

Following  that  first  meeting*,  in  spite  of  tremendous  opposi- 
tion, the  movement  expanded.  Several  states  organized  Equal 
Rights  Associations  and  by  1861  the  entire  nation  was  aware 
of  the  issue.  With  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  however,  all 
activities  ceased. 

Then  Mrs.  Stanton  and  Miss  Susan  B.  Anthony  called  a 
meeting  in  New  York  in  1866.  Miss  Anthony  became  a  suffra- 
gist in  1851  and  for  half  a  century  was  a  leading  figure.     From 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  23 

that  time  on  agitation  for  the  suffrage  was  carried  on  unceas- 
ingly. In  that  year,  too,  Congress  received  its  first  demand 
for  a  constitutional  amendment.  Before  this,  it  was  believed 
the  right  to  vote  was  an  issue  for  each  state  to  decide  for  itself, 
but  with  the  freeing  of  the  slaves,  the  Association  changed  its 
tactics  and  sought  as  a  much  swifter  solution  a  national  con- 
stitutional amendment. 

Wyoming'  Women  Accorded  Right  to  Vote 

When  there  was  still  only  the  faintest  of  hopes  in  the  hearts 
of  women  who  desired  the  Ijallot,  Wyoming  suddenly  granted 
suffrage  to  its  women  citizens. 

Esther  Morris  Given  Credit 

The  chief  personal  credit  for  this  astounding  event  is  by 
all  competent  authorities  given  to  Mrs.  Esther  Morris.  Mrs. 
Morris  was  born  in  1814  and  left  an  orphan  when  eleven  years 
old.  When  still  quite  young  she  became  a  successful  milliner  in 
Owego,  New  York.  When  she  married  Mr.  Slack  at  twenty- 
eight,  she  was  already  independent  financially.  After  her  hus- 
band's death,  she  came  west  with  her  baby.  It  was  then,  while 
settling  her  husband's  estate,  that  she  discovered  how  unjust 
to  women  were  the  property  laws  of  that  time.  In  IS-to  she 
married  John  Morris  of  Peru,  Illinois.  It  was  not  until  1869 
that  she  came  to  South  Pass  City,  Wyoming,  to  join  her  three 
sons. 

The  Territory  of  Wyoming  held  an  election  that  fall.  On 
September  2,  1869,  she  invited  about  twenty  of  her  friends  to 
dinner  at  her  home.  Among  the  guests  were  W.  H.  Bright, 
Democrat,  and  H.  G.  Nickerson,  Republican.  Both  men  hoped 
to  be  elected  to  the  legislature.  Mrs.  Mon-is  secured  a  promise 
from  each  of  them  that  if  elected,  he  would  introduce  a  bill 
giving  suffrage  to  the  women  of  Wyoming. 

Mr.  Bright  was  elected  and  became  President  of  the  Coun- 
cil, as  the  Senate  was  then  called.  He  remembered  his  promise 
and  on  November  27  introduced  Council  Bill  No.  TO,  giving 
women  the  vote.  It  passed  three  days  later.  It  read  :  ' '  Eveiy 
woman  of  the  age  of  twenty-one,  residing  in  this  Territory,  may, 
at  every  election,  cast  her  vote ;  and  her  right  to  the  elective 
franchise  and  to  hold  office  under  the  election  laws  of  the 
Territory  shall  be  the  same  as  other  electors." 

The  House  of  Representatives  acted  favorably  on  the  Bill 
and  on  December  10,  1869,  Governor  John  A.  Campbell  signed 
it.  Tlie  members  of  this  legislature  showed  their  friendliness 
to  women  by  passing  also  a  property-rights  law  similar  to  those 
enacted  in  New  York  and  Pennsj^lvania. 

Tremendous  publicity  followed  the  enactment  of  the  equal 


24  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

suffrage  law.  Wyoming  was  accused  of  passing  "freak"  legis- 
lation by  opponents  of  the  measure ;  was  hailed  by  proponents 
as  having  passed  the  most  forward-looking  piece  of  legislation 
of  the  century. 

But  the  story  of  woman  suffrage  in  Wyoming  was  not  com- 
plete. Future  legislatures  might  repeal  the  law.  Wyoming  was 
a  Territory.  The  controversy  would  appear  again  when  the 
time  came  to  adopt  a  state  constitution ;  and  yet  again,  when 
the  state  constitution  should  come  before  Congress  for  ratification. 

Measure  Narrowly  Escapes  Repeal  in  1871 

The  very  next  time  the  legislature  met,  1871,  the  uncer- 
tainty of  tenure  of  the  new  law  became  apparent.  The  Demo- 
crats evidently  had  believed  that  women,  in  gratitude  for  the 
ballot,  would  remain  loyal  to  their  party.  But  a  number  of 
Democrats  had  been  defeated  and  the  votes  of  women  were  held 
responsible.  So  Council  File  No.  4  was  introduced,  repealing 
suffrage.  It  passed  both  houses  by  a  strictly  party  vote.  How- 
ever, Governor  Campbell  vetoed  it  and  returned  it  to  the  legis- 
lature on  December  13,  1871.  The  next  day  it  came  up  for 
consideration  in  the  Council.  There  ensued  a  fiery  debate. 
C.  K.  Nuckols,  Democrat,  said,  "I  think  women  were  made  to 
obey  men.  They  generally  promise  to  obey,  at  any  rate,  and  I 
think  you  had  better  abolish  this  female  suffrage  Act  or  get  up 
a  new  marriage  ceremony  to  fit  it." 

"Women  got  so  degraded,"  argued  W.  R.  Steele,  Demo- 
crat, "as  to  go  to  the  polls  and  vote  and  ask  other  women  to  go 
to  the  polls.  *  *  *  This  woman  suffrage  business  will  sap 
the  foundations  of  society.  Woman  can't  engage  in  politics 
without  losin'  her  virtue.  *  *  *  No  woman  ain't  got  no 
right  to  sit  on  a  jury,  nohow%  unless  she  is  a  man  and  every 
lawyer  knows  it.  *  *  *  They  watch  the  face  of  the  judge 
too  much  when  the  lawyer  is  addressin'  'em.  *  *  *  i  don't 
believe  she's  fit  for  it,  nohow.  If  those  w^ho  hev  it  tuck  from 
'em  now  can  at  least  prevent  any  more  of  them  from  gitten  it, 
and  thus  save  the  unborn  babe  and  the  girl  of  sixteen." 

But  Republicans  refused  to  be  swayed  by  this  el>)ouence 
and  the  Democrats  could  not  over- ride  the  Governor's  veto.  So, 
in  reality,  neither  party  may  take  the  exclusive  credit  for  this 
advanced  legislation.  It  is  true  that  the  Democrats  did  inaugu- 
rate the  bill  in  1869.  It  is  equally  true  that  they  made  Hercu- 
lean efforts  in  1871  to  repeal  the  law,  acting  as  "Injin  givers" 
— giving  something,  then  trying  to  take  it  back — and  if  the 
Republican  governor  and  Republican  legislators  had  not  stood 
firm  in  the  matter,  would  have  done  so.  So  any  attempt  by 
either  party  to  take  undue  honor  is  balked  by  the  known  his- 
torical facts. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  25 

But  Wyoming  women  could  not  be  sure  that  their  rights 
in  this  regard  were  permanent.  Suffrage  once  granted  in  other 
states  had  not  always  been  retained.  Utah  women  gained  the 
vote  the  year  after  the  Wyoming  law  was  enacted  but,  due  to 
problems  raised  by  polygamy,  they  lost  it  partially  in  1882. 
Later,  in  1887,  a  federal  statute  denied  suffrage  to  all  women  in 
that  state. 

In  New  Jersey  suffrage  was  granted  in  1876.  A  special 
election  was  held  in  Essex  County  in  1807  to  fix  the  location 
of  jail  and  court  house.  Elizabethtown  wished  to  have  the 
buildings  located  there ;  Newark  insisted  they  should  remain 
in  Newark.  The  campaign  grew  abusive;  the  election  corrupt. 
Afterward  it  was  asserted  that  all  women  claimed  to  be  of 
"full  age,"  worth  the  fifty  pounds  required,  and  many  voted 
as  often  as  possible.  In  the  state  legislature  it  was  told  that  a 
woman,  by  name  Mary  Johnson,  came  to  the  polls  and  voted. 
Soon,  seeming  to  be  a  little  stouter,  she  appeared  again  and 
voted  as  Mary  Still.  Later  in  the  day,  very  stout  indeed,  she 
cast  her  ballot  once  again,  this  time  giving  the  name  of  Mary 
Yet.  The  legislature  proceeded  to  declare  the  election  fraudu- 
lent and  to  limit  the  vote  to  white  males.  The  record  does  not 
state  that  all  men  were  sinless  in  that  election.  At  any  rate, 
they  continued  to  have  the  right  to  vote. 

Massachusetts  Seeks  Advice  of  Wyoming- 

The  absence  of  any  controversy  in  Wyoming  after  1871 
causes  one  to  believe  that  the  people  of  the  Territory  came  very 
soon  to  look  upon  suffrage  as  a  matter  of  course.  But  women 
all  over  the  country  were  striving  for  recognition  and  in  Jan- 
uary 1876,  Hon.  John  W.  Kingman,  for  four  years  judge  of 
the  Territorial  supreme  court,  was  asked  to  appear  before  the 
Massachusetts  legislature  to  give  a  brief  history  of  the  working 
of  the  new  law. 

He  told  the  Massachusetts  solons  that  Wyoming  women  were 
interested  in  government  but  were  not  yet  attending  political 
meetings.  When  discussing  any  potential  candidate,  the  query 
now  was  commonly  made,  ' '  How  does  he  stand  with  the  ladies  ?  * ' 
For  men  of  bad  character  could  not  be  elected  and  therefore 
were  not  allowed  to  run.  He  told  of  the  first  grand  jury  in 
Laramie,  composed  of  men  and  women,  which  indicted  nearly 
every  business  man  in  town  for  keeping  places  of  business  open 
on  Sunday  contrary  to  law.  The  judge  was  very  much  em- 
barrassed for  if  all  were  convicted  practically  every  influential 
business  man  in  town  would  be  in  jail.  So  he  solved  the  prob- 
lem by  paroling  everybody  on  his  promise  to  keep  the  law 
thereafter.     At  the  first  election  after  the  granting  of  suft'rage 


26  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

a  politician  of  Laramie  persuaded  one  of  the  lowest  prostitutes, 
with  the  aid  of  whiskey,  to  accost  women  as  they  came  to  the 
polls.  But  her  encounter  with  the  first  woman  to  appear  was 
too  much  for  her.  She  left  and  could  not  be  persuaded  to 
return.  Judge  Kingman  testified  that  elections  were  then  quiet 
and  orderly,  whereas  formerly  pandemonium  had  held  sway. 
He  assured  his  hearers  that  suffrage  had  come  to  stay  in  "Wyo- 
ming. After  his  speech,  he  was  submitted  to  a  searching  cross 
examination. 

During  the  70 's  and  80 's  the  struggle  in  other  states  for 
the  vote  continued  with  unabated  zeal.  Women  entered  cam- 
paigns knowing  they  would  lose ;  they  presented  petitions  which 
they  knew  would  be  di.sregardecl  or  laughed  at.  Seven  thou- 
sand women  petitioned  the  Illinois  legislature  in  1887  for  the 
privilege  of  voting  on  the  license  questions  only.  A  member 
made  a  motion  to  allow  the  president  of  the  Women's  Christian 
Temperance  Union  to  explain  the  petition.  A  gentleman  sprang 
to  his  feet  and  shouted,  "It's  well  enough  for  the  honorable 
gentleman  to  present  the  petition,  have  it  received  and  laid  on 
the  table,  but  to  propose  that  the  valuable  time  of  the  legisla- 
ture should  be  consumed  in  discussing  the  nonsense  of  these 
women  is  going  a  little  too  far.  I  move  that  the  sergeant-at- 
arms  be  ordered  to  clear  the  hall  of  the  House  of  Representatives 
of  the  mo&." 

''I  met  a  woman  in  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  a  short  time' 
ago,"  said  Miss  Anthony  to  the  Congressional  Committee  in 
1887.  "She  came  to  me  one  morning  and  told  me  about  the 
obscene  shows  licensed  in  that  city  and  she  thought  of  memorial- 
izing the  legislature.  I  said,  'Do,  you  cannot  do  anything  else; 
you  are  helpless ;  but  you  can  petition.  Of  course  they  will 
laugh  at  you.'  Notwithstanding,  I  drew  up  a  petition  and  the 
lady  carried  it  to  the  legislature.  They  read  it,  laughed  at  it 
and  laid  it  on  the  table ;  and  at  the  close  of  the  session,  by  a 
unanimous  vote,  they  retired  in  a  solid  body  to  witness  the 
obscene  show  themselves.  After  witnessing  it,  they  not  only 
allowed  the  license  to  continue  for  that  year,  but  they  have 
licensed  it  from  that  day  to  this,  against  all  the  protests  of  the 
petitioners. ' ' 

The  ballot  truly  means  power.  Contrast  these  two  incidents 
with  the  post  card  barrage  in  1937  and  1939  by  Wyoming  women 
against  the  Bill  permitting  open  gambling.  In  neither  instance 
did  the  legislature  openly  call  women  a  mob.  Neither  did  it 
laugh  at  the  deluge  of  post  cards  expressing  the  opinions  of 
women.  And  although  very  influential  interests  lobbied  for 
the  Bill,  it  did  not  pass. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  27 

Whether  Women  Are  ' '  Persons, ' '  Questioned 

But  in  the  80 's  women  had  no  standing  under  the  law.  "1 
ask  3'ou  for  the  ballot  that  I  may  decide  what  I  am,"  said  Mrs. 
Mary  Seymour  Howell  before  the  Congressional  Committee.  "I 
stand  before  you,  but  I  do  not  know  whether  I  am  legally  a 
'person'  according  to  the  law.  It  has  been  decided  in  some 
states  that  we  are  not  persons.  In  the  State  of  New  York,  in 
one  village,  it  was  decided  that  women  are  not  inhabitants.  I 
should  like  to  know  whether  I  am  a  person,  whether  I  am  an 
inhabitant,  and  above  all,  I  ask  you  for  the  ballot,  that  I  may 
become  a  citizen  of  this  great  Republic. ' ' 

It  is  illuminating  indeed  to  peruse  the  proceedings  in  Con- 
gress on  the  Woman  Suffrage  Amendment  during  this  period. 
Besides  the  speeches  by  Senators,  leaflets  and  pamphlets  written 
by  both  men  and  women  containing  arguments  against  the 
measure  were  introduced  into  the  records.  The  discussions  re- 
flected the  social  customs  of  the  time  and  the  tremendous  handi- 
caps under  which  those  favoring  the  ballot  had  to  labor. 

Ludicrous  Arguments  Fifty  Years  Ago 

Reading  the  arguments  more  than  fifty  years  later,  most 
of  them  seem  amusing  and  ridiculous.  But  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  they  were  advanced,  not  by  ignorant  men,  more 
prejudiced  than  the  average,  but  by  the  dignified  Senators, 
themselves.     Here  are  some  of  them : 

Women  are  already  represented  by  husbands,  fathers  and 
sons. 

"Woman  has  been  elevated  to  a  higher  sphere,  where  as 
an  angel,  she  has  attributes  which  render  the  possession  of 
every  day  powers  and  privileges  non-essential,  however  mere 
men  themselves  may  find  them  indispensable  to  their  freedom 
and  happiness." 

The  state  is  an  aggregate  of  families  duly  represented  at 
the  ballot-box  by  their  male  head. 

Woman  hasn  't  sound  judgment  or  moral  excellence  as  com- 
pared to  man. 

' '  If  women  were  to  be  considered  in  their  highest  and  finest 
estate  as  merely  individual  beings,  and  if  the  right  to  the  ballot 
were  to  be  conceded  to  man  as  an  individual,  it  might  perhaps 
be  logically  argued  that  women  also  possessed  the  inherent  right 
to  vote.  But  from  the  oldest  times  and  through  all  history  of 
the  race  has  run  the  glimmer  of  an  idea,  more  or  less  distinguish- 
able in  different  ages  and  under  different  circumstances,  that 
neither  man  nor  woman  is,  as  such,  individual ;  that  neither 
being  is  of  itself  a  whole,  a  unit,  but  each  requires  to  be  sup- 
plemented by  the  other  before  its  true  structural  integrity  can 


28  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

be  achieved.  Of  this  idea,  the  science  of  botany  furnishes  the 
most  perfect  illustration.  Two  plants  are  required  to  make  one 
structurally  complete  organization.  Each  is  but  half  a  plant, 
an  incomplete  individual  in  itself.  The  life  principle  of  each 
must  be  united  to  that  of  the  other;  the  twain  must  indeed  be 
one  flesh  before  the  organization  is  either  structurally  or  func- 
tionally complete." 

(The  minority  of  the  committee  must  have  felt  very  groggy 
after  that  argument.  But,  rallying,  it  made  reply.  "This  is 
a  concession  of  the  whole  argument,  unless  the  highest  and 
finest  estate  of  woman  is  to  be  something  else  than  a  mere  in- 
dividual. It  would  also  follow,  that  if  such  be  her  destiny — 
that  is,  to  be  something  else  than  a  'mere  individual  being' — 
and  if  for  that  reason  she  is  to  be  denied  the  suffrage,  then  man 
should  equally  be  denied  the  ballot  if  his  highest  and  final  estate 
is  to  be  something  else  than  a  mere  individual.  It  seems  to  be 
conceded  that  man  is  just  as  much  fitted  for  matrimony  as 
woman,  herself.  But  that  does  not  prove  that  therefore  woman 
should  not  vote,  unless  at  the  same  time,  it  proves  that  man 
should  not  vote,  either.") 

Husband  and  wife  will  disagree  and  thus  suffrage  will 
destroy  the  family  and  ruin  society. 

The  duties  of  maternity  disqualify  for  the  performance  of 
the  act  of  voting. 

"We  are  satisfied,  therefore,  that  the  pure,  cultivated  and 
pious  ladies  of  this  country  now  exercise  a  very  powerful,  but 
quiet,  imperceptible  influence  in  popular  affairs,  much  greater 
than  they  can  ever  again  exercise  if  female  suffrage  should  be 
enacted  and  they  should  be  compelled  actively  to  take  part  in  the 
affairs  of  state  and  the  corruptions  of  party  politics. 

Ignorant  women  might  crowd  to  the  polls  and  then  the  re- 
fined and  educated  women  who  did  not  desire  the  vote,  would 
have  to  go  to  counteract  the  votes  of  the  ignorant. 

"Wojnen  will  want  to  be  President  of  the  United  States  and 
Senators  and  want  to  be  marshals  and  sheriffs  and  that  is 
supremely  ridiculous.  It  is  unspeakably  absurd  that  a  woman, 
with  her  sentiment  and  emotional  nature  and  liability  to  be 
moved  by  passion  and  feeling  should  hold  the  office  of  Senator. ' ' 

"But  it  is  claimed  that  females  should  have  the  ballot  as  a 
protection  against  bad  husbands.  This  is  also  delusive.  The 
husband  who  compels  her  to  conform  to  his  wishes  in  other  re- 
spects would  also  compel  her  to  use  the  ballot  as  he  dictates.  It 
would  be  of  no  assistance. ' ' 

"It  will  bring  new  temptations  to  weak  women  and  crowd 
upon  them  with  great  force  in  ways  women  little  anticipate. ' ' 

"Under  the  present  circumstances  individuality  of  woman 
is  not  brought  into  prominence ;  but  when  the  ballot  is  placed 
in  her  hands,  her  individuality  is  enlarged  and  she  will  be  ex- 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  29 

pected  to  answer  for  herself.  This  will  draw  her  out  from  the 
dignified  and  cultivated  refinement  of  her  womanly  position 
and  bring  her  in  contact  with  the  rougher  elements  of  so  'iety. 
It  will  destroy  her  dignity." 

"If  the  wife  and  mother  is  required  to  leave  the  sacred 
precinct  of  the  home,  and  to  attempt  to  do  military  duty  when 
the  state  is  in  peril ;  or  if  she  is  required  to  leave  the  home 
from  day  to  day  in  attendance  upon  the  court  as  a  juror  and 
to  be  shut  up  in  a  jury  room  from  morning  to  night  with  strange 
men,  *  *  *  j  if  she  is  to  attend  political  meetings,  take  part 
in  discussions  and  mingle  with  the  male  sex  at  political  gather- 
ings ;  if  she  is  to  become  an  active  politician ;  if  she  is  to  attend 
political  caucuses  at  late  hours  of  the  night ;  if  she  is  to  take 
part  in  all  of  the  unsavory  work  that  may  be  deemed  necessary 
for  the  triumph  of  her  party ;  if  on  election  day  .she  is  to  leave 
her  home  and  go  upon  the  streets  electioneering  for  votes  for 
the  candidates  who  receive  her  support  and,  mingling  among 
the  crowds  of  men  who  gather  around  the  polls,  she  is  to  press 
her  way  through  them  to  the  precinct  and  deposit  her  ballot;  if 
she  is  to  take  part  in  the  corporate  struggles  of  the  city  and  town, 
attend  to  the  dvities  of  his  honor,  the  mayor,  the  councilman, 
or  of  policemen,  how  is  she,  with  all  these  heavy  duties  of  citi- 
zen, politician  and  officeholder  resting  on  her  shoulders,  to 
attend  to  the  more  sacred,  delicate  and  refining  trust  to  which 
we  have  already  referred  and  for  which  she  is  peculiarly  fatted 
by  nature?  *  *  *  AVho  is  to  care  for  and  train  the  children 
while  she  is  absent  in  the  discharge  of  these  masculine  duties?" 

' '  It  is  said  by  those  who  have  examined  the  question  closely 
that  the  largest  number  of  divorces  is  now  found  in  the  com- 
munities where  the  advocates  of  female  suffrage  are  most 
numerous. ' ' 

Senator  Vest  dragged  in  the  French  Revolution  and  the 
fact  that  the  women  in  Paris  took  part.  He  argued  that  Amer- 
ican wives  and  mothers  and  sisters  are  not  fit  for  the  calm  and 
temperate  management  of  public  affairs. 

Chivalry,  it  was  asserted,  with  its  refining  infiuem-e  over 
men,  would  pass  away  when  women  became  politicians. 

An  essay,  written  by  Goldwyn  Smith  and  inti-oduced  in 
evidence,  stated,  "Muscle,  the  committee  pass  over  as  having 
nothing  to  do  with  the  matter.  But  the  fact  is  that  muscle  has 
a  great  deal  to  do  with  the  matter.  Why  has  the  male  sex  alone 
made  the  laws?  Because  law,  with  whatever  majesty  Ave  may 
invest  it,  is  will,  which,  to  give  it  effect,  must  be  backed  by 
force;  and  the  force  of  the  connnunity  is  male.  *  *  *  That 
the  tendency  of  a  state  governed  by  women  would  be  to  arbi- 
trary and  sentimental  legislation  can  hardly  be  doubted." 

The  servant  problem,  as  discussed  in  a  pamphlet  by  Adeline 
D.  T.  Whitney,  was  used  by  opponents  in  Congress.    Miss  Wliit- 


30  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

ney  wrote,  "Must  she  go  to  the  polls,  sick  or  well,  baby  or  no 
baby,  servant  or  no  servant,  strength  or  no  strength,  desire  or 
no  desire?  If  she  have  cook  or  housemaid,  they  are  to  go  also 
and  number  her  two  to  one,  anyway.  How  will  it  be  when 
Norah  and  Maggie  and  Katie  have  not  only  their  mass  and 
confession,  their  Fourth  of  July  and  Christmas,  their  mission 
weeks,  their  social  engagements  and  family  plans,  and  their 
appointments  with  their  dressmakers,  to  curtail  your  claims 
upon  their  bargained  time  and  service,  but  their  share  in  the 
primary  meetings,  the  caucuses,  committees  and  torch-light 
processions  and  mass  meetings?" 

One  timid  Senator  argued,  "It  introduces  a  terrible  risk 
into  the  life  of  the  state  because,  once  given,  it  is  unalterable. 
*  *  *  We  certainly  do  not  want  to  find  ourselves  under  neces- 
sity of  trying  to  take  it  back." 

Suffragfe  Law  Wins  in  Constitutional  Convention 

In  the  midst  of  this  nation-Avide  controversy,  the  Wyo- 
ming Constitutional  Convention  convened  September  2,  1889. 
At  the  close  of  twenty-five  working  days,  it  adjourned  Sep- 
tember 30.  The  Constitution  written  by  this  body  had  to  be 
accepted  by  both  the  people  of  the  State  and  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States.  The  framers  were  faced  by  a  dilemma.  If 
thej^  failed  to  include  woman  suffrage,  the  State  would  almost 
certainly  refuse  to  adopt  the  Constitution ;  but  if  they  did  ap- 
prove that  provision,  the  Congress  might  refuse  the  statehood. 

The  only  argument  on  the  question  in  the  convention  was 
whether  or  not  its  inclusion  should  be  referred  to  the  people 
of  the  Territory.  The  discussion  was  well  summed  up  by 
Mr.  Conoway  of  Sweetwater  County,  who  said,  "The  senti- 
ment of  this  convention  and  I  believe  of  the  people  which 
we  represent,  is  so  nearly  unanimous  that  extended  argument 
or  extended  discussion,  it  seems  to  me,  would  be  a  mere 
waste  of  time." 

So  woman  suffrage  was  thereupon  included  in  the  Con- 
stitution. But  before  that  happy  conclusion  much  oratory  was 
indulged  in,  such  as  this  gem  by  Mr.  Coffeen  of  Sheridan ; 
"Now,  let  us  catch  inspiration  from  the  glorious  features  of 
nature  about  us,  the  grand  valleys,  the  lifting  mountains, 
the  reverberating  hills,  the  floating  clouds,  so  lovely  above 
them,  yes,  let  us  catch  inspiration  from  the  beautiful  symbols 
and  surroundings  about  us,  and  let  us  incorporate  into  the 
Constitution  of  this  coming  State,  for  which  we  all  hope  so 
much,  a  clause,  giving  full,  free  and  equal  enjoyment  of  the 
rights  of  suffrage  to  all." 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  31 

It  is  not  surprising-  that  after  that  flight  of  eloquence, 
Mr.  Conoway  finished  the  debate.     The  vote  was  unanimous. 

Now  comes  the  last  chapter  of  this  narrative.  A  Bill 
for  Statehood  was  introduced  into  the  Congress  on  March 
21,  1890.  It  was  committed  to  the  Committee  of  the  Whole 
House  of  the  State  of  the  Union  and  ordered  printed.  The 
Committee  brought  in  a  favorable  report.  But  Mr.  Springer 
submitted  the  following  as  the  Views  of  the  Minority  con- 
cerning Article  6,  Sections  1  and  2,  Avhicli  dealt  with  the 
right  of  women  to  vote:  "The  undersigned  are  of  the  opinion 
that  the  question  is  of  so  grave  a  character  as  to  require 
most  serious  and  candid  deliberation  before  the  adoption  of 
a  constitution  containing  such  provisions.  There  is  no  state 
in  the  Union  which  contains  such  provisions  in  its  constitu- 
tion. *  *  *  The  undersigned  are  of  the  opinion  that  justice 
to  those  who  are  to  live  hereafter  in  the  State  of  Wyoming- 
requires  that  another  convention  should  be  held,  called  under 
the  authority  of  an  Act  of  Congress  and  due  notice  given  to 
all,  in  order  that  all  may  participate  in  the  election  of  dele- 
gates and  also  in  the  ratification  of  the  constitution  which 
may  be  submitted.  *  *  *  The  undersigned  therefore  recommend 
that  Sections  1  and  2  of  the  pending  Bill  be  stricken  out." 
The  minority  then  proposed  to  substitute  provisions  calling 
for   another   constitutional   convention. 

Congress  would  not  approve  the  plan  of  the  minority. 
President  Harrison  signed  the  Bill  admitting  Wyoming  as 
the  44th  State  in  the  Union  on  July  10,  1890.  this  ended 
for  all  time  am'  question  of  the  equality  of  women  in  the 
State  of  Wyoming. 

But  women  elsewhere  continued  to  be  denied.  Three 
generations  were  compelled  to  witness  the  struggles  before 
women  were  given  even  footing  Avith  men  in  matters  of 
government.  The  Avorld  had  never  seen  so  prolonged  a 
striving  for  political  freedom,  nor  one  carried  on  Avith  such 
dauntless   persistency. 


It  is  into  the  newspapers,  punctilious  Record-keepers  of  the 
Ages,  that  the  seeking  chronicler  of  later  days  must  often  delve 
for  those  elusive  historical  facts — and  frequently  the  rewards 
are  great. 


yf^^W*^I|S«'ie»^ 


■I'^'wrn^^v 


-tp 


Tf-'pr 


IT  S  1      I   i\ 


I  MH  lOLK    IDi;   lilt   WlhK  JMil>G   \<i\hMI'.H!  li   1"-^ 


Woman  Suffrage  in  Wyoming  Territory — Scene  at  the  Polls  in  Cheyenne 

From   a  Photo,    by   Kirklaiid. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  33 


WYOMING'S  FIFTIETH   ANNIVERSARY   YEAR   MARKS 
HUNDREDTH  ANNIVERSARY  OF  C.  G.  COUTANT 

As  is  true  in  many  instances  regarding  those  whose  writ- 
ings have  so  profusely  recorded  the  activities  of  others,  there  is 
a  scarcity  of  available  information  on  Charles  G.  Coutant, 
eminent  Wyoming  historian,  the  hundredth  anniversary  of 
whose  birth  occurs  this  year  as  Wyoming  celebrates  her  Golden 
Anniversary  of  Statehood. 

Several  years  a  resident  of  Oregon  after  leaving  Wyoming, 
Mr.  Coutant 's  death  became  known  at  Laramie,  Wyoming,  with 
receipt  of  a  copy  of  the  Rogue  River  Courier,  Grants  Pass, 
Ore.,  of  which  he  was  editor,  and  the  January  29,  1913,  issue 
of  the  Laramie  Republican.  Semi-Weekly  Edition,  contains  an 
article  announcing  his  demise  and  giving  other  information,  as 
follows : 

"Mr.  Coutant  died  at  Grants  Pass  at  7  o'clock  on  Friday 
evening,  January  17,  aged  72  years,  3  months  and  1  day.  Mr. 
Coutant  was  stricken  early  in  October  while  at  his  duties  on 
the  paper  of  which  he  was  the  editor,  an  insidious  paralysis 
rendering  useless  his  left  arm.  This  and  the  succeeding  mild 
attacks  of  the  protest  of  nature  to  a  furtherance  of  human  ac- 
tivities kept  breaking  down  the  physical  defenses.  He  was 
down  town  for  the  last  time  on  Christmas  day. 

''Mr.  Coutant  was  born  in  Ulster  County,  N.  Y..  October 
16,  1840,  being  left  an  orphan  at  the  age  of  seven  years,  spend- 
ing some  years  on  a  farm  with  his  uncle.  He  went  to  New  York 
at  the  age  of  14  and  accepted  a  place  in  a  publishing  otifice, 
later  becoming  a  newspaper  writer.  He  went  to  California 
in  1859,  where  he  recorded  the  story  of  the  golden  west  for 
the  New  York  papers,  later  visiting  Old  Mexico  in  the  same 
capacity. 

War  Correspondent 

"During  the  w^ar^  he  was  a  war  correspondent  and  in  like 
manner  followed  the  Indian  wars.  Mr.  Coutant  went  to  Kan- 
sas after  these  experiences  and  came  to  Wyoming  in  the 
early  '90s,  where  he  was  engaged  in  newspaper  work,  publish- 
ing one  volume  of  a  very  succinct  and  interesting  history  of 
Wyoming.  The  material  for  the  second  volume  had  been 
largely  prepared  and  arranged,  but  the  volume  did  not  reach 
the  press. 

"He  was  state  librarian  at  Cheyenne,  going  to  the  north- 
west some  years  ago  Mr.  Coutant  was  a  frequent  visitor  to 
this  city,  and  in  1902  was  one  of  the  most  brilliant  of  the  re- 


lEvidently  the  War  of  the  Eebellioii. 


34  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

porters  reporting  the  Republican  State  Convention  and  also 
at  the  industrial  convention  held  the  following  winter  in 
Laramie.  He  was-  married  on  Christmas  day,  1867,  to  Mary 
Elizabeth  Clarke.  The  children  who  survive  are  George  Ulmer 
Coutant  of  G-rants  Pass,  Mrs.  Oliver  Messenger  of  Eugene, 
Ore.,  Charles  D.  Coutant  of  New  York,  Mrs.  C.  W.  Gilmore  of 
Washington,  D.  C,  Walter  S.  Coutant  of  Grants  Pass  and 
Mrs.  C.  W.  Aikens  of  Ketchikan,  Alaska.  Mrs.  Walter  Coutant 
is  the  sister  of  E.  S.  Gray  of  this  city." 


NAMING  WYOMING 

By  Lillian  L.  Van  Burgh 

"Come  bright  little  Oming,  come  with  me, 
,     And  a  warrior 's  princess  you  shall  be  ; 
We'll  hunt  through  the  forests  deep  and  wide 

If  you  will  but  come  and  be  my  bride." 
But  the  princess  shook  her  dusky  head ; 

And  waving  her  hand  to  the  west,  she  said, 
'  *  If  you  win  fair  Oming  to  be  your  bride 

You  must  find  a  new  home  great  and  wide, 
A  land  resplendent  with  wondrous  thrills 

In  every  canyon  and  great  rocky  hills." 
So  leaving  green  lands  where  soft  winds  blow 

They  followed  the  trail  of  the  buffalo 
Through  lands  that  were  fair,  but  on  they  pressed, 

Answering  the  lure  of  the  golden  west. 
At  evening  they  stood  on  the  rim  of  the  world, 

Before  them  new,  wondrous  grandeur  lay  unfurled. 
In  the  far  away  canyon  so  wide  and  deep 

Mother-nature  seemed  lulling  all  life  to  sleep. 
' '  Why,  Oming ! "  he  cried,  as  he  waved  his  hand, — 

' '  Here  is  our  home  in  this  glorious  land. ' ' 
"Wyoming,"  she  whispered,  "yes,  this  is  our  home. 

The  Great  Spirit  made  it  to  be  our  own." 
So  bright  Princess  Oming  and  her  warrior  brave 

To  our  glorious  country,  "Wyoming,"  they  gave. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  35 


HISTORY  OF  WYOMING  WRITTEN  BY  C.  G.  COUTANT,- 

PIONEER  HISTORIAN,  AND  HERETOFORE 

UNPUBLISHED 

Chapter  I 

Laramie  County 

Early  Times — Fort  Laramie — Father  De  Smet — Fremont — 
Buffaloes — The  Indians — Laramie  County,  Geographically 
Considered,  etc. 

As  it  is  not  our  purpose  iu  this  work  to  give  to  the  world 
as  history  a  mere  directory  or  a  compilation  of  "facts  and 
figures"  in  tabulated  form — but  a  true  and  correct  record 
of  events  as  they  have  happened  from  time  to  time  from  the 
early  period  to  the  present  day;  a  proper  discharge  of  this 
duty  requires  that  a  backward  glance  be  taken  and  that 
some  matters  be  briefly  mentioned  that  do  not  relate  except 
ill  a  remote  degree  to  the  organization  and  history  of  Laramie 
county. 


*NOTE:  Charles  Griffin  Coutant,  one  of  the  most  talented  and 
valuable  men  Wyoming  has  ever  known  within  her  borders,  left  an 
everlasting  monument  to  himself  and  a  priceless  heritage  to  the  State 
by  devoting  practically  a  lifetime  to  delving  into  innumerable  sources 
of  information  and  recording  his  findings  regarding  extremely  early-day 
trappers  and  explorers  in  this  region,  as  well  as  events  and  personalities 
of  later  times. 

Author  of  THE  HISTOEY  OF  WYOMING,  Volume  I,  published 
in  1899,  he  was  the  first  Wyoming  historian  to  assemble  in  book  form 
such  a  wealth  of  detailed  information  bearing  directly  on  this  State, 
preceding  and  during  its  Territorial  days,  as  is  contained  between  the 
covers  of  this  712-page  work.  Relied  upon  by  research  students  for 
its  accuracy,  the  volume,  long  ago  out  of  print,  is  now  rare  and  valuable. 

The  history  of  Laramie  County  by  Mr.  Coutant,  here  presented, 
is  a  section  of  the  data  assembled  by  him  for  his  proposed  Volumes 
II  and  III,  which,  unfortunately,  he  did  not  live  to  publish. 

In  his  Preface  to  Volume  I  the  author  refers  to  plans  for  two 
succeeding  volumes,  and  also  explains:  ''I  owe  it  to  myself  to  say  that 
the  undertaking  has  gro^^^^  on  my  hands  and  has  become  of  greater 
magnitude  than  was  contemplated. "  He  noted  that  Wyoming,  being 
on  the  highway  "where  converged  all  roads  leading  across  the  plains 
to  the  territories, ' '  made  the  State  the  ' '  theater  of  bloody  wars  from 
the  time  of  discovery  of  South  Pass,  for  more  than  seventy  years;" 
that  while  Kansas,  Nebraska  and  Colorado  each  have  histories  filled 
with  thrilling  tales  of  the  border.  Wyoming  had  to  bear  the  "concen- 
trated warfare  engendered  in  the  territories  named. ' ' 

It  was  to  the  painstaking  task  of  preparing  such  a  history  of 
Wyoming  that  he  devoted  so  many  yeai"s  of  his  life,  only  to  be  par- 
tially defeated  by  the  advent   of  ill  health   and  financial  reverses. 

Mr.    Coutant 's    attitude    toward    his    obligation   to   accuracy   is   also 


36  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

There  are  comparatively  but  few  people  who  inhabit  what 
is  now  known  as  Laramie  County  who  would  at  first  admit — 
if  so  informed — that  the  ground  on  which  their  homes  are  now 
reared  once  belonged  to  Spain,  and  that  latterly  it  constituted 
a  part  of  the  empire  of  the  First  Napoleon — yet  such  is  never- 
theless the  fact.  Prior  to  1804  what  is  now  Laramie  county, 
Wyoming,  was  but  a  small  portion  of  that  vast  extent  of  territorj^ 
afterwards  known  as  the  "Louisiana  Purchase"  and  which  with- 
out authority  under  the  Constitution  (as  he  himself  admitted) 
President  Jefferson  bought  of  the  French  emperor  for  the  sum 
of  $15,000,000.  Of  the  wild,  strange  and  romantic  history  of 
this  region  of  country  which  antedates  the  exploring  expedition 
of  Lewis  and  Clark  in  1804,  and  which  goes  far  back  to  the  days 
when  Old  Mexico  was  but  a  colony  planted  by  pilgrims,  adven- 
turers and  refugees  from  the  hills  of  Castile  and  the  sunny  vales 
of  Andalusia,  little  can  here  be  said,  even  in  a  general  way.  In 
reference  to  this,  however,  it  might  be  mentioned  as  showing 
what  the  historian  might  show,  that  there  is  now  standing  at 
Santa  Fe  in  New  Mexico  a  stone  building  erected  325  years  ago 
— 59  years  before  the  landing  of  the  pilgrim  fathers  at  Plymouth 
Rock.  Except  in  a  vague  and  indefinite  way  the  explorations 
of  Lewis  and  Clark  and  of  other  daring  and  adventurous  men 
since  their  time  gave  the  world  in  general  but  little  information 

revealed  in  the  Preface  to  Volume  I,  in  which  he  assumes  to  "make 
no  claim  that  this  history  is  entirely  free  from  error,  but  I  will  assure 
the  reader  that  every  precaution  has  been  taken  in  its  preparation,  and, 
as  far  as  possible,  dates,  incidents  and  circumstances  have  been  secured 
from  official  reports  and  from  other  reliable  sources." 

Known  as  "The  Coutant  Notes,"  the  entire  collection  of  data  was 
purchased  from  Mrs.  Coutant  in  January,  1914,  by  the  late  Dr.  Grace 
Eaymond  Hebard,  another  eminent  Wyoming  historian  and  author,  who 
in  turn  sold  them  to  the  former  Wyoming  Historical  Society  (now  the 
State  Historical  Department)   in  July,  1921. 

While  it  is  the  plan  of  the  Historical  Department  to  offer  such  of 
this  material  as  is  possible,  through  the  ANNALS,  there  is  a  quantity 
which  cannot  be  made  available  for  general  use  because  of  Mr.  Coutant 's 
system  of  brevity  employed  in  making  notes  for  covering  topics, 
together  with  the  long  lapse  of  time  since  the  data  was  gathered. 

Concerning  this  point  the  Second  Biennial  Report  of  the  State 
Historian  of  Wyoming  for  the  period  ending  September  30,  1922,  refers 
to  the  Coutant  material  in  the  following  manner,  as  applied  to  certain 
of  the  notes:  "There  are  approximately  1,250  brief  biographies  in  both 
manuscript  and  notebook  form.  Many  facts  can  be  gleaned  from  them, 
although  Colonel  Coutant 's  system  of  abbreviation  and  note  taking  is 
difficult  for  others  to  follow  and  many  of  the  biographies  are  in- 
complete." 

The  original  Laramie  County  manuscript,  evidently  written  in 
1886  with  pencil  in  ordinary  school  tablets,  has  been  transcribed  ver- 
batim, with  the  exception  of  customary  editing  in  such  procedure. 
Frayed  and  yellowed  with  age,  the  tablets  themselves  are  among  the 
most  prized  items  in  the  Original  Manuscript  Files  of  the  Historical 
Department.  — I.  B.  T. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  37 

of  what  for  the  past  twenty  years  or  more  has  been  known  and 
alluded  to  by  many,  as  ''The  Border  Land."  Within  its  con- 
fines since  the  earliest  date  have  dwelt  savage  tribes  of  various 
names  such  as  the  Sioux,  Arapahoes,  Pawnees,  Crows,  Sho- 
shones  and  others — the  first  of  these  tribes  being  subdivided 
into  numerous  bands,  bands  ever  ready  to  go  on  "The  War- 
path" against  the  whites  upon  the  slightest  provocation.  AVhile 
it  cannot  be  said  that  the  scope  of  country  now  embraced  within 
the  present  limits  of  Laramie  county  was  a  part  or  parcel  of 
the  actual  reservations  of  any  of  the  tribes  or  bands  of  Indians, 
yet  it  is  true,  nevertheless,  that  this  was  in  part  their  hunting 
ground  and  over  and  through  it  they  roamed  at  will  for  more 
than  three  generations,  since  the  time  when  our  government 
first  acquired  title  to  the  vast  region  lying  west  of  the  Missouri. 
During  that  time  with  the  exception  of  their  war  cry  that  rang 
and  re-echoed  across  these  plains  and  through  the  canyons  and 
foot-hills,  and  the  dismal  bowlings  of  the  wild  beasts  that  here 
had  their  homes  and  lairs,  this  wide  region  of  country  now  in- 
habited bj^  so  many  thousands  of  civilized  men  was  naught  but 
nature's  unbroken  solitude.  While  farther  along  mention  will 
be  made  at  some  length  of  adventures  and  encounters  with  the 
Indians,  the  subject  of  their  occupation  and  influence  upon  the 
country  will  not  be  further  treated  in  this  chapter.  Suffice  it 
to  say  in  a  general  way  that  their  power  and  influence  is  now 
on  the  wane  and  that 

"Soon  they'll  journey  sadly  onward  to  that  reservation  vast, 
Which  remains  for  them  unheeded  when  the  storms  of  life 

are  past. 
Soon  they'll  cross  the  tideless  waters  to  that  dim  untrod- 
den shore 
Where  the  warpath  days  are  ended  and  the  pale  face 
comes  no  more." 

A  word  should  here  be  said  respecting  the  geographical  fea- 
tures of  the  region  of  country  which  is  now  included  within  the 
boundaries  of  Laramie  county  although  in  so  doing  the  refer- 
ence will  extend  to  some  portions  of  the  territory  of  AYyoming 
not  now  included  in  the  county  alluded  to  as  well  as  to  adjacent 
regions  in  the  State  of  Nebraska  and  the  great  Territory  of 
Dakota.  In  the  western  portion  of  what  is  now  Laramie  county 
but  extending  somewhat  further  westward  rise  the  Black  Hills 
of  Wyoming — often,  however,  for  the  sake  of  convenience  called 
' '  The  Foot  Hills. ' '  This  range  of  hills  extends  northward  from 
the  line  between  the  State  of  Colorado  and  Wyoming  Territory 
for  a  distance  of  more  than  100  miles,  at  which  point  they  teriui- 
nate,  or  rather  degenerate,  into  small  isolated  clusters  of  hills 


38  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

01  medium  size  some  distance  northeast  of  the  North  Platte 
River.  The  same  range  of  hills  again  appears  and  extends  north- 
ward to  the  Montana  line  and  eastward  until  they  merge  with 
the  famous  Black  Hills  of  Dakota  which  of  late  years  have  been 
so  widely  and  universally  known  as  a  prosperous  mineral  region. 
Beyond  the  North  Platte  River,  however,  these  hills  while  ris- 
ing almost  to  the  dignity  of  mountains,  are  mostly  in  clusters 
and  between  them  are  plains  and  valleys  that  are  exceedingly 
fertile,  suitable  for  agricultural  purposes  in  many  instances 
and  from  the  fact  that  the  country  is  well  watered  and  that  the 
hills  and  buttes  afford  protection  to  stock  it  is  one  of  the  finest 
grazing  countries  in  the  Far  West.  The  greater  portion  of  this 
region  was  organized  as  Crook  County  in  1884  of  which  mention 
will  be  made  in  its  appropriate  place  in  this  work.  The  North 
Platte  River  for  the  distance  of  nearly  125  miles  flows  in  a 
southeasterly  direction  through  what  constitutes  Laramie  Coun- 
ty and  between  that  stream  and  Colorado  on  the  south,  Nebraska 
on  the  east  and  the  range  of  hills  already  mentioned,  the  country 
is  rolling  and  well  watered.  Through  this  section  flow  the 
Chugwater  in  a  general  northerl}^  direction,  upper  and  lower 
Horse  Creeks,  Pole  Creek  (called  Lodgepole  Creek  in  Nebraska), 
Crow  Creek  and  Bear  Creek  all  of  which  flow  in  a  general  south- 
easterly direction  except  Crow  Creek  which  a  few  miles  below 
Chej^enne  abruptly  turns  to  the  right  and  flows  nearly  in  a 
westerly  direction  until  it  unites  its  waters  with  those  of  the 
South  Platte  River.  In  the  northeastern  portion  of  the  region 
last  alluded  to,  there  are  several  small  streams  which  flowing  in 
a  general  northerly  direction  eventually  unite  with  the  North 
Platte.  In  most  of  the  streams  within  the  county  fish  of  various 
kinds  are  found  in  great  abundance.  The  country  adjacent  to 
the  region  alluded  to  and  in  the  adjoining  two  states  does  not 
differ  materially  from  the  region  above  described. 

For  many  years  after  the  region  of  country  of  which  men- 
tion has  been  made  was  first  visited  by  white  men  it  seems  to 
have  been  virtually  ignored  by  the  few  adventurous  spirits  who 
occasionally  paid  visits  to  this  country.  Twenty-eight  years, 
however,  after  the  exploration  by  Lewis  and  Clark  the  Ameri- 
can Fur  Company,  whose  headquarters  were  then  at  St.  Louis, 
began  to  turn  its  attention  to  this  portion  of  the  Far  West  and 
in  the  Fall  of  1832  a  fur  trading  station  was  established  near 
what  is  now  called  Fort  Laramie.  To  this  day  traces  of  this 
early  occupation  still  remain.  Aside  from  a  few  more  or  less 
romantic  and  perhaps  entirely  visionary  stories  of  that  early 
period,  but  little  that  is  reliable  can  be  ascertained  of  the  situa- 
tion as  it  then  existed  in  that  immediate  vicinity.  The  trading 
station  was  kept  up,  however,  for  several  years  although  it  does 
not  appear  to  have  been  a  very  important  one  and  was  not  as 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  39 

widely  known  as  many  other  stations  that  were  established  by 
the  company  at  about  the  same  time  through  other  portions 
of  the  Far  West. 

In  1838,  Father  De  Smet  the  Catholic  missionary  of  whom 
so  much  has  been  said  and  written  visited  the  trading;  station 
on  one  of  his  western  tours,  but  his  visit  does  not  appear  to  have 
been  a  very  important  one  as  he  remained  but  a  single  day.  It 
was  during  this  trip  Mdien  according  to  the  romantic  "gold 
story"  the  good  old  missionary  made  the  discovery  that  gold 
existed  in  great  quantities  somewhere  in  the  Black  Hills.  As 
the  story  runs,  being  short  of  lead  with  which  to  make  bullets 
an  Indian  brought  him  some  "j^ellow  nuggets"  for  that  pur- 
pose. The  nuggets  were  gold  and  in  answer  to  the  inquiry  of 
Father  De  Smet  the  Indian  told  him  where  he  obtained  them 
and  directed  him  to  the  spot  and  discovering  it  to  be  a  fact 
that  gold  existed  in  that  locality  in  large  quantities  the  mis- 
sionary who  was  ever  the  friend  of  the  red  men  charged  the 
Indian  never  to  reveal  to  any  other  white  man  the  fact  of  the 
existence  of  gold  in  their  country,  as  otherwise  they  would  be 
driven  out  and  the  country  filled  with  miners.  Years  after, 
Tousant  Kensler,  half  breed  Indian,  who  was  in  Cheyenne, 
claimed  that  he  knew  the  exact  locality  where  this  gold  existed 
in  "big  chunks"  as  he  expressed  it  and  told  where  it  would  be 
found.  If  Kensler  was  right  the  place  has  never  been  thorough- 
ly prospected  for  it  is  within  a  day 's  ride  of  what  is  now  known 
as  Hat  Creek.  However,  it  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  work  to 
speculate  upon  the  gold  or  any  other  question. 

In  1843,  Fremont  made  his  way  up  the  valley  of  the  Cache 
La  Poudre  and  thence  out  upon  the  Laramie  Plains,  but  prior 
to  so  doing  he  divided  his  command  somewhere  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  St.  Vrains  in  Colorado.  As  near  as  can  now  be  ascer- 
tained one  portion  of  his  party  came  directly  north  and  must 
have  passed  over  or  near  the  present  cite  of  the  City  of  Chey- 
enne. From  thence  in  a  northwesterly  direction  to  Laramie 
Peake  from  which  point  it  bore  to  the  southwest  and  re-united 
with  the  balance  of  the  command  somewhere  on  the  Laramie 
Plains.  This  party,  however,  appears  not  to  have  visited  the 
fur  trading  station,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  its  existence  was 
known  to  Fremont  or  his  men. 

In  those  early  days  the  country  was  well  filled  with  game 
of  nearly  every  kind  and  variety.  The  immense  herds  of  buffalo, 
however,  which  at  that  time  roamed  and  wandered  at  will  over 
the  greater  part  of  the  Far  West  did  not,  as  a  general  thing, 
frequent  the  region  of  which  mention  has  been  made,  although 
small  bands  were  constantly  j)assing  to  and  fro  across  the  plains 
and  rolling  country  which  lies  between  the  North  Platte  Kiver 
and  the  northern  boundarv  of  Colorado.     These  animals    while 


40  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

in  transit  through  the  locality,  were  the  prey  both  of  Indians 
and  white  hunters  who  made  their  way  from  the  Missouri  west- 
ward for  the  purpose  of  engaging  in  their  favorite,  if  not  at 
all  times  lucrative,  employment  and  during  the  ten  years  which 
intervened  between  the  advent  of  Father  De  Smet  at  the  trad- 
ing station  and  the  time  when  the  "old  Overland  Trail"  began 
to  be  used  and  a  few  permanent  settlers  began  to  pitch  their 
tents  along  the  valley  of  the  North  Platte,  thousands,  yes  tens 
of  thousands — of  these  animals  were  killed  and  their  hides  sold 
to  the  agents  and  traders  of  the  American  Fur  Company.  In 
addition  to  the  buffalo,  deer,  elk,  antelope,  bear,  beaver,  mink 
and  other  game  of  that  sort  was  found  in  abundance  and  the 
trapper  or  hunter  was  "out  of  luck"  indeed  if  during  a  single 
season  he  could  not  make  enough  in  his  wild  and  adventurous 
employment  to  enable  him  to  drift  back  to  the  precincts  of 
civilized  life  with  at  least  enough  for  himself  and  loved  ones 
for  the  long  winter  to  come. 

Beyond  the  North  Platte  river  and  south  of  what  would 
now  be  the  Montana  line  the  buffalo,  though  not  making  such 
frequent  incursions  into  the  country,  when  they  did  come  would 
make  their  advent  in  much  larger  numbers  and  would  stay 
longer.  Hence  it  was  that  among  the  hills  and  valleys  of  what 
is  now  Crook  county  and  between  Inyan  Kara  and  Harney's 
Peak  on  the  east  and  the  Panther  range  on  the  west  would 
almost  constantly  be  found  large  bands  of  the  animals  alluded 
to  which  were  practically  at  the  mercy  of  the  white  hunter  and 
the  Indian.  Between  the  two  the  buffalo  fared  slim  indeed — 
so  badly  in  fact  that  the  particular  branch  or  breed  perhaps 
as  the  stockmen  would  say— which  for  so  many  years  was  in 
the  habit  of  making  this  region  their  veritable  "stamping 
ground ' "  became  practically  extinct  and  for  many  years  prior  to 
the  advent  of  the  whites  who  came  to  stay,  but  very  few  of  these 
animals  visited  that  country.  Not  so,  however,  in  the  southern 
portion  of  what  is  now  Laramie  county,  for  while,  as  before 
stated,  the  buffalo  never  lingered  there,  as  late  as  1874  a  small 
band  of  these  animals  passed  over  what  is  now  the  bed  of  Lake 
Minnehaha  adjacent  to  Cheyenne  and  proceeded  northward 
until  close  to  Fort  D.  A.  Russell  when  apparently  astonished 
'at  the  surroundings  it  turned  eastward  and  eventually  to  the 
south  and  made  its  way  at  a  rapid  gait  back  across  the  Union 
Pacific  track  to  Northeastern  Colorado  and  was  seen  no  more. 

During  the  period  of  which  mention  has  been  made  the 
southern  portion  of  what  is  now  Laramie  county  was  but  little 
known  or  visited.  It  was  considered  in  those  days  as  being  a 
legitimate  portion  of  the  " Great  American  Desert"  which  was 
so  prominently  indicated  upon  the  maps  and  in  the  school 
geographies  of  those  days,  and  was  so  considered  until  the  signs 
of  the  times  began  to  indicate  the  near  approach  of  that  great 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  41 

transcontinental  line  of  communication — The  Union  Pacific 
railroad — when  it  at  once  commenced  to  have  a  history  and  a 
very  important  one  which  will,  of  course,  be  mentioned  farther 
along  in  this  narrative. 

Chapter  II 

Laramie  County 

Fort  Laramie — The  Overland  Trail — A  Military  Post  Estab- 
lished— Perilous  Times — Indian  Burial — Trees. 

For  a  number  of  years  Jacques  Laramie,  an  old  trapper 
and  hunter  of  French  descent  and  a  Canadian  by  birth,  was 
the  agent  and  manager  of  the  business  of  the  American  Fur 
Company  at  what  is  now  Fort  Laramie.  Year  after  year, 
while  others  came  and  departed,  the  old  man  remained  at  his 
post  and  faithfully  discharged  the  duties  developing  upon  him 
which  in  truth  and  justice  it  must  be  said  were  at  times  not 
very  onerous.  During  the  greater  portion  of  the  time  there 
were  a  few  men,  mostly  of  the  same  nationality,  stationed  at 
the  post  with  him  and  as  the  company  at  all  times  kept  him 
well  supplied  with  tobacco,  whiskey  and  other  "necessaries 
of  life"  as  they  were  termed  in  those  early  days,  and  as  he 
was  at  all  times  on  pretty  friendly  terms  with  most  of  the 
Indians  who  traded  with  or  visited  the  station,  the  old  veteran 
of  the  plains  passed  his  time  very  comfortably.  About  the 
year  1847,  however,  times  began  to  undergo  a  change  and 
from  that  date  forward  the  region  of  country  around  and 
tributary  to  the  fur  station  which  up  to  that  period  had 
experienced  a  not  very  eventful  history,  had  a  very  serious 
transformation  and  was  kno^vn  as  the  "dark  and  bloody 
ground"  of  the  border  land. 

Prior  to  1847  there  had  been — indeed  since  1839 — quite 
an  emigration  by  overland  to  Oregon  which  had  received 
the  attention  of  the  American  Fur  Company  (which  from 
1820  to  1850  had  for  its  president  John  Jacob  Astor,  its 
western  headquarters  being  at  St.  Louis)  as  far  back  as  1792, 
and  before  it  fell  into  our  hands  by  purchase,  a  trading  station 
having  been  established  at  what  is  now  Astoria,  Oregon, 
during  that  year.  Emigration  began  to  set  in  across  the 
plains  to  Oregon  as  early  as  1839,  and  just  prior  to  1847  it  had 
begun  to  drift  along  in  close  proximity  to,  or  by,  the  fur 
station  of  which  the  old  French  Voyager,  Laramie,  was  the 
controlling  genius.  Eventually,  many  Mormons,  who  at  that 
time  were  turning  their  faces  westward,  began  to  drift  along, 
and  about  the  same  time  Fremont  was  directed  to  survey 
California,    so    that    all    things    considered    the    government 


42  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

decided  it  wise  to  station  a  few  troops  at  the  fur  station  which 
it  did.  Two  years  later,  1849 — a  permanent  military  post 
known  and  designated  as  Fort  Laramie  was  established  at 
the  old  time  fur  station,  it  being  named  in  honor  of  the  old 
man  who  for  so  many  years  had  been  almost  the  only 
inhabitant. 

Two  companies  of  troops  were  originally  stationed  there, 
but  eventually  other  companies  were  sent  to  the  post,  so  that 
several  times  in  its  history  Ft.  Laramie  has  been  the  rendez- 
A'ous  of  large  bodies  of  troops  which  on  two  or  three  occasions 
have  been,  temporarily,  gathered  as  preparations  have  been 
made  for  encounters  with  the  hostile  Sioux,  which  in  years 
gone  by  have  been  frequent  and  bloody.  No  attempt  will 
here  be  made  to  give  a  detailed  and  specific  history  of  Fort 
Laramie  as  a  military  post  merely,  nor  even  a  complete  roster 
of  the  many  gallant  officers  and  their  commands  from  time 
to  time  stationed  there,  as  to  do  so  would  be  foreign  to  the 
purpose  of  this  work.  Only  such  incidents  and  events  as  have 
some  bearing  in  connection  with  the  history  of  the  country 
of  which  Fort  Laramie  is  the  center  can  be  mentioned.  Not 
all  of  them  can  be  recorded  here  and  those  which  are  alluded 
to  can  only  receive  casual  notice  by  the  writer. 

That  Fort  Laramie  as  a  military  post  has  a  most  romantic 
and  interesting  history  is  well  known  to  all,  but  it  must  be 
reserved  to  some  future  writer  to  give  it  entire.  Fort  Laramie, 
it  might  be  mentioned,  has  had  some  very  able  and  eminent 
commanders  since  its  first  establishment  as  a  permanent  mili- 
tary post  among  whom  Gen.  Pat  Connor,  Gen.  L.  P.  Bradley, 
Gen.  "Wesley  Merritt,  Gen.  John  Gibbon  and  several  other 
military  men  of  note  might  be  named. 

Although  the  advent  of  troops  at  Fort  Laramie  in  1849 
did  not  for  a  long  time  excite  the  jealousy  of  the  Indians  to 
such  an  extent  as  to  provoke  them  to  hostilities,  yet  it  must 
be  recorded  as  a  matter  of  history  that  it  awakened  distrust 
in  their  minds  and  the  whole  aspect  of  affairs  was  soon 
changed.  Besides  the  army  officers  and  private  soldiers  who 
were  stationed  there,  a  large  number  of  citizens  among  whom 
were  a  few  '' hangers  on"  flocked  to  the  post  and  were  con- 
stantly coming  and  going  the  whole  year  round.  Some  of 
these  men  acted  very  unruly  with  their  red  neighbors  and 
by  trading  with  them  constantly  in  the  course  of  which  traffic 
the  consideration  moving  from  the  grantee  to  the  grantor 
would  not  infrequently  be  what  the  Indian  has  always  and 
not  inappropriately  termed  "fire  water,"  the  red  men  of  the 
entire  country  to  the  north  and  east  of  Fort  Laramie,  eventu- 
ally, became  more  or  less  demoralized  and  in  time  deadly 
hostile  and  treacherous.     In  vain  the  gallant  officers  who  from 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  43 

time  to  time  commanded  at  Ft.  Laramie  endeavored  to  put 
a  stop  to  the  sale  or  distribution  of  whiskey  to  the  Indians 
in  which  effort  they  were  ably  seconded  by  most  of  the  non- 
commissioned officers  at  the  post,  among  whom  should  be 
mentioned  Sergeant  Snyder,  who  by  the  way  was  stationed 
at  Ft.  Laramie  in  1849  and  still  remains  there,  never  having 
left  his  post  but  once  in  the  thirty-seven  years  that  have 
intervened.  While  it  was  some  years  before  the  Indians 
resorted  to  actual  hostilties,  yet  it  was  not  long  after  the 
establishment  of  a  military  post  at  Fort  Laramie  before  they 
began  to  be  troublesome  and  at  length  it  became  a  very 
hazardous  thing  to  be  caught  far  away  from  the  military  post 
alone  and  unarmed.  Travel  over  the  old  Overland  Route, 
which  had  now  been  duly  and  permanently  established  via 
Fort  Laramie  westward,  was  seriously  impeded  and  hindered 
by  the  frequent  depradations  of  the  red  men  whose  enmity 
took  the  form  of  stealing  and  running  off  stock.  This  in 
time  became  too  tame  for  them  and  for  some  years  prior  to 
the  great  outbreak,  which  eventually  came,  frequent  murders 
happened,  especially  along  the  Overland  Route  and  at  other 
places  where  one  or  two  unarmed  and  defenseless  parties 
could  be  found.  The  whole  country  was  in  time  thoroughly 
and  effectually  terrorized  and  the  few  adventurous  spirits 
who  remained  in  the  country  Avere  forced  to  look  well  to 
their  own  protection,  and  where  comparative  safety  had  been 
felt  prior  to  the  conclusion  on  the  part  of  the  Indians  that 
their  country  was  to  be  wrested  from  them,  the  times  became 
perilous  indeed  for  the  Indians  did  not  propose  to  give  up 
without  a  struggle  the  land  through  which  they  had  roamed 
so  long — -which  they  claimed  as  their  own — and  where  for 
more  than  a  century  their  dead  had  been  buried  (suspended 
in  trees  many  of  which  are  still  standing  in  tlie  vicinity  of 
Ft.  Laramie)  and  from  Avhere  their  kindred  had  taken  their 
departure  to  the  dim  precincts  of  the  far  away  ''happy 
hunting  ground." 

Chapter  III 

Laramie  County 

The  Sioux  Uprising — Massacre  at  Bordeaux  Bend — Battle  on 
Horse  Creek — etc. 

The  great  uprising  of  the  Sioux,  wliich  began  in  Minne- 
sota by  the  massacre  at  New  Ulm  in  1863.  did  not  immediately 
extend  as  far  west  as  the  region  of  country  adjacent  and 
tributary  to  Fort  Laramie  but  when  it  did  come  it  was 
terrible  in  its  results.     The  hostilitv  of  the   Sioux  began  to 


44  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

manifest  itself  in  attacks  on  isolated  ranches  and  exposed 
points,  and  many  were  the  depredations  of  this  sort  that 
were  committed  from  1863  to  the  close  of  the  Indian  troubles 
in  1869.  One  of  the  first  of  these  attacks  was  upon  a  ranch 
owned  by  H.  B.  Kelly  now  of  Cheyenne  and  who  was  then 
as  now  one  of  the  leading  and  foremost  men  in  the  county. 
He  had  been  for  some  years  on  the  plains,  however,  and  was 
for  a  long  time  connected  with  the  Overland  mail  service  but 
at  length  concluded  to  settle  down  to  a  more  quiet  life  and 
for  that  purpose  took  up  a  ranch  not  far  from  the  mouth  of 
Horse  Creek.  He  was  attacked  by  the  Sioux,  his  ranch  barned 
and  Mr.  Kelly  himself  barely  escaped  with  his  life.  This 
seems  to  have  been  the  signal  for  active  hostilities.  Not  only 
was  the  gentleman  alluded  to  driven  out  of  other  localities 
in  which  he  attempted  to  locate,  but  a  score  or  more  of  others 
were  treated  the  same  way  until  at  length  nearly  every  man 
in  the  country  was  obliged  to  take  refuge  at  Fort  Laramie. 
The  times  became  so  perilous  that  it  was  unsafe  for  a  person 
to  go  fifty  yards  from  the  post  unless  he  was  thoroughly 
armed,  even  then  it  was  not  a  pleasant  undertaking. 

During  this  time,  however,  the  old  overland  trail  was 
still  followed  by  parties  of  emigrants  going  westward,  among 
whom  were  many  Mormons,  and  in  the  summer  of  1864 
occurred  the  massacre  at  Bordeaux  Bend  on  the  North  Platte 
River  nine  miles  below  Fort  Laramie.  A  party  of  emigrants 
who  were  on  their  way  westward  had  camped  a  few  miles 
below  the  Fort  and  during  the  night  one  of  their  cows  strayed 
away  and  was  driven  off  by  the  Indians.  The  party  hastily 
packed  up  and  hurried  to  the  military  post  where  they  told 
their  story.  The  post  was  at  that  time  temporarily  in  com- 
mand of  a  Lieutenant  whose  name  it  has  been  impossible  to 
ascertain  but  who  it  seems  was  a  hot-headed  impetuous  man 
with  more  bravery  than  discretion.  He  resolved  to  either 
make  the  Indians  pay  for  the  cow  or  give  them  a  chastising 
and  for  this  purpose  took  fourteen  soldiers  and  a  small  cannon 
and  proceeded  down  the  river  to  where  the  Indians  were 
camped  and  at  once  made  a  demand  of  them  for  payment 
for  the  cow.  By  some  means,  probably  by  accident,  a  musket 
was  discharged.  With  one  fierce  war  whoop  the  entire  band  of 
Indians  numbering  nearly  150  rushed  upon  the  little  squad  of 
soldiers  before  they  had  time  to  use  their  cannon  or  otiier 
arms.  Not  one  of  them  was  left  alive  to  tell  the  story.  When 
the  news  of  the  massacre  reached  the  post  a  strong  detach- 
ment was  sent  down  who  buried  all  the  victims  in  one  common 
giave  and  marked  the  spot  by  piling  high  a  pyramid  of  stones 
over  their  last  resting  place.  This  pile  of  rock  remains  there 
to  this  day,  while  the  cannon  which  the  Sioux  threw  into  the 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  .   45 

river  has  never  been  recovered  from  the  watery  grave  to 
■\rhich  it  was  conjured  by  the  hostile  red  men.  This  bloody 
episode  was  the  cause  of  great  excitement  at  Fort  Laramie 
and  elsewhere  as  it  became  known,  but  it  was  quickly  followed 
by  others,  mostly  along  the  Overland  route. 

Among  these  depredations  was  the  attempted  massacre  of  a 
gentleman  named  J.  H.  Kineade  and  his  party  of  three  men  who 
were  on  their  M^ay  westward  on  the  old  trail.  This  attempt  which 
was  partially  successful  was  made  by  three  Indian  chiefs.  Red 
Leaf,  Long  Chin  and  the  third  said  to  be  Spotted  Tail  himself 
(although  this  is  somewhat  doubtful)  who  with  a  small  party 
of  followers  attacked  the  party  killed  two  of  the  men  and  as 
was  supposed  Kineade  also.  The  fourth  member  of  the  party 
made  good  his  escape  and  carried  the  news  to  Ft.  Laramie 
from  whence  a  party  sallied  out  to  the  scene  of  the  murder. 
There  were  at  this  time  nearly  200  lodges  of  friendly  (?) 
Indians  camped  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Fort  Laramie, 
but  their  conduct  was  such  that  it  at  length  became  apparent 
that  they  were  secretly  acting  in  conjunction  Avith  the  hostiles. 
It  was  resolved  to  remove  them  eastward  to  some  point  in 
Nebraska  where  they  would  be  within  reach  of  the  Pawnees 
Avho  were  then,  as  at  nearly  all  other  times,  friendly  in  the 
fullest  sense  of  the  word.  For  this  purpose  two  companies 
of  Nebraska  troops  who  were  temporarily  in  the  service  of 
the  government  came  through  on  the  Overland  route  to  Fort 
Laramie.  There  two  companies  were  commanded  respectively 
by  Captains  Wilcox  and  Foot.  The  alarm  had  been  taken  by 
these  friendly  ( ?)  Indians,  however,  and  many  of  them  had 
departed  ere  these  troops  arrived.  There  were  185  lodges  of 
these  Indians  left  in  the  vicinity  and  these  were  gathered 
together  preparatory  to  their  removal  eastward.  Tlie  march 
was  eventually  begun  the  two  companies  alluded  to,  together 
Avith  forty  citizens  among  whom  was  Wm.  F.  Lee  now  one 
of  the  Justices  of  the  Peace  in  Cheyenne,  all  under  the  com- 
mand of  Captain  Wilcox.  When  the  column  reached  a  point 
well  along  tOAvard  the  mouth  of  Horse  Creek  the  Indians,  in 
accordance  AAath  a  preconcerted  plan,  rose  against  the  little 
party  Avhich  in  all  did  not  number  one  hundred  men,  and 
Avhile  tliey  Avere  scattered  along  the  road  commenced  an  indis- 
criminate slaughter.  There  AA-as  Avith  the  party  also  a  long 
train  of  Avagons  Avhich  Avere  in  charge  of  Judge  Lee,  and  as 
soon  as  the  slaughter  commenced  that  gentleman  AA'ho  appears 
to  have  been  about  the  only  one  in  the  command  equal  to  the 
emergency  succeeded  in  arranging  the  greater  part  of  the 
Avagons  in  the  form  of  a  corral  in  AAdiich  a  stand  was  made. 
The  Indians  were  fierce  and  determined  and  the  battle  raged 
hot  for  a  couple  of  hours,  but  at  the  expiration  of  that  time 


46    .  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

the  whites  having  succeeded  in  quite  securely  barricading 
against  their  foemen  and  had  even  thrown  up  some  rude 
iiitrenchments,  the  Indians  withdrew  across  the  river  in  great 
haste.  Captain  Wilcox  and  seven  of  his  men  were  killed  and 
seventeen  of  the  party  including  some  of  the  citizens  were 
wounded.  Nearly  all  of  the  stock  and  other  property  belong- 
ing to  the  whites  was  lost  in  this  fight  and  after  it  was  over 
what  was  left  of  the  two  companies  made  rapid  marches 
toward  the  Missouri  while  most  of  the  citizens  returned  to 
Fort  Laramie  and  vicinity.  The  fight  above  mentioned  oc- 
curred May  16,  1865. 

(To  be  continued  in  April,   1940,  issue) 


DO  YOU  KNOW  THAT— 

The  first  cattle  brand  recorded  in  what  is  now  Wyoming- 
was  that  of  Mrs.  W.  L.  Kuykendall,  according  to  "Frontier 
Days"  by  her  husband,  Judge  Kuykendall,  in  1917,  a  251-page 
book  sub-titled  as  "A  True  Narrative  of  Striking  Events  on 
the  Western  Frontier?" 

In  Chapter  24,  concerning  formation  of  the  Laramie 
County  Stock  Association  in  the  early  seventies,  of  which 
Judge  Kuykendall  was  secretary,  the  author  makes  the  above 
claim  and  states  regarding  his  wife,  that  "she  brought  a 
few  cows  and  other  cattle  with  her  when  she  and  my  two 
sons,  then  small  children,  crossed  the  plains  in  wagons  to 
Denver  in  1866;"  that  the  cattle  were  driven  to  his  ranch 
east  of  Cheyenne  "when  the  family  moved  to  Cheyenne  in 
the.  winter  of  1867." 


The  first  church  bell  heard  in  the  Big  Horn  Basin  was 
on  the  Baptist  church  at  Otto? 

The  Basin  Republican-Rustler,  issue  of  December  14, 
1939,  calls  attention  to  the  above  fact  in  connection  with 
announcement  that  Mrs.  Allie  Massey,  a  pioneer  resident  of 
the  Greybull  Valley,  has  now  made  the  Baptist  Church  at 
Burlington  a  present  of  the  bell. 


.The  first  motor  hearse  funeral  held  in  the  Capital  City 
of  Wyoming,  occurred  on  July  18,  1916?  The  burial  rites 
were  performed  for  Mrs.  Benjamin  Smalley,  said  to  be  the 
city's  first  bride,  who  was  married  at  Cheyenne  in  1867,  when 
only  a  few  tents  marked  the  site  of  the  city  that  was  to  be. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  47 

THE  CHINESE  MASSACRE 
By  Paul  Crane  and  Alfred  Larson* 

On  September  2,  1885,  whites  at  Rock  Springs,  Wyoming 
Territory,  killed  28  Chinese  laborers,  wounded  15  others, 
chased  several  hundred  other  Chinese  out  of  town,  and  de- 
stroyed property  valued  at  $147,000  in  what  has  come  to  be 
known  as  The  Chinese  Massacre.  The  story  with  causes  and 
consequences  can  be  followed  through  a  mass  of  documents 
submitted  to  the  United  States  House  of  Representatives,  ' 
another  set  of  records  preserved  in  a  report  evidently  author- 
ized by  the  Union  Pacific,  '■^  and  contemporary  newspapers.  ^ 

In  the  background  of  the  riot  were  bitterness  against 
alleged  mistreatment  by  the  Union  Pacific  Coal  Department 
and  smouldering  race  prejudice  fanned  into  raging  hatred  by 
the  refusal  of  the  Chinese  to  join  in  strikes.  Company  records 
indicate  that  at  the  time  of  the  massacre  there  were  150  whites 
and  331  Chinese  employed  in  the  mines  at  Rock  Springs.  '^ 
Many  of  the  white  miners  were  members  of  the  Knights  of 
Labor,  powerful  national  labor  organization,  which  had  worked 
for  the  exclusion  of  Chinese  laborers  from  the  United  States.  ^ 

The  gruesome  details  of  the  massacre  which  are  preserved 
in  many  documents  need  not  concern  us  here,  but  a  recital  of 
the  main  facts  seems  to  be  desirable.  The  Chinese  miners 
clearly  were  not  expecting  any  serious  attack  when  the  pent 
up  hatred  of  the  whites  suddenly  broke  loose.  Early  on  Sep- 
tember 2  an  incident  occurred  at  No.  6  mine  which  precipitated 
mob  action.  Four  rooms,  or  stalls,  had  been  assigned  to  two 
white  miners  and  two  Chinese.     The  whites  went  to  work  in 


*  Alfred  Larson,  Ph.  D.,  is  assistant  professor  of  History  at  the 
University  of  Wyoming.     Paul  Crane  is  one  of  his  students. 

1  House  Eeports,  1st  Session,  49th  Congress,  lS85-lSS(i,  Vol.  7.  Eeport 
No.   2044,   "Providing  Indemnity  to   Certain   Chinese   Subjects." 

2  The  Chinese  Massacre  at  Eock  Springs,  Wyoming  Territory  (Bos- 
ton: Franklin  Press:  Eand,  Avery,  &  Company,  1886)  Hereafter  cited 
as  The  Chinese  Massacre.  This  is  a  rare  paper-bound  volume,  92  pages, 
9  by  6  inches,  in  the  University  of  Wyoming  Library. 

3. Newspaper  accounts  appeared  throughout  the  country,  but  of 
special  value  are  articles  appearing  in  the  Laramie  Boomerang,  the 
Eock  Springs  Independent,  the  Salt  Lake  Tribune,  the  Cheyenne  Trib- 
une, and  the   Cheyenne   Sun. 

4  The  Chinese  Massacre,  p.  45. 

5  Postmaster  O.  C.  Smith  of  Eock  Springs  testified  that  he  had  no 
doubt  that  the  support  of  and  encouragement  given  by  the  miners' 
union — affiliated  -n-ith  the  Knights  of  Labor — led  to  the  riot.  House 
Eeports  loc.  cit.,  p.  12.  As  Avill  appear  later  the  Knights  of  Labor 
organization  was  certainly  involved. 


48  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

two  of  the  rooms,  and  put  in  a  shot  which  they  did  not  fire. 
The  next  morning,  September  2,  when  the  two  white  miners 
appeared,  they  found  that  the  two  Chinese  had  fired  the  shot 
and  were  working  in  the  room.  The  Chinese  claimed  the  room 
had  been  assigned  to  them.  Evidently  the  room  was  a  desir- 
able one,  that  is,  one  where  the  coal  was  accessible  and  the 
miners,  who  were  paid  by  the  ton,  could  make  money  easily. 
In  the  resulting  argument  the  Chinese  were  beaten  and  sent 
home  in  a  buckboard.  About  a  half  hour  later  the  white 
miners  left  the  mine,  marched  up  town  and  down  Front  street 
towards  the  Knights  of  Labor  hall,  shouting  "White  men 
fall  in."^  The  word  was  passed  around  that  there  would 
be  a  miners'  meeting  at  6  p.  m.  to  settle  the  Chinese  question. 
The  men  dispersed  and  retired  to  various  saloons.  "When  it 
became  apparent  that  they  were  drinking  too  freely,  all  stores 
and  saloons  agreed  to  sell  no  more  drinks  that  day.  Various 
accounts  indicate  that  this  prohibition  left  the  rebellious 
miners  quite  sober.  About  two  in  the  afternoon  a  mob  of  150 
whites,  half  of  them  with  Winchester  rifles,  set  out  for  China- 
town. As  shots  were  fired,  the  Chinese  fled  to  the  hills.  An 
eyewitness  in  a  prepared  statement  described  the  scene:  "The 
Chinamen  were  fleeing  like  a  herd  of  hunted  antelopes,  making 
no  resistance.  Volley  upon  volley  was  fired  after  the  fugitives. 
In  a  few  minutes  the  hill  east  of  the  town  was  literally  blue 
with  hunted  Chinamen."'''  Some  of  the  Chinese  houses  were 
fired.  The  rioters  then  went  to  Foremen  Evans  and  O'Donnell, 
and  told  them  to  leaA^e  town  on  the  first  train  east,  which 
they  did. 

In  the  evening  the  destruction  of  Chinatown  was  com- 
pleted. Not  all  the  Chinese  had  fled,  judging  by  the  coroner's 
jury  reports,  which  in  a  number  of  cases  read  that  the  victims 
"came   to  their  death  from  exposure  to  fire."^ 

The  aggressors,  like  the  victims,  appear  to  have  been  al- 
most all  aliens.  James  H.  Dickey,  in  charge  of  the  Beckwith, 
Quinn  &  Company  store  at  No.  6  mine  testified  that  they 
were  Welsh,  Cornishmen,  and  Swedes.^  Three  Union  Pacific 
Directors  were  quoted  in  a  press  dispatch  as  saying  that  the 
attacking  party  included  English,  Welsh.  Scotch,  Irish,  and 
Scandinavians.  ^°  The  Chinese  Consul  at  San  Francisco,  Avho 
held  an  investigation  at  Rock  Springs,  wrote  that  not  one  of 
the  attackers  was  a  native  of  this  countrv,  manv  had  resided 


6  Ibid.,    pp.    13-14.      Eeport    of    Ralph    Zwicky,    Manager    of    Eoek 
Springs  Store  of  Beckwith,  Quinn  &   Company. 

7  House  Reports,  loc,  cit.,  p.  14. 

8  Ibid.,  pp.   16-17. 

9  Ibid.,  p.  13. 

10  Ibid.,  p.  24. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  49 

in  the  United  States  less  than  a  year,  and  only  a  small  number 
were  naturalized  citizens.  "^^  The  names  of  the  attackers  were 
never  published.  The  grand  jury  of  Sweetwater  County 
brought  in  no  indictments.     It  reported : 

We  have  diligently  inquired  into  the  occurrence  at 
Rock  Springs  on  the  2d  day  of  September  last,  and  though 
we  have  examined  a  large  number  of  witnesses,  no  one 
has  been  able  to  testify  to  a  single  criminal  act  committed 
by  any  known  white  person  that  day.  Whatever  crimes 
may  have  been  committed,  the  perpetrators  thereof  have 
not  been  disclosed  by  the  evidence  before  us ;  and,  there- 
fore, while  we  deeply  regret  the  circumstance,  we  are 
wholly  unable,  acting  under  the  obligation  of  our  oaths, 
to  return  indictments.  We  have  also  inquired  into  the 
causes  that  led  to  the  outbreak  at  Rock  Springs.  While 
we  tind  no  excuse  for  the  crimes  committed,  there  ap- 
pears to  be  no  doubt  of  abuses  existing  that  should  have 
been  promptly  adjusted  by  the  railroad  company  and  its 
officers.  If  this  had  been  done,  the  fair  name  of  our 
Territory  would  not  have  been  stained  by  the  terrible 
events  of  the  2d  of  September. ^^ 

Meanwhile  order  had  been  restored  and  the  Chinese  had 
been  brought  back  to  Rock  Springs.  Most  of  those  who  es- 
caped the  massacre  had  walked  west  along  the  railroad  toward 
the  town  of  Green  River.  The  railroad  company  telegraphed 
to  its  conductors  to  pick  up  the  Chinese  along  the  line,  both 
east  and  west  of  Rock  Springs,  and  carry  them  to  Evanston.^'"' 
There  was  strou'^  feeling  against  the  Chinese  at  Evanston  and 
at  Almy,  near  Evanston,  but  the  arrival  of  troops  forestalled 
a  possible  repetition  of  the  massacre.  Governor  Warren  of 
Wyoming  Territory  appealed  to  President  Cleveland  on  the 
4th  of  September,  as  follows : 

Evanston,  Wyoming,  4th.  Uidawful  combinations  and 
conspiracies  exist  among  coal-miners  and  others,  in  the 
Uintah  and  Sweetwater  Counties  in  this  Territory,  which 
prevents  individuals  and  corporations  from  enjoyment 
and  protection  of  their  property,  and  obstruct  execution 
of  laws.  Open  insurrection  at  Rock  Springs :  property 
burned ;  sixteen  dead  bodies  found ;  probably  tifty  more 
under  ruins.     Seven  hundred  Chinamen  driven  from  town, 


11  Ibid.,   p.   10. 

12  House  Reports,  loc.   eit.,  p.  25. 

13  Ibid.,  p.  29.  Cf .  The  Chinese  Massacre,  pp.  4,  52-53,  and  Beard, 
Frances  Birkhead,  Wyoming  From  Territorial  Davs  to  the  Present, 
Vol.  I,  p.  373. 


50  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

and  have  taken  refuge  at  Evanston,  and  are  ordered  to 
leave  there.  Sheriff  powerless  to  make  necessary  arrests 
and  protect  life  and  property,  unless  supported  by  organ- 
ized bodies  of  armed  men.  Wyoming  had  no  territorial 
militia;  therefore  I  respectfully  and  earnestly  request  the 
aid  of  the  United  States  troops,  not  only  to  protect  the 
mails  and  mail-routes,  but  that  they  may  be  instructed  to 
support  civil  authorities  until  order  is  restored,  criminals 
arrested,  and  the  suffering  relieved. ^^ 

A  few  days  later  Governor  Warren  telegraphed  the  Presi- 
dent again : 

Referring  to  my  several  late  telegrams,  I  respectfully 
submit  that  the  unlawful  organized  mob  in  possession  of 
coal-mines  at  Almy,  near  here,  will  not  permit  Chinamen 
to  approach  their  own  home,  property,  or  employment. 
Prom  the  nature  of  the  outbreak,  sheriff  of  county  cannot 
rally  sufficient  posse,  and  territorial  government  cannot 
sufficiently  aid  him.  Insurrectionists  know,  through  news- 
papers and  dispatches,  that  troops  will  not  interfere  under 
present  orders ;  and  moral  effect  of  presence  of  troops  is 
destroyed.  If  troops  were  known  to  have  orders  to  assist 
sheriff's  posse  in  case  driven  back,  I  am  quite  sure  civil 
authorities  could  restore  order  without  actual  use  of  sol- 
diers. But  unless  United  States  Government  can  find 
way  to  relieve  us  immediately,  I  believe  worse  scenes  than 
those  at  Rock  Springs  will  follow,  and  all  Chinamen 
driven  from  the  Territory.  I  beg  an  early  reply  and 
information  regarding  the  attitude  of  the  United  States 
Government.^^ 

The  difficulty  of  securing  troops  is  told  in  a  long  series  of 
telegrams  quoted  in  the  Union  Pacific  report  and  the  House 
of  Representatives  documents.-^*"  Troops  finally  arrived  from 
Camp  Murray,  Utah  Territory,^'''  and  escorted  the  Chinese 
back  to  Rock  Springs  on  the  9th,  just  a  week  after  the  massa- 
cre. The  press  west  of  the  Missouri  objected  strenuously.^^ 
The  Rock  Springs  Independent  tossed  the  gauntlet  to  the 
Union  Pacific: 


14  The   Chinese   Massacre,  p.   2. 

15  Ibid.,  p.   3. 

16  Ibid.,  pp.  63-69,   and  House   Reports,  loc.  cit.,  p.   18. 

17  Apparently  there   were  also   some   troops  from  Fort   Steele.     The 
Chinese  Massacre,  p.  14. 

18  Ibid.,  p.   7  ff. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  51 

The  action  of  the  company  in  bringing  back  the 
Chinese  means  that  they  are  to  be  set  to  work  in  the  mines, 
and  that  American  soldiers  are  to  prevent  them  from 
being  again  driven  out. 

It  means  that  all  white  miners  at  Rock  Springs,  ex- 
cept those  absolutely  required,  are  to  be  replaced  by 
Chinese  labor. 

It  means  that  the  company  intend  to  make  a  "China- 
town" out  of  Rock  Springs,  as  they  proposed  to  the  Almy 
miners  last  Monday. 

It  means  that  Rock  Springs  is  killed,  as  far  as  white 
men  are  concerned,  if  such  a  programme  is  carried  out. 

How  do  our  miners  and  how  do  our  business  men  like 
the  situation,  and  what  are  they  going  to  do  about  it  ? 

There  is  bat  one  thing  to  do :  miners,  merchants,  and 
railway  employes  must  unite  as  one  man  against  such  a 
high-handed  proceeding.  It  is  a  matter  in  which  every 
business  man  and  every  working  man  along  the  line  of 
the  Union  Pacific  is  concerned. 

If  the  labor  organizations  of  Colorado  and  Wyoming, 
backed  up  by  the  business  interest  and  public  sentiment 
and  public  press  of  the  country,  cannot  enforce  their  de- 
mand that  the  Chinese  must  go,  we  are  much  mistaken 
as  to  their  strength. 

Neither  the  labor  organizations  nor  public  sentiment 
will  uphold  the  brutal  murder  of  the  Chinese  last  week. 
The  punishment  of  these  crimes  is  within  the  province  of 
the  civil  authorities,  and  they  will  not  be  molested  in  the 
prosecution  of  their  duties.  But  innocent  men  with  their 
families,  and  the  business  interest  of  Rock  Springs,  must 
not  be  allowed  to  suffer  through  the  avenging  spirit  of 
the  Union  Pacific  Railway.  Let  the  demand  go  up  from 
one  end  of  the  Union  Pacific  to  the  other,  THE  CHINESE 
MUST  G0.19 

The  spear-head  of  opposition  to  the  employment  of  Chi- 
nese was  the  Knights  of  Labor  association.  This  national 
organization  was  growing  very  rapidly  in  the  1880s.  At  the 
end  of  1878  the  membership  was  only  9,287.  At  the  end  of 
1883  the  membership  was  51,91-1.  By  1886,  at  the  peak  of 
its  power,  its  membership  had  risen  to  700,000. -'^  The  National 
organization  had  worked  for  the  passage  of  the  Chinese  Exclu- 


19  The  Chinese  Massacre,  p.  15. 

20  Hacker,    L.   M.    and    Kendrick,   B.   B.      The    United    States   since 
1865,   pp.   226-227. 


52  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

sion  Act  in  Congress  in  1882.21  Its  activity  in  Rock  Springs 
seems  to  go  back  to  1883. ^^ 

Was  sentiment  along  the  line  of  the  Union  Pacific,  coupled 
with  the  organized  effort  of  the  Knights  of  Labor,  power- 
ful enough  to  force  the  Union  Pacific  to  abandon  Chinese 
labor?  Was  the  Union  Pacific  justified  in  bringing  in  Chinese 
laborers  in  the  first  place?  Before  these  questions  are  an- 
swered, it  may  be  well  to  review  briefly  the  conflict  over 
Chinese  labor  from  its  beginning. 

Chinese  migration  to  the  United  States  began  with  the 
California  gold  discovery  in  1848.  White  men  busy  looking 
for  gold  were  glad  to  leave  menial  tasks  to  the  Chinese.  Con- 
gress prohibited  the  importation  of  Chinese  coolies  in  1862, 
but  many  were  brought  in  for  construction  work  on  the  Pacific 
railways.  As  more  white  laborers  migrated  to  California, 
trouble  with  the  Chinese  developed.  Although  there  was  some 
anti-Chinese  feeling  in  California,  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment ignored  this  and  signed  the  Burlingame  Treaty  with 
China  in  1868.  Most-favored-nation  treatment  was  granted 
to  Chinese  subjects  in  the  United  States,  although  they  were 
denied  the  right  of  naturalization.  Friction  in  California 
continued.  This  led  to  the  modification  of  the  Burlingame 
Treaty  in  1880  to  the  extent  that  China  recognized  the  right 
of  the  United  States  to  regulate,  limit,  or  suspend  Chinese 
immigration  whenever  it  was  deemed  necessary.  In  1882 
under  the  terms  of  this  treaty  Chinese  immigration  was  sus- 
pended for  ten  years.  ^^  Later  this  exclusion  became  permanent. 

In  Wyoming  Territory  friction  between  whites  and  Chi- 
nese came  later  than  in  California.  The  mines  at  Rock  Springs 
had  been  worked  exclusively  by  whites  until  1875  when  a 
strike  occurred.  Spokesmen  for  the  Union  Pacific  contended 
that  the  white  miners  Avere  most  unreasonable  in  their  de- 
mands at  that  time.  According  to  the  company  records  the 
miners  were  receiving  one  dollar  per  ton  and  demanded 
twenty-five  cents  more  per  ton.  Mr.  Glafcke,  editor  of  the 
Cheyenne  Leader,  in  1885,  who  was  much  opposed  to  Chinese 
labor,  nevertheless  was  of  the  opinion  that  the  demands  of 
the  white  miners  in  1875  had  forced  the  Company  to  bring  in 
Chinese.  Glafcke  wrote:  "But  if  the  white  men  will  not 
dig   the  company's   coal   for  pay,   who   will   blame   the   com- 


21  Moiison,  S.  E.,  and  Commager,  H.  S.,  The  Growth  of  the  Amerj- 
ean  Eepublic,  Vol.  II,  p.  155. 

22  Judging    from    testimony    of    O.    C.    Smith,    House    Eeports,    loe. 
cit.,  p.   12. 

23  Stephenson,  G.  M.  American  History  Since  1865,  p.  121  ff. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  53 

pany  for  hiring  yellow,  black,  or  red  men,  who  are  ready  and 
willing  to  do  what  white  men  will  not  do  ? "  ^^ 

About  150  Chinese  laborers  were  brought  to  Rock  Springs 
in  1875,  and  more  later,  by  the  firm  of  Beckwith,  Quinn  & 
Company,  which  thereafter  furnished  miners  of  all  nationali- 
ties for  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  and  took  care  of  the  pay 
roll  for  both  whites  and  Chinese.  ^^  Striking  white  miners 
lost  their  jobs  in  1875.  Work  was  resumed  with  the  150  Chi- 
nese and  50  whites.  -^  In  following  years  the  numbers  of 
Chinese  and  whites  alike  were  increased.  Company  records 
indicate,  as  has  been  mentioned,  that  at  the  time  of  the  massa- 
cre there  were  150  whites  and  331  Chinese  employed  in  the 
mines,  ^7  figures  which  do  not  take  into  account  hundreds  of 
others  in  each  category  otherwise  employed.  Estimates  of 
the  number  of  Chinese  temporarily  driven  from  Rock  Springs 
vary  from  600  to  700.  No  doubt  many  of  the  whites  disliked 
the  Chinese  from  their  first  appearance  in  Rock  Springs,  and 
liked  them  less  as  they  became  more  numerous.  A  memorial 
signed  by  559  Chinese  residents  of  Rock  Springs  and  sent  to 
their  consul  at  New  York,  dated  September  18,  1885,  declared 
that  "While  they  knew  that  the  white  men  entertained  ill 
feelings  toward  them  the  Chinese  did  not  take  any  precau- 
tion *  *  *,  inasmuch  as  at  no  time  in  the  past  had  there  been 
any  quarrel  or  fighting  between  the  races.  ^^ 

Company  spokesmen  declared  that  until  the  massacre  rela- 
tions between  whites  and  Chinese  had  been  generally  peaceful. 
William  H.  O'Donnell,  foreman  of  the  Chinese  and  company 
storekeeper,  testified  that  in  ten  years  that  Chinese  had  been 
employed  in  the  mines  there  had  been  no  trouble  Avorth  men- 
tioning. -9  A.  C.  Beckwith,  member  of  the  firm  of  Beckwith, 
Quinn  &  Company,  testified  that  there  had  never  been  any 
complaint  by  the  white  men  against  the  employment  of  Chi- 
nese, and  that  there  had  been  the  best  of  feeling  between  the 
two  races  working  in  the  mines.  ^° 

Territorial  newspapers  took  the  attitude  that  the  presence 
of  Chinese  miners  was  a  serious  threat  to  the  well-being  of 
the  white  miners.  The  Rock  Springs  Independent  reported 
that  feeling  had  been  growing  in  the  summer  of  1885.     The 


24  The   Chinese   Massacre,   p.   -iO. 

25  House  Reports,  loe.  cit.,  p.  13.  The  agreement  made  between 
Beckwith,  Quinn,  &  Company  and  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Company 
is  reproduced  in  full  in  The  Chinese  Massacre,  p.  41  ff. 

26  The  Chinese  Massacre,  p.  45. 

27  Ibid. 

28  House   Reports,  loc.  cit.,  p.  30. 

29  Ibid.,  p.  12. 

30  House   Reports,  loc.  cit.,  pp.   12-13. 


54  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Independent  declared  that  white  men  had  been  turned  off  the 
section  and  hundreds  could  not  get  work  while  the  Chinese 
were  shipped  in  by  the  car-load  and  given  work.  ^^  The 
Cheyenne  Tribune  reported:  "In  extenuation  of  their  action 
in  compelling  the  Chinese  to  leave  Rock  Springs  the  miaiers 
claim  they  were  driven  to  desperation  at  seeing  their  wives 
and  children  starving.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  riot 
should  have  occurred,  but  it  must  be  hard  to  starve  when  food 
is  within  reach.  "^^  The  Laramie  Boomerang  called  to  mind 
that  some  time  before,  when  the  Union  Pacific  company  re- 
duced the  hours  of  their  employees,  notices  had  been  posted 
at  various  points  between  Ogden  and  Laramie,  demanding 
the  immediate  discharge  of  all  Chinamen.  "This  order,  as  has 
usually  been  the  case,"  the  Boomerang  continued,  "was  dis- 
obeyed and  the  result  has  been  a  most  serious  one.  *  *  *"33 

The  assorted  evidence  submitted  by  the  Chinese  ambassa- 
dor, Cheng  Tsao  Ju,  to  Secretary  of  State  Bayard  attempted 
to  show  that  most  of  the  complaints  against  the  Chinese  were 
unjustified. 3^  The  Chinese  Consul  at  San  Francisco,  who 
collected  most  of  the  material  for  the  ambassador,  reported 
that  the  Chinese  were  paid  the  same  rate  per  ton  as  white 
miners  received  for  taking  coal  out,  and  that  whites  and  Chi- 
nese worked  upon  the  same  terms,  and  were  governed  by  the 
same  regulations.  The  Chinese  miners,  he  contended,  had 
always  been  law-abiding  and  peaceful.  The  one  offense  which 
the  Chinese  consul  recognized  was  the  refusal  of  Chinese 
miners  to  join  the  whites  in  strike.  The  refusal  of  the  Chinese 
to  join  the  Knights  of  Labor  made  it  probable  that  .strikes 
could  not  be  successful.  It  was  this,  the  consul  said,  that  led 
directly  to  the  decision  that  the  Chinese  would  have  to  be 
expelled  from  all  the  mines  along  the  Union  Pacific. 

The  contention  of  the  Chinese  ambassador  that  the  Chi- 
nese did  not  under-cut  the  white  miners  was  based  upon  the 
statements  of  the  company  officials.  A.  C.  Beckwith,  although 
he  maintained  that  the  wages  were  the  same,  admitted  that 
the  earnings  of  a  Chinese  miner  averaged  $3  a  day,  while 
white  miners  averaged  from  three  to  four  dollars.  ^^  The 
standard  price  was  seventy-four  cents  per  ton,  although  in 
some  cases  the  price  varied  from  seventy  to  eightj^-five  cents 
according  to  the  vein.  ^^  The  assumption  is  apparently  that 
the  whites  turned  out  more  work. 


31  Ibid.,  p.  21. 

32  Quoted  in  Laramie  Boomerang,  Sept.  5,  1885. 

33  Ibid.,   Sept.   3,  1885. 

34  House   Eeports,  loc.   cit.,  p.   3   ff . 

35  Ibid.,  p.   13. 

36  The   Chinese   Massacre,  p.   45. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  55 

Ralph  Zwicky,  manager  of  the  Rock  Springs  store  of 
Beekwith,  Quinn  &  Company,  mentioned  grievances  of  the 
white  miners,  such  as  pit-boss  favoritism  for  the  Chinese,  but 
denied  any  personal  knowledge  except  for  the  discharge  of 
one  boss  who  had  been  proved  guilty  of  selling  rooms. 

On  September  19,  1885,  soon  after  the  massacre,  Thomas 
Neasham,  chairman  of  the  Knights  of  Labor  Executive  com- 
mittee of  Employees  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railway,  asked  the 
removal  of  Chinese  from  the  system.  ^"^  In  behalf  of  the 
Knights  of  Labor  Neasham  submitted  a  report  charging  that 
the  white  miners  at  Rock  Springs  had  been  replaced  by  Chi- 
nese who  paid  mine  bosses  as  much  as  $100  for  their  places, 
had  been  made  to  work  where  Chinese  would  not  work,  had 
been  robbed  by  the  use  of  false  weights,  had  been  discharged 
because  they  refused  to  vote  for  Mrs.  Tisdel  for  school  super- 
intendent, and  had  been  compelled  to  buy  their  goods  from 
the  store  of  Beekwith,  Quinn  &  Company.  Besides  asking  the 
abandonment  of  Chinese  labor,  the  Knights  of  Labor  asked 
the  removal  of  Beekwith,  Quinn  &  Company,  and  D.  0.  Clark, 
general  superintendent  of  the  Coal  Department. 

The  general  manager  of  the  Union  Pacific,  S.  R.  Callaway, 
replied  in  terms  very  familiar  in  1939:  "When  the  company 
can  be  assured  against  strikes  and  other  outbreaks  at  the 
hands  of  persons  who  deny  its  owners  the  right  to  manage 
their  property,  it  may  consider  the  expediency  of  abandoning 
Chinese  labor ;  but  under  all  circumstances  and  at  any  cost 
or  hazard  it  will  assert  its  right  to  employ  whom  it  pleases 
and  refuse  to  ostracize  any  one  class  of  its  employees  at  the 
dictation  of  another. ' '  ^8  TJiig  uncompromising  attitude  was 
expressed  just  four  days  after  Charles  F.  Adams,  Junior, 
President  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railway  Company,  with  head- 
quarters in  Boston,  had  wired  Callaway:  "We  here  think  you 
too   timid.  "39 

It  was  then  the  intention  of  the  Union  Pacific  to  keep  the 
Chinese  at  work,  no  matter  how  loud  the  protests  became. 

(The  second  part  of  this  study,  which  will  appear  in  the  next 
issue  of  the  Annals,  will  carry  the  conflict  to  its  conclusion,  and  will 
consider  the  international  questions  raised  when  the  Chinese  Govern- 
ment claimed  damages.) 


37  House  Reports,  loc.  cit.,  p.  20. 

38  House  Reports,  loc.  cit.,  p.  21. 

39  The  Chinese  Massacre,  p.  71. 


56  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


HOW  FOET  WILLIAM,  NOW  FORT  LARAMIE, 
WAS  NAMED 

(A  Review) 

By  Dan  W.  Greenburg* 

While  it  has  always  been  related  that  Fort  William  (pres- 
ent Fort  Laramie)  was  named  for  William  L.  Sublette,  noted 
fur  trader  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  in  1834,  not  until  recently 
has  the  origin  of  the  naming  of  the  old  trading  post  been 
disclosed.  It  has  now,  authentically,  been  proven  that  it  was 
named  for  three  persons,  Sublette,  Anderson,  and  Patton, 
each  of  whose  first  names  were  William.  Anderson  was  a 
friend  of  Sublette's  and  joined  his  party  on  a  trip  to  Green 
E/iver  Rendezvous  in  1834,  while  Patton  was  a  clerk  in  the 
employ  of  Sublette,  Campbell  and  Fitzpatrick,  and  remained 
at  the  site  of  this  new  post  established  by  Sublette  and  his 
associates. 

Credit  for  the  research  into  this  intensely  interesting- 
sidelight  on  the  establishment  of  a  fur  trading  post  on  Lara- 
mie river  near  its  junction  with  the  North  Platte,  goes  to  the 
Historical  Department  of  the  University  of  Montana  and 
Albert  J.  Partoll,  who  edited  the  Anderson  Journals,  his 
review  of  which  appeared  in  one  of  the  1939  issues  of  the 
FRONTIER  AND  MIDLAND,  a  magazine  until  recently  pub- 
lished at  the  Montana  State  LTniversity,  Missoula. 

FRONTIER  AND  MIDLAND  MAGAZINE  devoted  con- 
siderable attention  to  a  research  of  the  fur  trading  days  and 
frequently  published  new  and  important  discoveries  dealing 
with  the  early  period  of  the  West.     Previously,  under  direc- 


^BIOGEAPHICAL  SKETCH— Daniel  W.  Greenburg  passed  away 
at  his  home  in  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  on  the  evening  of  January  1,  1940, 
following  a  heart  attack  with  which  he  was  stricken  earlier  in  the 
day,  and  thus  was  brought  to  a  close  a  useful  career  of  varied  ac- 
tivity, much  of  which  centered  around  his  avocation  of  historical  re- 
search. 

He  had  prepared  the  above  review  especially  for  the  ANNALS, 
which  was  only  one  of  his  many  gestures  of  cooperation  with  the  State 
Historical  Department  during  this  and  previous  administrations. 

Mr.  Greenburg  was  bom  in  Chicago,  in  April,  1876,  but  passed  forty 
years  of  his  life  at  Lewisto^vni,  Idaho,  before  coming  to  Wyoming  in 
1924.  He  managed  and  edited  a  number  of  newspapers  during  his  earlier 
life.  Originally  living  at  Casper,  Wyoming,  Mr.  Greenburg,  as  pub- 
licity director  for  the  Midwest  Kefining  Company,  edited  the  com- 
pany's magazine,  "The  Midwest  Eeview, "  until  early  in  1931,  when 
publication  was  suspended.  He  and  Mrs.  Greenburg  moved  to  Cheyenne 
in  1935,  following  the  former's  appointment  as  director-secretary  of 
the   State   Planning  Board,  which   he   held   until  its   consolidation   with 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  57 

tion  of  Prof.  Paul  F.  Phillips,  of  the  University  of  Montana, 
splendid  contributions  were  made  to  the  annals  of  early  West- 
ern Americana,  much  of  which  has  had  specific  interest  in  early 
Wyoming  history. 

The  late  feature,  "Anderson's  Narrative  of  a  Ride  to  the 
Kocky  Mountains  in  1834,"  is  full  of  impelling  interest  and 
throws  new  light  upon  Sublette's  activities  in  Wyoming. 
While  the  article  is  too  lengthy  to  reproduce  here,  our  readers 
will  be  keenly  interested  in  some  of  the  highlights  of  Ander- 
son's Journal.  As  an  "introduction"  Mr.  Partoll  discloses 
something  about  Anderson  in  the  following  manner : 

"William  Marshall  Anderson,  the  writer  of  this  inter- 
esting narrative,  came  to  the  far  western  region  as  a  guest 
of  the  William  L.  Sublette  expedition  of  the  Rocky  Mountain 
Fur  Company.  He  accompanied  the  Sublette  party  from 
Independence,  Missouri,  following  the  Kaw  river,  the  Blue 
and  the  North  Platte  rivers,  and  the  Sweetwater  river  to  the 
fur  trade  rendezvous  in  the  Green  River  valley  of  the  later 
state  of  Wyoming.  For  the  main  part  the  route  was  over  the 
famed  Old  Oregon  trail  of  the  pioneers. 

"The  narrative  here  presented  is  taken  from  Anderson's 
journal  of  May  28,  1834,  to  June  19,  1834,  which  relates  to 
his  journey  from  Chimney  Rock  in  Nebraska  to  the  Green  River 
rendezvous  in  Wyoming.  In  this  brief  interval  Anderson 
recorded  a  series  of  events  and  descriptions  worthy  of  serious 
consideration  among  the  records  of  western  American  expan- 
sion and  development.  Many  noted  figures  of  the  early  fron- 
tier are  mentioned  as  participants  in  this  fur  trade  venture, 
which  was  one  of  the  most  picturesque  in  the  history  of  the 
far  west. 


another  department  in  1939.  Eecently,  he  had  accepted  the  position  of 
district  census  supervisor  for  three  southern  Wyoming  counties,  with 
headquarters  at  Cheyenne. 

An  avid  student  of  State  and  "western  history,  on  which  he  was 
thoroughly  informed,  as  well  as  being  a  prolific  Avriter  and  contributor 
to  various  publications,  Mr.  Greenburg  was  active  in  promoting  a  greater 
appreciation  for  the  historical  values  of  the  State,  and  in  this  connec- 
tion he  is  credited  with  being  largely  responsible  for  creation  of  the 
Wyoming  Historical  Landmarks  Commission  by  the  State  Legislature. 
He  served  as  publicity  director  for  the  commission  for  several  years; 
also,  was  active  in  the  work  of  the  Oregon  Trail  Memorial  Association, 
of  which  he  was  a  regional  director,  and  at  the  National  Convention 
of  the  Association  at  Sacramento,  Calif.,  the  past  summer,  secured  the 
1940  convention  for  Wyoming,  the  conclave  to  be  held  in  the  Teton 
National  Park  at  the  Jackson  Lodge,  near  Moran,  in  August.  Coinci- 
dent with  his  death  came  announcement  from  eastern  headquarters  of 
the  Association  that  Mr.  Greenburg  had  been  elected  vice-president 
of   the    organization. 


58  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

''Anderson  left  his  home  in  Louisville,  Kentucky,  March 
11,  1834,  for  St.  Louis  and  continued  to  Independence,  Mis- 
souri, where  he  joined  the  Sublette  expedition,  which  left  for 
the  mountains  April  26.  He  returned  to  the  east  accompany- 
ing Thomas  Fitzpatrick  and  party  through  Council  Bluffs, 
September  11,  from  where  he  made  his  way  homeward  by 
way  of  St.  Louis  to  Louisville,  where  he  arrived  October  6." 

Mr.  PartoU  has  done  a  splendid  work  in  his  "footnotes" 
referring  to  the  published  parts  of  the  journal,  and  the  foot- 
notes are  as  interesting  as  is  the  original  narrative.  It  is 
unimportant  that  there  are  some  errors,  which  naturally  creep 
iuto  such  footnotes,  as  for  instance,  he  refers  to  Laramie,  the 
noted  trapper,  as  "Joseph"  which  of  course  is  an  error,  since 
his  name  was  "Jacques."  He  also  says  that  Laramie  was 
drowned  in  1821,  but  so  far  as  known  it  has  always  been  cur- 
rently thought  that  Laramie  M'^as  killed  by  Indians  and  his 
remains  lie  in  an  unmarked  grave  somewhere  along  the  Lara- 
mie river.  This,  however,  does  not  detract  in  the  least  from 
the  splendid  work  Mr.  Partoll  has  done  in  his  review  of  the 
Anderson  journal.  Another  footnote  gives  additional  light 
on  Anderson's  life,  indicating  his  fitness  to  observe  details 
on  such  a  journey.  A  man  of  education  and  culture,  he  had 
a  distinctive  style  in  writing  of  his  observations.    Partoll  saj^s : 

"William  Marshall  Anderson  was  born  June  24,  1807,  at 
Soldier's  Retreat,  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  was  the  son 
of  Colonel  Richard  Clough  Anderson  and  Sarah  Marshall. 
His  education  included  attendance  at  Transylvania  Institute 
at  Lexington,  where  he  continued  until  his  junior  year. 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  Chillicothe  and  Circleville,  Ohio,  were 
his  main  places  of  residence.  He  practiced  law  for  a  time 
and  was  later  engaged  in  farming.  In  1835  he  married  Eliza 
Ann  McArthur,  and  in  1857  following  the  death  of  his  first 
wife,  married  Ellen  Columbia  Ryan.  The  first  marriage  was 
blessed  with  four  boys  and  five  girls,  and  the  second  with 
three  boys  and  one  girl.  He  passed  away  at  Circleville,  Ohio, 
January  7,  1881,  leaving  a  distinguished  line  of  descendents. " 

It  is  further  disclosed  that  Anderson's  father,  by  his  first 
marriage,  was  a  brother-in-law  of  the  brothers  William  Allen 
Clark,  of  the  Lewis  and  Clark  expedition,  and  George  Rogers 
Clark,  Revolutionary  hero. 

Referring  to  the  founding  of  Fort  AVilliam,  Anderson's 
journal  is  quoted  as  of  May  31,  1834,  by  Mr.  Partoll  as  follows: 

"31st.- — This  evening  we  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  Lara- 
mie's Fork,  where  Capt.  (William  L.)  Sublette  intends  to 
erect  a  trader's  fort.  This  is  a  bright  and  rapid  stream  of 
water,  running  out  of  the  Black  Hills  from  the  South.  As 
soon  as  the  fort  is  planned  and  commenced  we  will  resume 


AXNALS  OF  WYOMIXG  59 

our  westward  march.  The  Black  Hills  are  spurs  of  the  great 
Bocky  Mountain  range,  and  derive  their  name  from  the  dark 
shadoAvs  which  the  cedar  and  pine  growing  upon  their  sides, 
forcibly  suggest."  Now  on  the  next  day  is  definitely  estab- 
lished that  it  was  June  1,  1834,  that  began  the  building  of 
Fort  William.    Here  is  Anderson's  account: 

"June  1st. — 1834. — This  day  we  laid  the  foundation  log 
of  a  fort,  on  Laramie 's  fork.  A  friendly  dispute  arose  between 
our  leader  and  myself,  as  to  the  name.  He  proposed  to  call 
it  Fort  Anderson,  I  insisted  on  calling  it  Fort  Sublette,  and 
holding  the  trump  card  in  my  hand,  (a  bottle  of  champagne 
was  about  to  claim  the  trick).  Sublette  stood  by,  cup  reversed, 
still  objecting  when  (William)  Patton  offered  a  compromise 
which  was  accepted,  and  the  foam  flew,  in  honor  of  Fort 
William,  which  contained  the  triad  prenames  of  clerk,  leader 
and  friend.  Leaving  Patton  and  fourteen  men  to  finish  tlie 
job,  we  started  upwards.  From  the  top  of  the  Black  Hills  I 
got  my  first  view  of  the  Kocky  Mountains — the  snow  covered 
mountains.  My  eyes  have  been  fastened  upon  them  all  day, 
and  at  night  I  am  not  sobered,  I  must  pen  down  my  mind 
bubbles. 

''My  first  thought  or  feeling  rather,  was.  Oh,  ye  toppling 
crags  of  ice,  "summoned  by  the  desperate  Manfred',"  to 
crush  him!  Wherein  are  ye  more  terrific,  more  magnificently 
grand !  See  towering  up  to  Heaven,  the  Kremlin  of  the  winter 
God!  Pillars  and  arches  of  gold  and  silver,  with  rose  dyed 
glories  of  the  setting  sun,  flashing  from  tower  to  tower.  There 
palaces  and  pyramids  of  christal  pierce  the  skies,  and  all 
around  mansions  of  parian  purity,  spotless  and  white  as  virgin' 
souls.  Other  portions  of  the  range,  not  entirely  wrapped  in 
snow,  were  ever  changing  in  form  and  color,  whilst  the  sum- 
mits were  sporting  with  broad  blades  of  light,  the  center  was 
darkened  by  moving  clouds,  which  like  the  mighty  billows 
surged  onward  and  upward,  or  rolled  back  with  resistless 
power,  as  if  to  tear  the  giant  Oregon  from  its  base.  To  me 
these  mimic  battles  of  clouds  and  mountains  are  supremely 
grand,  and  whether  serious  thoughts  or  wild  imaginings,  I 
write  them  down. 

"In  six  or  seven  hundred  miles  of  weary  travel,  we  have 
seen  no  trees,  save  here  and  there  a  cottonwood,  near  the 
banks,  or  on  some  island  on  the  Platte. 

"Marvels,  they  say.  will  never  cease,  but  the  marvel  of 
mar^^els  is  now  before  me.  This  muddy,  slow  and  sleepy 
(North)  Platte — this  water  cheat,  which,  for  so  many  days, 
we  have  seen  floating  downward,  impelled  by  its  own  weight 
— is  here,  one  of  the  mightiest  elements  of  the  earth.     It  has 


60  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

come  rushing  with  resistless  power,  over  barriers  of  granite 
rock,  and  bursting  and  breaking  through  the  Black  Hills, 
leaving  perpendicular  walls  eight  hundred  feet  on  either  side. 
I  feel  assured  I  shall  never  forget  the  grand  spectacle,  or 
cease  to  wonder  at  the  change.  I  shall  also  mark  this  day 
with  a  white  pebble,  for  another  cause:  I  killed  one  of  the 
fastest  of  fast  animals,  the  antelope.  Moore  calls  it  'the 
silver-footed  Antelope.'  Those  of  our  deserts  are  decidedly 
ebon-footed." 

Referring  to  the  establishment  of  Fort  William,  Partoll, 
in  a  footnote,  says:  "Anderson  gives  vital  facts  regarding  the 
beginning  of  this  trading  post.  Robert  Campbell  is  believed 
to  have  been  among  those  who  remained  to  help  with  its 
construction.  Fort  William  was  later  known  as  Fort  Laramie 
from  its  location,  and  was  shortly  acquired  by  the  American 
Fur  Company.  Another  post  by  the  same  name  was  later 
built  in  the  vicinity  and  became  the  property  of  the  United 
States  government  in  1849."  It  would  be  interesting  to  read 
the  detail  of  Anderson's  diary,  which  is  not  quoted  in  Par- 
toll's  review.  There  is  no  attempt  here  to  point  out  any 
deficiencies  in  Partoll 's  footnotes,  but  he  seems  to  have  lost 
sight  of  the  fact  that  "Fort  John"  was  another  name  given 
the  post  in  question.  Fort  John,  Fort  William  and  Fort 
Laramie,  each  and  all  of  them  w^ere  located  within  the  area 
of  present  Fort  Laramie,  now  once  again  in  the  title  of  the 
United  States  government.  Recently  the  writer  of  this  review 
came  into  possession  of  a  photographic  print  from  an  oil 
painting  of  "Sublette's  Fort"  made  in  1837  when  the  post 
was  in  charge  of  Lucien  Fontenelle  for  the  American  Fur 
Company,  and  undoubtedly  is  that  of  the  post  started  by 
Sublette  in  1834. 

The  Anderson  narrative  reviews  the  day  by  day  journey 
up  the  Platte  in  which  he  dwells  upon  the  scenic  beauties, 
the  wild  game  and  the  constant  lookout  for  Indians,  which 
he  terms  "Yellow-jackets."  He  has  crossed  the  Platte  in  the 
vicinity  of  Casper;  thence  on  towards  Red  Buttes,  which  he 
describes  in  his  inimitable  way.  He  tells  of  the  journey  across 
the  country  to  the  Sweetwater:  "Immense  numbers  of  buffalo 
are  in  sight,"  he  says,  and  then  he  regales  us  with  his  gastro- 
nomic estimate  of  buffalo  ribs,  hump  and  tongue,  all  the  most 
tender  and  delicious  delicacies.  What  he  took  for  "frost" 
turned  out  to  be  the  well  known  soda  lakes  near  the  Sweet- 
water, as  he  later  learned.  It  was  on  June  6th  that  he  reached 
"Rock  Independence,"  and  his  comment  is  worthy  of  repro- 
ducing here : 

"We  have  breakfasted  this  morning  at  the  base  of  Rock 
Independence.     There  are  few  places  better  known  or  more 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  61 

biteresting  to  the  mountaineer  than  this  huge  boulder.  Here 
they  look  for  and  often  obtain  information  of  intense  interest 
to  them.  On  the  side  of  the  rock  names,  dates  and  messages, 
written  in  buffalo-grease  and  powder,  are  read  and  re-read 
with  as  much  eagerness  as  if  they  were  letters  in  detail  from 
long  absent  friends.  Besides  being  a  place  of  advertisement, 
or  kind  of  trappers'  post  office,  it  possesses  a  reputation  and 
a  fame  peculiar  to  itself.  It  is  a  large,  egg-shaped  mass  of 
granite,  entirely  separate  and  apart  from  all  other  Mils,  or 
ranges  of  hills.  One  mile  in  circumference,  and  about  six  or 
seven  hundred  feet  high,  without  a  particle  of  vegetation,  and 
with  no  change  known  but  the  varying  sparkles  of  mica  which 
are  seen  by  day  and  by  tlie  moon  by  night. 

"Some  years  ago,  a  party  of  buffalo  killers  and  beaver 
skinners  celebrated  here  our  national  jubilee  on  the  great 
Fourth  of  July.  What  noise,  what  roar  of  powder  and  pomp 
of  patriotism  surrounded  and  echoed  from  this  eternal  monu- 
ment my  informant  did  not  say,  nor  can  I  imagine.  I  shall 
suppose  the  immortal  Declaration  was  talked  over,  Washing- 
ton toasted,  and  Rock  Independence  baptised  into  the  old 
confederacy. 

"We  are  now  in  a  very  dangerous  region,  and  our  motto  is, 
or  should  be,  'watch  and  pray.'  There  is  a  great  deal  of  the 
first  done,  I  know,  and  very  little  of  the  last  I  suspect.''  On 
this  same  day  Anderson  soars  in  eloquence  over  the  scenic  beau- 
ties of  the  region.  He  describes  his  journey  up  the  Sweetwater 
— through  the  ' '  narrow  gorge, ' '  which  must  have  been  at  Devil 's 
Gate ;  then  on  the  9th  the  party  find  ' '  fresh  horse  tracks, ' '  which 
they  followed  and  found  a  letter  sticking  in  a  twig  near  Fitzpat- 
rick's  "Cache."  It  was  from  Louis  Vasquez,  who  later  was  to 
become  a  partner  in  the  ownership  of  Fort  Bridger.  In  his 
narrative,  Anderson  says : 

"It  was  from  Lew  Vasquez,"  referring  to  the  letter,  "a 
great  favorite  of  the  mountaineers,  who  had  almost  been  given 
up  for  lost.  This  letter  was  his  resurrection.  He  was  much 
talked  of  today,  and  always  praised.  One  old  trapper  said 
'thank  God  he  lives,  and  I  shall  hear  his  merry  laugh  again.' 

On  the  same  day,  Anderson  muses:  "Today  I  drink  the 
waters  which  flow  into  the  Atlantic ;  tomorrow  I  shall  (luench 
my  thirst  from  fountains  which  send  their  tributaries  to  the 
Ocean  of  Peace  (Pacific).  We  have  had  a  restless,  sleepless, 
and  unhappy  night.  My  anxiety  is  particularly  great.  Our 
hunter  and  young  Walker,  the  grandson  of  ]\rajor  Christy  of 
St.  Louis,  have  not  returned.  I  have  ascended  all  the  highest 
hills,  and  eminences  around,  to  look  for  them.  Our  guns  have 
all  been  discharged,  but  no  response,  no  sign."  However,  next 
day's  notes  tell  that  12  miles  beyond  they  came  upon  the  men. 


62  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

who  were  calmly  awaiting  their  arrival.  Then  Anderson  de- 
scribes his  crossing  South  Pass  and  later  of  the  arrival  of  the 
party  at  the  Green  River  Rendezvous,  their  original  objective. 
For  a  number  of  succeeding  days  he  tells  of  the  life  at  the  ' '  Ren- 
dezvous" and  of  the  many  notables  in  the  peltry  traffic  encoun- 
tered, including  Major  Drips,  Vasquez,  Fitzpatrick,  John  Gray, 
Nathanial  Wyeth  and  many  Indian  chiefs. 

Space  forbids  quoting  more  extensively,  but  the  charm  of 
the  Anderson  Diary  intrigues  one  to  know  m.ore  of  the  man's 
life,  and  to  have  opportunity  to  read  the  more  full  and  complete 
diary.  In  his  last  footnote  in  relation  to  Anderson's  narrative, 
Mr.  Partoll  says : 

''Following  the  termination  of  the  rendezvous  some  days 
later,  Anderson  returned  east  with  a  party  under  Thomas  Fitz- 
patrick, with  memories  of  his  western  sojourn  preserved  in  his 
personal  notes.  He  had  participated  in  a  historic  expedition 
in  'pioineering  the  west'  and  had  seen  the  far  western  frontier 
when  the  pelt  of  the  beaver  and  the  peltries  of  the  fur  trade 
induced  men  to  brave  great  dangers,  while,  perhaps  uncon- 
sciously, leading  the  way  for  white  occupation  of  the  great 
wilderness  vaguely  shown  on  early  maps  as  the  territory  of 
Oregon. ' ' 


A  TRIP  TO  THE  YELLOWSTONE  AND  THE 
OREGON  COUNTRY  IN  1834 

By  Charles  Gauld,  III* 

A  century  ago  this  year  my  great-grandfather,  Wm.  Mar- 
shall Anderson,  made  a  trip  on  horseback  from  Kentucky  to 
Yellowstone  and  the  Oregon  Country.  A  native  of  Kentucky, 
he  was  the  nephew  of  the  great  John  Marshall.  Leaving  Louis- 
ville in  March,  1834,  he  went  to  St.  Louis  where  he  had  hoped 
to  join  the  dragoons  of  the  Pawnee-Pic  expedition  commanded 
by  his  relative  Gen.  Atkinson.  Although  he  had  a  letter  to 
General  Dodge  too,  this  did  not  work  out.  On  General  Atkin- 
son's advice  he  accepted  the  invitation  of  the  famed  fur  trader 
Capt.  Wm.  Sublette  to  accompany  him  to  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

The  party  left  St.  Louis  April  26,  1834,  for  a  rendezvous 
near  Lexington,  Missouri.  Wm.  Anderson  had  named  his  horse 
"Blackhawk"  because  of  the  participation  of  his  brother  Robert 
in    the    Blackhawk    campaign.      Later    Robert    Anderson    com- 

*  Charles  Gauld,  III  is  the  great  grandson  of  William  Marshall 
Anderson,  author  of  the  Journal  reviewed  in  the  preceding  article  by 
Dan  Greenburg.  This  article,  written  by  Mr.  Gauld,  is  a  resume  of 
his  great-grandfather's  journals,  edited  by  Albert  J.  Partoll,  and  was 
published  in  the  January,  1935,  issue  of  ''The  Washington  Historical 
Quarterly. ' ' 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  63 

manded  Fort  fcJumpter,  was  a  Union  General,  and  founded  the 
National  Soldiers'  Home  in  Washington,  D.  C.  Wm.  Anderson 
was  much  impressed  by  the  fertility  of  the  valley  between  St. 
Louis  and  Independence  which  he  said  was  ' '  now  the  very  verge 
of  civilization."   He  described  the  recent  Mormon  strife  there. 

On  M,ay  7,  1834,  the  party  camped  on  the  Kansas  river  at 
General  Marston  G.  Clark's  Indian  agency.  lie  and  Wm.  An- 
derson talked  of  mutual  friends  and  relatives.  Now  far  out  on 
the  Great  Plains,  the  group  crossed  the  Platte  and  headed  for 
the  Black  Hills.  On  June  1,  he  wrote,  "This  day  we  laid  the 
foundation  log  of  a  fort  on  Laramee's  fork."  He  and  Captain 
Sublette  each  wanted  to  name  it  for  the  other.  They  compro- 
mised, both  being  named  William,  and  so  Fort  William  was 
christened.  He  said  in  his  little  leather-bound  journal,  "From 
the  top  of  the  Black  Hills  I  got  my  first  view  of  the  Rocky  ]\Ioun- 
tains — the  snow-covered  mountains.  My  eyes  have  been  fastened 
on  them  all  day." 

In  the  Rockies  they  met  trappers  who  had  been  away  from 
civilization  for  from  three  to  twelve  years,  bringing  the  freshest 
news  in  three  years  to  one  band  of  French  and  American  trap- 
pers of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company.  On  June  14,  1834, 
Wm.  Anderson  raised  the  first  American  flag  seen  in  that  part 
of  the  Rockies,  to  the  cheers  of  the  fur-men. 

Wm.  Anderson  met  Nez  Perces  and  Flatheads  as  they  came 
into  Sublette's  camp  in  what  is  now  the  state  of  Idaho,  to  trade. 
One  chief  was  very  friendly  when  he  heard  Wm.  Anderson  was 
a  relative  of  the  explorer  William  Clark,  and  embraced  him, 
telling  him  of  his  boyhood  recollections  of  the  great  expedition. 
Wm.  Anderson's  blonde  hair  was  much  admired  by  the  Indians. 
The  same  Flathead  chief  who  remembered  Clark  gave  Wm. 
Anderson  a  grizzly  skin,  complete  with  head  and  claw^s. 

June  18,  he  wrote,  "Capt.  Wyeth  of  Boston  who  left  the 
settlements  ten  days  before  us,  came  into  camp  this  evening. 
He  is  on  his  way  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River,  where 
he  expects  a  vessel,  freighted  with  merchandise  to  be  exchanged 
for  furs,  salmon,  etc.  I  have  declined  an  invitation  to  accom- 
pany him,  although  his  return  trip  by  way  of  the  Sandwich 
Islands  is  a  strong  temptation.  I  think  I  am  far  enough  away 
from  home  for  this  time. ' ' 

"Mr.  Edward  Christy  of  St.  Louis  has  just  arrived  from 
Fort  Vancouver,  bringing  with  him  a  considerable  number  of 
Snakes  and  Nez  Perces."  Fifteen  hundred  Indians  were  en- 
camped around  Sublette  to  trade.  Sublette  met  an  old  friend 
"Rotten  Belly,"  a  Nez  Perce.  Both  had  been  wounded  together 
in  a  fight  against  the  terrible  and  hated  Blackfeet,  the  brave 
being  shot  in  the  bellv. 


64  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Wm.  Marshall  Anderson  noted  that  all  the  mountain  tribes 
had  a  similar  name  for  Americans,  it  being  the  native  word 
for  "long-knife,"  "sword,"  or  "big-blade."  He  described  In- 
dians, buffalo  herds  and  hunts,  scenery  of  mountain  and  plains, 
and  the  fur  trappers  and  traders  of  the  remote  Oregon  Country 
of  one  hundred  years  ago. 

My  grandfather.  General  T.  M.  Anderson,  for  whom  Mt. 
Anderson  in  the  Olympics  is  named,  served  at  many  frontier 
army  posts  before  commanding  Vancouver  Barracks,  Washing- 
ton,' from  1886  to  1898.  In  1898  he  led  half  of  the  forces  that 
captured  Manila,  being  the  first  American  general  to  command 
an  army  overseas. 

The  writer  is  at  present  engaged  in  the  study  of  History 
at  the  University  of  Washington. 


HUNTING  EXPERIENCES  OF  EARLY  DAYS 

(Excerpts  from  Diary  of  W.  A.  EICHAEDS*) 

"I  have  a  very  distinct  recollection  of  my  first  experience 
"vvith  a  herd  of  buffalo.  I  was  one  of  a  party  of  fourteen  travel- 
ing south  from  Fort  Kearney,  Nebraska,  on  foot,  with  two 
two-mule  teams  to  haul  our  camp  equipment  and  supplies. 

"We  had  reached  a  point  about  forty  miles  from  Fort 
Kearney  when,  about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  as  w^e  were 
driving  along  a  ridge  or  high  plateau,  with  a  little  valley  to 
the  west,  there  suddenly  appeared  on  the  summit  of  the  oppo- 
site ridge  to  the  west  of  the  valley  a  huge  black  line  about 
half  a  mile  long,  which  the  chief  of  the  party,  who  had  been 
on  the  plains  before,  informed  us,  was  a  herd  of  buffalo.  This 
ridge  was  about  half  a  mile  from  us,  and  we  were  about  oppo- 
site the  center  of  the  line.  It  w^as  apparent  that  with  our 
loaded  teams  it  would  be  impossible  to  get  beyond  the  line 
before  the  herd  would  be  upon  us.  Our  chief,  who  had  had 
experience  of  this  kind  before,  immediately  called  a  halt, 
directed  that  the  two  wagons  be  brought  up  close  together, 
one  behind  the  other,  and  that  the  mules  be  unhitched  and 


"NOTE — The  manuscript  from  which  these  excerpts  were  taken 
was  prepared  from  information  furnished  by  Mrs.  Alice  Eichards 
McCreery,  of  627  East  20th  Street,  Long  Beach,  California,  daughter 
of  Governor  W.  A.  Eichards,  author  of  the  diary,  and  is  on  tile  in  the 
State  Historical  Department.  Mrs.  McCreery,  whose  husband  was  the 
late  Eev.  Gnuy  W.  McCreeiy,  of  Long  Beach,  was  a  young  Avoman  of 
18  at  the  time  of  her  father's  inauguration  as  Governor  of  Wyoming,, 
and  served  as  his  private  secretary  during  the  entire  four  years  of 
his  term  of  office. 

Additional  information  which  brings  the  biographical  data  of  the 
Richards  family  up  to  date,  has  been  provided  recently  by  Mrs.  Mc- 
Creery and  is  also  on  file  in  the  Department. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  65 

placed  behind  the  wagons  opposite  the  side  from  which  the 
buffalo  were  coming,  and  securely  fastened  to  the  wheels. 
One  man  was  detailed  to  each  mule  to  keep  it  quiet  as  possible. 
Then  ten  of  us  were  instructed  to  take  as  many  cartridges  as 
we  could  put  in  our  pockets,  form  a  line,  go  out  and  meet  the 
buffalo,  and  try  to  split  them  and  keep  them  divided  until 
they  had  passed  the  wagons. 

"We  were  armed  with  Spencer  carbines,  which  shot  a 
59-calibre  bullet  with  a  charge  of  powder  much  too  light  for 
that  weight  of  lead  and  that  kind  of  game.  There  was  a 
magazine  in  the  stock  which  would  carry  seven  cartridges, 
and  a  lever  which  was  used  in  the  same  manner  in  which  the 
Winchester  lever  is  used  today.  After  the  magazine  was 
exhausted  the  gun  could  be  used  as  a  single  shotgun  is,  loaded 
from  the  breach  by  hand.  We  went  out  some  three  hundred 
yards  from  the  wagons  and  began  to  shoot.  At  that  time  the 
rear  end  of  the  herd  had  not  come  over  the  opposite  ridge, 
so  that  we  were  facing  a  mass  of  buffalo  half  a  mile  long  on 
the  front  and  extending  at  least  as  far  back,  the  animals 
packed  as  solidly  together  as  it  was  possible  for  them  to 
stand,  and  coming  at  what  was  only  a  fast  walk  until  we 
began  shooting,  when  they  broke  into  a  gallop.  It  was  impos- 
sible for  us  to  stop  them  as  those  in  front  were  urged  forward 
by  those  behind,  and  the  crowding  extended  clear  to  the  rear. 
The  front  of  the  line  presented  a  terrifying  appearance  to  a 
boy  who  had  never  fired  a  gun  at  anj'^thing  larger  than  a 
rabbit.  It  seemed  to  be  a  solid  mass  of  black  heads,  horns 
and  humps,  and  extended  as  far  as  we  could  see  in  every 
direction  in  front  of  us. 

"I  remember  very  distinctly  that  when  I  fired  my  first 
shot,  the  front  of  the  line  being  about  a  hundred  yards  from 
us,  I  thought  I  had  certainly  struck  a  horn.  I  did  not  then 
know  that  one  could  hear  a  bullet  strike  a  body  of  flesh  at 
that  distance  but  when  I  had  fired  several  shots  and  heard 
them  all  strike  I  knew  I  was  hitting  something  other  than 
horns.  At  that  particular  moment  there  came  into  my  mind 
a  story  I  had  read  in  the  old  fourth  reader  at  school  of  an 
experience  of  this  kind,  in  which  old  Leather  Stocking, 
Cooper's  hero  in  his  story  of  "The  Prairie,"  was  the  central 
figure.  On  that  occasion  the  tide  had  been  turned  in  favor 
of  the  few  persons  about  to  be  overwhelmed  by  the  onrushing 
herd,  by  the  donkey  which  was  used  for  a  pack  animal  lifting 
up  his  voice  when  his  domain  had  been  encroached  upon.  As 
it  had  been  successful  on  that  occasion  I  thought  some  more 
noise  might  be  of  benefit  at  this  time,  and  having  pretty  good 
lungs,   I  exerted  them  to  the   utmost,  joined  at   once   by  the 


66  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

rest  of  the  firing  party.  My  theory  worked  out  all  right.  At 
any  rate,  the  noise  of  our  guns  and  voices,  with  what  execu- 
tion our  bullets  were  doing,  caused  the  herd  to  divide  and 
pass  on  either  side  of  us;  but  we  soon  found  ourselves  in  a 
very  precarious  situation. 

"When  the  herd  was  first  split  the  buffalo  could  see  as 
v^ell  as  hear  us  and  veered  off  either  way,  but  those  who  were 
following  created  such  a  noise  themselves  and  raised  such  a 
cloud  of  dust  that  they  could  hardly  see  or  hear  as,  and  soon 
began  to  crowd  in  on  us  in  a  manner  exceedingly  disquieting. 
We  could  see  nothing  except  a  black  mass,  which  now  almost 
surrounded  us,  and  was  being  forced  backward  and  in  upon 
itself  to  such  an  extent  that  it  became  very  doubtful  whether 
we  were  going  to  be  successful  in  our  effort.  Of  course,  if 
we  failed  here,  it  meant  that  we  would  be  trampled  under 
foot  and  the  entire  party,  as  well  as  the  outfit,  literally  wiped 
off  the  face  of  the  earth.  What  with  our  shooting  and  shout- 
ing and  the  terrific  noise  of  the  herd  and  the  excitement  of 
the  occasion  there  was  little  time  to  figure  on  the  probability. 
We  only  knew  that  we  had  been  forced  into  a  solid  line,  and 
were  simply  splitting  the  herd  because  we  would  not  double 
up  or  give  way  on  either  end.  We  had  been  giving  back, 
foot  by  foot,  for  what  seemed  to  me  a  very  long  time,  had 
very  few  cartridges  left,  and  it  was  becoming  evident  we 
could  not  stand  the  strain  much  longer.  Just  then  our  backs 
came  in  contact  with  the  wagon,  and  at  almost  the  same 
instant  we  saAv  daylight  ahead  of  us,  and  there  was  the  end 
of  the  herd.  Those  at  the  wagon  said  that  for  more  than 
half  an  hour  they  had  been  entirely  surrounded  by  buffalo, 
as  the  herd  had  united  as  soon  as  the  wagons  were  passed. 
The  chief  of  our  party  declared  that  in  ten  years'  work  on 
the  plains  this  was  the  closest  shave  he  ever  had  had  from 
being  annihilated  by  buffalo.  The  most  remarkable  thing 
about  the  whole  affair  was  that  when  the  herd  had  passed 
and  the  dust  had  settled  there  were  only  two  dead  buffalo 
l^dng  upon  the  plains,  while  more  than  300  shots  had  been 
fired.  With  such  guns  as  are  used  today  for  hunting  purposes 
a  large  proportion  of  the  shots  Avould  have  killed.  With  the 
guns  Avhicli  we  were  using,  a  shot  in  the  head  from  the  front 
would  not  even  knock  a  buffalo  down. 

"Having  a  small  supply  of  water  in  our  wagons,  we 
camped  at  this  place,  but  got  very  little  sleep,  as  the  herd 
stopped  within  a  short  distance  of  us  and  spent  the  night 
there.  On  account,  doubtless,  of  the  wounded  buffalo  and 
the  smell  of  fresh  blood  they  were  in  a  state  of  turmoil  all 
night  while  the  wolves,  both  coyotes  and  the  large  gray 
wolves,    kept    up    an    incessant    howling    all   night    long.      In 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  67 

addition  to  these  unpleasant  features  there  was  the  constant 
fear  of  a  stampede  of  the  herd  in  our  direction  again.  This 
did  not  occur,  however,  and  we  moved  on  the  next  morning 
in  good  order  with  a  plentiful  supply  of  buffalo  meat,  the 
first  we  had  obtained  upon  the  trip. 

"This  was  my  introduction  to  buffalo  hunting,  of  which 
J.  did  a  great  deal  during  the  next  few  years.  In  that  time 
I  saw  herds  of  buffalo  larger  than  this  herd,  but  we  were 
always  so  fortunate  as  not  to  get  in  their  line  of  march. 

"The  buffalo  is,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  a  docile 
animal,  neither  aggressive  nor  combative,  but  I  had  some 
experiences  with  them  which  went  to  show  that  when  aggra- 
vated they  are  exceedingly  dangerous.  I  found  that  ordinarily 
a  buffalo,  like  any  other  wild  animal  with  which  I  have  had 
experience,  including  the  grizzly  bear,  would  run  from  a 
hunter  if  given  the  opportunity,  and  when  wounded  it  would 
not  ordinarily  charge  a  man  from  a  greater  distance  than 
about  fifty  yards.  Upon  one  occasion  I  met  one  which  was 
an  exception  to  this  rule.  I  was  hunting  on  foot  with  a 
Henry  rifle,  which  was  the  first  model  of  the  Winchester. 
Buffaloes  were  not  plentiful  in  that  locality,  but  finally  I 
sighted  an  old  bull  lying  on  the  plain ;  there  was  nothing 
within  half  a  mile  of  him  to  conceal  a  hunter.  Hunting  on 
foot,  I  needed  meat  badly  and  could  not  afford  to  let  this  old 
fellow  get  away.  I  worked  around  directly  behind  him  and 
then  advanced  toward  him.  Buffaloes  are  not  very  wary  when 
lying  down,  and  I  approached  to  within  about  a  hundred  and 
fifty  yards,  when  I  concluded  I  was  as  close  as  I  cared  to 
be  and  so  took  a  shot  at  him. 

"When  lying  down,  a  buft'alo's  back  slopes  considerably 
on  account  of  its  forequarters  being  so  much  the  heavier, 
and  my  bullet  struck  this  sloping  surface  on  a  rib,  made  a 
slit  in  the  skin,  and  did  no  further  damage.  The  old  fellow 
jumped  up  and  started  to  run  at  right  angles  to  the  line  T 
was  following,  giving  me  a  good  shot  at  his  side.  I  fired,  but 
having  underestimated  the  distance,  the  ball  dropped  and 
struck  him  just  above  the  hoof  of  the  foreleg.  Although  I 
found  subsequently  that  this  ball  broke  no  bones,  it  had  a 
very  bad  effect  upon  his  temper,  for,  to  my  great  surprise, 
he  turned  and  came  straight  toward  me. 

"I  would  have  liked  to  have  gone  somewhere,  but  the 
plain  extended  for  a  mile  in  every  direction  without  a  break. 
and  I  could  not  outrun  him  for  that  distance.  There  was 
nothing  for  it  but  to  hold  my  ground  and  shoot,  which  T 
proceeded  to  do,  and  I  was  much  gratified  to  see  that  I 
retained  my  nerve,  for  I  could  hear  every  ball  strike  him. 
He  came  on  without  any  hesitation  and  I  kept  shooting  as 


68  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

fast  as  possible,  but  after  a  few  shots  became  very  much 
alarmed  respecting  the  number  of  cartridges  remaining  in 
the  magazine.  I  had  not  time  to  look  to  see  whether  I  was 
throwing  in  a  cartridge  every  time  I  threw  down  the  lever, 
and  every  time  I  pulled  it  was  with  a  sickening  feeling  of 
uncertainty  as  to  whether  the  gun  was  loaded  or  not.  Aside 
from  this  I  was  getting  a  little  bit  doubtful  of  the  propriety 
of  holding  the  fort  much  longer,  when  just  as  I  was  about 
to  pull  the  trigger  for  another  shot,  he  suddenly  stopped. 
He  was  near  enough  so  that  I  could  have  thrown  my  hat 
upon  his  horns.  I  had  determined  to  fire  that  shot  and  then 
turn  the  fight  into  a  foot  race,  and  I  was  consequently  very 
much  displeased  when  he  showed  a  disposition  to  call  it  a 
draw.  I  did  not  fire  again  because  I  felt  morally  certain  I  had 
the  last  cartridge  in  the  gun;  besides  this,  the  shot  was  as 
apt  to  start  him  forward  as  to  do  him  any  injury,  and  I  was 
very  certain  I  had  had  enough  of  it,  so  I  stood  there  holding 
the  gun  on  him  but  hoping  that  it  would  not  be  necessary 
to  fire. 

''He  certainly  presented  the  most  terrifying  aspect  of  any 
animal  I  had  ever  faced.  He  was  of  immense  size,  had  been 
shot  several  times  where  it  brought  the  blood,  was  standing 
with  his  feet  slightly  apart,  his  head  somewhat  lowered  as 
though  he  would  like  to  charge  me,  with  blood  and  foam 
running  from  his  mouth  and  nostrils  while  he  sent  forth  a 
low  bellow  of  rage.  This  situation  did  not  last  long.  He  had 
come  just  as  far  as  he  could  and  had  stopped,  not  because 
he  was  afraid  of  me,  but  because  he  could  not  come  a  step 
farther.  He  stood  there  and  glared  and  bellowed  until  he 
began  to  waver  a  little  from  one  side  to  the  other.  Suddenly 
he  went  down.    He  was  dead  when  I  reached  him. 

''I  found  two  or  three  bullets  in  his  foretop  or  flattened 
on  his  skull,  while  the  ball  which  killed  him  had  passed  along 
the  side  of  his  neck  and  had  entered  his  body  between  the 
neck  and  the  shoulder  blade.  But  for  that  one  fortunate  shot 
this  story  would  probably  have  had  an  entirely  different 
ending. ' ' 


' '  Here  is  another  hunting  experience  of  those  early  days : 
"In  1873  I  was  hunting  on  Sheep  mountain  in  southern 
"Wyoming.     On  its  summit,  near  the  Little  Snake  River,  there 
is  a  well  defined  crater,  now  closed  at  the  bottom  and  over- 
grown with  grass. 

"Here  I  came  on  a  small  band  of  mountain  sheep,  which 
immediately  disappeared  over  the  farther  rim  of  the  crater. 
Crossing  over  after  them  and  looking  down  the  side  of  the 
mountain  which  was  a  mass  of  broken  rock  without  timber, 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  69 

I  saw  the  sheep  strung  out,  working  their  way  around  the 
mountain  side,  about  two  hundred  yards  below  me.  The  last 
in  line  was  a  young  buck,  who  stopped  and  gazed  up  the 
mountain  with  an  evident  desire  to  come  back.  Resting  my 
gun  across  a  large  boulder,  I  took  deliberate  aim  just  behind 
the  knuckle  of  the  shoulder  and  fired.  To  my  great  surprise 
he  fell  as  though  electrocuted.  There  was  scarcely  a  struggle, 
and  I  could  not  imagine  where  I  had  hit  him.  If  shot  through 
the  heart  he  would  have  darted  forward  a  few  yards  at  least. 
With  a  broken  back  he  could  still  struggle ;  but  he  lay  per- 
fectly still.  It  was  no  easy  task  to  get  down  to  him,  for  he 
lay  on  a  slide  of  shale  which  was  just  about  as  steep  as  a 
m.an  could  travel  on. 

"At  last  I  reached  him  and  took  hold  of  a  hind  leg, 
when  it  seemed  the  whole  side  of  the  mountain  had  started 
for  a  lower  altitude.  Naturally  I  at  once  sat  down.  I  retained 
my  hold  on  the  leg  of  the  sheep  with  my  left  hand,  and  was 
therefore  unable  to  protect  myself  much.  Some  of  the  rocks 
were  exceedingly  sharp. 

"In  the  toboggan  race  the  sheep  was  ahead  part  of 
the  time,  and  the  other  part  I  was  ahead.  The  inevitable 
precipice  lay  before  us,  but  the  grade  changed  somewhat  in 
our  favor,  and  we  stopped  just  in  time  to  escape  a  plunge  that 
would  have  been  disastrous. 

"I  was  not  hurt,  to  speak  of,  but  some  portions  of  my 
clothing  were  decidedly  the  worse  for  wear.  The  sheep  was 
considerably  skinned  up  and  had  left  quite  a  trail  of  hair 
down  the  mountainside. 

"My  first  thought  was  to  see  where  he  had  been  hit. 
He  had  stood  with  his  left  side  toward  me,  and  examination 
sliowed  he  had  been  struck  just  where  I  had  aimed.  The 
ball,  from  a  50-calibre  needle  gun,  had  not  only  gone  through 
his  heart  but  entirely  through  his  body;  yet  that  should  not 
have  killed  him  instantly.  On  examination  of  his  horns, 
which  were  not  unusually  large,  the  secret  was  revealed. 
The  bullet  had  gone  through  his  head  just  above  the  eyes, 
but  had  gone  out  at  the  left. 

"It  was  evident  that  just  as  I  fired  he  had  thrown  his 
head  around  on  his  side,  exactly  in  the  line  of  sight,  and  the 
ball  had  first  gone  through  his  brain,  then  through  his  heart. 

"No  wonder  he  dropped  dead.  Probably  few  animals 
have  ever  been  shot  sidewise,  through  the  head  and  through 
the  body  at  one  shot  and  with  one  bullet." 


70  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


BASIC  HISTORICAL  INFORMATION  THAT  EVERY 
WYOMING  CITIZEN  SHOULD  KNOW 

Name 

The  musical  name,  ''Wyoming,"  was  used  by  J.  M.  Ash- 
ley, of  Ohio,  who,  "as  early  as  1865,"  introduced  into  Congress 
a  bill  to  provide  a  temporary  government  "for  the  territory  of 
"Wyoming,"  to  be  formed  from  portions  of  Dakota,  Utah,  and 
Idaho  Territories.  The  bill  was  referred  to  the  committee  on 
territories  where  it  rested  until  1868,  when  Dakota's  regularly 
elected  delegate,  S.  L.  Spink,  presented  himself  at  the  door  of 
Congress,  and  while  not  being  permitted  a  seat,  he  was  able  to 
' '  refresh  the  memories  of  the  territorial  committee. ' '  Others 
active  in  sponsoring  organization  of  the  new  territory,  attached 
the  name  "Wyoming,"  to  their  proposals,  though  credit  for 
popularizing  the  idea  is  given  by  Historian  Coutant  to  Leigh 
Richmond  Freeman,  publisher  of  a  newspaper,  "The  Pioneer 
Index,"  at  Fort  Kearney,  Nebraska.  "He  had  numerous  ar- 
ticles in  his  'Pioneer  Index'  advocating  the  name  and  there  is 
no  doubt  that  such  editorial  work  had  its  effect  on  the  people 
in  this  country  and  those  who  afterwards  inserted  the  name  in 
the  bill  creating  Wyoming  Territory."  Mr.  Coutant  records 
Freeman's  claim  that  he  was  the  first  to  apply  the  name  to  the 
"southwest  half  of  Dakota,"  when  "in  the  spring  of  1866, 
while  enroute  from  Fort  Kearney,  Nebraska,  to  Fort  Laramie 
to  attend  a  Peace  Conference,  he  wrote  a  letter  for  publication, 
to  his  paper  and  dated  this  correspondence,  'Third  Crossing 
of  Lodge  Pole  Creek,  Wyoming  Territory".'  " 

The  name  Wyoming  is  probably  an  imprint  left  by  emi- 
grants on  their  westward  trek  from  Wyoming  Valley,  Pennsyl- 
vania, made  famous  by  Campbell's  beautiful  poem,  "Gertrude 
of  Wyoming."  The  word  means  mountains  and  valleys  alter- 
nating, while  the  Delaware  Indian  interpretation  of  it  is  a  cor- 
ruption of  Maugh-wau-wa-ma,  meaning  ' '  The  Large  Plains. ' ' 

Nickname 

First  to  grant  woman  suffrage,  Wyoming  is  known  as  the 
"Equalitv  State" — and  is  sometimes  called  the  "Sagebrush 
State." 

State  Flag 

The  Wyoming  State  flag,  designed  by  ]\Irs.  Verna  Keays, 
of  Buffalo,  Wyoming,  was  adopted  by  the  fourteenth  legislature 
on  January  31,  1917. 

Submitted  in  a  contest  conducted  by  the  Daughters  of  the 
American  Revolution,  it  was  selected  from  thirtv-seven  entrants. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  71 

The  original  sketch  was  received  from  the  artist  by  the  State 
Historical  Department  a  few  years  after  its  adoption,  and  is  on 
display  in  the  State  Museum. 

The  following  legend  of  the  flag  was  written  by  Mrs.  Keays : 

"The  Great  Seal  of  the  State  of  Wyoming  is  the  heart  of  the  flag. 

' '  The  seal  of  the  bison  represents  the  truly  western  custom  of 
branding.     The  bison  was  once  'monarch  of  the  plains.' 

"The  red  border  represents  the  Red  Men,  who  knew  and  loved  our 
country  long  before  any  of  us  were  here;  also,  the  blood  of  the  pioneers 
who  gave  their  lives  in  reclaiming  the  soil. 

"White    is    an    emblem    of   purity    and    uprightness    over    Wyoming. 

"Blue,  which  is  found  in  the  bluest  of  blue  Wyoming  skies  and  the 
distant  mountains,  has  through  the  ages  been  significant  of  fidelity, 
justice  and  virility. 

"And  finally,  the  red,  the  white,  aird  the  blue  of  the  flag  of  the 
State  of  Wyoming  are  the  colors  of  the  greatest  flag  in  all  the  world, 
the   Stars  and   Stripes  of  the   United  States   of   America. ' ' 

State  Bird 

Meadow  Lark 

By  an  act  of  the  nineteenth  legislature,  the  Meadow  Lark 
was  designated  as  the  State  Bird  on  February  5,  1927. 

From  the  imagination  of  Hazel  Harper  Sample  Pickett 
has  come  one  version  as  to  how  the  choice  originally  was 
made.  In  a  juvenile  story  by  the  author  which  appeared  in 
the  July,  1931,  issue  of  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING,  and  pre- 
vious to  that,  in  The  Pepper  Pot,  Vol.  I,  No.  23,  April,  1930, 
and  since  ceased  publication — Mother  Nature  called  all  the 
birds  of  the  State  together  and  told  them  of  the  proposal  by 
the  people  to  select  one  of  them  for  the  honor  of  being  the 
official  State  Bird. 

There  was  a  general  commotion  among  the  birds,  the 
noisiest  of  which  was  Sir  Robert  Magpie,  who  did  nothing 
but  talk,  talk.  Order  was  soon  restored  and  Mother  Nature 
outlined  the  requirements:  "First,  the  chosen  one  must  be 
found  in  every  county  of  the  State.  Next,  he  must  be  useful 
and  beautiful.  Then  he  must  come  very  early  in  the  spring 
and  stay  as  late  as  possible  in  the  fall.  Lastly,  he  must  have 
a  beautiful  voice,  for  he  must  cheer  the  people  who  have 
endured  the  long,  cold  winter  and  are  looking  for  spring." 
The  conceited  Mr.  Magpie  voted  for  himself,  but  the  sweet- 
voiced  Meadow  Lark  won  the  election  in  Bird-dom.  His 
song  is  "Spring  o'  the  year!  Spring  o'  the  year!"  "'Now 
Mother  Nature  has  a  way  of  suggesting  things  to  human 
beings,  *  *  *"  and  the  sequel  of  the  story  is  that  when 
those  people  met  "whose  business  it  was  to  select  the  State 
Bird,  they,  too,  agreed  on  the  Meadow  Lark.  So  that  is  how 
the  Meadow  Lark  came  to  be  the  State  Bird  of  AVvoming. " 


72  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

State  Flower 

The  Indian  Paint  Brush 

(Castillija  Linariaefolia) 

The  Indian  Paint  Brush  was  adopted  by  act  of  the  four- 
teenth legislature  on  January  31,  1917,  to  which  the  poetical 
pen  of  A.  V.  Hudson  has  addressed  the  following  lines : 

A  strange  little  flower 

With  a  sun-kissed  nose, 
Without  any  perfume, 

Yet  red  as  a  rose. 
Did  some  Indian  maiden 

Plant  you  here 
In    the    footprint    left 

By  the  hoof  of  a  deer? 
Or   are  you   the   symbol 

Of  blood  that  was  shed 
In  the  feud  of  the   white  man 

And  the  red? 

State  Seal 

A  seal  for  "Wyoming  was  adopted  February  8,  1893,  and 
the  dimensions  were  reduced  by  an  act  of  the  sixteenth  legis- 
lature, approved  February  15,  1921,  as  follows : 

' '  There  shall  be  a  great  seal  of  the  State  of  Wyoming,  which  shall 
be  of  the  following  design,  viz.:  A  circle  one  and  one-half  inches  in 
diameter,  on  the  outer  edge  of  rim  of  which  shall  be  engraven  the 
words  '  Great  Seal  of  the  State  of  Wyoming, '  and  the  design  shall  con- 
form substantially  to  the  following  description:  A  pedestal  showing  on 
the  front  thereof  an  eagle  resting  upon  a  shield,  said  shield  to  have 
engraven  thereon  a  star  and  the  figures  '44,'  being  the  number  of 
Wyoming  in  order  of  admission  to  statehood.  Standing  upon  the 
pedestal  shall  be  a  draped  figure  of  a  woman,  modeled  after  the  statue 
of  the  'Victory  of  the  Louvre,'  from  whose  wrists  shall  hang  links  of 
a  broken  chain,  and  holding  in  her  right  hand  a  staff  from  the  top  of 
which  shall  float  a  banner  with  the  words  'Equal  Eights'  thereon,  all  sug- 
gesting the  political  position  of  women  in  this  state.  On  either  side 
of  the  pedestal,  and  standing  at  the  base  thereof,  shall  be  male  figures 
typifying  the  live  stock  and  mining  industries  of  Wyoming.  Behind 
the  pedestal  and  in  the  background,  shall  be  two  pillars,  each  sup- 
porting a  lighted  lamp,  signifying  the  light  of  knowledge.  Around- 
each  pillar  shall  be  a  scroll  with  the  following  words  thereon:  On 
the  right  of  the  central  figure  the  words  'Live  Stock'  and  'Grain,'  and 
on  the  left  the  words  'Mines'  and  'Oil.'  At  the  base  of  the  pedestal 
and  in  front,  shall  appear  the  figures  '1869-1890,'  the  former  date  signi- 
fying the  organization  of  the  territory  of  Wyoming  and  the  latter  the 
date   of   its  admission  to   statehood. " 

The  original  seal  was  two  and  one-quarter  inches  in 
diameter. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  73 

State  Songf 
"Wyoming  March  Song"" 

Words  by  Charles  E.  Winter 

Music    (marcli)    by  George  E.   Knapp 


In   the  far  and  might   West, 

Where  the  crimson  sun  seeks  rest, 

There's  a  growing  splendid  state  that  lies  above 

On  the  breast  of  this  great  land; 

Where   the   massive   Rockies   stand, 

There's  Wyoming  young  and  strong,  the  State  I  love! 

II 

In  the   flowers  wdld  and  sweet. 

Colors,  rare  and  perfumes  meet; 

There  's  the  columbine  so  pure,  the  daisy  too, 

Wild  the  rose  and  red  it  springs, 

White  the  button  and  its  rings. 

Thou  art  loyal  for  they're  red  and  white  and  blue. 

Ill 

Where  thy  peaks  with  crowned  head, 

Rising  till  the  sky  they  wed, 

Sit  like  snow  queens  ruling  wood  and  stream  and  plain; 

'Neath  thy  granite  bases  deep, 

'Neath  thy  bosom's  broadened  sweep, 

Lie  the  riches  that  have  gained  and  brought  thee  fame. 

IV 

Other  treasures  thou  dost  hold. 

Men  and  women  thou  dost  mould; 

True  and  earnest  are  the  lives  that  thou  dost  raise, 

Strength  thy  children  thou  dost  teach, 

Nature's  truth  thou  givst  to  each. 

Free  and  noble  are  thy  workings  and  thy  ways. 


In  the  nation's  banner  free 

There 's  one  star  that  has  for  me 

A  radiance  pure  and  a  splendor  like  the  sun; 

Mine  it  is,  Wyoming's   star, 

Home  it  leads  me  near  or  far; 

O  Wyoming!  all  my  heart  and  love  you've  won! 

CHORUS 

Wyoming,  Wyoming!  Land  of  the  sunlight  clear! 

Wyoming,  Wyoming!  Land  that  we  hold  so  dear! 

Wyoming,  Wyoming!    Precious  art  thou  and  thine! 

Wyoming,  Wyoming!  Beloved  State  of  mine! 


74  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

History  of  State  Song 

During  the  summer  of  1903,  Charles  E.  Winter,  in  a 
mood  of  loneliness  for  his  friends,  family  and  beloved  State 
of  Wyoming-  while  traveling  in  the  east,  jotted  down  the 
five  verses  and  chorus  of  the  song,  "Wyoming."  Upon 
returning  to  his  home  in  the  then  "thriving  copper  mining 
camp.  Grand  Encampment,  in  southeastern  Carbon  County," 
the  lines  were  typed,  pigeon-holed  and  forgotten  for  several 
months,  but  later  were  perused  by  Earle  R.  Clemens,  editor 
of  the  Encampment  Herald,  who,  inspired  by  the  sentiment 
of  the  verses,  composed  the  first  music  for  the  song,  "for  a 
solo  verse  and  quartet  chorus,  and  later  a  quartet  arrange- 
ment for  the  entire  song." 

Soon  after,  the  song  was  introduced  at  Sheridan,  Wyo- 
ming, by  Mr.  Winter  and  Mr.  Clemens  in  a  quartet  of  which 
they  both  were  members,  before  the  convention  of  the  State 
Industrial  Association,  predecessor  of  the  Wyoming  State 
Fair  Association,  where  it  was  well  received  and  "declared 
to  be  the  State  Song."  It  was  also  presented  "with  marked 
success"  on  Wyoming  Day  at  the  World's  Fairs  held,  respec- 
tively, at  St.  Louis  in  1904,  and  at  Portland,  Oregon,  in  1905, 
and  again  at  the  Panama  Exposition,  San  Francisco,  Cali- 
fornia, in  1915. 

Early  in  1920,  George  E.  Knapp,  Professor  of  Voice  at 
the  State  University,  Laramie,  Wyoming,  composed  a  stirring 
tune  in  march  tempo,  which  immediately  popularized  the  song 
for  choruses  and  group  or  assembly  singing  and  secured  for 
it,  general  acceptance.  The  Ij^ric  is  the  same  in  both  compo- 
sitions, but  the  latter  was  published  under  title,  "Wyoming 
March  Song,"  and  may  be  obtained  from  Mr.  Winter  at 
P.  0.  Box  1266,  Casper,  Wyoming. 

Wyoming  Day 

An  act  of  the  twenty-third  legislature  designated  the 
tenth  day  of  December  in  each  year  as  "Wyoming  Day," 
provided  for  its  proper  observance  and  for  a  proclamation 
b}^  the  Governor,  "in  recognition  of  the  action  of  the  Wyo- 
ming Territorial  Governor  on  December  10,  1869,  in  approving 
the  first  law  found  anywhere  in  legislative  history  which 
extends  the  right  of  suffrage  to  women,  *  *  *"  Approved 
February  19,  1935. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  75 

WITH  OUR  CORRESPONDENTS 

Grave  of  Former  Wyoming  Indian  Fighter  Marked  Recently 

A  reminder  of  early  day  frontier  calamities  in  Wyoming 
at  Fort  Phil  Kearny  is  an  article  which  appeared  in  a  Wil- 
mington, Delaware,  newspaper,  The  Journal,  on  October  12, 
1939.  It  concerned  the  marking  of  the  grave  of  John  Guthrie, 
"Indian  fighter  of  the  old  school,"  buried  in  Cathedral  Ceme- 
tery of  that  section.  He  had  returned  to  Brandywine  Village 
where  he  was  born  in  1848,  and  where  he  died  in  1923. 

The  newspaper  clipping  was  received  by  the  State  Historical 
Department  from  A.  Y.  Ryan,  of  Midland  Park,  N.  J.,  a  great 
nephew  of  Mr.  G-uthrie,  in  which  it  was  stated  also  that  ]\Ir. 
Ryan  ' '  has  been  gathering  data  on  Guthrie 's  life  from  army  rec- 
ords and  accounts  in  the  files  of  the  Historical  Department  of 
Wyoming. ' ' 

The  article  referred  to  efforts  being  made  by  relatives  and 
friends  to  have  a  new  marker  erected  on  the  Guthrie  grave, 
"in  place  of  the  old  one  which  has  been  missing  for  six  years." 
A  letter  from  Mr.  Ryan  accompanying  the  clipping  related  that 
when  he  located  the  grave  of  his  soldier-relative,  it  was  un- 
noticed and  unmarked,  but  that  he  has  now  succeeded  in  secur- 
ing a  Government  headstone,  and  also  has  placed  a  bronze 
marker  of  the  Indian  War  Veterans  on  the  grave.  A  portion 
of  the  newspaper  storv  follows : 

"Mr.  Guthrie  served  with  Troop  C,  Second  U.  S.  Cavalry 
from  1865  through  '68  and  took  part  in  some  of  the  most  bitter 
Indian  warfare  of  the  period,  including  the  famous  'Fetterman 
Massacre'  in  Wyoming  Avhere  he  was  during  most  of  his  army 
service. ' ' 

An  account  of  the  Fetterman  Massacre  by  ^Ir.  Guthrie,  on 
file  in  the  State  Historical  Department,  reveals  that  his  horse. 
Dapple  Dave,  of  Company  C,  2nd  Cavalry,  ridden  that  day  In- 
one  of  Fetterman  "s  men,  was  the  only  life  which  escaped,  though 
several  arrows  and  a  bullet  had  found  their  mark  in  his  flesh. 

Mr.  Guthrie  "enlisted  in  Philadelphia  in  September,  1865. 
His  record  shows  he  served  in  campaigns  against  the  Sioux  In- 
dians in  Dakota  Territory  in  1866  and  "67,  participated  in  en- 
gagements at  Goose  Creek,  Dakota  Territory,  in  December,  1866. 
and  at  Crazy  Woman's  Fork,  Dakota  Territory,  in  October, 
1867,  and  is  a  survivor  of  the  massacre  at  Fort  Phil  Kearny. 
Later  he  acted  as  an  Indian  scout." 

The  thrilling  story  of  the  "Wagon  Box"  fight  in  which 
Mr.  Guthrie  and  a  group  of  companions  withstood  the  onslaught 
of  several  thousand  Indians  for  a  number  of  hours  is  related, 
as  well  as  the  Fetterman  disaster  in  which  Lieut.  Col.  Fetterman 


76  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

and  his  entire  regiment  (81  officers  and  men)  were  killed  by 
the  Sioux,  under  Chief  Red  Cloud  on  December  21,  1867. 

"Known  as  'Blue  Stone  Jack,'  Guthrie  was  instrumental 
in  having  Congress  provide  funds  for  a  monument  to  his  com- 
panions who  were  killed  in  this  massacre. ' ' 

Greeting's  from  Denmai'k    - 

From  the  Dan-America  Archives,  of  Aalborg,  Denmark, 
through  Archivist  S.  V,  Waendelin,  comes  a  cheerful  message 
acknowledging  receipt  of  "The  Annals  of  Wyoming"  which 
they  are  very  glad  to  have  on  file  in  their  American  Library, 
and  concluding  with  "We  wish  you  and  your  readers  a  Merry 
Christmas  and  a  bright,  blessed  New  Year." 

Called  "The  Emigrant  Archives,"  established  in  Denmark 
four  years  ago,  it  is  the  only  institution  of  its  kind  in  the  world, 
and  is  devoted  exclusively  to  collecting  material  on  the  history 
of  Danish  emigration. 

A  pamphlet  on  the  institution  explains  that  the  Danes  have 
emigrated  to  practically  every  country  in  the  world,  and  being 
good  citizens,  have  done  their  part  in  developing  the  new  com- 
monwealths. 

' '  A  thorough  understanding  of  the  Danish  emigrants '  share 
in  the  development  of  the  United  States,  Canada,  Australia, 
South  America,  can  only  be  obtained  in  conjunction  with  the 
general  history  of  these  countries. ' ' 

The  sum  of  $10,000  was  donated  to  cover  expenses  of  the 
Archives  for  the  first  four  years  by  "a  prominent  American 
citizen  of  Danish  birth,  Mr.  William  S.  Knudsen,  ranking  Vice 
President  of  the  General  Motors  Co.,  Detroit,  Michigan,  U.  S.  A. 
Other  money  gifts  have  been  received  from  interested  parties. ' ' 

Well  illustrated  with  views  of  the  imposing  Archives  Build- 
ing, as  well  as  some  of  the  interior  rooms,  the  brochure  makes 
appeal  for  assistance  in  contribution  of  "books,  manuscripts 
and  pictures,  historical  works  covering  also  social,  religious,  lit- 
erary, artistic,  economic  and  industrial  activities,  all  of  which 
will  be  of  great  value  to  the  Archives. ' ' 

"We  venture  to  hope  that  you  sympathize  with  the  objects 
of  the  Emigrant  Archives.  There  is  no  better  cause  in  the  world 
today  than  the  promotion  of  friendly  understanding  between 
the  various  peoples  of  the  earth  and  this  is  the  rock  on  which 
our  institution  is  built." 


From  Mrs.  Nora  Moss  Law,  1001  Sierra  Street,  Berkeley, 
Calif.,  has  come  cheerful  word,  as  follows,  in  part : 

"I  wish  to  thank  you  for  the  three  issues  of  the  'Annals 
of  Wyoming,'  which  I  treasure  highly.     This  seems  to  me  to  be 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  77 

a  very  worthy  publication.  I  found  it  most  interesting  and  val- 
uable." 

Mrs.  Law,  born  at  Fort  Bridger,  Wyoming,  is  an  active 
member  of  the  California  "Writers'  Club,  and  last  summer  was 
the  author  of  an  article  in  defense  of  the  Wyoming  exhibit  on 
display  at  the  Golden  Gate  Exposition  in  San  Francisco,  fol- 
lowing a  Wyoming  newspaper  reporter's  criticism.  Incensed  at 
what  she  believed  as  a  gross  injustice  to  her  native  State,  Mrs. 
IjSlw  made  vigorous  response  which,  subsequently,  was  given  wide 
dissemination  by  the  Wyoming  press. 

Her  ambition  is  ' '  to  study  at  Wyoming  University  and  then 
write  a  book  about  'Wonderful  Wyoming.'  " 

Former  Residents  Plan  Visit 

If  plans  of  Mrs.  Alice  R.  McCreery,  of  Long  Beach,  Cali- 
fornia, and  her  sister,  Mrs.  L.  A.  Barrett,  of  Belmont,  Cali- 
fornia, materialize,  they  M^ill  be  visitors  in  Wyoming  this  sum- 
mer. Early  residents  of  this  State,  they  are  daughters  of 
former  Governor,  AV.  A.  Richards,  and  are  anticipating  the 
opportunity  to  view  old  scenes. 

Writes  Mrs.  McCireery:  ''One  of  the  first,  if  not  the  first, 
Frontier  Day  was  in  1898.  Mr.  Cody  was  my  father's  guest 
and  they  led  the  parade  in  Buffalo  Bill's  pony  cart.  Incidental- 
ly, his  wife  and  daughter  were  our  guests  for  dinner. ' ' 

"I  remember  July  10,  1890,  very  distinctly.  My  father 
was  Surveyor  General  and  we  had  moved  from  Big  Horn  County 
to  Cheyenne  in  the  fall  of  1889,  so  I  grew  up  in  Cheyenne  and 
it  is  still  'home.'  " 


THANK  YOU 


As  the  end  of  the  year  approached,  so  many  complimentary 
letters  concerning  the  past  three  issues  of  the  ANNALS  were 
received  that  it  has  been  most  encouraging  to  the  staff  in  plan- 
ning the  Golden  Anniversary  quarterly  issues  for  this  year 
of  1940. 

These  expressions  of  approval  and  commendation  are 
especially  appreciated  and  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  personal 
acknowledgment  cannot  be  made,  but  with  the  regular  full 
schedule  of  duties  and  the  extra  work  involved  in  preparing 
material  for  the  Anniversary  numbers — we  are  compelled  to 
take  this  means  of  saving  a  big,  hearty  ''Thank  You!" 


78  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

INTERESTING  MUSEUM  ACCESSIONS 
The  Jackson  Photographs 

A  project  of  most  importance  for  the  Museum  the  past 
quarter  was  the  assembling-  of  a  collection  of  immense  pictures 
of  Yellowstone  Park  and  other  Wyoming-  scenes  photographed 
by  the  near-centenarian,  AVilliam  H.  Jackson,  only  living  mem- 
ber of  the  Hayden  Geological  Survey  party,  for  which  he  was 
official  photographer  in  the  Yellowstone  Park  survey  of  1871. 

Mr.  Jackson,  now  96  years  old,  was  commissioned  in  1892 
by  the  State  of  AVyoming  to  make  a  series  of  large  photographs 
for  the  exhibit  of  Wyoming  scenery  at  the  Columbian  Exposi- 
tion at  Chicago  in  1893,  and  these  pictures  represent  a  part  of 
that  series.  They  have  been  enhancing  the  walls  of  the  various 
State  offices  in  the  Capitol  building-  at  Cheyenne  the  past  half 
century,  as  well  as  the  chambers  of  the  Supreme  Court  Judges 
in  the  Supreme  Court  and  State  Library  Building. 

Fourteen  pictures  had  been  acquired  at  the  end  of  the 
quarter.  All  are  in  ivory  frames,  the  majority  of  which  are 
five  feet  wide,  of  varying'  depths,  and  contain  from  three  to 
five  views  each.  Arranged  on  the  north  wall  of  the  Museum, 
the  display  extends  around  to  the  east  side  and  makes  an  im- 
posing and  attractive  array,  of  interest  to  all  visitors.  Other 
pictures  of  the  same  exhibit  are  known  to  exist. 

A  picture  of  Mr.  Jackson,  posed  recently  in  his  New  York 
laboratory,  where  he  is  still  in  business,  is  also  on  exhibit,  and 
was  contributed  by  the  National  Park  Service,  through  the  late 
Daniel  W.  Greenburg. 

In  an  address  prepared  by  Mr.  Jackson,^  for  the  dedication 
of  the  Teton  National  Park  on  July  29,  1929,  but  not  delivered 
on  that  occasion,  he  disclaimed  honor  accorded  him  as  "the" 
Pioneer  Photographer,  but  expressed  preference  to  be  known 
as  "a"  pioneer  photographer  of  Wyoming  scenes,  following 
earlier  adventurers  with  their  cameras. 

Said  he,  "Following  these  real  pioneers  I  was  fortunate, 
as  the  official  photographer  of  the  Hayden  Geological  Survey,  in 
having  first  had  the  opportunity  to  give  to  the  world  the  first 
photographs  of  places  and  scenes  of  more  than  ordinary  inter- 
est; such  as  the  Yellowstone  in  1871;  the  three  Tetons,  from 
the  Idaho  side,  in  1872 ;  the  Mount  of  the  Holy  Cross  in  1873 ; 
the  Cliff  Ruins  of  the  Mesa  Verde  and  the  Southwest  in  1871- 
'75 ;  Fremont  Peak  and  the  Jackson  Lake  region  in  1878 — and 
other  places  of  less  importance." 


iCopy  of   the   address   is   on  file   in  the   archives   of   the    State   His- 
torical Department. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  79 

"This  pioneering'  in  photography  had  its  handicaps,  as 
well  as  other  kinds  of  pioneering.  There  were  no  prepared  dry 
plates  or  handy  kodaks.  Instead,  the  photographer  had  to 
carry  with  him  the  material  and  apparatus,  including  an  ex- 
temporized dark  room  to  work  in,  for  making  his  own  plates 
as  required  for  each  exposure.  A  pack  mule  was  required  to 
carry  his  outfit,  sometimes,  too,  depending  on  the  size  of  camera 
and  length  of  time  afield ;  and  it  had  to  be  well  packed  for  fre- 
quently there  would  be  rough  going.  The  photographer  sought 
his  views,  as  the  hunter  his  game,  in  places  far  removed  from 
beaten  trails. " '     *     *     * 

Toward  the  conclusion  of  his  paper,  Mr.  Jackson  refers  to 
the  1892  commission  to  make  the  photographs  which  comprise 
the  collection  first  described,  and  explains  that  the  party  was 
led  by  El  wood  Mead.- 

Souvenir  Is  Reminder  of  World  War  Activities 

A  gold  cord  fishnet  bag  which  held  the  bottle  of  champagne 
that  splashed  the  prow  of  the  Merchant  Marine  U.  S.  Steam- 
ship, "Casper,'"  at  Hog  Island,  Pa.,  in  its  christening  ceremony 
on  June  25,  1919,  has  been  received  during  the  past  quarter 
from  Mrs.  Charles  E.  AVinter,  of  Casper,  Wyoming,  and  is  on 
display  in  the  Museum. 

Being  Natrona  County  chairman  of  the  AVomen's  Com- 
mittee for  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan,  as  well  as  the  Third  which 
preceded,  won  Mrs.  AYinter  the  honor  of  christening  the  ship. 
The  gold  bag  and  its  container,  a  handsome  mahogany  box. 
were  given  her  as  mementos  of  the  ceremonial  occasion. 

Says  Mrs.  Winter  in  her  letter  of  transmittal:  "We  took 
in  more  money  per  capita  than  any  other  county  in  the  United 
States,  and  they  offered  us  the  Merchant  Marine  V.  S.  Steam- 
ship to  christen  in  honor  of  the  City  of  Casper."  It  was  one 
of  the  first  ten  cities  in  the  L'''.  S.  to  "go  over  the  top"  in  its 
Liberty  Loan  allotment. 

The  christening  was  witnessed  by  2,000  spectators,  includ- 
ing the  late  Senator  John  B.  Kendrick,  i\Ir.  Wintei-  and  Fred 
Morris,  of  Cody,  Wyoming,  the  latter  having  an  official  position 
in  the  ship-building  yards  at  that  time. 

Cornplanter 

A  farm  implement  of  unusual  appearance  is  a  one-man- 
power corn-planter  invented  about  sixty  years  ago  by  one  Cles- 
den  F.  Martin,  at  iMitchellville,  Iowa,  for  his  own  use  in  planting 


2The  last  Territorial  and  first  State  Engineer  of  Wyoming.  Was 
IT.  S.  Commissioner  of  Eeelamation  for  more  than  a  decade,  and  died  in 
Washington,  D.  C.  on  January  26,  1936.  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight. 


80  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

broom  corn,  and  donated  to  the  State  Historical  Department 
by  Harry  Crain,  of  Cheyenne,  Wyoming.  The  relic  was  brought 
to  the  State  in  1908,  and  used  on  a  dry  farm  near  Campstool 
approximately  20  miles  east  of  Cheyenne.  It  was  given  to  Mr. 
Crain  by  the  inventor's  son,  Earl  L.  Martin,  during  the  fall  of 
1939. 


DO  YOU  KNOW  THAT— 

The  first  penitentiary  in  "Wyoming  was  located  at  Laramie? 
In  April,  1868,  the  city  of  Laramie  was  platted  by  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  Company,  and  within  a  week  about  four 
hundred  lots  were  sold.  In  May  the  railroad  was  completed 
to  Laramie  and  by  that  time  nearly  500  houses  had  been 
erected,  most  of  which  were  of  a  transient  and  flimsy  con- 
struction. When  Albany  County  was  established  by  the  first 
Territorial  Legislature,  Laramie  was  made  the  County  Seat, 
and  the  same  Legislature  located  the  penitentiary  here. 
'"Probably  no  town  in  the  west  at  that  time  stood  in  greater 
need  of  such  an  institution,"  says  Mr.  Bartlett,  the  Historian. 

During  1898  the  penitentiary  at  Rawlins  was  completed, 
the  total  cost  of  the  building  being  over  $100,000,  and  an 
Act  of  February  10,  1899,  directed  that  all  prisoners  be  con- 
centrated in  the  Rawlins  penitentiary  during  1900.  "The 
State  is  now  blessed,  or  otherwise,  with  two  good  peniten- 
tiaries," was  the  comment  of  Governor  W.  A.  Richards  when 
he  retired  from  office  in  1899. 


Johnson  County  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  to 
hold  a  County  agricultural  and  stock  fair,  which  took  place 
at  Big  Horn  City  in  1885? 


One  of  the  first  libraries  in  America  to  be  named 
for  a  living  poet  or  writer,  is  the  Robert  Frost  Poetry 
Library  at  the  University  of  Wyoming,  Laramie?  The  library 
was  dedicated  by  the  famous  American  poet,  Robert  Frost, 
on  April  18  and  19,  1939.  Its  purpose  is  to  collect  all  ma- 
terial written  by  or  relating  to  Mr.  Frost,  as  well  as  being 
a  general  English  library. 


The  first  annual  Wyoming  Territorial  fair  of  the  Wyo- 
ming Fair  Association  was  held  September  14,  15,  16  and  17, 
1886,  at  Cheyenne?  The  front  cover  on  the  "Premium  List" 
booklet  announced:     "Competition  open  to  the  World." 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  81 

ACCESSIONS 

October  1,  1939,  to  December  31,  1939 

MUSEUM 

Miscellaneous 

Logan,  E.  A.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — ^"Glass  Ball  Pigeon"  and  holder 
from  trap.  Oldtime  "shooting  match"  equipment  in  1875 — replaced 
by  present-day  clay  pigeons. 

Winter,  Mrs.  Chas.  E.,  Casper,  Wyoming — Gold  fishnet  bag  which  con- 
tained bottle  of  champagne  used  by  Mrs.  Winter  for  christening  of 
the  merchant  marine,  U.  S.  Steamship,  "The  City  of  Casper"  at 
Hog  Island  Ship  Yard,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  June  25,  1919;  original 
mahogany  box  container  for  bag,  and  framed  picture  of  Mrs.  Winter, 
Mr.  Winter  and  Fred  Morris,  of  Cody,  at  scene  of  christening. 

Hunt,  Dr.  Lester  C.,  Secretary  of  State,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — Two  Wyo- 
ming automobile  license  plates,  1939  and  1940. 

Jessel,  Pa.ul  W.,  508  East  10th  Street,  Clieyenne,  Wyoming — Shot  gun, 
center  fire.  Found  in  Grand  Eiver  brakes,  Perkins  County,  S.  D., 
Old  Standing  Eoek  Reservation,  by  donor's  brother,  J.  C.  Jessel  of 
Cheyenne,  and  Lee  McKelvey,  of  Cheyenne.  First  observed  in  the 
sand  about  1906  or  1908  and  had  been  altered  from  an  Old  Country 
gun  called  a  "Zulu." 

Schreibeis,  Chas.  D.,  Custodian,  Ft.  Phil  Kearney,  Banner,  Wyo. — 11 
small  pieces  found  on  the  Fort  site — consisting  of  9  nails,  part  of  a 
hinge,  and  a  bit  of  burned  wood.  The  Fort  was  burned  by  the 
Indians  the  day  of  abandonment  in  August,  1887. 

Grain,  Harry,  1721  Central  Avenue,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — Old  home- 
made corn-planter  of  about  1880. 

Wright,  Miss  Vester,  Home  Demonstration  Agent,  Federal  Building, 
Evanston,  Wyoming — A  relic  from  site  of  old  Fort  Supply,  first 
Mormon  settlement  in  Wyoming,  1853,  near  Fort  Bridger,  being  a  log 
seven  inches  in  diameter  and  forty-three  inches  long. 

Documents 

Snow,  Mrs.  William  C.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — File  of  correspondence 
(eight  pieces)  between  Mrs.  Snow  and  Mrs.  Carrie  Chapman  Catt, 
Senator  O'Mahoney,  and  the  Smithsonian  Institute,  in  connection 
with  the  moving  of  the  two  framed  messages  of  congratulation,  from 
the  British  women  to  the  Women  of  Wyoming  in  1891,  from  the 
Smithsonian  Institute  to  the  Wyoming  Historical  Department,  se- 
cured in  May,  1939;  copies  of  Wyoming  Day  Proclamation  by  former 
Governor  Leslie  A.  Miller,  November  16,  1937,  and  by  Governor 
Nels  H.  Smith,  November  30,  1939. 

Sedfield,  Mrs.  James,  311  North  Grand,  Marshall,  Mich. — Original  penned 
letter,  dated  August  30,  1869,  from  the  first  Wyoming  Territorial 
Governor,  James  A.  Campbell,  to  N.  J.  Frink,  of  Marshall,  Mich., 
father  of  the  donor.     Eeceived  through  Governor  Nels  H.  Smith. 

Pictures — Gifts 

State  and  Supreme  Court  Offices — Collection  of  thirteen  five-foot,  framed 
photographs  of  Wyoming  scenes  by  William  H.  Jackson,  taken  in 
1892.  Assembled  for  permanent  exhibit  by  the  State  Historical 
Department. 


82  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Snow,  Mrs.  William  C,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — Photograph,  cast  of  char- 
acters in  woman  suffrage  play,  ' '  Wyoming  Tea  Party, ' '  written  by 
Marie  M.  Horton  for  the  Cheyenne  Woman's  Club,  and  first  pre- 
sented by  it  on  December  4,  1935.     Unframed.     5x8". 

National  Park  Service,  Washington,  J).  C.- — Photograph  of  William  H. 
Jackson,  pioneer  Wyoming  photographer-artist,  posed  in  1937,  in 
his  New  York  City  laboratory.     5x7". 

Books — Gifts 

Snow,  Mrs.  William  C,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — "Songs  From  the  Last 
West,"  by  Porter  B.  C'oolidge,  of  Lander,  Wyoming.  122  pp.  Poems. 
1928. 

Books — Purchased 

Dale,  Harrison  G. — The  Ashley-Smith  Explorations  and  the  Discovery 
of  a  Central  Eoute  to  the  Pacific,  1822-1829,  with  the  original  jour- 
nals.    1918. 

Northwest  Territory  Celebration  Commission — History  of  the  Ordinance 
of  1787.     1937. 

Pitcairn,  Raymond— First  Congress  of  the  U.  S.,  1789-1791.     1939. 

Wilson,  Mrs.  Eugene — Cabin  Days.     1939. 

Dustin,  Fred— Caster  Tragedy.     1939. 

Spear,  Elsa— Fort  Phil  Kearny.     1939. 

Hosmer,  James — History  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase.     1939. 

Budd,  Ralph — Railway  Routes  Across  the  Rocky  Mountains.     1939. 

Moore,  Austin — Early  Cattle  Days  in  Wyoming.     1939. 

Master,  Joseph  G. — Stories  of  the  Far  West.     1940. 

Mokler,  Alfred — Transition  of  the  West.     1927. 

Spring,  Agnes  Wright,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — "How  the  Oregon  Trail 
Became  a  Road,"  by  G.  W.  Martin  (1906),  52  pp. 

Gifts 

Horton,  Frank,  M.  C.,  Washington,  D.  C. — Group  of  18  maps,  including 
individual  states  at  time  of  ratification  of  the  Constitution,  from 
1777  to  1795.  Issued  by  the  H.  S.  Constitution  Sesqui-Centennial 
Commission.  Reprinted,  1938,  by  U.  S.  Geological  Survey.  Orig- 
inals in  Library  of  Congress  at  Washington,  D.  0. 

Miller,  Mrs.  Rollie  E.,  Sheridan,  Wyoming — Holt's  New  Map  of  Wyo- 
ming, 1887.  28x31%  inches.  Published  by  George  L.  Holt,  Chey- 
enne, Wyo.,  and  shows  location  of  ranches  and  homes  of  early  pio- 
neers. 


kNNALS  of  WYOMING 


rol.  12 


April,  1940 


No.  2 


freight  Oxen  at  Best,  a  Picturesque  Early-Day  View  of  the  East  Side  of  Main  Street, 
Buffalo,  Wyoming,  Probably  in  1883.     (See  Page  119.) 


Published  Quarterly 
by 

The  Wyoming  Historical  Department 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming 


ANNALS  of  WYOMING 

4- 

Vol.  12  April,  1940  No.  2 


Contents 

Page 
DIAEY  OF  MAJOR  WISE,  HUNTING  TRIP  IN  POWDER 

RIVER   COUNTRY  IN   1880 85 

By  Howard  B.  Lott. 

OLD  FADED  PHOTOGRAPH  REVEALS  FASCINATING 

PAGE  OF  EARLY  WYOMING  HISTORY 119 

GOVERNORS  OF  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING,  Article  III  121 

By  Harry  B.  Henderson,  Sr. 

"WONDERFUL  WYOMING,"   (From  the  Wyoming  Com- 
monwealth, Clieyenne,  Wyoming,  December  5,  1891)  130 
By  Col.  S.  W.  Downey. 

HISTORY  OF  WYOMING  WRITTEN  BY  C.  G.  COUTANT, 
PIONEER  HISTORIAN,  AND  HERETOFORE  UN- 
PUBLISHED, Chapters  4  and  5 144 

THE  CHINESE  MASSACRE,  Part  II 153 

By  Paul  Crane  and  Alfred  Larson. 

DO  YOU  KNOW  THAT 161 

ACCESSIONS    TO    THE    HISTORICAL    DEPARTMENT 

AND  STATE  MUSEUM 162 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

EARLY-DAY  SCENE  IN  BUFFALO,  JOHNSON  COUNTY    (Front  Cover) 

FOUR  WYOMING   STATE   GOVERNORS 120 

THE  CHINESE  MASSACRE  AT  ROCK  SPRINGS,  WYO- 
MING  (1885)    154 

(From  Harper's  W&ekly,  September  26,  1885). 


Published  Quarterlv 

by 

THE     WYOMING     HISTORICAL     DEPARTMENT 

GLADYS  F.  RILEY 

State  Librarian  and  Ex-Officio  State  Historian 

Cheyenne.  Wyoming 


/ 


STATE  HISTORICAL  BOARD 


Governor Nels   H.   Smith 

Secretary   of   State .       Lester   C.   Hunt 

State  Treasurer Mart  T.  Christensen 

State  Auditor Wm.  "Seotty"  Jack 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction       .       Esther  L.  Anderson 
State  Librarian  and  Ex-Officio  Historian       .       Gladys  F.  Eiley 


Inez  Babb   Taylor,   Assistant   Historian 


The  State  Historical  Board,  the  State  Advisory  Committee  and  the 
State  Historical  Department  assume  no  responsibility  for  any  statement 
of  fact  or  opinion  expressed  by  contributors  to  the  Annals  of  Wyoming. 


The  Wyoming  State  Historical  Department  invites  the  presentation 
of  museum  items,  letters,  diaries,  family  histories  and  manuscripts  of 
Wyoming  citizens.  It  welcomes  the  writings  and  observations  of  those 
familiar  with  important  and  significant  events  in  the  history  of  the  State. 

In  all  ways  the  Department  strives  to  present  to  the  people  of  Wyo- 
ming and  the  Nation  a  true  picture  of  the  State 's  past.  The  ANNALS 
OF  WYOMING  is  one  medium  through  which  the  Department  seeks  to 
gain  this  objective.  All  communications  concerning  the  Annals  should 
be  addressed  to  Mrs.  Gladys  F.  Eiley,  Wyoming  Historical  Department, 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 


The  Annals  of  Wyoming  are  sent  free  of  charge  to  all  State  Offi- 
cials, heads  of  State  Departments,  members  of  the  State  Historical 
Advisory  Committee,  Wyoming  County  Libraries  and  Wyoming  news- 
papers. It  is  published  in  January,  April,  July  and  October.  Subscrip- 
tion price,  $1.00  per  year;  single  copies,  35c. 


Copyright,  1940,  by  the  Wyoming  Historical  Department. 


Diary  of  Major  Wise,  an  Englishman,  Recites 

Details  of  Hunting  Trip  in  Powder  River 

Country  in  1880 


Edited  by  Howard  B.  Lott* 

INTEODUCTION 

This  portion  of  the  diary  of  Major  Lewis  Lovatt  Ashford  Wise, 
covering  a  hunting  trip  in  the  Powder  Eiver  country  in  1880,  was 
written  by  him  while  on  a  journey  around  the  world,  which  began  on 
February  13,  1880.  The  author  of  the  journal  started  from  London, 
proceeded  to  Brindisi  where  he  boarded  the  "S.  S.  Ceylon,"  cruised 
through  the  Suez  Canal,  visiting  in  Australia,  Tasmania  and  New 
Zealand.  He  arrived  in  San  Francisco  by  steamer  on  August  10,  1880, 
and  from  thence  came  to  Wyoming  and  the  Powder  Eiver  country, 
where  he  and  his  party  met  with  exciting  experiences  in  bagging  64 
head  of  game.  Major  Wise,  himself,  was  the  champion  shot,  with  23 
head.  The  entries  published  here  begin  on  August  29,  1880,  at  Fort 
Fetterman,  Wyoming,  and  end  on  November  2  of  the  same  year,  at 
Cheyenne,    Wyoming. 

To  Dr.  Henry  E.  Wagner,  San  Marino,  California,  is  the  editor  of 
these  notes  indebted  for  information  as  to  the  existence  of  the  original 
diary,  with  its  Wyoming  subject-matter,  which  Dr.  Wagner  had  pur- 
chased in  1935  and  presented  to  the  Yale  University  Library. 

In  presenting  the  Major  Wise  diary,  acknowledgment  is  made  of 
the  assistance  of  several  others,  without  whose  bit  of  contributing 
information   the   diary,   perhaps,   would   be   a   little   less   interesting. 

Besides  Dr.  Wagner,  the  following  persons  have  contributed  the 
bulk  of  the  material  from  which  these  notes  have  been  written,  and 
to  them  the  editor  is,  indeed,  grateful: 

To  Miss'  Emily  Eichmond,  of  the  Yale  University  Library,  for 
furnishing  a  copy  of  the  diary  from  the  original  manuscript;  to  the 
wi-itings  of  Moreton  Frewen;  to  Albert  L.  Brock,  Edward  W.  Burnett, 
Thomas  F.  Carr,  Mrs.  F.  G.  S.  Hesse,  Fred  W.  Hesse,  Joe  LaFors,  Fred 
Pettitt,  J.  F.  Skiles  and  Mart  Tisdale,  for  many  of  the  notes;  to  Mrs. 
Edith  M.  Chappell  for  her  pamphlet,  "Hi&tory  of  Fort  McKinney;" 
and  to  Mrs.  J.  C.  VanDyke  for  a  copy  of  the  Hanna  manuscript. 

Much  work  and  patience  have  been  expended  in  the  preparation 
of  the  notes  and  I  believe  they  will  bear  a  thorough  checking,  though 
it  is  possible  that  an  error  may  occur  here  and  there. 

— H.  B.  L. 


*BIOGEAPHICAL  SKETCH— Mr.  Howard  B.  Lott,  of  Buffalo, 
Wyoming,  editor  and  contributor  of  the  Major  Wise  diary  and  supple- 
menting notes  in  this  issue,  is  a  native  son  of  Wyoming.  He  Avas  born 
in  Johnson  County  on  September  23,  1896,  and  his  parents  were  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Howard  Lott,  pioneer  Johnson   county  residents. 

He  Avas  educated  in  the  Buffalo  grade  and  high  schools,  and  in 
1914  entered  the  U.  S.  Forest  Service.  In  1918-1919  Mr.  Lott  served 
in  the  World  War,  and  entered  the  U.  S.  Postal  Service  in  1925.  At 
the  present  time  is  a  clerk  in  the  Buffalo  postoffice. 

Keenly  interested  in  the  history  of  the  Powder  Eiver  country,  Mr. 
Lott  has  written  a  number  of  articles  on  early-day  historical  events 
in  that  section  which  have  appeared  in  Wyoming  and  Montana  news- 
papers and  magazines. 


86  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Rock  Creek — Fort  Fetterman 

Sunday,  August  29.  We  were  called  at  3 :30  and  by  4 
we  were  in  the  coach  and  off.  For  many  miles  we  drove  over 
flat  prairie.  On  it  we  saw  heaps  of  antelope — some  quite  close 
to  the  trail.  Towards  afternoon  we  got  into  a  canyon,  which 
is  a  sort  of  valley  or  pass,  enclosed  with  rocks ;  here  we  saw 
some  sagehens  for  the  first  time,  whole  coveys  of  them.  They 
look  much  like  greyhens,  only  much  larger,  nearly  as  large  as 
guinea  fowl.  The  young  are,  I  am  told,  good  to  eat,  but  the 
old  ones  taste  of  sagebrush;  anyhow  we  were  not  adventurous 
enough  to  try.  The  trail  now  became  worse,  and  we  got  a  good 
jolting  before  arriving  at  Fort  Fetterman^  at  7  P.  M.  having 
driven  80  miles.  Here  are  stationed  two  companies  of  U.  S. 
soldiers.  Frank  felt  indisposed  and  wished  to  see  the  Doctor 
here;  the  only  one  for  many  miles  around.  He  was  out,  so 
Frank  determined  to  stay  the  night.  I  thought  I  might  as  well 
go  on,  as  all  our  kit  was  on  the  coach  and  there  was  nothing 
really  serious  the  matter  with  Frank,  and  we  should  each  have 
more  room  for  the  night  drive,  so  at  8  I  started  again  alone. 
It  soon  began  to  get  chilly,  so  I  rolled  myself  up  in  my  'possum 
rug  and  tried  to  sleep,  a  feat  by  no  means  easy  to  accomplish 
in  a  jolting  coach  with  one's  legs  cramped  up.  However,  after 
a  time  wearied  out,  I  dropped  off  and  remember  no  more ! 

Powder  River 

Monday,  August  30.  I  passed,  as  may  be  supposed,  a 
somewhat  uncomfortable  night,  but  I  slept  every  now  and  then, 
when  the  jolting  was  least.  About  6  I  unwound  myself.  We 
were  jogging  along  over  the  "boundless  prairie."  As  far  as 
the  eye  could  see  in  every  direction  were  grass  rollers  like  the 
big  rolling  billows  of  the  ocean.  The  grass  was  rather  yellow 
and  burnt  up  after  the  summer.    Here  and  there  broods  of  sage- 


1  Fort  Fetterman,  a  military  post  built  on  the  Platte  at  the  mouth 
of  La  Prele  Creek  in  1867  and  named  in  honor  of  Colonel  W.  J. 
Fetterman  who  was  killed  with  many  of  his  command  near  Fort 
Phil  Kearny,  Dec.  21,  1866.  It  was  built  by  the  enlisted  men  of  Companies 
A,  C,  H  and  I,  Fourth  Infantry,  under  command  of  Major  William  Dye. 
It  became  quite  a  prominent  military  post  with  the  abandonment  of 
Forts  Eeno,  C.  F.  Smith  and  Phil  Kearny  in  1868.  (Coutant's  History 
of  Wyoming,  p.  594.)  It  had  been  abandoned  by  1890.  (John  F. 
Finerty,  'War-Path  and  Bivouac.') 

2  McKinney.  A  cantonment  built  at  the  Bozeman  Trail  Crossing 
of  Powder  Kiver  in  1876.  It  Avas  known  as  Cantonment  Eeno  and 
construction  was  begun  in  September,  1876,  by  Captain  Pollock  with 
two  companies  of  the  Ninth  Infantry.  W^inter  quarters  Avere  main- 
tained in  holes  excavated  in  the  faces  of  clay  banks.  A  much  better 
fort  was  built  the  next  summer,  numerous  buildings  of  cottonwood  with 
dirt  roofs.  In  1878  the  post  was  transferred  to  Clear  Creek,  near  the 
present   Buffalo,  Wyoming. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  87 

hens  were  to  be  seen,  and  an  occasional  deer.  The  last  17  miles 
of  the  journey  the  trail  was  very  bad.  The  country  was  cut 
up  with  water  courses,  in  and  out  of  which  we  had  to  bump. 
At  last  about  2  P.  M.  we  arrived  at  Powder  River  90  miles ;  in 
all  170  miles,  in  34  hours.  I  was  much  less  tired  than  I  ex- 
pected. Visions  of  wapiti  and  grizzlies,  I  suppose  had  some 
effect.  This  is  a  deserted  Fort ;  called  McKinney.-  The  log  huts, 
built  in  a  large  square,  are  still  standing.  Prewen's^  store 
is  in  one  of  them,  and  there  are  two  or  three  bedrooms  there, 
rather  rough  and  ready,  one  of  which  I  secured.  Frewen's 
Ranche  is  23  miles  nearer  the  Big  Horn  Mountains  and  I  sent 
a  note  to  Moreton  Frewen,*  telling  him  I  had  arrived.  I  was 
very  tired  towards  night,  and  turned  in  early — no  sheets— only 
a  pair  of  blankets  to  get  between,  but  I  was  soon  asleep  not- 
withstanding. 

Tuesday,  August  31.  I  slept  like  a  top  last  night.  I  turned 
out  about  7  and  went  out  and  pumped  myself  a  pail  full  of 
water  for  a  tub.  It  was  a  beautiful  morning,  but  not  hot  by 
any  means.  I  pottered  about  waiting  for  Frank,  who  turned 
up  about  2  p.  m.    Just  before  he  arrived  Moreton  Frewen  came 


3  A  store,  or  rather  commissary,  maintained  by  ^loreton  Frewen 
in  one  of  the  deserted  buildings  on  the  soutli  side  of  Powder  Eiver 
opposite  the  site  of  Cantonment  Reno,  or  Depot  Fort  MeKinney.  Frewen 
sold  the  building  to  W.  E.  Hathaway  and  he  operated  it  as  a  store 
and  placed  Mr.  Andy  Kennedy  in  charge.  It  was  short  lived,  however, 
as  Buffalo  was  rapidly  becoming  the  trading  center  of  the  new  Johnson 
County. 

4  Moreton  Frewen  was  born  in  1853  at  Northiam,  Sussex,  England, 
the  family  home  since  1583,  which  his  ancestor,  Richard  Frewen,  had 
purchased  in  that  year.  He  first  came  to  America  in  1878  with  John 
Adair  at  whose  invitation  he  was  to  be  a  guest  at  the  Adair  Ranch 
in  Palo  Duro  canyon  of  the  Staked  Plains  of  Texas.  During  the  next 
thirty-five  years  Mr.  Frewen  made  over  100  crossings  to  and  from 
America.  That  he  was  a  man  of  prominence  in  England  there  is  no 
doubt  and  his  position  and  culture  admitted  him  to  friendship  with 
many  ])rominent  and  influential  persons  in  America.  In  Ii1l3  he  stated 
to  President  Wilson  that  it  had  been  his  privilege  to  shake  the  hand 
of  all  his  (Wilson's)  predecessors  since  Buchanan.  Senator  Blaine, 
William  Jennings  Bryan,  P.  T.  Barnum,  Senator  Lodge.  Theodore 
Roosevelt,  General  Sheridan,  W.  K.  Vanderbilt,  President  Wilson, 
Owen    Wister   and   many    other   prominent    Americans    were    his    friends. 

Landing  in  New  York  on  this  first  trip  to  America,  Frewen 
remained  there  a  few  days,  then  on  to  Philadelphia,  then  to  Washing- 
ton and  thence  on  to  Chicago.  Here  he  met  General  Sheridan,  and, 
after  a  few  weeks  spent  in  Texas,  he  again  returned  to  Chicago,  and 
from  the  General  received  such  wonderful  tales  of  the  Upper  Yellow- 
stone region  and  the  wondrous  wealth  of  big  game  there  that  his  Texas 
trip  seemed  but  a  prelude  of  greater  joys.  He  returned  to  England 
in  July  resolved  that  he  would  be  on  the  Yellowstone  the  following 
year   with   a   herd   of   cattle. 


88  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

in  his  buggy  from  the  Ranche.  We  then  started  for  Big  Horn 
Ranche — 23  miles — ^Moreton  and  Frank  in  the  buggy,  and  I 
rode  a  pony.  We  had  hardly  gone  a  mile,  when,  going  down 
an  awful  hill,  one  of  the  buggy  horses  turned  stupid,  and  would 
not  answer  the  rein ;  the  consequence  was,  he  got  to  the  side 
of  the  track,  and  fell  over  the  edge  into  a  gulch  12  or  14  feet 
deep,^  dragging  the  other  horse  and  the  buggy  with  him,  and 
there  they  lay  at  the  bottom,  both  horses  wedged  in  tight  and 
the  buggy  on  top  of  them.  Prank  saw  them  going  and  jumped 
out  and  Moreton  managed  to  get  clear  of  the  buggy,  just  as 
it  was  going  over  the  edge.  So  far,  good,  as  no  one  was  hurt, 
which  was  in  itself  a  marvel.  But  how  to  get  the  buggy  and 
horses  out?  I  rode  off  back  to  the  post  to  get  some  men  to 
come  with  rope  and  then  we  set  to  work  to  get  the  buggy  out, 
which  we  did  by  dragging  it  bodily  over  the  prostrate  horses. 
They  were  wedged  in  so  tight  they  could  not  move  so  we  had 
to  drag  them  out  by  their  heels,  one  by  one,  by  main  force. 
Extraordinary  as  it  may  seem,  the  horses  were  scarcely  hurt 
at  all,  and  the  buggy  had  only  the  pole  broken.  The  harness, 
however,    was    torn    all   to    bits.      They   are    evidently    accus- 


In  the  fall  of  1878  Frewen  again  returned  to  America  in  a  party 
of  six  among  whom  was  Gilbert  Leigh,  of  Stoneleigh,  of  whom  more  will 
be  said  later.  Upon  his  way  west  he  again  called  upon  General 
Sheridan.  This  time,  however,  the  General  was  not  so  enthusiastic 
about  a  game  hunt  in  the  Yellowstone  Country  because  of  recent  Indian 
hostilities  there,  the  Crows  and  Blackfeet  showing  signs  of  unrest. 
Instead,  he  advised  the  party  to  go  to  Rawlins,  assuring  them 
that  they  would  find  good  hunting  in  the  canyons  of  the  Platte  and 
Sweetwater.  To  Rawlins  then,  they  went.  After  some  two  months 
of  hunting  the  party  dissolved  at  Fort  Washakie,  all  but  Moreton 
Frewen  and  his  brother  Dick,  returning  to  England  for  Christmas. 
With  them  were  left,  of  the  former  party,  a  cattleman  named  Tate 
whom  Frewen  had  brought  up  from  Texas,  and  a  Jack  Hargreaves 
who  had  come  into  the  Big  Horn  Mountains  five  years  earlier  from 
Deadwood  with  a  party  of  prospectors.  Hargreaves  assured  Frewen 
that  the  Big  Horn  Country  was  quite  safe  from  Indians  and  that  ''lie 
should  find  the  ranges  between  Powder  River  and  Tongue  River  ideal 
for  cattle  and  entirely  unoccupied."  This  assurance  by  Hargreaves 
decided  the  party  to  cross  the  Big  Horn  Mountains  and  see  the  country 
on  the  eastern  side.  The  crossing  was  effected  during  the  last  two 
weeks  in  December  and  what  a  crossing  it  turned  out  to  be.  The 
temperature  at  night  was  not  above  zero;  Frewen  came  near  to  acci- 
dentally shooting  Jack  Hargreaves.  A  few  Indian  scares,  and  a  great 
depth  of  snow,  traversed  only  by  forcing  buffalo  ahead  of  the  party 
to  break  the  trail — were  some  of  the  difficulties  encountered  by  this 
party,  the  pioneers  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  Powder  River  Country 
unless  we  consider  some  fur  traders  of  nearly  a  half  century  before 
as  settlers.  Moreton  Frewen 's  marriage  to  a  New  York  lady,  and  the 
Home  Ranch  on  the  Powder  River,  will  be  treated  in  another  note. 

Gilbert  Leigh,  a  member  of  Frewen 's  second  party  to  America, 
and  who  returned  to   England  from  Fort  Washakie  late  in  the  fall  of 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  89 

tomed  to  little  contretempts  of  this  kind  in  his  part  of  the 
world,  and  I  don't  wonder  at  it,  seeing  the  kind  of  road  one 
has  to  drive  over.  "We  were,  nevertheless,  well  out  of  a  very 
nasty  accident.  We  could  not  put  the  horses  in  again,  as  the 
harness  no  longer  existed,  so  we  rode  them  to  Big  Horn 
lianche,  none  the  worse,  only  minus  any  kit,  other  than  what 
Ave  stood  up  in.  The  brothers  Frewen  have  set  up  a  palace^ 
here  in  the  wilderness.  They  have  built  the  Ranche,  of  logs 
of  course,  themselves,  and  fitted  it  up  most  comfortably. 
They  are  real  good  fellows,  and  have  ordered  all  our  stores 
for  us,  and  camp  outfit  and  have  gotten  us  hunters  and  horees 
and  everything  we  can  want,  and  we  anticipate  great  sport. 
We  had  a  good  dinner,  and  were  not  soiTy  to  turn  into  a  com- 
fortable bed.  Captain  Sara  Ashton  and  his  wife  are  now  in 
camp  in  the  mountains. 


1878,  should  be  mentioned  here  because  his  untimely  death  in  Tensleep 
canyon  connects  his  name  with  the  history  of  the  Big  Horn  Mountains. 
I  quote  Moreton  Frewen  in  his  book  "Melton  Mowbray  and  Other 
Memories"  published  in  London  in  1924:  "In  the  autumn  of  1884, 
our  dear  friend  Gilbert  Leigh,  of  Stoneleigh,  at  that  time  member 
for  Warwickshire,  and  who  had  been  one  of  our  original  expedition  in 
1878,  arrived  from  home  with  Willy  Grenfell  of  Taplow.  A  very  few 
days  later  a  messenger  rode  in  to  say  that  Leigh  was  missing,  and 
asking  us  to  send  every  available  man  to  help  search.  By  the  time 
we  reached  their  camp  his  body  had  been  found  by  Bob  Stuart,  the 
trapper.  Apparently  in  the  twilight  he  had  mistaken  the  tree-tops  of 
the  pine  trees  sticking  out  of  a  deep  canyon  for  some  cypress  brush, 
and  had  walked  on  and  fallen  a  hundred  feet  sheer.  At  least  there 
was  this  relief,  death  must  have  been  instantaneous.  A  good  felloAv! 
and  after  many  days  I  was  one  of  a  great  congregation  of  his  friends 
who  left  him  where  he  now  sleeps  the  last  sleep  in  Stoneleigh  Church- 
yard. 

The  fatalists  may  like  this  note.  He  was  staying  at  Easton  Lodge 
with  beautiful  lady  Brooke  a  few  days  before  he  left  England  for 
the  last  time.  His  hostess  said,  'Mr.  Leigh,  don't  forget  to  write 
your  name  in  my  visitor's  book;  we  have  a  legend  that  he  who 
forgets  that  ceremonial  observance  fails  to  return  to  us. '  A  couple 
of  hours  later  a  friend  in  the  train  said,  '  Gilly,  did  you  remember  to 
write  your  name.'  'I  clean  forgot,'  he  said  laughing,  'I  suppose  1 
ought   to   go  back'.'' 

The  death  of  Gilly  Leigh  occurred  in  Tensleep  Canyon,  and  high 
up  on  the  south  side  one  may  see  a  monument  marking  the  place  from 
which  he  fell  to  his  death. 

5  Some  erroneously  believe  that  this  is  ' '  Figure  8 ' '  draw,  which 
is  12  or  15  miles  from  the  old  deserted  fort  from  which  Major  Wise 
starts  on  his  trip  to  the  Big  Horn  Ranche,  and  he  states  that  he  had 
gone  "hardly  a  mile."  The  gulch  referred  to  is  probably  today  known 
as  Davis  Four   Mile   draw. 

6  The  Home  Ranch:  This  was  tlie  headquarters,  the  then  ultra- 
modern home,  of  the  Frewen  Brothers,  Moreton  and  Richard,  of  the 
famous  Powder  River  Cattle  Company,  or,  as  it  was  locally  known,  the 
76   Outfit. 


90  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Big  Horn  Ranche 

"Wednesday,  September  1.  After  breakfast  Moreton  and 
I  got  horses  and  rode  out  to  look  for  his  herd  of  horses,  which 
were  out  loose  on  the  prairie.  After  a  long  ride  we  returned, 
without  having  seen  anything  of  them,  having  crossed  Powder 
River  twice.  I  amused  myself  learning  to  throw  a  lasso,  which 
is  by  no  means  easy.  In  the  afternoon  the  wagon  came  with 
our  baggage  and  stores.  We  expect  Capt.  and  Mrs.  Ashton 
in  from  the  mountains  any  day  now,  when  we  shall  go  off 
into  camp.  Horace  Plunket,^  a  neighbor  14  miles  off  came 
here  about  midday ;  he  seems  a  very  nice  fellow. 

Thursday,  September  2.  This  morning  the  Ashtons  came 
in  from  the  mountains ;  they  have  had  some  excellent  sport. 
In  the  afternoon  their  outfit  came  in  and  the  "trophies" 
which  made  by  mouth  water!  He  had  some  very  good  sheep 
heads  and  some  good  bear  skins;  he  had  killed  five  of  the 
latter.     Frank  was  not  very  well  this  morning. 

Friday,  September  3.  Frank  was  very  unwell  last  night 
— nothing  serious  but  he  had  the  "ache"  and  we  had  to  dose 
him  with  brandy.  We  were  very  busy  all  the  morning  select- 
ing and  buying  our  horses  and  mules  for  our  outfit.     We  are 


The  Home  Ranch  was  located  on  the  left  bank  of  Powder  River 
just  below  the  junction  of  the  North  and  Middle  Forks  of  that  stream. 
The  exact  location  would  be  very  near  the  north  line  of  section  13, 
T.  43  N.,  R.  81  W.,  and  about  on  the  line  between  the  northwest  and 
northeast  quarters  of  that  section.  The  main  building,  where  the 
Frewens  lived  and  entertained  their  distinguished  guests,  was  made  of 
logs  obtained  from  the  pine  hills  in  the  vicinity  and  shaped  and  fitted 
entirely  by  hand  labor.  It  was  of  two  stories  and  constructed  at  a 
cost  of  approximately  forty  thousand  dollars.  The  main  room  was 
about  forty  feet  square  with  a  large  fireplace  in  both  the  east  and 
west  ends.  This  room  also  served  as  a  dining  room  on  occasions  when 
the  regular  dining  room  was  inadequate  for  a  large  number  of  guests. 
Off  from  this  main  room  was  another  large  room  which  served  as  a 
library  and  office.  Another  room,  not  so  large,  served  as  a  living  room, 
all  of  which,  together  with  the  kitchen  and  pantry,  completed  the 
plan  of  the  ground  floor.  In  one  corner  of  the  main  room  and  ascending 
to  the  second  floor,  a  very  handsome  stairway  of  solid  walnut  had  been 
constructed.  At  the  time  the  building  was  demolished  about  1912, 
these  stairs  were  purchased  by  M.  H.  Leitner  of  Sussex  who  used  them 
for  many  years  in  his  home  there.  The  second  floor  was  divided  into 
sleeping  quarters  and  about  half  way  up  the  stairs  or  perhaps  a  little 
more  than  half  way,  and  extending  along  one  side  of  the  main  room 
from  the  stairs,  there  was  constructed  what  would  now  be  known  as 
a  mezzanine  floor,  which  overlooked  the  main  room.  All  interior 
woodwork  was  of  the  best  hard  wood  brought  from  England.  And 
over    what   roads! 

And  now  for  a  bit  of  history  of  the  76  Outfit  itself,  condensed 
from   tlie   writings   of   Moreton   Frewen.      After   crossing  the   Big  Horn 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  91 

going  to  make  a  start  tomorrow.  A  young  fellow  named 
Alston,  a  friend  of  Moreton,  is  going  with  us,  so  our  party 
consists  of:  W.  C.  Alston^  and  his  hunter.  Big  Bill;^  Frank^^ 
and  his  hunter,  Tex;^^  L.  A.  W.  (Wise)  and  his  hunter, 
Hanna;^^  Henry  the  cook;^^  Ed,  horsekeeper  and  odd  man;^* 
"Whitey"  a  mongrel  dog  belonging  to  Bill;  18  horses  and 
'S  mules.     Total  8  men,  21  horses  and  mules,  and  1  dog. 

The  weather  is  delicious  and  we  are  all  in  great  spirits — 
except  poor  Frank,  who  is  far  from  well.  I  am  not  sure  that 
he  will  be  able  to  come  with  us  just  yet.  Alston  seems  a  nice 
young  fellow,  and  likely  to  prove  a  pleasant  companion. 

Big  Horn  Mountains 

Saturday,  September  4.  Alston  and  I  with  our  outfit, 
left  the  Ranche  this  morning  at  10.  Poor  Frank  was  not  fit 
to  come  and  by  Frewen's  advice  went  off  to  Fort  McKinney 
to  the  Hospital  where  he  will  find  a  doctor;  a  long  drive 
for  him,  poor  fellow,  of  70  miles.  Hd  is  to  join  us  as  soon  as 
he  is  able.  We  arrived  without  mishap  at  Nicol's^^  Beaver 
Creek  Ranche  at  6  p.  m.  having  marched  30  miles.  We  saw 
some  deer  and  some  bear  tracks  on  the  way.  During  the 
march  Henry,  who  is  a  German,  and  not  a  great  rider,  irri- 

Range  in  December  of  1878  as  related  in  a  previous  note,  the  brothers 
Frewen,  Jack  Hargreaves  and  the  cattleman  Tate,  arrived  somewhere 
on  what  Frewen  terms  the  Main  Fork  of  Powder  Eiver  but  which  is 
apparently  the  Middle  Fork.  Pushing  northward  along  the  eastern 
base  of  the  mountains,  they  arrived  at  the  North  Fork  of  Powder 
Eiver,  where  it  leaves  the  mountains,  with  Dick  Frewen  ill.  Here 
they  met  one  Bob  Stuart,  a  beaver  trapper,  as  glad  to  see  them  as 
they  were  to  see  him.  From  Bob  Stuart,  or  '  Dirty  Bob, '  as  he  was 
later  known,  they  obtained  information  of  the  surrounding  country, 
etc.,  and  particularly  that  about  fifteen  miles  lower  down  on  that 
stream  they  would  find  a  deserted  cabin.  They  pushed  on  with  the 
sick  man  and  finding  the  cabin,  moved  into  it.  It  wasn  't  much  but  it 
was  a  shelter.  Here  they  remained  for  two  weeks  awaiting  Dick 
Frewen 's  recovery.  During  this  period  '  Moreton  Frewen  and  Jack 
Hargreaves  rode  northward  to  Fort  McKinney  on  Clear  Creek,  some 
three  miles  west  of  Buffalo,  for  supplies,  as  the  coffee,  flour  and  sugar 
had  run  low.  At  the  fort  they  observed  a  small  herd  of  cattle  kept 
there  for  beef  and  milk.  These  cattle  were  in  excellent  condition 
although  wintered  on  native  grass  only,  and  Moreton  Frewen  became 
satisfied  that  this  Powder  Eiver  country  would  be  ideal  for  running 
large  herds.  But  Powder  Eiver  itself,  being  nearer  the  railroad  than 
Fort  McKinney  or  Clear  Creek,  was  finally  decided  upon  as  the  right 
location  for  their  future  home.  Much  care  was  taken  in  the  selection 
of  the  spot  and  the  following  spring  the  actual  work  of  construction 
began. 

About  the  middle  of  February,  1879,  Moreton  Frewen  left  the 
Powder  Eiver  country  and  returned  to  New  York.  On  the  way  he 
stopped  over  in  Washington  and  secured  the  aid  of  '  Uncle  Sam '  Ward 
in   an   endeavor   to   have    Congress   include   the   Wind   Eiver   Country  in 


92  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

tated  his  horse,  who  promptly  bucked  him  off  and  then  pro- 
ceeded to  get  rid  of  his  saddle  and  kit,  which  strewed  the 
trail  for  half  a  mile.  At  last  we  collected  the  goods  and  put 
Henry  on  again,  and  resumed  our  march.  We  were  joined, 
just  as  we  started,  by  a  newspaper  correspondent  who  is 
traveling  to  the  Yellowstone  to  write  an  account  of  it,  and 
who  asked  to  join  our  camp.  He  is  a  boy  to  talk  and  for  a 
time  was  rather  amusing,  but  he  soon  began  to  bore  us.  We 
pitched  our  little  tent  and  soon  had  our  first  camp  fire  going 
and  dinner  ready.  About  9  we  turned  in.  We  have  War 
Office  valises,  on  which  we  sleep  on  the  ground,  and  very 
comfortable  they  are. 

Sunday,  September  5.  We  struck  camp  and  marched  at 
8  to  the  head  of  Red  Pork,^^  about  14  miles ;  on  the  way  we 
killed  a  rattle  snake.  We  also  saw  some  mountain  sheep 
and  Alston  went  to  try  and  kill  one,  as  we  wanted  some  meat 
—  the  News  Press  Correspondent  must  needs  go  too,  but  did 
nothing  but  talk  and  fire  off  his  rifle  wildly.  Alston  killed 
one  and  Hanna  shot  another,  an  unnecessary  proceeding  for 
which  I  rebuked  him.  Further  on,  we  saw  a  large  herd  of 
bison,  some  antelope,  and  some  blacktail  deer,  all  at  the  same 
time.     We  were  ascending  the  mountains   all  the  time,  and 


the  newly  organized  Yellowstone  Park,  but  this  venture  in  American 
politics  was  doomed  to  failure.  Several  weeks  were  spent  in  New  York 
during  which  time  he  met  Miss  Clara  Jerome,  a  daughter  of  Leonard 
Jerome  of  that  city.  In  1881  Miss  Jerome  became  Mrs.  Moreton  Frewen 
and  that  year  returned  with  him  to  the  new  home  on  Powder  River. 
In  April  of  1879  Mr.  Frewen  again  returned  to  the  Home  Ranch  on 
Powder  River  from  his  trip  east  and  upon  his  arrival  there  found 
that  his  brother  Dick,  supervising  the  work  of  a  dozen  men  with 
broadaxes,  had  squared  and  faced  many  of  the  pine  trees  of  the  hills 
into  logs  ready  to  go  into  the  new  home.  While  in  Chicago  he  had 
ordered  the  lumber  and  roofing  shingles  and  had  also  purchased  the 
furniture  for  the  new  home.  By  the  latter  part  of  autumn  the  Frewens 
were  occupying  the  Home  Ranch  and  the  latch-string  was  out  for  the 
aristocracy   of  England  and   also   America. 

A  few  lines  will  now  be  devoted  to  the  76  Outfit,  the  Powder 
River  Cattle  Company.  There  were  stories  as  to  how  the  seller  of 
the  76  cattle  handled  the  actual  count  of  them  when  they  were  turned 
over  to  the  76,  as  related  by  Moreton  Frewen  in  his  book  referred 
to  above: 

"And  that  summer,  (1879)  we  drove  in  a  fine  herd  of  cattle, 
buying  the  76  brand  from  Tim  Foley,  a  ranchman  on  the  Sweetwater. 
There  have  been  for  forty  years  all  sorts  of  stories  about  this  purchase, 
of  the  cock-and-bull  order,  reflecting  on  Mr.  Foley's  integrity  and  our 
intelligence;  that  he  had  driven  the  cattle  round  and  round  a  hill  and 
sold  the  same  beasts  twice  over — stories  Avithout  a  vestige  of  truth. 
We  had  followed  the  general  method  of  buying  cattle  in  those  days, 
which  was  to  go  carefully  into  the  books  of  sales  and  of  calf  branding 
during   the    two   or   three   years   previously,    and    then   buy   at    so   much 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  93 

pitched  our  camp  at  some  8,000  feet  above  the  sea  in  a  very 
bear-y  looking  spot,  by  the  side  of  the  creek.  We  had  dinner 
at  4;  while  at  dinner  three  unfortunate  bison  appeared  wan- 
dering over  the  hill  towards  the  camp.  The  irrepressible 
press  correspondent  seized  his  rifle  and  went  off  in  pursuit. 
We  heard  10  shots  but  he  had  nothing  to  show  when  he  re- 
turned !  We  sat  round  the  camp  fire  in  the  evening.  Though 
the  days  are  very  hot,  the  nights  are  equally  cold,  and  I 
sleep  with  two  blankets  and  a  'possum  rug  over  me.  We 
chatted  and  smoked  till  about  9  and  then  turned  in.  Just  at 
sunset  a  great  wapiti  came  and  stared  at  us  from  the  top  of  a 
rock  above  us. 

Monday,  September  6.  Hanna  and  I  were  off  soon  after 
sunrise  this  morning.  We  rode  for  some  time,  seeing  lots  of 
blacktail  deer  and  bison.  At  last  we  saw  some  wapiti  in  a 
wood  so  we  tied  up  our  horses  and  went  in  on  foot.  There 
was  a  grand  band  of  them  there,  and  I  shot  a  bull  of  10 
points,  but  I  missed  the  "big  one"  of  the  herd.  We  cut  up 
the  bull  I  had  shot,  and  brought  the  meat  back  to  camp, 
which  we  reached  about  midday.  I  then  had  a  bath  in  the 
creek  while  dinner  was  preparing.  Meanwhile,  the  irrepres- 
sible press  correspondent  had  discovered  a  harmless  bison 
wandering  near  our  camp  and  had  promptly  shot  him.     For 

per  head,  reckoning  that  in  a  state  of  nature  a  herd  was  five  times  the 
number  (inclusive  of  the  calves)  which  had  been  branded  the  previous 
year. 

"It  was  a  fine  herd  of  cattle,  a  heavy  stocky  shorthorn  breed, 
and  the  following  year  we  marketed  the  three-year-old  bullocks,  I 
think  eight  hundred  head,  the  value  of  which  refunded  us  considerably 
more  than  50  per  cent  of  the  original  purchase  money  for  the  76  herd." 

The  magnitude  of  the  76  Outfit  is  extremely  interesting.  We  have 
seen  one  example  in  the  Home  Eanch  built  practically  in  a  wilderness, 
for  in  1879  Johnson  County  had  not  even  been  organized  as  a  county. 
This  occurred  in  1881  and  incidentally  Moreton  Frewen  had  a  hand  in 
it,  too.  The  assessment  roll  of  the  county  for  1883  lists  several  small 
holdings,  perhaps  ten  that  go  as  high  as  $20,000  with  three  or  four 
reaching  fifty  thousand,  two  under  a  hundred  and  the  Stoddard  & 
Howard  or  LX  Bar,  managed  by  Ernest  Coppss,  assessed  at  $203,351. 
But  the  76  topped  them  all.  It  was  managed  by  F.  G.  S.  Hesse  and 
the  1883  valuation  was  $322,350.00  of  whicli  '  $305,700.00  was  for 
17,100  head  of  cattle.  The  Home  Eanch  (no  land)  $5,000.  A  nice  tax 
revenue  for  an  infant  county  of  the  age  of  two  years. 

7  Sir  Horace  Plunkett,  an  Irish  nobleman,  a  man  who  did  much 
for  Ireland  and  for  liis  reward,  his  home  bombed  to  ruins  in  his 
absence.  When  Major  Wise  met  him  he  had  embarked  in  the  cattle 
business  on  Powder  River  and  was  living  at  E.  K.  mountain  near  the 
present  town  of  Mayoworth.     A  close  friend  of  Fred  G.  S.  Hesse., 

8  Alston  was  a  Scotchman,  of  the  Cattle  Company  of  Peters  and 
Alston,  Bar  C  Ranch,  Hole  in  the  Wall  Country. 

9  Nothing  further  than   as  mentioned  in   the  journal. 


94  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

no  reason !  There  is  plenty  of  meat  in  camp  and  he  only 
shot  him  for  shooting  sake.  He  cannot  help  letting  off  his 
rifle  on  every  available  opportunity.  The  consequence  is,  in  a 
day  or  two  we  shall  be  stunk  out  of  camp  by  the  brute's 
carcass.  We  devoutly  wish  the  P.O.  would  continue  his  re- 
searches towards  the  Yellowstone  and  leave  us  in  peace. 
Alston  went  out  with  Bill  and  returned  about  5  p.  m.  without 
game,  but  he  had  seen  plenty  and  had  had  some  shots.  After 
dinner  I  had  a  pipe  and  then  40  winks  till  about  4  p.  m.,  and 
then  Hanna  and  I  saddled  a  couple  of  horses  and  went  out  to 
look  for  bears.  We  returned  just  as  it  was  getting  dark, 
without  having  seen  any.  After  some  tea  the  evening  passed 
with  pipes  and  some  yarns  of  Indians  and  hunting  from  the 
hunters  round  the  camp  fire,  till  9,  when  we  all  turned  in. 

Tuesday,  September  7.  We  were  all  off  about  6  this 
morning.  Hanna  and  I  soon  found  wapiti,  and  I  shot  a  nice 
bull  of  11  points^"^  after  a  long  and  hot  stalk  in  a  wood.  We 
cut  him  up  and  put  him  on  a  pack  horse,  which  we  had 
brought  with  us.  We  saw  lots  of  antelope,  blacktails  and 
bison,  and  also  some  bear  tracks.  We  got  back  to  camp  about 
1  when  I  had  my  bath  and  then  dinner.  Alston  and  Bill  did 
not  return  till  7  p.  m.,  having  had  a  long  day  after  a  big 
bunch  of  wapiti ;  he  had  killed  a  fine  bull.  I  did  not  go  out 
in  the  afternoon,  but  remained  in  camp,  and  cleaned  my  two 
wapiti  heads. 


10  "Frank"  is  F.  E.  S.  Boughton,  an  Australian,  who  had  been  in 
the  hospital  at  Fort  McKinney,  and  with  Hanna  joined  Major  Wise  on 
September  15.  It  is  thought  he  stayed  in  this  country  and  entered  the 
cattle  business  on  the  Laramie  Plains.  His  middle  name  was  Rouse, 
after   a  British   Admiral. 

11  Tex  was  not  a  Texan;  he  was  an  Englishman.  He  never  talked. 
Fred  Hesse  told  me  he  had  been  an  officer  in  the  heavy  artillery  at 
Woolwich   Arsenal.     Not   further   identified. 

12  Hanna,  Oliver  P.  He  was  born  in  Metamora,  Illinois,  May  10, 
1851.  When  sixteen  he  came  west,  arriving  on  the  headwaters  of  the 
Yellowstone  August  11,  1867.  In  1871  he  was  Avith  the  party  of  Dr. 
F.  V.  Hayden  exploring  the  Yellowstone  Park  Country.  Was  with 
Colonel  Baker's  expedition  down  the  Yellowstone,  with  Custer  in  the 
Yellowstone  Country  and  in  1876  was  guide  and  hunter  for  an  English 
hunting  party  in  Colorado.  He  was  the  first  settler  in  Sheridan  County, 
'squatting'  on  land  above  Big  Horn  on  August  11,  1878.  Mr.  Hanna 
died  in  Calif oi'nia.  (Manuscript,  "Northern  Wyoming  in  the  Early 
Days,"  by  Mr.  Hanna;  copy  loaned  by  Mrs.  J.  C.  Van  Dyke.) 

13  Henry  Harrington.  "Black  Hank,"  gambler  and  horsethief. 
Moreton  Frewen  tells  of  Black  Hank's  part  in  robbing  a  military 
paymaster  en  route  to  Fort  McKinney  to  pay  the  troops  there  subsequent 
to  Frewen 's  securing  his  (Black  Hank's)  signature  to  a  document 
petitioning  for  the  organization  of  Johnson  County.  When  questioned 
as   to    capital   of    the    signers.   Black    Hank    'listed'    the    capital    which 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  95 

Wednesday,  September  8.  We  struck  camp  this  morn- 
ing. On  rounding  up  the  horses  we  found  that  two  were 
missing.  Bill  thought  that  they  had  gone  on  the  back  trail, 
so  set  off  after  them,  while  we  marched  10  miles  N.W.  To 
our  great  delight  we  here  left  the  P.O.  behind,  as  his  trail 
lay  in  another  direction.  On  the  march,  we  noticed  a  man 
on  horseback  a  long  way  off,  who  appeared  to  be  trying  to 
hide  himself.  After  an  hour's  marching  we  saw  him  again 
on  the  top  of  a  ridge  clearly  watching  us.  I  dismounted  and 
had  a  good  look  at  him  through  the  glasses.  I  could  see 
that  he  was  a  white  man  but  that  was  all.  I  told  Hanna 
about  it,  but  he  did  not  seem  to  think  much  of  it,  as  we  be- 
lieved that  Lord  Caledon's  party  were  camped  somewhere  in 
that  direction.  (He  afterwards  turned  out  to  be  Lord  Rodney, 
who  had  mistaken  us  for  Indians!)  We  pitched  our  camp 
and  turned  the  horses  out  to  feed,  while  we  had  our  dinner, 
keeping,  only  one  back,  as  usual,  to  ride  out  on,  to  round  the 
others  in  at  night.  After  dinner  Hanna  went  off  for  this 
purpose,  and  after  a  long  time  he  returned  alone,  saying  he 
could  not  find  a  trace  of  the  horses,  and  was  afraid  that  they 
had  been  stolen  and  that  that  man  who  had  been  watching 
us  was  a  horse  thief.  Here  was  a  predicament  to  be  in ! 
Afoot,  with  all  our  campkit,  etc.  and  some  55  miles  from  the 
Ranche !  Nothing  for  it,  but  to  hope  he  was  wrong  and  to 
turn  in  and  make  the  best  of  it.    Anyhow  we  had  one  quod  left. 


he  and  his  robber  friends  intended  taking  from  the  paymaster.  Previous 
to  his  meeting  with  Frewen,  it  appears  that  Black  Hank  had  been 
arrested  in  Dakota  for  rustling  four  span  of  army  mules.  His  story 
to  Frewen  was  this:  "1  told  the  jedge  at  Cheyenne,  'Jedge,  this  time 
you  have  got  quite  the  wrong  man.  I  never  did  pinch  any  outfit  of  any 
Government  mules.  I  twice  got  twelve,  and  now  and  again  one  span, 
and  two,  but  never  happened  on  four  span;  you  are  dead  wrong'." 
Black  Hank  was   released. 

14  Ed.,   horsewrangler,   probably  Ed  Warmsly.     No  mention  by  Mr. 
Frewen. 

15  Nichol.  Probably  the  man  after  whom  the  N  H  Eanch  and 
N  H  Trail  were  named.  The  ranch  was  that  now  known  as  the  Condit 
ranch  on  Beaver  Creek,  the  present  Barnura,  Wyoming.  The  old  X  H 
trail  was  really  an  old  Indian  trail  crossing  the  Big  Horn  Mountains. 
It  left  Beaver  Creek  at  the  N  H  ranch  and  followed  up  the  south  side 
of  the  stream,  crossed  the  mountain  and  came  out  on  No  Wood  Creek 
at  the  old  Eed  Bank  post  office,  the  ranch  of  George  McClellan  or 
'Bear  George.'  It  was  one  of  the  oldest  trails  across  the  mountains 
and  during  the  early  eighties  was  the  route  of  travel  between  the  Big 
Horn  Basin  and  Buffalo,  county  seat  of  the  then  larger  Johnson  County. 

16  One  of  the  principal  mountain  tributaries  of  Powder  River.  It 
flows  into  the  middle  fork  some  five  or  six  miles  below  Barnuni. 

17  Major  Wise  apparently  counts  the  points  of  both  sides  of  the 
horns. 


96  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Thursday,  September  9.  Last  night  we  had  a  heavy 
squall  of  wind  and  rain  and  I  had  to  get  up  in  the  middle  of 
the  night  and  go  round  our  little  tent  and  loosen  the  tent 
ropes.  Hanna  went  off  at  daybreak  on  our  only  horse  to  try 
and  track  the  rest  of  the  horses.  He  returned  about  10  hav- 
ing seen  nothing  of  them;  he  tracked  them  by  their  trail 
ropes  for  about  3  miles,  and  then  the  long  grass  concealed  the 
tracks  and  he  could  see  no  more.  We  had  now  no  doubt  that 
rascal  watching  us  yesterday  had  got  them  safe  enough.  I 
lose  6  horses ;  Alston  3 ;  Henry  1,  and  Hanna  1.  We  now 
think  that  the  two  horses  missing  on  Tuesday  night  have  also 
been  stolen.  In  the  afternoon  Alston  and  I  went  out  with 
Hanna,  all  on  foot,  much  to  our  disgust.  We  climbed  a  ter- 
rible hill,  and  when  we  arrived  at  the  top,  we  were  rewarded 
by  the  sudden  appearance  of  a  blacktail  buck,  which  I  prompt- 
ly shot !  He  had  10  points.  Further  on  we  saw  signs  of  bear, 
so  Hanna  suggested  that  we  should  shoot  a  bison  bull  as  bait. 
We  soon  found  one  in  a  good  place,  as  they  swarm  about  here, 
and  Alston  and  I  shot  him  between  us.  We  then  returned  to 
camp,  and  while  washing  our  hands  before  supper,  to  our 
huge  delight  we  saw  Bill  returning  with  his  two  runaway 
horses  and  all  ours!  He  had  come  across  the  latter  quite  by 
chance,  on  his  way  here,  some  miles  from  camp.  We  can  only 
conclude  that  they  were  stampeded  that  night  by  a  bison  or  a 
bear.  All 's  well  that  ends  well !  And  we  were  mightily 
pleased  to  get  back  our  quods ! 

Friday,  September  10.  We  were  off  this  morning  as 
usual  soon  after  sunrise.  I  soon  saw  four  wapiti  and  stalked 
them  but  they  were  in  velvet.  I  got  within  30  yards  of  them 
and  stood  behind  a  tree  for  a  long  time  watching  them.  We 
saw  lots  of  blacktail  and  antelope,  but  no  fine  heads,  and  as 
we  do  not  want  meat,  I  let  them  alone.  I  saw  and  shot  at  a 
black  fox,  but  I  shot  carelessly  and  missed  him!  We  soon 
came  on  a  bison  bull  lying  down,  and  I  thought  I  would  have 
a  gallop,  so  I  handed  my  rifle  to  Hanna  and  rode  at  him.  Up 
he  got  and  w^ent  off  at  scare  and  we  raced  for  a  mile  over 
some  rather  rough  ground,  till  I  got  within  20  yards  of  him, 
when  suddenly,  having  I  suppose  had  enough,  he  stopped,  put 
down  his  old  head,  and  charged  right  at  me !  I  fired  my  re- 
volver at  and  hit  him,  as  he  came  and  then  whipped  my  pony 
round  and  bolted.  He  did  not  came  far,  and  then  we  again 
resumed  our  former  positions.  I  got  within  8  or  10  yards  of 
him  and  fired  3  more  revolver  shots,  but  I  don't  think  I  hit 
him.  It  is  not  very  easy  to  use  a  revolver  effectively  when 
going  at  full  gallop !  Just  then  I  noticed  that  my  picquet  rope 
had  become  loose  and  fearing  a  cropper  if  the  pony  got  his 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  97 

leg  through  it,  I  reluctantly  pulled  up,  and  old  Bully  pur- 
sued the  even  tenor  of  his  way,  noti  much  the  worse,  1  fancy! 
We  then  turned  towards  camp,  and  on  the  way  I  had  two 
long  shots  at  an  antelope  buck,  but  missed  him.  In  camp  I 
found  Alston  had  returned  without  any  luck.  After  dinner 
and  customary  pipe  and  forty  winks,  we  went  out  about  3  :30 ; 
I  did  not  see  anything  with  a  head  good  enough  to  shoot.  When  i 
returned  I  found  Alston  had  killed  an  antelope  buck,  with  a 
very  good  head. 

Saturday,  September  11.  It  was  awfully  cold  last  night ; 
the  tea  in  our  camp  kettle,  and  the  drinking  water  in  the  pail 
were  frozen  I/2  inch  thick.  It  had  also  snowed  a  little  during 
the  night ;  it  is  a  curious  climate — so  cold  at  night,  and  yet 
our  noses,  ears  and  necks  are  all  peeling  with  the  heat  of  the 
sun  by  day.  I  went  first  this  morning  to  the  carcass  of  the 
bi^on  we  had  killed  for  bearbait ;  I  found  a  bear  had  been  there, 
and  had  already  had  his  breakfast.  We  then  went  a  long  round, 
but  saw  nothing  worth  shooting.  On  returning  to  camp  for 
dinner  I  found  that  Alston  had  killed  a  fine  wapiti  with  a  head 
of  18  points.  In  the  afternoon,  Hanna  and  I  started  on  foot, 
intending  to  visit  the  bison  carcass  about  sundown — hoping 
to  find  Bruin  having  his  dinner.  We  got  there  about  6  p.  m. 
but  found  nothing.  We  were  just  starting  back  for  camp, 
when  over  the  brow  of  the  next  hill  appeared  two  bears, 
making  straight  for  us.  We  turned  and  had  just  time  to  rush 
out  of  sight  behind  a  rock ;  the  bears  came  right  up  to  the 
bison,  and  began  to  eat.  I  crawled  up  to  within  120  yards: 
T  could  not  get  nearer,  without  their  seeing  me,  and  if  they 
had,  they  would  probably  have  made  off,  without  giving  me 
a  good  chance  at  them.  I  fired  a  ban'el  at  each  and  knocked 
both  over ;  both  got  up  again  and  began  to  go  up  tlie  opposite 
hill.  The  first  seemed  so  badly  hit,  that  we  thought  he  could 
not  get  away,  so  we  pursued  the  second.  I  never  saw  a  bear 
die  so  hard;  we  hit  him  four  or  five  times  and  had  a  most 
exciting  chase  and  fight  before  we  killed  him.  This  was  my 
first  introduction  to  a  grizzly;  there  is  no  doubt  there  is  much 
m.ore  life  and  fight  in  them  than  in  the  black  bears  I  used 
to  kill  in  India.  Meanwhile  No.  1  bear  had  crawled  up  the 
hill  and  disappeared  over  the  brow.  It  was  now  getting  dark, 
so  we  went  l)ack  to  camp,  hoping  to  find  bear  No.  1  dead 
tomorrow. 

Sunday,  September  12.  It  froze  very  hard  last  night — 
everything  freezable  was  frozen — even  Alston's  sponge  close 
alongside  him  in  the  tent.  We  had  intended  this  to  be  a 
''dies  non,"  but  we  had  to  go  to  skin  the  bear,  so  I  took  my 


98  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

rifle  with  me,  in  case  bear  No.  1  was  not  dead.  We  tried  to 
track  him  but  could  not  make  out  his  trail,  the  ground  was 
so  rocky.  He  must  have  gotten  into  a  hole  in  the  rocks  some- 
where. It  is  a  great  pity  to  lose  his  skin,  as  he  is  probably 
dead  by  this  time,  if  we  could  only  find  him.  We  skinned 
No.  2  and  came  back  to  camp.  I  then  washed  two  flannel 
shirts,  4  handkerchiefs  and  a  pair  of  stockings !  and  then 
made  myself  a  pair  of  mittens  out  of  a  horse  rug,  as  the  morn- 
ings are  so  cold  before  the  sun  is  up  that  my  fingers  become 
useless. 

Monday,  September  13.  We  struck  camp  this  morning 
and  marched  8  miles  N.  and  camped  on  a  nice  stream — the 
north  fork  of  Powder  River.  We  arrived  at  I,  and  the  sun 
was  so  warm,  and  the  river  looked  so  nice  that  Alston  and 
I  had  a  bathe,  and  enjoyed  it  immensely — though  the  water 
was  cold.  After  we  had  pitched  our  tent  and  had  dinner  we 
went  out  shooting.  I  saw  a  silver  gray  fox  and  a  lynx  and 
some  deer,  but  did  not  get  a  shot  at  any.  Alston  saw  the 
tracks  of  a  bear,  so  shot  a  bison  bull  as  a  bait. 

Tuesday,  September  14.  A  sharp  frost  last  night.  We 
sent  Hanna  down  for  more  stores  this  morning ;  he  has  about 
70  miles  to  go,  and  ought  to  get  down  in  two  days.  Alston 
and  I  went  out  to  get  some  meat,  as  we  had  none  in  camp. 
After  a  long  ride  we  came  across  some  blacktail,  and  Bill 
got  a  shot  and  killed  a  doe,  which  we  cut  up  and  carried 
straight  off  to  camp  for  dinner.  In  the  afternoon  Ave  went  to 
the  bison  carcass  to  look  for  a  big  bear,  whose  tracks  we  had 
seen.  We  waited  till  dusk,  but  he  did  not  come.  A  silver 
grey  fox  however,  put  in  an  appearance,  and  Alston  made  a 
good  shot  at  80  yards  and  killed  him.  We  skinned  him  and 
returned  to  camp. 

Wednesday,  September  15.  A  very  sharp  frost  last 
night ;  some  parts  of  the  river  were  frozen  over  this  morn- 
ing. Alston  and  I  went  out  in  the  morning,  but  had  no  sport. 
In  the  evening  we  walked  up  to  the  bison  carcass  and  sat  there 
in  hopes  the  bears  would  come.  We  waited  till  after  dark, 
as  there  was  a  moon,  but  without  success. 

Thursday,  September  16.  Alston  and  I  went  out  for  a 
long  round,  but  saw  very  little  game.  I  killed  a  blacktail, 
ax  we  wanted  meat  in  camp ;  on  our  way  back  we  saw  a  great 
many  bear  tracks.  We  went  in  the  evening  again  to  the  bison 
carcass.  A  bear  came  near,  but  unfortunately  the  wind  was 
shifting  about,  and  he  winded  us,  and  went  off,  without 
giving  us  a  chance. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  99 

Friday,  September  17.  We  got  up  very  early  this  morn- 
ing so  as  to  get  the  bison  carcass  by  daybreak  in  hopes  of 
catching  bruin,  but  he  is  too  clever  for  us,  and  we  saw  him 
not !     We  went  out  in  the  afternoon,  but  did  nothing. 

Saturday,  September  18.  Alston  and  I  with  Bill  started 
after  breakfast,  and  after  a  long  ride  we  heard  some  wapiti 
calling.  We  had  a  long  stalk  through  a  big  wood,  and,  even- 
tually, Alston  and  I  got  a  bull  each,  both  12  point  heads. 
AVhile  we  were  cutting  off  the  heads,  a  terrific  thunderstorm 
came  on  and  in  a  few  moments  we  were  drenched  to  the  skin. 
No  sooner  was  this  over,  than  the  wind  suddenly  changed, 
and  it  began  to  snow  and  freeze.  Our  plight  was  piteous ! 
My  Kackee  clothes,  well  soaked  with  rain,  soon  froze  hard 
as  boards ;  it  was  too  bitterly  cold  to  ride,  so  we  set  to  work 
to  walk  back  to  camp,  some  7  or  8  miles  over  the  mountains 
dragging  our  unwilling  steeds  after  us.  It  snowed  heavily 
the  whole  time,  and  we  got  back  to  camp  about  6  p.  m.  half 
frozen.  We  had  dinner,  and  then  went  to  bed  to  get  Avarm. 
We  found  that  Hanna  had  returned  with  our  stores  and  Tex 
had  come  with  him,  as  a  hunter  for  Prank  who  is  on  his  way 
to  us.     I  got  two  letters  from  home. 

Sunday,  September  19.  It  froze  like  mad  during  the 
night,  and  more  snow  fell;  everything  was  covered  up  in 
snow  and  we,  none  of  us,  could  find  our  things ;  one  man  had 
lost  his  bridle  and  another  a  spoon  or  fork  and  we  were  all 
poking  about  with  sticks  in  the  snow.  Luckily,  in  the  morn- 
ing the  sun  came  out  and  we  were  able  to  dry  our  soaked 
clothes — a  necessary  proceeding  when  one  has  only  two  suits, 
one  on  and  one  off.  I  sent  Hanna  off  about  midday  to  guide 
Frank  to  our  camp.  He  has  Ed  with  him  and  is  about  12 
miles  away.  In  the  afternoon  we  found  that  we  were  short 
of  meat,  so  I  went  out  with  my  rifle  for  an  houi",  and  killed 
a  blacktail  buck  of  11  points.  Frank  and  Ed  had  arrived 
in  camp  when  I  returned,  Frank  looking  much  better  and  quite 
himself  again.    It  was  bitterly  cold  at  night. 

Monday,  September  20.  It  froze  awfully  hard  last  night. 
Bill  said  we  had  at  least  30  degrees  of  frost.  We  three  were 
all  stowed  in  our  small  tent,  so  close  that  our  valises  touched ; 
locomotion  in  the  tent  is  impossible  because  our  valises  cover 
the  whole  floor,  but  we  keep  each  other  Avarm.  I  went  out 
with  Hanna  and  killed  a  fine  wapiti  of  12  points,  a  long  shot 
of  about  250  yards.  Coming  home  I  found  a  splendid  head  of 
a  wapiti,  which  I  suppose,  had  been  Avounded  last  year  and 
had  died.     It  is  a  fine  head  of  15  points  and  Avell  presented 


100  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

SO  I  quickly  appropriated  it.  Frank  went  out  with  Tex  and 
killed  a  bull  bison.  Alston  was  out  with  Bill,  but  did  nothing. 
We  spent  the  afternoon  cleaning  deer  heads. 

Tuesday,  September  21.  We  heard  last  night  that  the 
Crow  Indians  were  camped  about  8  miles  off  and  were  hunt- 
ing in  the  Big  Horn  Canyon,  which  was  where  we  had  in- 
tended to  go,  so  we  determined  to  change  our  route,  as  thej' 
will  have  scared  all  the  game  away  from  the  Canyon.  Ac- 
cordingly, we  struck  camp  and  marched  18  miles  south.  We 
amused  ourselves  on  the  march  by  shooting  at  the  sagehens 
running  among  the  sage  brush,  with  our  revolvers,  but  with- 
out much  success.  We  got  to  our  camp  for  the  night  about 
5,  and  soon  had  our  little  tent  up  and  the  fire  going  for  din- 
ner, and  all  snug  for  the  night. 

Wednesday,  September  22.  We  struck  camp  and  were 
off  early,  marching  south.  We  saw  great  numbers  of  sage- 
hens  and  had  many  shots  at  them,  but  they  are  not  easy  to 
hit  with  a  six-shooter !  At  last,  as  Frank  wanted  a  mouth- 
piece for  his  pipe,  I  killed  one  with  my  rifle.  We  three  rode 
on  in  front,  when  nearing  our  camping  ground,  to  choose  a 
nice  camp,  as  we  expect  to  stay  here  some  tiihe.  We  chose  a 
beautiful  spot,  on  the  edge  of  a  pine  wood,  close  to  the  creek 
and  with  plenty  of  grass  for  the  horses  close  by.  Close  to 
camp  we  saw  four  bears,  rooting,  who  made  off  on  seeing  us, 
without  giving  us  a  chance  of  a  shot.  We  soon  had  our  tent 
up,  and  after  dinner  we  sat  around  the  camp  fire  and  had 
songs ;  Henry  the  cook,  who  is  GTerman,  being  very  great  with 
Die  Wacht  am  Rhein ! 

Thursday,  September  23.  AA^e  were  all  off  this  morning 
with  our  respective  hunters  in  different  directions.  I  soon 
found  some  blacktail  and  shot  a  nice  buck  of  11  points.  Soon 
after.  I  killed  a  bison  bull  as  a  bear  bait,  and  coming  home, 
we  came  suddenly  on  a  herd  of  antelope.  There  was  one 
buck  with  a  very  fine  head,  which  I  killed  at  about  130  yards. 
When  I  got  back  to  camp  I  found  that  Alston  had  done 
nothing,  and  Frank  had  killed  a  bull  bison  for  bait,  in  a  very 
good  place  for  bear.  We  were  employed  all  afternoon  in 
making  a  log  shelter  to  keep  off  the  wind  and  possible  snow 
round  the  camp  fire.  The  nights  lately  have  not  been  nearly 
so  cold,  and  the  days  are  very  warm. 

Friday,  September  24.  We  all  went  out  as  usual  this 
morning.  I  found  a  wapiti,  a  small  bull,  and  as  I  wanted 
a  bait  for  bear  I  shot  him.  He  was  in  poor  condition  and  his 
horns   were    small   and   broken    and    not   worth    taking.      We 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  101 

went  on  and  soon  came  to  an  immense  band  of  wapiti.  I 
never  saw  such  a  sight,  there  were  at  least  400  in  the  band, 
and  some  70  or  80  fine  bulls.  Here  was  an  opportunity  to  get 
what  heads  I  wanted  at  once  and  have  done  with  it,  as  I 
wished  to  devote  myself  to  bear  hunting — so  I  shot  three ! 
All  fine  heads  13,  13,  and  12  points,  respectively.  Frank 
killed  a  wapiti,  a  small  one ;  Alston  did  nothing.  In  the 
evening  we  all  went  out  to  look  for  bear;  Frank  was  unlucky 
enough  to  drop  his  rifle  and  break  the  stock.  I  saw  nothing, 
but  Alston  came  on  a  family  of  four  bears — cinnamon — 
m.other  and  three  cubs.  He  shot  on.e  of  the  cubs  and  badly 
wounded  the  mother.  It  got  too  dark  for  him  to  look  for  her, 
but  he  hopes  to  find  her  tomorrow.  These  are  probably  the 
four  we  saw  when  we  came  to  this  camp. 

Saturday,  September  25.  I  went  out  early  to  fetch  in 
my  three  wapiti  heads.  It  was  very  cold,  having  snowed  a 
little  during  the  night.  We  had  a  long  cold  job.  cutting 
off  and  cleaning  the  heads.  Alston  went  out  to  look  for  his 
wounded  she  bear,  but  could  not  find  her.  Frank  shot  a  black- 
tail  buck.  We  were  all  busy  in  the  afternoon,  pegging  out 
the  bearskin,  cleaning  the  heads,  etc.  The  sky  was  cloudy 
and  we  had  no  sun,  consequently  it  was  very  cold. 

Sunday,  September  26.  A  very  cold  night,  with  hard 
frost,  but  the  clouds  have  cleared  off  and  we  have  bright 
sun.  We  cleaned  our  rifles,  washed  shirts,  etc.,  during  the 
morning.  In  the  evening,  Frank  asked  me  to  go  with  him  to 
look  at  the  bison  carcass  that  he  had  shot  as  a  bait.  We 
rode  out,  and  for  some  time  could  not  find  it.  At  last,  we 
found  it  at  some  distance  off.  I  thought  it  looked  an  odd  shape, 
and  pulled  out  my  glasses  and  had  a  look  at  it.  I  saw 
directly  that  there  was  a  bear  having  his  dinner.  We  dis- 
mounted and  tied  up  our  horses  and  ran  across  the  valley 
to  leeward  of  him.  We  got  to  within  about  120  yards  of  him 
and  then  we  sent  at  him.  We  knocked  him  over,  and  then 
he  got  up  and  made  for  some  covert  not  far  oft'.  We  bolted 
after  him  shooting  every  now  and  then,  and  soon  he  dis- 
appeared in  the  covert.  I  had  some  difficulty  in  restraining 
Frank's  impetuosity,  as  nothing  is  more  dangerous  than  to 
follow  a  wounded  bear  into  covert.  However,  we  halted 
about  25  yards  from  the  edge,  and  there  sure  enough  was 
my  friend  about  20  yards  inside  sitting  up.  and  looking  about 
to  see  some  one  to  "come  for,"  when  a  lucky  shot  from 
Hanna  who  was  with  us,  finished  him.  He  was  a  fine  big 
bear,  a  grizzly,  and  his  skin  measured  7'  6"  by  8'. 


102  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Monday,  September  27.  Hanna  and  I  went  off  to  look 
at  my  bear  baits.  "We  found  one  nearly  eaten  up  by  bears, 
and  the  ground  around  well  padded  with  their  footmarks. 
We  then  went  on  to  the  wapiti  bull  I  had  killed  on  Friday. 
He  lay  just  inside  a  thick  covert  of  quaking  asp,  so  we  dis- 
mounted and  tied  up  our  horses  and  went  down  to  look  at 
him.  We  could  not  see  him  till  we  were  within  15  yards  of 
him,  and  when  I  got  there  I  saw  a  big  bear  busily  engaged 
in  burying  the  carcass.  I  think  we  saAv  each  other  simul- 
taneously, for  as  I  dropped  on  the  knee  to  shoot,  he  sat  up 
and  looked  at  me.  I  fired  both  barrels  and  knocked  him 
over,  and  then  he  got  up  again  with  a  loud  roar,  and  bolted 
through  the  bush.  We  followed,  and  tracked  him  by  his  blood 
for  a  long  way.  Meanwhile  the  bush  got  thicker  and  thicker, 
and  more  than  once,  we  had  to  crawl  on  our  hands  and  knees 
to  follow  w^here  he  had  gone.  Here  we  ought  to  have  stopped 
no  doubt,  as  had  he  come  for  us  there  we  should  have  been 
at  his  mercy,  but  the  bear  was  a  big  one,  and  we  were  keen 
to  get  him,  so  we  determined  to  follow  him.  At  last,  all  of 
a  sudden,  I  saw  him  quite  close,  about  8  yards  off;  he  was 
sitting  up  looking  about  him.  I  told  Hanna,  who  was  close 
beside  me,  and  he  told  me  to  shoot.  I  fired  and  knocked 
him  down,  and  the  next  moment,  with  a  loud  roar,  he  came 
straight  for  us.  Hanna  and  I  both  fired  as  he  came  and 
both  hit  him,  but  nothing  but  a  cannon  would  have  stopped 
such  a  charge.  I  took  a  step  to  one  side,  reloading  as  quickly 
as  I  could,  but  poor  Hanna  lost  his  head  and  turned  and  ran. 
The  next  thing  I  remember  was  feeling  the  bear  pass  me, 
touching  my  legs  and  then  I  saw  Hanna  flying  for  his  life, 
the  bear  close  behind  him.  The  ground  here  was  a  little  more 
open,  and  Hanna  disappeared  over  a  brow,  and  as  the  bear 
topped  it,  I  sent  at  him  and  hit  him  on  the  stern.  Both 
then  disappeared  and  I  rushed  after  them,  reloading  as 
I  ran.  The  next  moment  I  heard  a  fearful  scream 
and  on  reaching  the  brow,  I  saw  the  bear  worrying  at  some- 
thing— growling  furiously.  Hanna,  I  could  not  see.  Of 
course  under  these  circumstances  I  dare  not  shoot  for  fear 
of  hitting  Hanna,  so  the  only  thing  I  could  do,  was,  to  rush 
up  to  the  bear  and  try  and  blow  his  brains  out.  He  looked 
up  at  me,  when  I  was  within  6  feet  of  him,  and  then  to  my 
surprise,  the  cowardly  brute  bolted !  I  put  two  bullets  into 
his  back  as  he  went;  he  then  stopped  in  some  bushes  about 
20  yards  off,  and  sat  up  and  looked  at  me.  I  shot  him  again, 
on  which  he  gave  a  loud  roar  and  appeared  to  collapse,  but 
the  bushes  were  so  thick  I  could  not  see  plainly.  Anyhow 
he  remained   quiet,  which   contented  me !     I  then  looked  to 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  103 

Hanna ;  he  had  got  up  but  said  he  was  badly  hurt.  I  had 
almost  to  carry  him  up  out  of  the  scrub,  not  without  many 
qualms  that  that  brute  of  a  bear  might  come  for  us  any  min- 
ute !  At  last  I  got  him  out  and  set  him  on  a  rock  and  then 
went  for  the  horses,  which  were  about  a  mile  off.  Hanna 's 
nerves  were  quite  gone,  and  he  was  in  a  dreadful  fright  lest 
I  should  not  find  him  again.  While  taking  Hanna  out,  I 
luckily  remembered  to  blaze  the  trees,  as  I  intend  going  for 
that  bear  tomorrow,  and  I  should  never  find  the  place  with- 
out some  sort  of  signpost !  I  got  Hanna  back  to  camp  in 
time,  but  the  poor  felloAV  was  in  great  pain.  When  we 
stripped  him,  I  found  his  arm  was  badly  bitten  in  two  places, 
also  the  thigh  and  calf  of  the  leg  and  he  was  badly  clawed 
on  the  head  and  neck,  but  nothing  broken !  Thank  God ! 
It  might  have  been  worse.  Frank  did  nothing.  Alston^^ 
was  out  in  the  evening  and  shot  a  skunk,  which  he  brought 
into  camp,  and  nearly  stunk  us  all  out !  I  bound  up  Hanna 's 
wounds  and  made  him  as  comfortable  as  possible,  but  he  is 
in  great  pain,  poor  fellow. 

Tuesday,  September  28.  After  I  had  washed  and  bound 
up  Hanna 's  wounds  Frank  and  I  went  off  to  look  for  the 
bear  that  we  had  killed  on  the  26th.  Frank  had  gone  out 
yesterday  to  skin  him,  but  had  been  unable  to  find  him.  We 
soon  found  him,  and  took  off  his  skin  and  got  back  to  camp 
with  it  in  time  for  dinner.  In  the  afternoon,  Alston,  Bill 
and  I  went  to  look  for  my  antagonist  of  yesterday.  We 
went  very  cautiously  to  the  spot,  which  bye  the  bye,  I  should 
never  have  found,  but  for  my  blazed  trees.  We  first  found 
poor  Hanna 's  rifle,  which  he  had  thrown  away  in  his  flight. 
We  looked  carefully  about,  there  being  a  strong  smell  of 
bear.  At  last  we  found  him  dead  close  to  where  I  had  last 
shot  at  him.  He  proved  to  be  an  old  and  huge  grizzly  weigh- 
ing. Bill  said,  not  less  than  1100  or  1200  ^llis.  He  had  9 
bullets  in  him,  so  all  my  shots  had  hit  him.  We  took  off  his 
skin  and  skull  in  triumph  and  returned  to  camp  to  tell  Hanna 
his  enemy  was  dead!  We  found  that  this  bear's  tusks  on  one 
side  were  broken  and  blunt,  but  for  this  Hanna  would  have 
been  very  much  more  hurt.  I  found  that  my  two  first  shots 
were  direct  for  his  heart,  but  the  bullets  had  not  peneti-ated 
so  far !  The  fact  is,  these  small  express  bullets,  a.s  made  by 
EJey,  are  not  heavy  enough,  and  have  not  substance  enough 


19  Alston,  together  with  the  Peters  of  Note  No.  24,  became  partners 
and  started  what  is  still  known  as  the  Bar  C  Eanch  on  the  Middle  Fork 
of  Powder  Eiver  directly  south  of  Barnuni.  During  the  nineties  it 
figured  much  in  troublesome  times  of  the  Hole-in-the-Wall  country  of 
which  it  is  a  part. 


104  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

for  such  a  big  beast — and  their  velocity  is  so  great,  that  they 
go  to  pieces,  without  penetrating.  With  my  old  12  bore  rifle, 
that  I  used  in  India,  those  two  first  shots  would  have  ended 
the  days  of  that  bear  on  the  spot. 

Wednesday,  September  29.  A  very  sharp  frost  last  night. 
Hanna  is  much  better  this  morning.  I  have  made  some 
bandages  out  of  flour  bags,  torn  into  strips  and  stitched  to- 
gether and  luckily  I  have  3  or  4  more  handkerchiefs  than  T 
want.  I  have  used  nothing  but  cold  water  changed  three 
times  a  day,  and  his  wounds  are  doing  well.  I  went  off  in 
the  morning  with  a  pack-horse  to  bring  my  bear  skin  and 
skull  into  camp,  and  got  back  in  time  for  dinner.  Hanna 
was  much  pleased  to  see  the  skull  of  his  enemy  and  seemed  to 
take  a  curious  pleasure  in  feeling  his  teeth !  Frank  went 
out  in  the  evening  and  came  across  a  bear,  which  his  hunter 
Tex  fired  at;  but  whether  hit  or  not  is  uncertain.  Anyhow 
it  got  away.  I  think  our  adventure  has  established  rather  a 
scare ! 

Thursday,  September  30.  Hanna  being  now  "hors  de 
combat,"  Alston  and  I  have  agreed  to  shoot  together  with 
Bill  as  our  mutual  hunter.  We  Avent  out  in  the  morning  and 
I  killed  an  antelope  buck.  I  hit  him  in  the  head  and  broke 
his  skull,  so  had  to  take  off  his  horns  separately.  We  left 
them  there  to  pick  up  on  our  way  home.  We  had  a  long  ride, 
but  saw  nothing,  except  a  fox,  which  Bill  shot.  On  returning 
to  the  antelope,  on  our  way  home,  we  found  the  horns  gone ! 
I  suppose  the  foxes  or  eagles  had  carried  them  off  to  pick ! 
In  the  evening,  Alston  and  I  went  to  look  for  bear,  but  had 
no  luck.  Frank  also  went  to  his  bison  but  bruin  was  not 
there.  During  the  afternoon  I  pegged  out  by  bearskin.  (Here 
in  the  original  diary  appears  a  rough  sketch  of  the  bear  skin 
with  notation:    8  feet  long,  8  ft.  6  in.  wide.) 

Friday,  October  1.  It  was  very  cold  last  night,  and  a 
very  sharp  frost;  lots  of  ice  in  the  river  in  the  morning. 
Alston  and  I  went  out  to  get  some  meat.  We  soon  found 
some  blacktail,  we  shot  together,  and  bagged  a  buck  each. 
I  afterwards  shot  a  very  fine  buck  of  16  points.  Hanna  is 
getting  on  very  well.  I  have  given  up  the  cold  water  applica- 
tion, and  now  dress  his  wounds  with  raw  marrow  from  the 
bones  of  deer.  It  keeps  his  wounds  cool,  and  they  are  now 
healing  rapidly.  I  am  quite  proud  of  my  surgery !  He  is  also 
recovering  the  severe  shock  to  the  nervous  system,  which  is 
sure  to  follow  such  a  mauling — poor  fellow !  His  gratitude 
to  me  is  unbounded.     In  the  evening,  Alston  and  I  went  to 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  105 

my  bison  carcass  to  look  for  a  bear,  but  without  luck.  There 
were  about  20  wolves  there,  and  we  had  a  shot  each,  but  it 
was  getting  dusk,  and  it  was  rather  drawing  a  bow  at  a 
venture.  It  was  very  dark  coming  home,  and  we  blundered 
about  over  the  rocks  much  to  the  detriment  of  our  shins ! 
Frank  did  not  go  out. 

Saturday,  October  2.  Last  night  Ed  put  some  poison 
into  the  carcass  of  an  antelope  I  had  shot,  and  this  morning 
found  five  wolves  and  2  fox'es  dead.  Alston  and  I  went  a 
long  ride  without  seeing  anything ;  the  game  seems  to  have 
cleared  out,  though  there  are  lots  of  bears  about.  We  see 
their  footmarks  all  about,  but  cannot  come  across  them.  We 
have  worked  harder  for  bear,  than  for  anything  else.  Frank 
went  out  for  the  whole  day,  taking  his  dinner  with  him.  He 
saw  and  shot  at  a  blacktail  with  a  very  fine  head,  which  he 
had  shot  at  before ;  but  missed  him.  The  weather  is  very 
fine  just  now — not  quite  so  cold  at  night. 

Sunday,  October  3.  We  remained  in  camp  this  morn- 
ing examining  skins,  horns,  etc.  I  gave  Hanna's  wounds  a 
good  washing  and  doing !  He  is  getting  on  famously,  and  can 
now  walk  slowly  about.  In  the  afternoon  we  cleaned  our 
rifles,  etc.  Frank  went  to  his  bison  carcass,  but  found  no 
bear,  though  they  had  eaten  it  nearly  all  up. 

Monday,  October  4.  A  sharp  frost,  and  very  cold  in 
the  night.  Hanna  much  better ;  Frank  not  very  Avell ;  he  com- 
plained of  signs  of  mountain  fever,  and  remained  in  camp  all 
day.  I  dosed  him  with  quinine.  Alston  and  I  went  out  and 
found  a  large  bunch  of  wapiti.  Alston  killed  one  of  12 
points,  and  Bill  shot  a  heifer  for  food.  There  were  a  great 
many  in  the  band  and  I  could  have  killed  several,  had  I 
been  so  inclined,  but  I  have  already  got  all  the  heads  T  re- 
quire. On  our  way  back  we  bombarded  an  antelope  buck  at 
long  range,  but  missed  him,  though  he  had  more  than  one 
narrow  escape.  We  agreed  in  the  evening  to  shift  our  oanqi 
on  the  morrow. 

Tuesday,  October  5.  We  moved  camp  this  morning,  and 
marched  N.  W.  about  5  miles.  We  were  in  camp  and  "tixed 
up"  by  midday,  and  after  dinner  took  our  rifles  and  had  a 
look  round.  We  soon  found  a  large  band  of  wapiti  and 
Frank  killed  a  very  fine  bull — 21  points.  Alston  and  I  did 
not  shoot  as  we  have  already  got  all  the  heads  we  want,  and  it 
is  a  sin  to  waste  good  meat.  However,  it  is  a  great  pleasure 
to  look  at  these  great  beautiful  creatures,  so  we  stalked  up 
to  the  herd  and  had  a  grand  view  of  the  whole  band,  some 


106  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

30  bulls  and  80  or  100  cows  and  calves.  There  was  another 
band  in  the  wood  close  by,  which  we  could  hear,  but  were 
out  of  sight.  Alston  and  I  went  out  in  the  evening  after 
bear,  but  without  success.  We  are  certainly  very  unlucky 
about  coming  across  bears. 

Wednesday,  October  6.  Alston  and  I  went  hunting  for 
bear.  We  have  killed  all  the  deer  we  want,  so  confine  our- 
selves almost  entirely  to  hunting  bear.  We  saw  much  bear 
"sign"  but  no  "Simon  Pure"!^^  Frank  went  to  skin  and  cut 
ofi.  his  big  wapiti  head,  and  in  the  afternoon  he  got  a  good 
blacktail  of  10  points.  There  is  a  new  moon  and  the  weather 
just  now  is  splendid,  so  we  hope  to  have  a  fine  fortnight  to 
finish  up. 

Thursday,  October  7.  Alston  and  I  got  up  before  dawn, 
and  went  to  our  bearbaits  to  see  if  these  invisible  gentlemen 
take  their  food  early,  but  we  had  no  luck.  It  is  really  extra- 
ordinary, and  most  provoking,  how  these  bears  manage  to 
keep  out  of  our  sight.  There  are  some  about,  and  by  no 
means  few  as  we  can  tell  by  the  "sign."  We  sent  Bill  down 
to  Barton 's^^  Ranche  for  some  stores  this  morning.  I  amused 
m.yself  all  day  making  a  "travois, "  on  which  to  carry  our 
many  horns !  It  is  simply  two  long  poles,  fastened  like  shafts 
to  a  pack  saddle,  the  other  ends  dragging  on  the  ground,  with 
two  cross  bars,  firmly  tied  on  with  rawhide  to  keep  the  poles 
in  place.  Something  of  this  sort,  but  I  am  not  a  very  good 
draughtsman ! 

(Sketch  of  horse  and  "travois"  appears  here  in  original 
diary. ) 

The  Indians  carry  their  goods  and  chattels  on  these 
'  *  travoises, ' '  babies  and  all !  The  poles  are  young  pine  trees, 
and  as  they  spring  a  good  deal,  the  "carriage"  is  far  more 
comfortable  to  ride  in,  than  it  looks !  Hanna  is  getting  on 
very  well ;  his  wounds  are  healing  very  fast.  We  propose 
going  down  to  Trout  Creek^^  tomorrow  for  a  day  or  two,  trout 
fishing.  We  hear  the  trout  are  very  numerous,  and  average 
1  lb.,  to  1%  lbs.  each. 


19  No  apparent  connection.  Perhaps  the  Major  was  using  one  of 
the  leading  American  packers  'Simon  Pure  Leaf  Lard'!  Probably 
colloquialism. 

20 1  am  unable  to  identify  Barton 's  Eanch.  He  may  have  been 
some  temporary  squatter  in  the  vicinity  of  Trout  Creek,  a  small  stream 
flowing  into  the  No  Wood  near  the  northeast  corner  of  T.  41  N.,  R.  89 
W.     See  note  21. 

21  A  small  stream  rising  in  the  northwest  corner  of  Natrona  county 
and  flowing  north  across  the  Washakie-Natrona  County  line  and  into 
the    No    Wood.      In    the    early    eighties    many    of    the    streams    on    the 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  107 

Feiday,  October  8.  Alston  and  I  stayed  in  camp  in  the 
morning  washing  some  clothes,  etc.  Frank  went  out  and 
found  some  wapiti,  but  did  not  get  any.  Bill  turned  up  about 
noon,  with  some  stores.  With  him  came  a  "cowpuncher" 
who  has  a  ranche  near  Trout  creek,  and  he  told  us,  for  some 
unknown  reason,  the  trout  had  not  come  up  the  river  in  any 
great  quantities  this  year,  and  though  there  were  many,  there 
were  nothing  like  the  enormous  quantities  usually  there. 
This  being  the  case,  we  thought  it  hardly  worth  while  going, 
and  decided  not  to  go.  In  the  afternoon  we  made  another 
"travois"  for  the  rest  of  the  horns,  as  one  won't  carry  them 
all!  Frank  went  out  in  the  afternoon  but  did  nothing,  and 
Bill  killed  a  cow  wapiti  for  meat.  A  very  cloudy  and  un- 
settled looking  evening,  and  Bill  fears  we  are  going  to  have 
a  storm. 

Saturday,  October  9.  Bill  proved  a  true  prophet,  for, 
when  we  woke  this  morning,  we  found  the  ground  covered  with 
snow  and  snowing  fast.  Under  the  circumstances  we  remained 
laced  up  in  our  valises !  And  got  Henry  to  bring  us  some  break- 
fast. About  9  it  stopped  snowing  for  half  an  hour  and  we  turned 
out,  but  soon  it  began  again  worse  than  ever,  and  we  retreated 
to  our  tent.  Tliis  was  not  lively,  but  we  made  the  best  of  it,  and 
congratulated  ourselves  that  we  had  not  started  for  Trout 
Creek  yesterday,  as  we  had  intended  going  in  the  lightest 
possible  marching  order,  that  is,  with  no  tent  or  change  of 
clothes,  and  only  a  couple  of  blankets  each.  "We  lighted  a 
big  fire  close  to  the  tent  door,  and  there  we  sat  in  our  great 
coats  on  our  valises,  like  three  disconsolate  crows  on  a  rail ! 
It  snowed  the  whole  day  without  ceasing.  We  had  no  books 
or  papers,  and  there  we  sat  doing  nothing.  We  kept  a  good 
fire  going,  but  had  to  sally  forth  every  now  and  then  to  fetch 
wood ;  by  night  there  was  nearly  a  foot  of  snow  on  the  ground. 

Sunday,  October  10.  On  waking  this  moniing,  we  found 
to  our  dismay  that  it  was  still  snowing,  and  had  evidently 
been  so  doing  all  night.  The  snow  was  over  kneedeep,  and 
the  canvas  of  the  tent  was  frozen  hard  and  stiff  as  a  board. 
We  soon  started  a  fire,  and  made  up  our  minds  to  pass  an- 
other day,  making  up  the  fire  and  watcliing  the  snow  fall! 
Had  we  gone  to  Trout  Creek  we  should  have  been  out  in  all 
this,  and  unable  to  get  back  to  camp,  as  it  was  impossible  to 

eastern  slope  of  the  Big  Horn  Mountains  had  no  trout  in  them.  Trout 
Creek  and  Deep  Creek,  tlie  next  stream  of  any  size  do\vn  No  Wood 
from  Trout  Creek,  both  had  an  abundance  of  nice  trout  in  their  waters. 
This  Trout  Creek  is  apparently  the  same  stream  as  mentioned  by 
Major  Wise,  and  Mr.  T.  F.  Carr  is  my  authority  that  the  name  was 
Trout   Creek  in   1887. 


108  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

see  more  than  30  yards !  And  we  should  only  have  taken  food 
for  48  hours  with  us.  So,  altogether,  we  are  very  well  out  of 
it  I  To  add  to  our  troubles,  our  tobacco  is  nearly  all  done, 
and  when  that  great  solace  is  gone  we  shall  indeed  be  miser- 
able !  I  am  chiefly  concerned  for  the  horses,  who  are  having 
a  bad  time  of  it  picqueted  out  in  the  open.  The  snow  ceased 
falling  about  midday  for  half  an  hour,  but  fell  more  or  less 
all  afternoon.  Towards  evening,  however,  there  were  signs  of 
the  cloads  breaking  and  we  turned  in  with  great  hopes  for 
the  morrow.  It  is  very  lucky  we  happened  to  have  a  good 
stock  of  meat  in  camp. 

Monday,  October  11.  It  did  freeze  last  night  and  no 
mistake !  The  men  all  agreed  it  had  been  below  zero.  The 
meat  was  so  hard  we  could  not  chop  it  Avith  an  axe !  We  Avere 
much  cheered  by  seeing  a  bright  sun  and  blue  sky.  We  set 
to  work  to  clear  away  the  snow  from  around  the  tent,  before 
the  sun  began  to  thaw  it,  and  to  un-earth  our  saddles,  skins, 
etc.,  and  hang  them  all  up  to  dry.  We  did  not  go  out  shoot- 
ing at  all  as  we  feared  becoming  snow-blind.  This  delay  is 
very  annoying,  as  we  have  stores  only  for  7  or  8  days  more 
and  we  want  to  get  some  mountain  sheep.  The  suii  shone 
all  day  and  much  snow  went,  but  a  great  deal  remains,  as  it 
was  freezing  hard  all  day  in  the  shade.  We  kept  up  a  big 
fire  and  amused  ourselves  cleaning  our  rifles,  cutting  fire- 
wood, etc. 

Tuesday,  October  12.  The  frost  was  very  severe  again 
last  night — about  zero,  the  men  said.  We  had  a  bright  sun 
again,  and  the  snow  is  going  fast,  but  there  is  still  too  much 
to  permit  us  to  shift  camp  yet.  Five  of  the  horses,  too,  had 
strayed ;  small  blame  to  them,  in  search  of  pastures  new,  or  rath- 
er not  covered  with  snow !  And  Ed  had  to  go  after  them  fol- 
lowing up  their  tracks  in  the  snow.  Hanna  is  so  much  better, 
that  he  has  today  gone  down  to  Frewen's  Kanche.  His  hurts 
are  now  practically  well,  and  wonderfully  quickh^  they  have 
healed.  Ed  returned  about  midday  with  our  truant  horses. 
In  the  afternoon,  Alston  and  I  rode  out  to  the  camp  of  one 
Bob  Stuart, ^^  a  trapper,  about  3  miles  from  our  camp.  I  got 
some  beaver  and  fox  skins  from  him  for  the  wife  and  chicks  I 
It  was  awfully  cold  riding  back  in  the  evening. 

Wednesday,  October  13.  Hard  frost  again  last  night 
and  very  cold,  but  the  snow  having  a  good  deal  gone,  we  de- 


22  The  same  as  mentioned  in  Note  6.  One  of  the  signers  of  tlie 
original  petition  for  the  organization  of  Johnson  County.  Also  men- 
tioned  in    Note   4. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  109 

termined  to  strike  camp  and  march  to  Sheep  Canyon  about 
8  miles.  We  carried  the  horns  on  the  '^ravoises, "  and  they 
travelled  very  well  —  especially  over  the  snow.  We  got  to 
onr  new  camp  about  3  and  were  soon  snug.  Here  we  hope  to 
get  some  mountain  sheep. 

Thursday,  October  14.  It  was  cold  last  night  so  we  had 
a  fire  in  front  of  the  tent,  but  before  turning  in,  I  poured  a 
bucket  of  water  over  the  fire,  as  there  was  much  dry  grass 
all  round  and  I  feared  it  would  catch  fire.  Just  as  I  was  going 
to  sleep,  I  was  horrified  to  see  the  fire  blazing  up  again  and 
some  of  the  grass  on  fire,  so  up  I  jumped  and  had  to  run 
down  to  the  creek  for  water,  just  as  I  was  in  pyjamas  I  It 
was  freezing  hard,  and  wasn't  it  cold!  This  morning  it  was 
fine,  and  Alston  and  I  went  out  after  sheep.  We  soon  found 
a  fine  ram  and  after  a  long  stalk,  Alston  had  a  shot  at  200 
yards  but  missed  him.  Soon  after,  it  clouded  over  and  our 
old  enemy,  the  snow,  began  again  and  pretty  well  we  caught 
it  before  we  got  back  to  camp !  I  had  no  chance  of  nether 
garments  my  other  pair  being  worn  out,  so  had  to  dry  them 
on  me !  It  snowed  for  the  rest  of  the  day.  Our  stores  are 
getting  very  low— tobacco  nearly  all  done  and  scarcely  any 
meat  in  camp,  so  altogether  we  are  in  rather  low  spirits  in 
this  bad  weather.  Frank  was  out  in  the  morning,  and  saw 
some  wapiti,  but  did  not  get  a  shot.  In  the  evening  a  regular 
gale  commenced,  and  when  we  turned  in,  it  was  blowing  and 
snowing  like  mad !  We  only  hope  the  tent  will  stand  up  !  We 
all  find  great  difficulty  in  breathing  when  walking  up  hill, 
owing,  I  suppose,  to  the  altitude  of  our  camp  and  hunting 
ground  some  10,000  feet  above  the  sea. 

Friday,  October  15.  The  gale  last  night  was  awful.  Sev- 
eral times  I  thought  the  tent  must  go,  but  it  stood  up  bravely. 
It  Avas  still  snowing  heavily  this  morning  but  the  wind  was 
less.  We  had  coffee  and  bread  for  breakfast ;  we  have  nothing 
else.  In  a  very  short  time  the  dregs  in  my  coft'ee  cup  were 
frozen  in  the  tent.  The  creek  is  completely  frozen  over  and 
nearly  buried  in  snow.  We  sent  out  Tex,  as  we  must  have 
some  meat !  The  snow  is  very  deep  in  some  places,  as  the  gale 
has  drifted  it.  This  is  most  unusual  weather  for  the  time  of 
year.  It  ceased  snowing  in  the  afternoon,  and  we  determined 
to  send  Bill  down  to  Barton's  Ranehe  about  8  miles  off  for 
some  flour,  bacon  and  tobacco.  So  he  started  off  about  2. 
Soon  after  he  was  gone,  it  began  to  snow  again  heavily.  Tex 
came  back  about  sundown  having  killed  an  old  ewe ;  but  the 
fool  only  brought  2  or  3  lbs.  of  meat  back  with  him ;  he  was, 
of  course,  wet  through,  and  half  frozen,  but  we  are  all  very 


110  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

glad  to  get  even  a  mouthful  of  meat — and  wasn't  it  tough! 
But  it  went  down  all  the  same.  It  was  bitterly  cold  and  we 
soon  turned  in.  We  each  heated  a  stone  in  the  fire  and  then 
put  it  into  our  valises  to  warm  our  feet ! 

Saturday,  October  16.  Worse  and  worse !  It  snowed 
and  blew  great  guns  all  night,  and  this  morning  the  snow  was 
falling  heavier  than  ever.  It  was  so  bad  that  we  determined 
to  stay  in  bed  till  it  stopped.  Henry  managed  to  heat  some 
coffee — how  he  did  it,  I  cannot  imagine — which  we  had  about 
11.  It  never  ceased  snowing  all  day,  and  in  the  evening  we 
had  some  chocolate  and  bread,  which  is  all  we  now  have  to 
eat ;  and  only  two  loaves  left  of  that.  Bill  did  not  return ;  it 
is  impossible  for  him  to  travel  in  such  a  storm,  but  he  knows 
how  hard  up  we  are  for  food,  and  will  get  back  the  first 
chance  he  has,  I  feel  sure.  If  this  goes  on  much  longer,  our 
position  will  really  become  rather  serious.  We  amused  our- 
selves all  day  singing  songs,  and  telling  stories,  but  we  were 
all  heartily  sick  of  bed  by  the  evening.  The  ground  too,  is  not 
the  softest  couch  to  lie  on  for  so  long! 

Sunday,  October  17.  Last  night  the  wind  blew,  and  the 
snow  fell  unceasingly,  and  when  we  looked  out  this  morn- 
ing it  was  still  at  it !  The  snow  is  now  quite  2  feet  deep 
everywhere,  and  where  it  has  drifted  it  is  many  feet  deep. 
Between  the  men's  tent  and  ours,  only  a  few  yards  apart, 
there  is  a  drift  quite  four  feet  deep.  We  could  not  stand 
another  day  in  bed,  so  we  turned  out  about  9  in  spite  of  the 
snow.  However,  to  reward  us  about  11  the  wind  fell,  and  the 
snow  stopped.  We  had  only  bread  for  breakfast.  Our  bread, 
with  care — it  is  all  divided  into  equal  rations — will  last  till 
tomorrow  morning.  After  that  we  have  absolutely  nothing  to 
eat.  We  have  sent  Tex  to  look  for  the  sheep  he  killed  on  Fri- 
day, but  I  much  doubt  his  finding  it,  even  if  he  can  get  to  it. 
To  our  huge  delight,  about  2  p.  m..  Bill  hove  in  sight  bring- 
ing flour,  bacon  and  tobacco !  He  had  had  a  terrible  journey, 
but  had  determined  to  come.  He  tried  to  come  yesterday, 
but  the  storm  was  too  much  for  him,  and  drove  him  back. 
Soon  after,  Tex  came  in  with  part  of  another  sheep,  which  he 
had  had  the  luck  to  meet  with  and  kill  near  camp.  He  said 
he  had  been  up  to  his  waist  in  snow !  We  soon  had  a  square 
meal  and  did  not  we  pitch  into  it!  This  evening  the  sky 
seems  to  be  clearing,  and  we  hope  the  storm  is  over. 

Monday,  October  18.  Last  night  we  had  a  clear  sky  and 
bright  moon  with  hard  frost,  and  this  morning  the  sun  ap- 
peared, the  wind  changed,  and  altogether  it  looked  more  hope- 
ful— so  much  so,  that  we  determined  to  go  out  shooting,  in 


ANNALS  or  WYOMING  111 

spite  of  the  deep  snow.  We  all  smeared  our  eyes  round  with 
wet  g-unpowder,  to  prevent  snowblindness.  I  don't  remember 
ever  having  had  such  a  walk  I  We  were  out  from  9  till  3 
walking  all  the  time  in  snow  varying  from  1  to  4  feet  in  depth. 
Two  or  three  times  I  was  up  to  my  waistcoat,  and  this  up  and 
down  awful  hills,  and  over  very  steep  rocks,  etc.  We  saw 
some  sheep  but  did  not  get  a  shot.  Coming  home,  we  saw  a 
fine  blacktail  buck,  and  as  Alston  wanted  a  good  head,  he 
shot  him.  He  had  a  fine  head  of  13  points.  Bill  shot  a  lamb 
for  meat.  It  was  wandering  about  alone  and  probably  be- 
longed to  one  of  the  ewes  that  Tex  had  shot.  It  continued  fine 
all  day,  and  was  very  cold  and  frosty  in  the  evening.  The 
storm  is  now  over  I  think,  but  the  snow  will  take  a  long  time 
to  go — in  fact,  the  drifts  will  not  go  till  next  summer. 

Tuesday,  October  19.  A  splendid  morning;  bright  sun, 
a  clear  sky  and  a  hard  frost.  The  storm  is  clearly  over,  but 
the  snow  that  has  fallen  is  a  great  nuisance,  as  Ave  cannot 
get  about,  and  riding  is  out  of  the  question.  Alston  and  I 
started  after  breakfast,  and  we  certainly  had  a  most  tre- 
mendous walk.  No  one  can  tell  the  extreme  fatigue  of  walk- 
ing in  deep  snow  over  rough  rocln^  ground,  until  it  has  been 
tried.  After  a  terribly  hard  walk  through  the  canyon  we  got 
back  to  camp  soon  after  -4,  having  seen  and  pursued  many 
sheep,  but  without  getting  a  shot.  These  sheep  are  the  most 
wary  and  wide  awake  animals  I  have  ever  stalked.  The 
canyons  are  awfully  rough  and  bad  to  travel  over,  and  now 
with  the  snow,  the  work  is  simply  killing.  We  saw  and  stalked 
oue  band  of  over  20  sheep  with  4  or  5  fine  rams — one  in  par- 
ticular a  splendid  fellow — but  just  as  we  thought  Ave  had  got 
within  shot,  a  brute  of  a  fox  scared  the  sheep,  and  off  they 
Avent  for  3  or  4  miles.  We  tracked  them  in  the  snoAV  for  that 
distance  and  intend  folloAving  them  up  tomorroAV.  We  Avere 
very  tired  Avlien  Ave  got  back  to  camp,  and  of  course  Avet 
through,  as  to  our  loAver  limbs !  While  Ave  were  out,  Bill, 
who  was  leading,  suddenly  sank  up  to  his  middle  in  snow. 
AVithout  moAang,  he  turned  his  head,  and  said  A'ery  graA^ely — 
"Wal!  if  a  man  calls  this  sport,  he  don't  love  his  Jesus!" 
The  remark,  though  blasphemous,  Avas  not  meant  as  such, 
and  Avith  the  absurd  position,  and  the  gravity  of  his  face 
sounded  so  ludicrous,  that  Ave  yelled ! 

Wednesday,  October  20.  Hard  frost,  and  a  bright  fuie 
morning.  Alston  and  I  started  oft'  after  our  band  of  sheep. 
After  another  fearful  grind  up  the  canyon,  Ave  saAV  them  all 
on  top  of  the  rocks  far  aboA'e  ns.  We  Avatched  them  for  some 
time,  and  saAV  them  move  to  a  plateau  of  grass,  Avhere  there 
was  no   snoAV  —  just   below   a   small   precipice.      Here    Ave    felt 


112  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

sure  they  would  stay,  so  we  had  to  retrace  our  steps,  all  along 
the  canyon,  then  ascend  to  the  top,  and  then  go  up  the 
canyon  again  along  the  top,  so  as  to  get  above  the  sheep.  "We 
had  an  awful  walk,  as  the  snow  was  very  deep  among  the 
rocks.  When  we  got  to  within  half  a  mile  of  the  place  where 
we  had  left  the  sheep,  to  our  intense  disgust,  we  saw  fresh 
horsetracks  in  the  snow,  and  found  that  that  fool  Tex  had 
taken  Ftank  that  way.  Of  course,  when  we  got  to  the  place, 
the  sheep  were  gone,  and  our  chance  of  a  shot,  after  two 
days  stalking,  was  gone,  too!  The  sky  shows  signs  of  snow 
again  and  the  men  fear  that  we  may  be  snowed  up,  if  another 
heavy  fall  comes — to  say  nothing  of  being  starved !  So  that 
we  have  determined  to  give  up  the  sheep  and  start  down  to- 
morrow. 

Thursday,  October  21.  It  was  bitterly  cold  this  morn- 
ing, and  I  am  sure  another  snow  storm  is  coming.  We  struck 
camp  after  breakfast.  The  day  proved  fine,  though  cold, 
and  we  marched  18  miles  down  towards  the  Ranche,  and 
camped  for  the  night  on  Powder  River.  On  the  way  doY^n 
Y^e  came  across  a  big  band  of  Y^apiti,  and  as  we  wanted  meat, 
Frank  and  I  went  after  them  and  shot  a  cow,  after  a  good 
chase.  As  we  sat  round  the  camp  fire  for  the  last  time,  I  think 
Y'e  all  regretted  that  our  hunt  Y^as  over !  I,  for  one,  have 
enjoyed  these  seven  weeks  immensely. 

Friday,  October  22.  After  a  cold  frosty  night  we  struck 
camp  early,  and  directly  after  breakfast,  Alston,  Frank  and 
I  got  on  our  ponies  and  started  for  Big  Horn  Ranche  22  miles 
distant,  leaving  our  outfit  to  follow  more  slowly.  The  trail 
being  fairly  good,  we  rode  a  good  pace  and  arrived  at  the 
Ranch  about  1,  in  time  for  luncheon.  Both  the  brothers 
FrcY'en  were  at  home  and  gave  us  hearty  welcome.  Curiously 
enough,  we  had  not  arrived  half  an  hour  when  Lords  Caledon 
and  Rodney  and  their  outfit  arrived,  also  on  their  way  down 
to  Rock  Creek.  They  too  had  been  driven  out  by  the  snoY^ 
and  had  only  got  one  ram — otherwise  they  had  had  good 
sport  and  had  had  more  luck  with  bears  than  us,  having 
bagged  15.  They  went  on  after  lunch,  as  they  are  going  to 
march  down  to  Rock  Creek,  camping  by  the  way.  Our  outfit 
arrived  about  4,  all  safe.  It  seemed  so  queer  and  hot,  getting 
into  a  house  again !  But  I  expect  we  shall  all  appreciate 
a  nice  clean  bed  tonight.  It  is  much  warmer  here  than  in 
the  mountains,  and  no  snow,  but  there  was  a  heavy  fall  when 
we  had  that  storm,  and  as  the  thermometer  was  10  below  zero 
here  at  the  Ranche,  it  must  have  been  considerably  loY^er 
Yhere  we  were,  2000  feet  higher  up. 


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114  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Big-  Horn  Ranche 

Saturday,  October  23.  We  all  slept  well  in  our  nice  clean 
beds,  but  I  found  the  house  hot,  in  spite  of  the  sharp  frost, 
and  had  to  keep  my  windows  open.  We  packed  off  our  skins 
and  horns  on  a  wagon  for  Rock  Creek  in  the  morning.  In 
the  afternoon  we  three  went  with  Moreton  Frewen  on  horse- 
back to  look  at  some  of  his  cows.  It  is  certainly  a  luxury  to 
eat  at  table  again,  and  to  get  some  vegetables  and  change  of 
food  from  the  everlasting  bread  and  meat  of  the  last  two 
nionths,  and  a  glass  of  bottled  Bass  does  taste  very  good  after 
our  long  teetotal ! 

Sunday,  October  24.  A  bright  fine  day.  We  had  a  good 
go  in  at  accounts  this  morning  and  a  general  squaring  up. 
I  find  our  seven  weeks  shoot  has  cost  us  about  £90  apiece ! 
Not  a  great  sum  considering  all  we  have  done,  and  how  com- 
fortably, taking  everything  into  consideration,  we  have  done 
it!  Alston  and  Moreton  Frewen  went  off  to  "Crazywoman"^^ 
Ranche  to  see  how  the  cow  business  is  carried  on,  as  Alston 
has  some  thoughts  of  investing.  Dick  Frewen,  Frank  and  I 
rode  in  the  afternoon  to  see  the  coal  mine  they  have  here, 
within  a  couple  of  miles  of  the  Ranche.  The  coal  crops  out 
on  the  prairie  in  a  big  seam  some  12  feet  thick,  and  very 
good  coal  it  is.  They  just  take  a  wagon  there  and  pick  out 
a  load  of  coal  and  bring  it  to  the  Ranche.  Mighty  con- 
venient, and  worth  a  mint  if  it  was  in  England ;  here  it  is 
v/orthless,  at  all  events  at  present,  except  for  their  own  con- 
sumption. 

Monday,  October  25.  In  the  morning  Dick  Frewen,  Frank 
and  I  and  three  of  the  men,  went  off  on  horseback  to  find 
and  collect  the  herd  of  horses.  We  got  together  nearly  100 
and  picked  out  some  to  drive  back  to  the  Ranche.  These  we 
had  to  "rope"  or  lasso,  and  we  had  plenty  of  galloping  about 
after  them.  We  got  back  to  lunch,  and  in  the  afternoon  we 
went  to  the  river  with  our  gans,  again  on  horseback,  to  try 
and  find  some  ducks — but  they  were  not  at  home,  and  we  did 
not  see  any.  In  the  evening,  a  neighbor,  one  Peters,^^  a 
young  Ranche-man  came  in.  He  had  a  very  good  voice,  and 
we  had  a  pleasant  evening  with  some  good  songs. 

23  The  Crazy  Woman  Fork  of  Powder  Eiver.  Here,  on  what  is 
now  known  as  the  Billy  Hayes  ranch,  the  Powder  River  Cattle  Company 
located  another  ranch.  Just  below  it  was  the  ranch,  in  later  years,  of 
Fred  G.  S.  Hesse.  The  Hesse  ranch,  together  with  the  76  brand,  is  now 
owned  by  George  S.  Hesse. 

24  A  partner,  later,  of  Ashton's.  Peters,  T.  W.,  was  called,  "Twice 
Wintered,"  to  distinguish  him  from  H.  W.  Davis  who  was  "Hard 
Winter."     Afterwards  a  U.  S.  Consul  to  Germany;  a  Philadelphian. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  115 

Tuesday,  October  26.  This  morning  I  was  idle  and 
loafed  about  the  Ranche  while  Dick  Prewen  and  Frank  went 
out  on  horseback  to  see  about  a  telephone-^  that  the  Frewens 
are  putting  up  between  the  Ranche  and  the  Old  Post  at  Powder 
River.  In  the  afternoon  we  rode  out  to  see  a  horse  corral 
they  are  making  a  few  miles  from  the  Ranche  in  which  to 
round  up  the  horses  from  time  to  time.  We  had  a  jolly  ride, 
and  on  returning  found  that  Alston  and  Moreton  Frewen 
had  come  back.  The  former  is  thinking  of  becoming  a  part- 
ner with  Peters^^  in  a  Ranche  near  this. 

Big  Horn  Ranche — Powder  River 

Wednesday,  October  27.  This  morning  we  packed  up 
our  small  kit,  and  after  lunch  we  started  in  the  buggy  for  the 
old  Post,  Dick  Frewen  driving.  We  had  a  young  horse, 
almost  unbroken,  as  one  of  the  pair.  He  was  very  unsteady 
and  I  fully  expected  a  smash.  However,  we  got  on  fairly  well, 
till  about  halfway,  w^hen  in  going  over  one  of  the  numerous 
"gulches"  the  young  one's  trace  broke,  and  we  nearly  had 
a  mess,  but  we  got  hold  of  his  head  and  prevented  further 
mischief.  We  mended  the  trace  as  well  as  we  could,  but  soon 
after  it  broke  again ;  this  time  luckily  near  the  Old  Post,  so 
at  last  we  got  in  safely.  This  is  one  of  the  charming  animals 
I  am  to  drive  tomorrow  and  next  day  some  90  miles  to  Fort 
Fetterman !  I  hope  we  shall  arrive  in  safety.  The  Frewens 
have  lent  us  the  buggy  to  go  down  to  Fetteiinan  in.  It  saves 
us  our  coach  fare  anyhow  and  is  much  more  comfortable,  if 
only  the  young  one  will  behave  himself !  We  sleep  here  to- 
night and  start  early  tomorrow. 

Old  Post  Powder  River 

Thursday,  October  28.  We  were  up  early,  Frank  and  I 
and  Ed,  who  comes  with  us  to  take  back  the  buggy.  We 
started  about  7  :30  having  said  farewell  to  Dick  Frewen  and 
Alston.  The  "young  one"  Avent  better  than  I  expected.  I 
took  the  precaution  last  night  to  have  the  traces  properly 
mended,  so  all  went  well  and  we  arrived  at  Antelope  Spring,-" 
40  miles,  about  4  P.  M.  This  is  a  roadside  Ranche,  merely  a 
log  hut  with  mud  stuffed  between  the  logs,  but  we  are  not 


25  A  few  of  the  insulators  of  this  line  are  today,  3till  in  position 
on  trees  along  the  river  bottom  just  above  the  old  site  of  Depot  Fort 
McKinney    at   the    Powder    River    crossing. 

26  Notes    18    and    24. 

27  Near  the  present  Ross,  northwestern  Converse  County,  on  Ante- 
lope Creek.  Later  a  stage  station  on  the  Rock  Creek- Junction  City 
(Montana)   stage   route. 


116  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

particular  now !  At  the  Post  last  night  a  trapper  offered  to 
sell  me  a  teepee  or  Indian  lodge  made  of  buffalo  hide.  A  few 
trappers  and  cowboys  had  a  fight  this  spring  near  here,  with  a 
band  of  Sioux.  Two  white  men  were  killed,  but  they  whipped 
the  Indians  and  took  their  goods  from  them — among  other 
things,  this  teepee.  Besides  being  a  curiosity  to  have  at  home, 
its  history  makes  it  rather  interesting,  so  I  bought  it.  The 
fight  took  place  in  the  Big  Horn  Mountains  within  a  few  miles 
and  within  sight  of  the  place  we  were  camped  on  October  5 
and  following  days. 

Antelope  Springs — Fort  Fetterman 

Friday,  October  29.  We  were  up  by  daybreak,  and  were 
much  disgusted  to  find  it  was  snowing.  We  had  breakfast  at  6  :30 
and  by  7  were  under  way.  We  had  a  fresh  pair  of  horses 
today,  leaving  "Yank,"  the  young  one,  and  his  mate  here  for 
the  return  journey,  at  which  I  was  rather  relieved!  About 
10  it  stopped  snowing,  but  was  cloudy  and  cold  all  day.  We 
arrived  at  Fort  Fetterman  at  5  p.  m.,  just  50  miles,  the  horses 
having  come  through  wonderfully  well,  and  these  qaods  live 
on  grass !  We  got  some  supper,  and  then  took  our  places  in 
the  coach  which  arrives  here  anytime  between  11  p.  m.  and 
2  a.  m.  for  Rock  Creek.^^  We  only  hope  we  shall  be  alone,  as 
a  night  journey  with  3  or  4  in  these  little  coaches  is  no  joke ! 

Fort  Fetterman 

Saturday,  October  30.  We  lay  down  in  our  clothes  last 
night,  having  given  directions  to  be  routed  out  when  the 
coach  came  in.  We  both  slept  well,  nevertheless,  and  I  did 
not  wake  till  5  a.  m.,  when  the  morning  gun  in  the  Fort  woke 
me,  and  I  went  out  to  see  what  had  become  of  the  coach.  I 
then  found  that  it  had  arrived  about  4,  but  that  it  was  full 
and  therefore  we  could  not  have  gone  on,  had  we  been  awake. 
After  breakfast  we  found  that  some  of  the  soldiers  were  going 
to  target  practice  so  we  went  to  look  on.  We  soon  began  to 
chat  with  the  officers,  who  were  exceedingly  civil  and  invited 
us  to  have  some  shots,  which  we  did.  Frank  shot  very  well, 
but  to  my  disgust,  I  could  scarcely  hit  the  target.  They  after- 
wards asked  us  into  their  mess  hut,  where  they  had  a  billiard 
table,  and  we  played  billiards  and  poker  all  the  afternoon. 
They  seemed  very  decent  fellows,  indeed,  and  were  very  kind 
and  hospitable  to  us.  The  coach  arrived  in  the  evening  about 
10:30.  Alston  and  De  Bunsen,  who  is  Secretary  of  our  lega- 
tion at  Washington,  were  in  it,  so  there  was  a  very  consider- 


28  A   station   on  the   Union   Pacific    R.   R.     On   Eock   Creek   east   of 
Medicine  Boav.     The  R.  R.  has  since  changed  and  it  is  no  more. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  117 

able  squash !     However,  the  night  was  very  cold,  so  we  kept 
each  other  warm. 

Fort  Fetterman — Rock  Creek 
Sunday,  October  31.  We  had  not,  as  may  be  supposed,  a 
very  comfortable  night  of  it.  We  got  so  fearfully  cramped, 
tJiree  out  of  the  four  being  big  men.  About  2  a.  m.  the  coach 
stopped  and  we  found  the  horses  were  jibbing  up  a  very  steep 
hill,  so  we  all  had  to  turn  out  and  push !  Presently  we 
jogged  on  again,  and  after  a  time  the  coach  stopped  once 
more.  This  time,  we  found  that  the  coachman,  who  is  a  new 
man,  had  lost  his  way!  The  road  such  as  it  is,  is  nothing 
more  than  a  track,  and  he  had  gone  wrong.  We  drove  about 
for  some  time  over  the  prairie,  crashing  through  the  sage 
brush,  and  soon  came  to  a  creek  which  we  had  to  cross.  The 
banks  were  quite  perpendicular,  about  3  feet  high,  but  there 
was  no  help  for  it,  and  down  we  had  to  go.  Frank  and  Alston 
preferred  their  own  legs,  but  De  Bunsen  and  I  were  too  idle 
to  move  and  just  took  our  luck.  The  horses  for  a  long  time 
refused  to  jump,  but  at  last  they  went  at  it  with  a  rush  and 
down  we  went  with  a  bang  and  a  crash  into  the  creek.  How 
we  did  not  get  upset  is  a  wonder.  I  believe  we  were  rather 
near  it !  We  soon  after  struck  the  road  again.  We  arrived 
at  Rock  Creek  at  5  :30  p.  m.,  after  19  hours  squash  !  We  found 
that  Caledon  and  Rodney  had  also  just  arrived,  so  there  was 
quite  a  party  of  us  at  Thayer's  Hotel,  so  much  so  that  there 
was  very  little  room.  Fi'ank  and  I  could  only  get  one  room 
so  we  had  to  sleep  together !  Our  horns  and  skins  have  ar- 
rived here. 

Rock  Creek 

Monday,  November  1.  I  cannot  say  that  I  slept  very  well ! 
Frank's  ideas  of  "meum  and  tuum"  in  bed,  are  somewhat 
vague!  And  our  bed  was  none  of  the  Avidest.  After  ])reakfast 
we  set  to  work  to  unload  our  wagons  and  tied  up  our  horns 
and  skins  ready  for  transport  tomorrow  to  Cheyenne,  where 
we  are  going  to  have  them  put  into  boxes  and  sent  home. 
Caledon  and  Rodney  were  doing  the  same,  so  there  was  quite 
a  display  of  horns  and  bearskins,  and  when  the  train  for  the 
west  came  in,  the  passengers  all  came  and  stared  at  them. 
It  cost  us  £10  each  to  get  the  Iuhmis,  etc.  down  from  Powder 
River  to  Rock  Creek  !  So  expensive  is  road  traveling  in  the 
country !     And  they  took  8  days  to  do  175  miles ! 

Rook  Creek — Cheyenne 

Tuesday,  November  2.    Frank  surpassed  himself  last  night ! 
He  bounds  about  in  his  sleep  like  a  pea  in  a  shovel !     I  am 
sorry  for  the  future  Mrs.  F. !    We  were  ready  for  a  start  after 


118  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

breakfast,  the  train  being  due  at  Rock  Creek  at  9  a.  m.,  but 
we  heard  that  there  had  been  an  accident  to  a  goods^^  train 
W.  of  Rock  Creek,  and  that  our  train  was  in  consequence 
delayed  three  hours.  Accordingly  about  12  it  came  in  and 
we  started,  horns,  skins  and  all.  We  got  to  Cheyenne  at 
8  p.  m.  and  got  rooms  at  the  Station  Hotel,  one  each  this  time, 
I  am  thankful  to  say ! !  "We  here  parted  with  Alston,  who  is 
going  straight  home.  We  met  here.  Cowan  and  young  Glynn,^° 
who  went  with  us  from  Brindisi  to  Alexandria  in  the  spring! 

29  A  freight  train. 

30  Glynn.      A   London   banking  family. 

NOTE — This,  the  final  note  of  the  Major  Wise  hunt  in  the  Powder 
Eiver  country,  gives  a  probable  route  taken  by  the  party  in  the  hunt  after 
leaving  the  Home  Ranch  and  has  been  contributed  by  Mr.  Mart  Tisdale, 
sheriff  of  Johnson  County,  Avho  is  probably  as  well  acquainted  with  the 
topography  of  the  entire  southern  portion  of  Johnson  County  as  any 
man  today.  It  has  been  prepared  after  a  close  study  of  the  various 
marches  as  recorded  in  the  Diary  and,  while  definite  information  as  to 
direction  and  distance  traveled  is  lacking  in  two  important  places,  i* 
is  believed  to  be,  in  the  main,  correct. 

The  camp  of  September  4th  was,  of  course,  at  the  N  H  Ranch  on 
Beaver  Creek,  the  present  Condit  place  at  Barnum.  On  the  5th  the 
party  ascended  the  mountains  on  the  old  N  II  trail  to  the  head  of  the 
South  prong  of  Red  Fork  of  Powder  River,  or  Cheever  's  Flats.  Here 
they  hunted  till  the  8th  and  that  morning  'marched'  10  miles  N.  W. 
which  would  bring  them  into  the  Saw  Mill  Creek  country.  After  about 
a  four-mile  march  of  this  'march'  the  'P.C. '  newspaper  correspondent, 
left  them,  much  to  their  relief,  and  went  off  to  the  mountains  by  way 
of  the  Red  Bank  Trail  (Red  Bank  being  the  ranch  of  former  Governor 
Richards  on  the  No  Wood  about  midway  between  the  present  towns  of 
Big  Trails  and  Nowood).  On  the  13th  they  marched  8  miles  N.  to 
the  North  Fork  of  Powder  River,  the  present  crossing  in  T.  47-85,  being 
the   same   as   used  at   that   time. 

Here  they  heard  of  the  Crows  as  being  camped  not  in  Big  Horn 
Canyon  itself  as  stated  in  the  Diary  but  in  Creel  Canyon,  a  tributary 
of  the  Big  Horn.  Marching  again  on  the  21st  for  a  distance  of  18 
miles  south  should  have  placed  the  camp  of  this  night  near  the  South 
prong  of  Red  Fork  of  Powder  River  again.  On  the  22nd  they  again 
marched  south,  distance  not  given,  but  very  likely  to  the  Middle  Fork 
of  Powder  River.  Here  Hanna  and  the  bear  staged  their  battle  and 
the  camp  remained  till  October  5th  when  they  again  marched  N.  W. 
a  distance  of  5  miles  which  should  put  them  on  the  west  slope  to  the 
south  of  Red  Bank.  Here  they  remained  till  the  18th  during  which 
time  it  was  proposed  that  they  go  to  Trout  Creek  on  a  fishing  trip. 
At  this  camp  they  would  have  been  within  8  or  10  miles  of  that  stream 
(See  note  21.)  This  plan,  however,  was  not  carried  out  and  on  the  13th 
they  again  marched  8  miles  to  the  Sheep  Canyon  of  the  Diary,  probably 
the  Canyon  of  the  present  day  Sheep  Creek,  which  empties  into  the 
Middle  Fork  of  Powder  River  where  that  stream  makes  a  bend  to  the 
east  after  passing  the  ranch  house  of  the  Bar  C.  It  is  between  Beaver 
Creek  and  the  Middle  Fork  of  Powder  Eiver.  On  the  21st  a  march 
of  18  miles  was  made  in  the  direction  of  the  Home  Ranch,  and  this 
would  place  the  camp  of  that  night  on  the  Middle  Fork  of  Powder 
River  near  the  mouth  of  Sheep  Creek.  On  the  following  day  the 
remaining  distance  of  22  miles  to  the  Home  Ranch  was  accomplished, 
thus   ending  the   hunt. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  119 

OLD  FADED  PHOTOGRAPH 

REVEALS  FASCINATING  PAGE  OF  EARLY 

WYOMING  HISTORY* 

(Front  Cover) 

The  old  street  scene  in  Buffalo,  Wyoming,  "which  provides 
the  cover  illustration  for  the  ANNALS  this  quarter,  is  graph- 
ically representative  of  an  early  and  colorful  era  in  the 
history  of  Johnson  County.  Citizens  were  not  harassed  by 
parking  problems,  and  the  city  council  had  no  worries  over 
street  improvements.  The  beasts  of  burden  found  peace  and 
comfort  in  this  serene  atmosphere. 

This  view  of  the  east  side  of  IMain  street  in  1883  brings 
to  mind  two  of  the  town's  pioneer  business  men,  S.  T.  (Uncle 
Steve)  Farwell  and  Robert  Foote.  From  Howard  B.  Lott,  of 
Buffalo,  comes  the  following  detailed  information : 

The  store  of  Mr.  Farwell,  a  frame  building  with  shingle 
roof,  was  located  directly  opposite  the  southeast  corner  of 
the  present  court-house  grounds.  It  was  constructed  in  1883, 
and  is  still  standing  in  practically  its  original  form.  Owned 
bj'  Mr.  W.  P.  Keays,  the  building  is  occupied  by  the  WPA 
commissary. 

Mr.  Farwell  was  an  old-time  bull-whacker,  freighting  in 
the  Black  Hills  in  1875  and  '76.  Forsaking  that  work  to 
open  his  store  in  Buffalo,  he  later  (1884)  was  elected  treasurer 
of  Johnson  County  and  upon  completion  of  his  term  of  otfice, 
resumed  proprietorship  of  his  business.  Afterward  he  moved 
to  Spokane,  Wash.,  where  he  died.  He  was  born  in  Cambridge, 
Mass.,  in  1836. 

The  Robert  Foote  store  opened  in  1882  on  a  site  directly 
south  of  the  Farwell  place  of  business,  where  the  dental  office 
of  Dr.  Elza  L.  Misner  is  now  located.  In  the  fall  of  1883  Mr. 
Foote  moved  his  business  into  new  quarters  on  a  site  about  175 
feet  north,  now  occupied  by  the  Texas  Service  Station  of 
Jack  Meldrum. 

Mr.  Foote,  a  tailor  b3'  trade,  was  born  in  Scothmd  and 
worked  in  London  for  nine  years  lief  ore  coming  to  America. 
He  came  to  Buffalo  from  Fort  Halleck,  M'hich  was  established 
in  1863  just  west  of  the  Medicine  Bow  ]\Iountains  on  the 
route  of  the  Overland  Mail.  He  enjoyed  prosperity  in  Buffalo 
and  accumulated  considerable  wealth,  but  afterward  met  with 
financial  reverses  and  removed  to  Phoenix,  Arizona,  where  he 
died.  He  had  two  sons,  one  of  Avhom,  Robert  Foote,  Jr.,  is 
still  living  at  the  age  of  72,  in  Heflin,  Alabama. 


*The  picture  was  reproduced  by  Mr.  E.  E.  Dagley,  of  Cheyenne,  from 
a  faded  photograph  found  in  the  files  of  the  Wyoming  State  Historical 
Department. 


STATE  GOVERNORS 


(Left    to    right,    top) :      DeForest    Richards — January    2,    1899- April    28, 

1903;    Fenimore   Chatterton    (Acting) — April    28,    1903- January   2,    1905; 

(Lower):     Bryant  B.  Brooks — January  2,   1905- January  2,  1911;   Joseph 

M.  Carey — January  2,  1911-January  4,  1915. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  121 

GOVERNORS  OF  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING 
By  Harry  B.  Henderson,  Sr.* 

Article  III 

DeForest  Richards 

DeForest  Richards,  Governor  of  Wyoming  from  January 
2,  1899,  to  April  28,  1903,  was  born  August  6,  1846,  at  Charles- 
town,  New  Hampshire.  He  was  of  Puritan  and  Hugenot  an- 
cestry, the  paternal  and  maternal  families  having  arrived  in 
America  in  1630  and  1640  respectively.  His  father  was  a 
Congregational  minister  and  college  president. 

Mr.  Richards  was  educated  in  the  common  school  of 
Charlestown,  Kimball  Union  Academy  of  Meredith,  N.  H. 
and  Phillips  Andover  Academy. 

After  the  Civil  War,  the  family  moved  to  Alabama  where 
the  father  had  been  chosen  President  of  Alabama  State  Uni- 
versity. 

Mr.  Richards  was  elected  to  the  Alabama  State  Legisla- 
ture, Sheriff  and  Treasurer  of  his  County  under  the  recon- 
struction program  of  the  State.  He  retired  from  politics  and 
engaged  in  business  in  which  he  was  unfortunate  financially, 
but  he  determined  his  debts  should  all  be  paid.  This  was 
accomplished  by  the  labor  of  his  brains  and  hands.  He  then 
oj'cned  a  merchandising  business  in  Camden,  Alabama,  and 
this  was  a  profitable  venture. 

Mr.  Richards  and  Elise  Jane  Ingersol,  a  member  of  an 
Alabama  Puritan  family,  were  married  in  1871.  Mrs.  Rich- 
ards was  a  lovable  woman,  keen  of  intellect  and  during  the 
lifetime  of  her  husband  was  his  helpful  partner  in  business 
and  politics.  Two  children,  Inez  and  J.  DeForest.  were  bom 
to  the  family  and  survive  their  parents. 

In  1885,  Mr.  Richards  closed  out  his  business  and  moved 
north  and  west.  The  townspeople  of  Camden  tendered  him 
a  banquet  at  which  time  a  beautifully  carved  statuette  was 
presented,  indicative  of  the  high  esteem  in  which  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Richards  was  held  by  the  citizenry  and  its  sincere  regret 
of  their  leaving  the  State. 

Mr.    Richards   and   his   familv   located   at    Chadron.    Xe- 


*A  biographical  sketch  of  Mr.  Henderson  appears  in  the  ANNALS 
OF  WYOMING,  Vol.  11,  No.  4,  October,  1939,  with  the  first  of  this 
series  of  five  articles  on  Wyoming  Territorial  and  State  Governors 
being  written  especially  for  this  publication. 

As  Mr.  Henderson  has  watched  and  participated  in  the  progress 
of  the  development  of  Wyoming,  he,  himself,  has  become  a  part  of  its 
fascinating   history. 


122  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

braska,  where  with  his  brothers,  Bartlett  and  Jarvis  Rich- 
ards, he  engaged  in  merchandising  and  banking.  Later  he 
moved  westward  with  the  extension  of  the  Northwestern 
Railroad,  establishing  his  home  at  Douglas  in  1887,  where  he 
organized  the  First  National  Bank  and  was  its  executive 
officer  until  his  death.  He  also  engaged  in  banking,  mer- 
chandising, and  transportation  at  Casper. 

The  heavy  cattle  losses  in  AVyoming  occasioned  by  the 
winters'  storms  of  1886-1887  prostrated  both  business  and 
development.  It  was  then  that  Mr.  Richards  conceived  the 
idea  of  bringing  sheep  into  the  Platte  Valley  District,  (his 
grandfather,  William  Jarvis,  imported  the  first  Merino  Sheep 
into  the  United  States)  trailing  them  from  Oregon  and  selling 
them  to  the  ranchmen.  It  was  a  new  industry  and  a  new 
prosperity  for  Converse  County.  The  income  from  the  ranges 
now  belonged  to  people  actually  living  in  the  County. 

Mr.  Richards  had  the  confidence  of  the  people  of  Central 
Wyoming.  His  counsel  and  good  judgment  was  sought  by 
the  live  stock  interests.  Frequently,  it  was  necessary  for 
him  to  go  the  additional  mile  with  his  borrower  to  save  him 
from  financial  ruin,  but  if  there  was  honesty  and  ability  on 
the  part  of  the  customer,  Mr.  Richards  would  befriend  him 
even  at  his  own  peace  of  mind.  He  not  only  saved  his  bor- 
rowers but  his  institutions  and  they  both  prospered. 

He  was  active  in  the  development  of  Converse  County 
and  the  town  of  Douglas.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Constitutional  Convention  and  served  in  that  body  during 
the  framing  of  Wyoming's  greatest  law. 

He  was  Mayor  of  Douglas  and  Commanding  officer  of 
the  Wyoming  National  Guard. 

In  1898,  Mr.  Richards  was  nominated  for  Governor  on 
the  Republican  ticket  and  elected  to  that  office  at  the  general 
election.  He  was  inducted  into  office  January  2,  1899,  and 
served  a  full  four  year  term.  He  was  again  elected  in  No- 
vember, 1902,  reinaugurated  in  January,  1903,  and  continued 
as  Governor  until  April  28,  1903,  when  he  passed  into  the 
great  beyond. 

Governor  Richards  had  a  personality  that  was  particu- 
larly adapted  to  the  position  of  Governor.  He  was  physically 
and  intellectually  a  large  man.  He  was  not  a  politician  but 
rather  the  safe  and  conservative  business  man,  who  had  been 
chosen  to  direct  the  State's  affairs. 

Governor  Richards'  message  to  the  Legislature  of  1901 
and  1903  are  really  reports  upon  the  condition  of  the  State. 
They  present  to  the  Legislature  facts  concerning  every  State 
Officer,    institutional   board    or   commission.      The    statements 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  123 

were  not  merely  the  re-utterance  of  those  made  in  biennial 
reports,  but  were  in  a  large  measure  the  observations  of  the 
Governor  from  personal  visitation  to  the  offices  and  institu- 
tions. 

In  one  message  he  says  "The  State  and  Counties  are  upon 
a  cash  basis  and  public  expense  reduced." 

"Let  us  take  the  lead  among  our  sister  states  and  pay 
our  bonded  indebtedness."    We  did! 

"The  State  is  in  good  condition:  by  your  acts  keep  it 
so,  or  make  it  better." 

"To  the  prevailing  party,  I  would  ask  that  in  all  things 
you  act  with  deliberation  and  prudence,  remembering  that 
you  and  you  alone  will  be  held  responsible  for  extravagances 
in  appropriations." 

"Hoping  that  Divine  Providence  may  guide  you  in  the 
path  of  wisdom  and  that  He  may  continue  to  shower  His 
blessings  upon  our  people,"  is  the  closing  paragraph  in  one 
message  while  in  his  last  message,  this  paragraph : 

"The  blessings  of  a  beneficent  Providence  have  rested 
upon  our  people  since  your  last  meeting :  prosperity,  peace 
and  happiness  prevail  within  our  borders,  and  I  trust  that 
His  hand  may  guide  you  in  your  councils  and  deliberations 
to  the  end  that  wisdom  shall  be  shown  in  all  your  acts." 

Governor  Richards  became  ill  shortly  after  the  adjourn- 
ment of  the  Legislature  in  1903  and  died  April  28tli  of  that 
year. 

He  was  a  man  among  men. 

Fenimore  Chatterton 

Fenimore  Cnatterton,  Acting  Governor  of  Wyoming  from 
April  28,  1903,  to  the  first  Monday  in  January,  1905.  was 
born  at  Oswego,  New  York,  July  31,  1860.  His  father  was 
G.  H.  Chatterton,  then  of  Rutland,  Vermont,  while  his  mother 
was  Anna  Mazuzan  of  Brandon,  Vermont.  Mr.  Chatterton 's 
father  was  a  lawyer  and  an  ordained  Presbyterian  minister, 
doing  missionary  work  in  Iowa  for  several  years. 

As  a  lad  and  youth,  Mr.  Chatterton  received  a  common 
school  education,  a  Normal  School  training,  and  later  he 
graduated  from  the  law  department  of  the  University  of 
Michigan. 

Mr.  Chatterton  came  to  Iowa  with  the  family,  and  upon 
the  family  returning  East,  he  proceeded  West  to  Wyoming 
Territory.  Fort  Fred  Steele  was  a  military  post  at  the  time 
and  he  stopped  at  the  fort.  He  found  employment  in  the 
mercantile  house  of  J.  W.  Hugus,  who  was  post  trader,  en- 
gaged   in    general    merchandising    and    banking.      He    made 


124  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

himself  valuable  to  Mr.  Hugus  and  after  a  few  years,  a  part- 
nership in  the  business  was  effected.  A  branch  store  and  bank 
was  established  at  Saratoga,  then  a  thriving  town  on  the 
Platte  River  some  thirty  miles  south  of  the  railroad. 

Afer  the  abandonment  of  the  military  post,  the  business 
at  Port  Steele  was  sold,  Mr.  Chatterton  giving  his  attention 
to  the  Saratoga  branch. 

Mr.  Chatterton  was  nominated  on  the  Republican  ticket 
in  1888  to  the  office  of  County  Treasurer  of  Carbon  County, 
and  elected  at  the  general  election  of  that  year.  He  served 
the  county  as  he  served  his  former  employer  and  associate, 
with  fidelity.  He  collected  the  taxes  levied  and  the  tax-pay- 
ers knew  they  had  to  pay.  There  was  no  favoritism.  At  the 
first  State  election  in  1890,  he  was  elected  to  the  position  of 
State  Senator  for  the  four-year  term.  Having  receive  his  LLB 
degree  in  law  at  Ann  Arbor  in  the  class  of  1892,  he  opened  a 
law  office  at  Rawlins.  He  was  elected  County  Attorney  of 
Carbon  County  for  the  years  1894-1898  inclusive.  In  1898  he 
was  elected  Secretary  of  State  on  the  Republican  ticket  and 
again,  in  1902,  he  was  renominated  and  elected  to  that  high 
office. 

Governor  DeForest  Richards  died  April  28,  1903,  where- 
upon by  reason  of  constitutional  provisions  Mr.  Chatterton 
at  once  became  Acting  Governor,  which  office  he  ably  filled 
as  well  as  discharging  the  duties  of  Secretary  of  State  until 
the  first  Monday  in  January,  1905. 

It  was  during  this  period  that  Acting  Governor  Chatter- 
ton was  called  upon  to  determine  the  appeal  of  Tom  Horn 
for  a  reprieve  or  commutation  of  sentence.  He  reviewed  all 
the  proceedings  of  the  trial  in  the  courts  of  the  state,  wrote 
an  exhaustive  report  of  his  findings,  and  denied  the  petition. 

Governor  Chatterton 's  term  as  Secretary  of  State  ex- 
pired the  first  Monday  in  January,  1907.  He  again  directed 
his  energies  to  the  development  of  "Wyoming  resources.  Al- 
ready he  had  promoted  the  construction  of  the  Saratoga  and 
Encampment  railroad.  It  was  his  judgment  that  a  railroad 
should  be  constructed  from  Casper  to  Lander;  that  the  possi- 
bilities of  development  of  the  great  agricultural  area  in 
Central  Wyoming  should  be  a  reality.  It  was  largely  through 
his  efforts  that  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern  Railroad  was 
extended  to  Lander,  and  that  the  agricultural  possibilities 
of  the  Wind  River  Valley  were  made  known  to  the  public. 
He  became  the  attorney  for  the  Wyoming  Central  Irrigation 
Company,  its  General  Manager,  and  built  the  large  irrigation 
ditch  on  the  West  side  of  Wind  River,  making  possible  the 
irrigation  of  more  than  4000  acres  of  land  that  had  thereto- 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  125 

fore  grown  only  sage-brush  and  greasewood.  This  was  the 
beginning  of  a  development  in  a  district  that  eventually  will 
be  Wyoming's  most  productive  area. 

Governor  Chatterton  believed  three  things  Avere  essential 
to  Wyoming's  groAvth:  Population,  Transportation,  Produc- 
tion. We  have  the  transportation,  we  are  developing  pro- 
duction, but  are  in  need  of  population  to  place  development 
on  a  profitable  basis. 

Governor  Chatterton  was  again  called  to  public  service 
in  March  1927,  when  he  was  appointed  to  the  State  Board  of 
Equalization,  becoming  its  President  and  legal  counsellor,  and 
serving  for  a  period  of  six  years.  He  brought  to  the  public 
service  a  wealth  of  experience  in  business  and  to  the  people 
of  the  state,  reduction  in  electric  light,  gas,  and  telephone 
rates.  He  was  alwaj^s  primarily  interested  in  his  state  and 
the  people  who  were  making  it  productive  of  mineral  and 
agricultural  wealth. 

He  married  Miss  Stella  Wyland  on  October  15,  1900.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  the  several  bodies  of  the 
Masonic  Organization,  and  the  American  Bar  Association. 
Two  fine  daughters  have  graced  his  home.  His  record  of 
business  integrity  and  honesty  covering  a  period  of  approxi- 
mately sixty  years,  is  outstanding  and  most  creditable.  In 
life's  evening  time  he  has  retired  from  the  strenuous  activi- 
ties which  have  characterized  his  life.  He  is  one  of  the  few 
pioneers  who  could  write  an  interesting  history  of  Wyoming's 
pioneer  days. 

Bryant  B.  Brooks 

Bryant  B.  Brooks,  the  seventh  Governor  of  the  State  of 
Wyoming,  was  born  in  Bernardston,  Massachusetts,  February 
5,  1861.  Of  the  first  seven  Governors  of  the  State,  five  were 
born  in  the  New  England  states.  Mr.  Brooks'  ancestor.  Cap- 
tain Thomas  Brooks,  arrived  in  America  in  1631  and  settled 
at  Concord.  Silas  Newton  Brooks,  father  of  Bryant  B.  Brooks, 
was  born  at  Bernardston  and  resided  there  until  1871  when 
he  moved  to  Chicago  where  he  believed  the  opportunities 
were  greater  for  his  manufacturing  business. 

Of  his  father,  Mr.  Brooks  says  in  his  Memoirs.  ''Father 
was  a  farmer  and  business  man.  He  was  not  particularly 
religious,  though  his  father  was  a  preacher  as  well  as  a  phy- 
sician. However,  our  family  was  gathered  into  the  parlor 
each  evening  to  read  a  chapter  from  the  Bible  and  have 
prayers  in  keeping  with  the  wholesome  influence  that  bred  re- 
spect for  family  and  tradition."  Mr.  Brooks,  in  writing  his 
memoirs  some  seventy  years  later,  points  with  pride  to  his 
early  training  in  the  family  home. 


126  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Mr.  Brooks  was  graduated  from  the  Chicago  High  School 
in  1878.  During  the  vacation  periods  while  at  school  he  lived 
at  the  home  of  Tom  Alsop,  a  Wisconsin  farmer  from  whom 
he  learned  how  to  be  frugal  and  to  apply  himself  toward 
bringing  in  an  income  for  his  employer.  In  referring  to  his 
boyhood  recollections  he  says,  "The  best  education  I  received 
was  from  my  father.  He  advised,  'If  you  have  something 
good  to  say,  say  it  and  stop  there'." 

At  the  age  of  eighteen,  Mr.  Brooks  arrived  in  Nebraska 
where  he  worked  on  a  farm  owned  by  the  man  who  subse- 
quently became  his  father-in-law.  His  wage  was  $16.00  per 
month  during  the  summer  and  in  the  winter  following,  $5.00 
per  month.  He  arrived  in  Wyoming  in  April,  1880,  and  hired 
to  N.  R.  Davis,  a  cattleman  of  Cheyenne.  In  1881,  he  started 
in  business  for  himself  and  in  1882  purchased  a  squatters 
rights  on  the  head  of  Muddy  Creek,  then  in  Carbon  County, 
which  location  became  his  home  and  continues  to  be  the 
headquarters  for  his  large  live  stock  interests  at  the  present 
time.  In  1883,  Mr.  Brooks  acquired  his  first  bunch  of  cattle 
and  that  was  the  beginning  of  a  successful  live  stock  busi- 
ness. 

Mr.  Brooks  and  Mary  Naomi  Willard  pledged  their  faith 
in  each  other  March  11,  1886,  at  the  home  of  Mrs.  Brooks' 
father,  the  ranchman  Mr.  Brooks  had  worked  for  in  Nebraska 
when  he  first  came  West.  They  departed  for  the  ranch  home, 
traveling  by  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  to  Rock  Creek,  Wyo- 
ming, thence  by  stage  to  Fort  Fetterman  where  they  arrived 
March  19,  1886,  and  on  the  eve  of  the  following  day  arrived 
at  the  V-V  ranch.  This  was  the  actual  place  of  residence 
for  the  ensuing  twenty  odd  years.  At  this  ranch  the  children 
v/ere  born  and  as  they  grew  up  received  their  primary  educa- 
tion in  the  country  school.  They,  like  father  and  mother, 
have  established  their  homes  in  Natrona  County  and  are  suc- 
cessful in  their  line  of  endeavor. 

In  1888,  the  railroad  was  built  to  a  point  formerly  known 
as  Fort  Casper  on  the  Platte  River.  The  district  was  part 
of  Carbon  County.  It  was  several  days'  ride  or  drive  to  the 
County  Seat  at  Rawlins.  The  Territorial  Legislature  of  1888 
passed  an  Act  creating  Natrona  County,  embracing  the  north- 
ern half  of  Carbon  County.  Mr.  Brooks  was  appointed  as 
one  of  the  organizing  commissioners.  He  was  elected  County 
Commissioner  and  served  for  the  years  1891-1892.  He  served 
as  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  1893,  and  was  a  Presiden- 
tial Elector  in  1896.  In  the  year  1904,  he  was  nominated 
for  and  elected  to  the  Governorship  for  the  unexpired  term 
of  Governor  Richards  deceased.     He  was  again  nominated  in 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  127 

1906  and  elected  to  the  high  office  for  the  ensuing  four  year 
period. 

During  his  six  years  of  service  as  Governor  there  was 
large  development  in  the  production  of  oil  in  the  State.  By 
reason  of  the  increased  valuation  of  assessed  properties,  the 
State  was  enabled  to  provide  new^  and  needed  institutions  and 
to  provide  more  adequately  for  the  administration  of  those 
already  created. 

In  his  several  messages  to  the  Legislature  the  Governor 
presented  everything  incident  to  the  progress  of  the  State. 
He  had  vision  to  see  the  things  that  vv^ould  effect  development 
and  called  attention  to  them.  He  stressed  the  appropriation 
of  the  vraters  of  the  state  and  their  application  to  irrigation. 
He  says,  "Engineers  have  been  investigating  the  feasibility  of 
storing  the  water  of  the  Green  River  and  carrying  it  to  a  large 
tract  of  land  in  Southern  California.  There  are  smaller 
streams  worthy  of  consideration,  the  Fontanelle,  La  Barge, 
Big  Sandy,  Powder  River,  Cheyenne  River,  the  waters  of 
which  if  impounded  would  irrigate  200,000  acres  of  land." 
All  this  was  said  in  190'5.  Again  he  said,  "Our  water  power 
resources  have  an  enormous  value  and  should  be  developed 
for  the  whole  State.  There  is  no  reason  in  economics  or  gov- 
ernment why  the  State  should  give  away  property  of  such 
inestimable  value. ' '  What  has  happened  ?  California  has 
captured  the  water  and  power  of  Green  River.  Nebraska, 
Colorado  and  Idaho  are  claiming  the  right  to  come  within 
our  borders  and  carry  away  the  water  run  off.  Montana 
and  Utah  are  seeking  to  improve  their  irrigation  facilities  by 
demanding  a  share  in  Wyoming's  waters.  The  counsel  of  the 
Governor  thirty  or  more  years  ago  was  for  the  benefit  of  the 
State,  but  unfortunately,  was  not  heeded. 

The  Governor  also  said,  "The  National  Government  is 
considering  the  problem  of  regulating  the  grazing  of  live 
stock  on  the  open  range.  Any  system  which  contemplates 
leasing  of  the  open  range  and  the  consequent  interference 
with  our  present  land  laws  will  check  our  natural  growth 
a]id  progress."  We  now  have  the  leasing  system.  The  game 
and  game  birds  of  the  State  are  referred  to  by  the  Governor 
as  an  asset  of  great  value. 

Upon  retiring  from  Office,  Governor  Brooks  retired  from 
active  participation  in  politics.  He  has  directed  his  energies 
and  ability  towards  developing  and  building  the  business 
interests  of  the  State  in  which  he  has  been  eminently  suc- 
cessful. He  is  President  of  the  Wyoming  National  Bank  of 
Casper,  the  Consolidated  Royalty"  Company  and  other  indus- 
trial organizations. 


128  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Governor  and  Mrs.  Brooks  now  live  in  a  palatial  home  in 
Casper  and  are,  in  the  afternoon  of  life,  enjoying  health  and 
the  good  will  and  friendship  of  the  people  of  the  State. 

Joseph  M.  Carey 

Joseph  M.  Carey,  Governor  of  the  State  of  Wyoming  from 
January,  1911,  to  January,  1915,  a  native  of  Delaware,  came  to 
Wyoming  Territory  in  1869,  as  United  States  District  Attor- 
ney for  the  Territory.  He  was  appointed  to  the  position  of 
Judge  in  the  United  States  District  Court  for  Wyoming  in 
1871,  resigned  in  1876,  and  in  1884  was  nominated  and  elected 
on  the  Republican  ticket  as  Delegate  to  Congress,  continuing 
in  that  office  until  he  secured  the  enactment  of  the  Act  of 
Admission  of  the  Territory  into  the  Sisterhood  of  States. 

Mr.  Carey  was  Wyoming's  first  elected.  United  States 
Senator,  serving  until  1895.  He  was  during  all  these  years 
of  service  a  staunch  Republican  and  an  earnest  advocate  of 
the  continuance  of  the  gold  standard  in  finance.  He  always 
maintained  he  would  not  have  to  apologize  either  to  himself 
or  the  people  whom  he  so  ably  served  because  of  his  monetary 
views.  He  was  opposed  to  the  free  and  unlimited  coinage  of 
silver  and  met  senatorial  defeat  because  the  subject  had  been 
a  controversial  one  during  the  campaign. 

Senator  Carey  was  not  only  keen  in  politics  but  he  was 
a  businessman  as  well.  He  early  began  to  acquire  desirable 
and  strategic  properties  in  Cheyenne  and  to  improve  them 
with  revenue  producing  buildings.  Reorganized  the  firm  of 
J.  M.  Carey  &  Bro.  and  under  this  name  took  title  to  town 
property  and  ranch  lands.  He  acquired  some  of  the  most 
strategically  located  lands  in  the  state,  builded  large  cattle 
growing  ranches,  developed  the  lands  so  that  they  produced 
ample  to  carry  his  stock  during  winter  months  and  was  known 
as  one  of  the  great  stockmen  of  the  State. 

In  1885,  Mr.  Carey  organized  the  Wyoming  Development 
Company.  The  Cheyenne  and  Northern  Railroad  was  being- 
constructed  from  Cheyenne  north  to  the  Platte  River.  The 
line  of  railroad  was  down  Chugwater  Creek  and  across  the 
east  bench  of  the  flats  westerly  of  that  creek.  Mr.  Carey 
saw  the  opportunity  to  make  this  great  tableland  productive 
and  at  once  developed  a  plan  for  the  diverting  through  a 
tunnel  in  the  mountains,  the  waters  of  the  Laramie  River 
and  bringing  them  to  what  is  now  familiarly  known  as  the 
Wheatland  Flats — today  watered  through  the  development 
company's  canal,  and  one  of  the  richest  agricultural  districts 
of  the  State.  A  district  where  the  irrigation  costs  and  ex- 
pense of  maintenance  have  not  scuttled  the  enterprise.     The 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  129 

promotion  of  this  development  company  and  the  irrigation 
canal  construction  is  probably  the  monument  to  Joseph  M. 
Carey  that  will  last  on  through  the  ages. 

During  the  time  Mr.  Carey  was  developing  ranches  and 
building  structures  in  Cheyenne,  he  was  active  in  politics, 
serving  in  public  office  in  1869-70  as  U.  S.  District  Attor- 
ney; in  1871-76  as  U.  S.  District  Judge,  resigning  the  posi- 
tion in  1876.  He  was  Republican  National  Committeeman 
for  Wyoming  from  1876  to  1896 ;  thrice  elected  Mayor  of 
the  City  of  Cheyenne ;  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
of  School  District  No.  1  in  Laramie  County :  Delegate  in 
Congress  1885-1890;  United  States  Senator,  1890-1895;  Vice- 
President  of  the  Federal  Land  Bank  of  Omaha  for  several 
years.  His  desire  to  render  public  service  was  yet  unsatisfied ; 
there  was  one  office  in  which  he  had  not  served.  He  desired 
to  be  Governor  of  his  State  and  was  mentioned  for  nomination 
b.y  his  party  in  1910  but  was  not  nominated  by  the  Repub- 
lican Convention.  Immediately  following,  the  Democratic 
Party  in  convention,  believing  that  Senator  Carey's  uttered 
policies  were  in  harmony  with  those  of  the  party,  nominated 
him  for  Governor  on  the  Democratic  ticket.  He  accepted 
the  nomination  and  was  elected,  taking  on  the  duties  of 
Governor  on  the  first  Monday  of  January,  1911. 

Governor  Carey  brought  to  the  State  government  his 
legal  and  business  ability,  coupled  with  his  broad  experience 
in  public  life.  Elected  on  well  defined  views,  he  expresses 
himself  in  his  first  message  to  the  Legislature  as  follows : 

"I  strive  not  to  build  a  party  machine.  I  have  no  other 
object  than  advancing  the  growth  of  the  state  and  the  honor 
of  her  people.  That  which  interests  me  most  is  an  industrial 
constructive  policy  relating  to  the  development  of  the  material 
resources  of  the  State — new  home  building,  honest  money 
making  enterprises."  He  recommended  the  enactment  of 
the  Direct  Primary  Law ;  he  urged  the  popular  election  of 
United  States  Senators  and  favored  initiative  and  referendum 
consideration.  The  values  of  property  as  fixed  by  the  Board 
of  Equalization  were  condemned  because  of  the  resulting  dis- 
parity of  taxes.  Agricultural  development  was  pointed  out 
as  the  basis  of  creating  a  prosperous  state. 

The  Governor,  in  his  message  of  1913,  congratulates  the 
state  upon  being  the  first  of  all  American  Legislatures  ex- 
tending to  women,  suffrage,  and  full  political  rights.  "'Seven 
great  states  have  now  clothed  women  with  the  same  rights 
as  those  granted  by  Wyoming."  He  directed  the  attention 
of  the  Legislature  to  the  allotment  of  the  expense  of  con- 
struction   of    the    Wyoming-Nebraska    Interstate    Canal    and 


130  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

says,  "The  cost  of  this  project  has  been  prorated  between  the 
states  at  the  rate  of  30%  for  Wyoming  and  70%  for  Nebraska. 
In  other  words  for  3%  of  the  lands  reclaimed,  Wyoming  is 
charged  with  30%  of  the  cost."  In  many  instances  the  Rec- 
lamation Service  has  taken  the  attitude  of  disregarding  the 
laws  of  the  State  and  the  rights  of  individuals  and  communi- 
ties." 

In  closing  his  1913  message  the  Governor  said  "The  Legis- 
lature as  well  as  mj^self  has  been  trusted  by  the  people.  They 
expect  much  of  us.  Let  us  do  that  which  will  be  for  the 
common  good." 

Governor  Carey  died  February  5th,  1924.  His  wife  and 
sons  have  since  followed  him  to  the  Great  Bevond. 


"WONDERFUL  WYOMING" 

Wyoming  and  her  vast  undeveloped  resources  as  visual- 
ized nearly  fifty  years  ago  by  Col.  Stephen  W.  Downey,  Presi- 
dent of  the  State  Board  of  Mines, ^  is  an  optimistic  and  colorful 
story  correlated  into  his  report  which  appeared  in  the  December 
5,  1891,  issue  of  the  "Wyoming  Commonwealth, "^  official  organ 
of  the  State  Board  of  Mines  which  was  published  weekly  at 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  under  the  heading  WONDERFUL  WYO- 
MING, which  is  the  slogan  popularly  used  today,  forty-nine 
years  later. 

The  report  as  it  appeared  in  the  newspaper  follows  in  part : 

"A  Grand  Showing  for  the   Grand  Young-  State,    Covering 
Every  Class  of  Minerals" 

"Having  for  the  past  few  months  served  as  president  of 
the  State  Board  of  Mines,  and  desiring  now  to  give  way  to 
some  one  of  the  energetic  and  enterprising  trustees  who  have 
been  active  in  the  effort  to  aid  and  encourage  the  prospector 
and  miner  in  a  systematic  way,  I  desire  to  congratulate  you 
upon  the  results  that  have  followed  the  labors  of  the  first 
convention.    For  a  long  time  all  work  in  the  way  of  prospect- 

1  Officers  of  the  State  Board  of  Mines,  betides  Col.  Downey,  of 
Laramie,  were  Joe  DeBarthe,  of  Buffalo,  treasurer;  and  C.  G.  Coutant, 
of  Cheyenne,  secretary.  The  trustees  included  the  officers  and  the  fol- 
lowing: E.  J.  Wells,  Converse  county;  J.  P.  CTawford,  Carbon  county; 
Jas.  A.  McAvoy,  Fremont  county;  J.  E.  Keenan,  Sweetwater  county; 
F.  "W.  Mondell,  Weston  county;  John  S.  Harper,  Crook  county;  W.  S. 
Kimball,  Natrona  county;  William  Brown,  Sheridan  county;  John  Eus- 
sell,  Uinta  county;  W.  S.  Collins,  Big  Horn  county,  all  thirteen  counties 
then  existing  being  represented. 

2  C.  G.  Coutant  (author  of  "History  of  Wyoming,"  1899)  was  editor 
of  "Wyoming  Commonwealth,"  and  I.  S.  Bartlett  (author  of  "History 
of  Wyoming,"  1918)  was  associate  editor. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  131 

ing  and  development  had  been  carried  on  without  system  or 
harmony.  It  is  an  undisputed  fact  that  organized  labor,  in 
whatever  department  it  may  be,  accomplishes  more  than  indi- 
vidual effort.  This  has  been  signally  demonstrated  during 
the  year  closed.  I  think  you  will  bear  me  witness  that  more 
has  been  done  since  our  last  meeting  than  during  all  the  years 
that  preceded  it,  in  the  way  of  diligent  prospecting,  great 
discoveries  and  active  development  of  mining  properties.  In 
addition  to  the  several  new  camps  that  have  been  opened  and 
that  have  created  an  excitement  that  has  extended  from  one 
end  of  the  country  to  the  other,  there  has  been  an  awakened 
interest  in  all  the  old  camps,  where  a  faithful  few  have  toiled 
for  years,  inspired  by  the  belief  that  in  time  their  labors  would 
be  crowned  with  success.  Had  nothing  been  accomplished 
more  than  the  discovery  of  gold  on  Brush  creek,  and  silver 
at  the  head  of  French  creek,  and  in  the  La  Plata  district,  we 
would  have  had  cause  to  rejoice,  but  under  the  impetus  of 
your  encouragement  and  the  strong  support  of  the  press,  we 
have  heard  from  all  sides  of  the  energetic  exploration  for 
ledges  and  placers,  and  invariably  such  exploration  has  been 
crowned  with  success.  We  may  reasonably  hope  that  the 
work  of  this  convention  will  be  still  more  valuable  in  inciting 
the  miners  and  prospectors  in  every  section  of  the  state  to 
renewed  diligence.  There  is  every  reason  to  hope  that  Wyo- 
ming will  prove  the  banner  mineral  state  of  the  union,  and 
this  board  should  see  to  it  that  no  stone  is  left  unturned  to 
make  it  what  we  all  believe  nature  has  designed  it  to  be. 

Let  There  Be  Li^ht 

There  are  to  be  found  everywhere,  a  few  disquiet  souls 
who  prate  of  hard  times  and  become  discouraged  because  the 
harvest  does  not  immediately  follow  seed  time.  They  are  the 
"Faint  Hearts"  of  any  age  in  which  faint  hearts  have  no 
place.  For  the  benefit  of  such  I  would  quote  Julien  Gordon's 
exquisite  sentiment : 

"The  Lord  said  'Let  there  be  light!'  and  there  Avas  light. 
The  fiat  for  darkness  has  not  yet  gone  forth,  nor  for  a  general 
amnesty  of  those  forces  which  create  the  joy-giving  beam. 

"Life  and  light  are  eternal,  and  genius,  immortal  child, 
still   beckons   all   youth,   smiling  with   its   divine   invitation." 

Everything  Found  in  Wyoming 

A  distinguished  German  scientist  who  visited  this  countrj- 

several  years  ago,  on  his  return  home  said  that  whenever  he 

wanted  anything  after  that,  and  could  find  it  nowhere  else,  he 

was  sure  of  discovering  it  in  Wyoming.     This  is  particularly 


13i;  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

true  if  the  object  sought  belonged  to  the  mineral  kingdom, 
for  in  no  other  known  region  on  earth  do  so  many  surprises 
meet  the  prospector  and  miner  on  every  hand.  As  the  years 
pass  by  and  the  pioneers  begin  to  think  they  have  learned  the 
country  thoroughly,  they  are  startled  by  the  knowledge  that 
they  don't  understand  it  at  all  and  must  begin  it  all  over  again. 

It  was  not  until  Wyoming  was  admitted  to  statehood, 
but  little  more  than  a  year  ago,  that  general  attention  was 
attracted  to  it.  Since  that  time  it  has  been  advertised  from 
one  end  of  the  continent  to  the  other.  The  eyes  of  the  people 
were  all  at  once  opened  and  they  began  to  realize  that  there 
was,  in  the  heart  of  the  nation,  a  commonwealth  vaster  in 
area  than  some  of  the  empires  of  the  east,  and  practically  as 
unexplored  and  unknown  as  central  Africa.  With  an  area 
of  97,000  square  miles,  how  little  we  know  today  of  the  actual 
resources  of  even  a  small  fraction  of  our  own  state.  It  was 
repeated  for  years  that  every  foot  of  the  range  of  mountains 
in  southern  Wyoming  had  been  thoroughly  gone  over  b}^  pros- 
pectors and  that  there  was  nothing  in  it.  Yet  within  twelve 
months  a  great  gold  camp  has  been  discovered  on  one  slope 
of  that  range,  while  on  the  other  are  being  opened  silver 
mines  as  rich  as  those  of  Peru  or  Mexico.  And  we  are  as  yet 
scarcely  in  the  dawn  of  that  era  of  development  that  we  be- 
lieve is  to  make  Wyoming  the  wealthiest  commonwealth  in 
the  Union. 

Agricultural  Possibilities 

The  agricultural  possibilities  of  the  state  are  unquestion- 
ably great.  It  is  only  necessary  to  get  water  on  the  soil  any- 
where to  produce  abundant  crops.  This  has  been  demon- 
strated in  every  county  from  Uinta  to  Crook  and  from  Lara- 
mie to  Fremont.  Johnson  county  has  won  the  championship 
in  a  national  potato  contest,  while  Sheridan,  Converse  and 
Carbon  are  neck  and  neck  with  her  in  the  race.  The  valleys 
of  the  Platte,  the  GTreen,  the  Laramie,  the  Sweetwater,  the 
Little  Popo  Agie,  the  Bear  and  almost  every  stream  between 
the  continental  divide  and  the  Wind  river  chain  of  mountains, 
are  as  fertile  as  the  world-famed  valley  of  the  Nile.  The 
ranchman  who  cultivates  the  soil  by  irrigation  runs  no  such 
risk  as  the  farmer  of  the  lower  states,  of  loss  of  crops  by  flood, 
or  drouth,  or  destructive  insects,  but  while  the  agricultural 
possibilities  of  Wyoming  are  very  great,  and  while  realizing 
that  there  must  be  bread  producers  before  there  are  bread 
winners,  still  we  believe  the  prime  consideration  is  the  devel- 
opment of   our  mineral  resources. 

Up  to  the  present  time  these  have  been,  with  the  excep- 
tion   of    our    coal    mines,    practically    untouched.      The    vast 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  133 

quantity  of  fuel  demanded  by  the  railroad  companies  and 
the  annually  increasing  supply  required  l)y  the  people  who 
settled  up  the  treeless  plains  east  of  the  Rocky  mountains, 
led  to  the  development  of  the  coal  measures  of  Sweetwater, 
Uinta  and  Carbon  counties  years  ago,  and  finally  splendid 
mines  were  opened  up  at  Newcastle,  while  Ave  now  hear  that 
a  new  line  of  road  is  to  be  pushed  through  within  the  next 
four  months  from  Dakota  to  reach  the  coal  mines  about  Sun- 
dance, and  from  Newcastle  to  Johnson  and  Sheridan  counties. 

Iron  Must  Come  Next 

As  an  article  indispensable  to  the  commercial  world  and 
in  this  respect  our  state  is  again  prepared  to  meet  every 
demand  that  can  be  made  upon  it  for  a  century  to  come. 
Wyoming  has  literally  mountains  of  iron  and  while  a  begin- 
ning has  been  made  in  working  them  at  one  point  on  the 
Cheyenne  and  Northern,  the  industry  is  as  much  in  its  infancy 
as  any  other  in  this  region.  The  same  cause  that  led  to  the 
development  of  our  coal  mines — the  railroad — will  eventually 
lead  to  thousands  of  men  being  employed  in  taking  out  iron. 
It  is  not  possible  that  the  construction  of  railway  lines  has 
been  overdone  except  in  certain  eastern  territory,  where  com- 
panies were  fighting  for  every  inch  of  ground,  paralleling  each 
other  and  going  to  war  over  the  simple  matter  of  a  crossing. 
We  have  only  a  single  line  crossing  our  state,  where  there 
must  be  in  a  short  time  at  least  three.  There  will  be  the  same 
increase  of  transportation  facilities  demanded  in  neighboring 
states  and  this  will  lead  to  the  opening  of  iron  mines  and  the 
erection  of  mills  somewhere  in  the  mountains  that  will  do 
away  with  the  heavy  cost  of  hauling  material  half  way  across 

the  continent. 

********* 

Chrome  Iron 

A.  great  deal  has  been  published  in  the  newspapers  of  this 
state  about  our  immense  deposits  of  iron,  but  strangely  enough 
they  have  never  had  a  word  to  say  of  the  very  extensive 
ledges  of  chrome  iron  on  Button  creek,  the  development  of 
which  would  be  of  vast  benefit  to  not  only  the  state,  but 
the  entire  nation.  This,  one  of  the  most  valuable  resources 
of  the  state,  should  be  brought  to  the  attention  of  eastern 
capitalists  who  could  not  fail  to  appreciate  the  inducement 
offered  for  its  development.  *  *  *  It  is  found  on  the  Laramie 
plains,  east  of  Cooper  Lake  station,  in  ledges  near  100  feet 
wide  and  some  two  miles  in  length.  It  is  crystalline  in  char- 
acter, very  fine  grained  and  takes  a  high  and  beautiful  polish. 
It  is  also  found  to  some  extent  in  other  localities.  When  this 
marble  can  be  utilized  Wvoming  can  furnish  its  own  marble 


134  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

mountains,  furniture  and  mantle  slabs.  Specimens  of  our 
marble,  which  resembles  the  Italian  variety,  have  been  sent 
to  artisans  east,  who  have  tested  its  texture,  durability  and 
utility  for  the  higher  economic  uses  and  pronounce  it 
' '  superior. ' ' 

Brief  descriptions  of  various  other  minerals  were  given, 
including  mica,  of  which  it  was  said,  "There  are  so  many 
uses  made  of  this  mineral  and  it  is  so  rarely  found  in  great 
quantities  and  a  perfect  state,  that  these  mines  should  build 
up  an  important  industry  in  themselves ; ' '  also  graphite,  found 
on  the  Sybille,  as  well  as  lime  and  cement,  clay  and  kaolin, 
gypsum,  soda,  glass,  sulphate  of  magnesia,  oil,  asbestos,  and 
sulphur.  All  were  cited  as  being  highly  valuable  resources 
awaiting  development. 

Cheap  power  provided  by  the  streams  of  the  State,  as  an 
inducement  to  mills  and  factories,  was  cited  as  a  valuable 
asset,  and  optimistic  reference  was  made  concerning  the  sugar 
beet,  upon  which  experiments  had  just  been  made,  "with 
magnificent  success,"  followed  hy  a  discussion  of  the  precious 
metals,  which  concluded: 

"There  is  nothing  so  ravishing  to  the  human  ear  as  a 
story  of  the  hidden  treasures  of  the  earth ;  nothing  that  "will 
enchain  his  interest  like  the  fiction  of  Aladdin  and  his  Avon- 
derful  lamp,  or  of  Monte  Cristo  and  his  cave.  In  our  State 
we  have  abundance  of  material  for  arousing  this  enthusiasm 
without  resorting  to  fiction.  It  is  true  that,  for  want  of 
capital,  no  great  producer  has  been  discovered  and  developed, 
but  we  all  know  that  this  will  come  in  time.  It  is  no  vain 
boast  to  say  that  the  soil  of  the  plains  shows  gold  from  the 
grass  roots  down  and  that  the  commonest  looking  rock  in  the 
hills  is  likely  to  assay  away  up  in  the  thousands." 

Gold  Hill 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  discoveries  ever  made  by  a 
prospector  was  that  which  introduced  the  famous  Brush  creek 
camp  to  the  world.  From  that  day  to  this  there  has  scarcely 
been  a  piece  of  rock  or  a  pan  of  gravel  from  that  side  of  the 
Snowy  range  tested  that  has  not  shown  free  gold,  and  new 
finds  are  being  reported  every  day,  though  the  camp  is  now 
over  a  year  old.  It  is  impossible  to  say  what  the  extent  of 
that  district  will  be,  but  its  prospects  have  been  such  that  has 
infused  fresh  activity  into  and  revived  interest  in  every  camp, 
large  and  small  in  Wyoming.  It  has  led  to  discoveries  in 
Lake  creek,  on  Rock  creek,  on  Grand  Encampment,  on  Battle 
Lake,  at  the  head  of  French  Creek  and  last  but  not  least  in 
the  La  Plata  district,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Snowy  range. 


ANNALS  or  WYOMING  135 

While  some  of  the  mines — for  instance  on  the  Grand  Encamp- 
ment and  Rock  creek  have  shown  up  better  than  those  in  Gold 
Hill  or  La  Plata,  these  two  camps  command  the  greatest  public 
interest,  a  fact  undoubtedly  due  to  extent  of  the  field  of  ore 
in  each,  which  bears  one  of  the  precious  metals.  If  the  rock 
from  the  Brush  creek  camp  has  glittered  "wdth  free  gold,  that 
from  La  Plata  has  been  fairly  resplendent  with  galena,  carry- 
ing a  large  amount  of  silver  *  *  *. 

Doug-las  Creek 

Take  again  the  district  embracing  Keystone  and  Douglas 
creek.  The  Otras  Mining  Company  is  now  running  its  twenty- 
stamp  mill  on  a  very  high  grade  ore  from  the  Florence  mine, 
which  they  have  been  working  for  several  months.  There  is 
a  steady  output  of  bullion  from  this  mine  and  some  immensely 
rich  strikes  have  been  made  there  during  the  past  year.  The 
Florence  has  made  a  record  in  the  line  of  big  strikes  and  never 
had  better  ore  to  work  than  now. 

Li  the  same  camp  Wellofi:  &  Barnes,  two  experienced 
miners  from  Utah,  are  meeting  with  great  success.  The 
gentlemen  have  leased  two  mines  that  are  claimed  to  be 
among  the  richest  in  the  district,  and  have  built  an  arastra 
with  which  they  are  now  testing  the  ores.  Not  satisfied  with 
this  they  have  gone  ahead  and  prospected  the  entire  surround- 
ing country,  the  result  being  that  they  announce  their  inten- 
tion of  remaining  there  and  say  they  can  be  perfectly  satisfied 
for  years  to  come.  These  are  men  comparatively  without 
capital,  from  which  it  may  be  believed  that  they  have  a  good 
thing  or  they  could  not  afford  to  stay  there. 

Northern  Wyoming  Mines 

The  delegates  to  this  convention  will  speak  in  detail  of 
the  outlook  in  the  north,  but  I  feel  safe  in  saying  that  it  is 
not  less  grand  than  in  the  south.  From  the  Bald  Mountain 
district  come  reports  that,  in  the  absence  of  all  news  from 
Southern  Wyoming,  would  alone  promise  great  things  for 
the  state.  Judging  from  newspaper  reports,  and  as  a  general 
thing  they  are  to  be  relied  on,  the  placers  in  the  Bald  Moun- 
tain district  are  among  the  richest  to  be  found  in  this  countr}% 
while  farther  up  in  the  range  there  must  soon  be  found  the 
ledges  from  which  this  gold  was  washed  during  the  glacial 
period.  It  is  gratifying  to  note  the  confidence  felt  in  all  these 
fields,  and  I  believe  it  is  not  misplaced. 

The  Sweetwater  Country 
We  have  only  to  look  a  little  further  to  discover  another 
famous   and   prosperous   camp.     South  Pass,   ]\Iiners   Delight 


]36  ANNALS  OP  WYOMING 

and  Atlantic  have  long  made  the  Sweetwater  country  the 
synonym  for  rich  ledges  and  placer  fields.  There  have  been 
several  important  discoveries  there  of  late  and  capital  is 
going  in  to  develop  the  mines  which  are  among  the  best  known 
and  most  prosperous  in  the  state.  Several  mills  and  arastras 
are  running,  and  considerable  gold  is  being  taken  out.  From 
a  personal  investigation  I  am  satisfied  this  active  development 
will  continue  and  that  the  output  will  in  a  few  years  run  up 
into  the  millions. 

The  Great  Prize 

What  a  potent  influence  has  gold  upon  the  human  race ! 
We  read  that  it  was  the  chief  thing  sought  to  be  acquired  by 
pre-Adamite  sultans.  King  Solomon  has  retained  his  place 
as  one  of  the  leading  characters  in  Biblical  history  more  be- 
cause of  his  wealth  than  his  wisdom.  The  Avise  men  who 
followed  the  star  of  the  east  until  it  stood  over  the  humble 
stable  in  Bethlehem,  carried  with  them  gold  to  lay  at  the  feet 
of  the  infant  Savior,  who  was  afterward  betrayed  to  his  ene- 
mies for  twenty  pieces  of  silver,  the  next  in  value  of  the 
precious  metals. 

Men  have  in  all  ages  braved  the  perils  of  the  deep,  and 
nations  have  gone  to  war  for  gold.  The  voyage  in  search  of 
the  Golden  Fleece  was  but  the  first  recorded  instance  of  a 
mad  race  after  the  yellow  metal  that  was  repeated  in  the 
case  of  Columbus,  Pizarro,  Cortez,  Ponce  De  Leon  and  Coro- 
nado.  The  search  of  the  latter  for  the  Seven  Cities  of  Qui- 
vera,  is  the  most  romantic  of  all  authentic  histories  of  quest 
for  treasure.  Lured  by  the  tales  of  an  Aztec,  he  led  his  little 
band  across  the  staked  plains  (Lland  Estacado)  up  through 
Texas,  the  Lidian  Territory  and  Kansas  in  search  of  the 
mystic  cities  whose  streets  were  said  to  be  paved  Avith  gold 
and  the  most  ordinary  utensils  created  from  the  same  material. 
Their  fate  is  known  to  all  students  of  history. 

In  our  day  the  mothers  first  fond  pride  is  to  place  a  golden 
circlet  on  the  finger  of  her  babe.  The  ring,  at  once  the 
emblem  of  purity  and  eternity,  is  placed  on  the  finger  of  the 
bride  with  the  blessing  of  the  priest.  Gold  is  coveted  by  the 
miser,  who  denies  himself  the  necessities  of  life  and  perishes 
from  hunger  or  cold,  that  not  a  single  shining  piece  may 
escape  his  grasp,  and  breathes  his  last  feasting  his  eyes  on  the 
glittering  coin.  The  wage-earner  toils  the  whole  month  long 
that  he  may  at  the  end  receive  a  piece  of  gold,  though  it  be 
of  the  smallest  denomination.  The  banker  hoards  it  up  in 
his  vaults  and  even  the  most  powerful  nations  of  earth  measure 
their  strength  and  stability  by  the  contents  of  their  treasuries. 
A  golden  crown  is  the  emblem  of  the  earthly  potentate  and 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  137 

we  are  promised  if  we  are  eventually  admitted  to  paradise, 
that  we  shall  receive  a  crown  and  harp  of  gold.  Strange 
infatuation  of  man.  Strange,  yet  true,  since  time  whereof 
the  memor}^  of  man  runneth  not  to  the  contrary.  What  an 
impetus  it  should  be  to  us  to  know  that  our  mountains  are 
filled  with  this  great  prize  for  which  every  condition  of  man 
has  been  searching  since  the  world  was  created,  for  which 
they  shed  their  own  blood  as  readily  as  the  blood  of  others ; 
for  which  they  have  suffered  alike  the  terrors  of  the  Arctic 
and  the  tropical  regions.  Never  should  we  halt  or  hesitate 
in  the  work  of  developing  this  treasure,  for  its  abuses  are 
inferior  to  its  uses.  It  can  be  made  to  relieve  the  destitute, 
to  comfort  the  sick,  to  feed  and  clothe  and  educate  our  fami- 
lies, to  fill  our  land  w^ith  prosperity  and  our  cities  with 
temples.     It  is  all  powerful  today  as  it  ever  has  been. 

Smelting  Works  Needed 

There  is  one  thing  W^'oming  needs  now  more  than  ever 
before,  and  more  than  almost  anything  else,  and  the  individual 
or  company  that  fills  that  want  will  be  hailed  as  a  public  bene- 
factor. There  is  needed  first-class  smelting  and  reduction  works 
at  some  central  point.  It  would  be  well  if  there  were  four  or 
five  such  institutions  right  now,  but  we  should  be  satisfied  to 
begin  modestly  as  things  have  always  been  done  in  this  com- 
monwealth, both  as  a  territory  and  as  a  state.  If  it  has  seemed 
otherwise  to  anyone  it  has  been  because  he  was  not  posted  as 
to  our  wealth  of  resources,  to  speak  most  conservatively  of  which 
would  seem  to  the  citizens  of  a  region  less  highly  favored  the 
height  of  exaggeration. 

The  predictions  made  for  years  that  the  mines  would  pan 
out  big  some  day  have  been  fulfilled.  The  specimens  coming 
in  are  so  rich  that  they  dazzle  the  eyes  of  the  veteran  prospector 
and  miner.  But  unfortunately  our  richest  finds  are  located  at 
a  great  distance  from  the  railroad,  and  after  hauling  ore  to  the 
nearest  station,  and  this  is  not  very  near  in  any  case,  there  is 
yet  a  long  distance  to  be  traversed,  at  rates  that  would  eat  up 
the  profits  on  the  best  rock  in  the  world.  If  there  were  smelting 
works  anywhere  within  reasonable  distance  they  would  now  be 
taking  out  the  money  that  would  enable  those  who  ha-ve  toiled 
and  are  toiling  so  patiently  to  go  on  with  their  development 
work  and  right  soon  our  camps  would  be  heard  from  on  all 
sides.  Who  will  be  the  one  to  take  the  lead  in  this  enterprise? 
There  is  no  longer  any  risk  in  it.  The  time  has  come  M'hen  the 
investment  would  be  a  profitable  one  from  the  start  and  the 
company  would  soon  reap  a  harvest  as  the  reward  of  its  enter- 
prise. Look  at  it!  We  have  all  the  coal,  oil,  fluxes — such  as 
iron,  soda,  and  galena — on  the  ground. 


138  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

The  Region's  Resources 

It  would  be  impossible  without  trespassing  on  your  time 
to  enter  into  details  regarding  the  resources  of  this  region, 
and  the  results  we  may  naturally  expect  to  follow  their  devel- 
opment. Instead  of  there  being  reason  for  discouragement  at 
the  retarded  growth  of  the  country  and  the  slow  progress  of 
the  past  twenty  years,  there  is  cause  for  congratulation  in  the 
magnificence  of  the  outlook.  There  is  consolation  in  the  thought 
that  we  now  have  at  our  command,  for  the  development  of  the 
marvelous  riches  nature  has  bestowed  upon  this  country,  im- 
proved machinery  and  processes  that  will  enable  us  to  accom- 
plish in  ten  years  what  could  not  with  the  old  methods  have 
been  accomplished  in  a  century. 

When  the  Count  of  Monte  Cristo,  after  being  hurled  into 
the  sea,  cut  his  shroud,  rose  to  the  surface  and  planted  his  feet 
on  the  solid  rock,  exclaiming  in  exultation,  "The  world  is 
mine,"'  he  spoke  from  a  selfish  standpoint  of  the  individual. 
We  rejoice  that  the  storehouse  of  treasures  of  inestimable 
value  has  been  revealed  to  us  and  that  the  key  has  been  placed 
in  our  hands,  because  not  only  ourselves,  but  our  children  and 
the  generations  that  are  to  follow,  are  given  an  inheritance 
that  will  enable  us  to  unveil  the  glories  of  the  land  of  our 
choice  and  make  its  splendors  the  admiration  and  blessing  of 
the  world. 

Those  of  us  whom  a  gracious  Providence  shall  permit  to 
remain  in  this  goodly  land  for  another  decade,  will  witness  a 
transformation  such  as  has  been  chronicled  in  neither  history 
nor  fiction.     I  can  see  it  even  now. 

The  waters  of  our  bright  mountain  rivers,  once  permitted 
wantonly  to  waste  their  volume  to  swell  the  sea,  have  been 
confined  in  vast  reservoirs  constructed  in  the  loftiest  portions 
of  the  Rocky  mountain  range,  where  are  born  the  streams  that 
give  life  to  the  land  both  to  the  east  and  west.  These  waters 
are  freed  from  bondage  only  as  they  are  needed  to  irrigate  the 
plains  and  valleys,  or  to  aid  the  miners  in  wresting  from  the 
hills  the  treasures  they  have  for  centuries  cunningly  concealed. 

In  the  valleys  are  far  stretching  fields  of  oats  and  barley, 
flax  and  wheat.  The  heavy  heads  of  the  ripening  grain,  swept 
by  the  soft  breeze  from  snow-capped  peaks,  bend  and  toss  until 
they  look  like  the  waves  of  a  sunlit  sea. 

In  every  valley  are  flour  and  woolen  mills,  for  where  a 
brief  space  ago  all  was  silence,  the  echoes  were  awakened  by  the 
shriek  of  the  locomotive;  the  "great  civilizer"  left  in  its 
wake  the  village  schools,  and  churches  sprang  up  like  magic 
and  the  village  became  a  city  whose  population  was  fed  from 
the  products  of  our  own  soil.  It  became  an  unwritten  law 
that  whatever  the  people  consumed  should  be  raised  or  manu- 
factured at  home,  and  there  was  prosperity  everywhere. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  139 

The  music  of  the  mountain  streams  is  mellowed  by  the  hum 
of  industry  that  fills  the  whole  land.  In  the  cities,  the  chambers 
of  commerce  and  boards  of  trade  occupy  buildings  constructed 
of  native  stone  of  every  shade  that  is  beautiful,  and  of  brick 
and  terra  cotta,  made  from  our  own  clay  and  Kaolin,  whose 
flush  is  like  that  of  the  sky  when  the  great  luminary  rises  amid 
the  glories  of  a  Wyoming  morning. 

In  the  cities  are  temples  to  learning  and  to  art,  that  are 
free  alike  to  all  the  children,  for  there  are  no  poor  children  in 
Wyoming.  These  temples  are  built  of  the  granite  and  marble 
from  our  own  quarries  and  decorated  with  onyx  from  our  own 
mines,  and  the  beauty  of  the  latter  stone  is  more  exquisite 
than  that  now  brought  from  the  land  of  the  Montazumas  to 
adorn  the  capitols  erected  in  our  proudest  states,  and  the 
palaces  of  our  millionaire  princes. 

When  the  sun  retired  behind  those  mountains  so  tall  that 
the  snows  on  their  summits  are  never  tainted  by  the  earth's 
dust,  and  the  stars  branch  across  the  heavens  in  brilliant  array, 
the  sky  is  lighted  by  the  glow  of  the  fires  in  a  thousand  furnaces, 
in  smelters  and  foundries,  glass  factories  and  rolling  mills. 
In  the  morning  the  only  cloud  that  dims  the  glory  of  the  sun. 
is  the  smoke  arising  from  these  marts  of  industry  in  which  a 
contented  and  happy  people  are  engaged  in  the  tireless  task  of 
adding  to  the  wealth  of  the  world. 

From  the  mountains  there  pours  down  a  steady  stream  of 
gold,  as  pure  and  inexhaustible  as  the  sunshine  of  this  favored 
region,  and  the  barren  flanks  of  the  hills  have  become  a  wilder- 
ness of  gardens  and  vineyards.  High  up  among  the  emerald- 
breasted  hills,  lie  many  cities  cradled  in  their  green,  surrounded 
by  such  loveliness  as  thrills  the  poetry  in  us.  From  these  cities 
is  sent  forth  the  wealth  of  the  world,  for  they  are  built  in  the 
midst  of  mines  of  gold  and  silver,  richer  than  those  of  Golconda 
and  absolutely  inexhaustible. 

Over  the  wealthiest  commonwealth  in  the  nation,  whose  in- 
fluence is  potent  not  only  in  the  commercial  centers  but  in  the 
councils  of  state,  there  rests  everywhere  such  a  halo  of  peace 
and  prosperity  as  makes  the  people  imagine  they  are  experi- 
encing the  dawn  of  the  millenium. 

Thrice  happy  the  lot  of  those  who  live  to  see  the  complete 
development  of  the  wondrous  resources  the  infinitely  great  and 
good  Ruler  of  the  universe  has  given  to  Wyoming.  Wliat  a 
picture  this  region  will  present  when  its  manifest  destiny  has 
been  marked  out!  Who  knows  but  that  from  these  hills  and 
plains  there  will  go  forth  the  sceptre  that  will  rule  the  world, 
not  by  force  of  arms  but  by  the  power  of  the  Prince  of  Peace, 
who  has  planted  here  a  shining  gateway  between  the  east  and 
west?  When  He  comes  to  re-establish  His  kingdom  on  earth 
mav  it  not  be  said  that  He  has  designed  through  all  the  ages. 


140  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

and  so  richly  endowed  this  region  that  the  New  Jerusalem  shall 
rest  in  one  of  the  peaceful  valleys  amid  these  mountains,  where 
it  will  be  surrounded  by  glories  such  as  mortal  eyes  cannot 
rest  upon  elsewhere?  At  all  events  we  have  no  fears  that  those 
who  come  after  us  will  imagine  that  we  were  ignorant  or  un- 
mindful of  the  grand  possibilities  of  this  region,  or  failed  to 
read  aright  the  handwriting  on  the  wall. 

Government  Aid 

The  general  government  has  made  a  start  in  the  direction 
of  assisting  us  in  the  great  work  that  is  mapped  out  for  us  to 
do.  Within  the  Kocky  Mountain  range,  under  the  evening 
shadow  of  the  hills  in  which  the  richest  discoveries  are  now 
being  made,  sits  the  university  established  by  the  state.  The 
government  has  made  this  institution  for  the  present  its  rep- 
resentative in  agricultural  experiments  it  is  conducting  in  our 
valleys  and  on  our  plains.  There  has  been  established  in  this 
connection  the  chair  of  mineralogy,  mining  engineering  and 
metallurgy  and  we  hope  that  within  a  few  years,  through  the 
instruction  imparted  in  this  department,  the  institution  will 
be  sending  forth  educated  miners,  scientific  men  and  skilled 
artificers  who  will  be  a  strong  reinforcement  to  the  prospectors 
and  miners  in  their  exploration  and  development  work.  It  is 
our  expectation  that  we  shall  soon  secure  as  the  head  of  this 
department,  a  thoroughly  competent  professor,  who  will  be  able 
to  make  an  assay  and  reports  for  the  prospectors  and  capitalists 
engaged  in  mining  work  throughout  the  state. 

But  We  Need  More 

There  is  one  suggestion  I  have  to  make  to  this  convention 
and  through  the  potent  influence  of  the  press  I  hope  it  may 
reach  the  world  and  one  day  be  realized.  I  am  not  departing 
from  the  legitimate  line  of  discussion  save  for  illustration,  when 
I  call  your  attention  to  what  is  known  as  the  Hatch  law.  Tliis 
is  an  act  of  Congress  designed  to  establish  agricultural  experi- 
ment stations  in  connection  with  the  colleges  established  in  the 
several  states,  etc.  In  section  2  of  the  act  referred  to.  we  find 
"that  it  shall  be  the  object  and  duty  of  said  experiment  station 
to  conduct  original  researches  or  verify  experiments  on  the 
physiology  of  plants  and  animals ;  *  *  *  composition  of  use- 
ful plants  at  their  several  stages  of  growth ;  *  *  *  the 
analysis  of  soils  and  water  *  *  *  and  such  other  researches 
or  experiments  bearing  directly  on  the  agricultural  industry 
of  the  United  States  as  may  in  each  case  be  deemed  advisable, 
having  due  regard  to  the  varying  conditions  and  needs  of  the 
respective  states  and  territories." 

Under  this  act,  in  our  own  state,  an  experiment  station 
has  been  established,  with  six  sub  stations,  viz. :    In  Carbon.  Lar- 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  141 

amie,  Crook,  Fremont,  Sheridan  and  Johnson  eonnties,  each 
of  which  is  supported  at  an  annual  cost  to  the  government  of 
say  $6,000.  All  honor  to  the  generous  spirit  of  the  author  (jf 
this  bill  and  to  that  great  class  of  food  producers  whom  it 
benefits.  Why  should  not  a  similar  concession  be  extended  to 
the  tireless  toilers  who  have  delved  in  the  earth,  scanned  every 
foot,  almost,  of  the  hills  and  mountains,  withstood  exposure  and 
privations  and  at  the  cost  of  their  health,  the  enjoyment  of  the 
comforts  of  home  and,  to  many  of  their  lives,  given  to  the  world 
the  gold  and  silver  with  which  its  commerce  is  carried  on ;  the 
coal  and  copper  and  iron,  which  enable  us  to  transport  the 
products  of  the  soil  to  the  remotest  points ;  the  oil  that  fur- 
nishes the  light  for  the  world,  by  which  the  student  acquires 
his  knowledge  and  the  people  indulge  in  their  literary  and 
social  tastes,  I  would  like  to  see  a  system  inaugurated  in  line 
with  university  extension,  or  like  the  experiment  stations  pro- 
vided for  in  connection  with  agricultural  colleges,  by  which 
an  assay  office  would  be  established  in  every  county  in  this  and 
other  mineral  states.  Such  office  should  be  in  charge  of  a  com- 
petent man  and  be  sustained  at  the  government's  expense,  in 
order  to  enable  the  miner  to  have  his  ore  promptly  and  ac- 
curately tested  and  aid  him  in  the  work  of  exploration  and 
development,  which  under  all  the  difficulties  enumerated  had 
alone  made  possible  the  existence  of  Wyoming,  Colorado,  Mon- 
tana, Nevada,  Idaho,  as  states,  and  tjtah.  New  Mexico  and 
Arizona  as  territories.  Nay,  even  more ;  but  for  the  quest  for 
gold  would  California  be  a  part  of  the  Union ;  but  for  Ponce 
De  Leon,  Pizarro,  Cortez  and  Coronado,  and  the  whole  host  of 
gold  seekers,  would  civilization  today  extend  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghenys  and  Blue  mountains,  or  more  than  a  few  hundred  miles 
back  from  the  gulf  coast? 

It  seems  to  me  that  while  the  establishment  of  the  depart- 
ment of  agriculture  is  no  more  than  a  just  recognition  of  the 
claims  of  the  farming  population,  the  great  mining  class, 
w^hich  include  such  eminent  prospectors  as  landed  on  our 
shores  in  the  fifteenth  century  and  three  hundred  years  later 
settled  and  conquered  the  Golden  State,  who  have  been  pio- 
neers always  from  the  days  when  search  was  made  for  the 
Golden  Fleece  down  to  the  present  time  Avhen  men,  full  of 
hope  and  confidence  and  nerve  have  opened  Avithin  a  year  two 
great  camps  in  the  mountains,  are  entitled  to  that  assistance 
due  from  a  democratic  government  to  every  class  of  citizen. 
The  world  owes  more  to  the  treasure  hunters  than  to  all  other 
classes  combined.  They  have  ever  been  the  pioneers.  Tliey 
have  opened  up  two  continents  and  been  the  leaders  in  every 
conquest  that  has  been  made  since  barbarism  gave  way  before 
the  advance  of  civilization. 


142  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

I  say  in  all  earnestness  that  congress  should  establish 
these  assay  stations,  not  alone  as  due  to  the  intrepid  class  of 
miners  and  prospectors  but  as  a  means  of  enriching  the 
country  and  placing  it  forever  in  the  lead  financially,  of  the 
nations  of  the  world.  I  have  offered  the  suggestion  in  a 
general  way,  but  I  hope  it  will  engage  the  earnest  attention 
of  some  of  our  law-makers  and  that  in  the  very  next  congress 
a  bill  will  be  introduced  that  will  give  to  the  honest  pros- 
pector, as  the  Hatch  bill  has  given  to  the  honest  farmer,  an 
adviser  who  will  be  authorized  to  "make  such  researches  or 
experiments  bearing  directly  on  the  mining  industry  of  the 
United  States  as  may  in  each  case  be  deemed  advisable,  having 
due  regard  to  the  varying  condition  and  needs  of  the  respec- 
tive states  and  territories." 

Oiir  Plain  Duty 

What  shall  we  do  to  aid  our  world's  fair  commissioners 
is  a  pertinent  question  at  the  present  time.  With  so  many 
and  such  glorious  resources  within  the  borders  of  this  state, 
there  must  be  no  failure  to  have  Wyoming  properly  repre- 
sented at  the  great  exposition  in  1893.  The  commissioners 
are  going  to  work  with  zeal  and  courage  and  they  should 
have  the  undivided  support  not  only  of  the  people  but  of 
this  convention.  Wyoming  will  be  able  to  show  up  grandly 
if  we  all  do  our  part,  and  the  way  to  begin  is  by  standing  by 
our  commissioners  from  the  beginning,  giving  them  all  the 
encouragement  and  support  possible ;  never  letting  them  feel 
that  they  are  working  alone,  that  their  services  are  unappre- 
ciated, or  that  we  are  unwilling  to  share  the  responsibility  with 
them.  As  the  whole  state  will  reap  the  benefit,  it  is  the  plain 
duty  of  this  convention  to  set  the  state  the  example  and  rouse 

the  enthusiasm  of  all  in  Wyoming's  preparation  for  the  fair. 
*  *  * 

The  Pioneers 

It  would  be  inexcusable  should  I  fail  to  mention  before 
concluding,  those  who  are  primarily  responsible  for  the  recla- 
mation of  the  Great  American  desert.  All  honor  to  those  who 
crossed  the  great  rivers  to  brave  the  perils  of  an  unknown 
country.  What  a  debt  of  gratitude  is  due  Captain  Bonneville, 
General  John  C.  Fremont,  the  pathfinder,  and  their  noble 
following,  rank  and  file!  They  formed  the  advance  guard 
of  the  regular  army,  who,  followed  by  other  gallant  bands, 
and  in  time  whole  regiments,  wrestled  the  great  trans-Missouri 
empire  from  hostile  savages,  paved  the  way  for  the  army  of 
pioneers  that  came  closely  in  their  footsteps,  and  laid  the 
foundation   upon  which  has   been  built  the   grand  common- 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  143 

wealths  that  stretch  in  an  unbroken  line  from  the  Mississippi  to 
the  Golden  Gate.  How  little  did  those  early  comers  realize  the 
full  meaning  of  that  stanza : 

"I  hear  the  tread  of  pioneers, 
Of  nations  yet  to  be ; 
The  first  low  wave  where  soon 
Shall  roll  a  human  sea." 

The  waves  indeed  rolled  in  and  broke  everj^where  on  the 
plains  and  mountains,  but  not  until  hundreds  of  these  pioneers 
of  the  army  and  of  civil  life  had  laid  down  their  lives  for 
the  sake  of  civilization.  On  every  hill  and  in  every  valley 
today  the  bones  of  those  intrepid  men  are  bleaching.  Within 
a  stone's  throw,  or  perhaps  over  their  very  graves,  the  iron 
horse  thunders  now  with  the  products  of  every  section  of 
the  then  unknown  lands  in  his  train.  The  fruits  and  wines 
and  silks  from  California,  the  wheat  and  salmon  from  Wash- 
ington and  Oregon ;  the  seal  and  salmon  from  Alaska ;  the 
silver  and  gold,  the  horses  and  cattle  from  Montana,  Nevada, 
Idaho,  Utah  and  Wyoming  are  rushed  across  the  mountain 
ranges,  on  two  slender  threads  of  steel  in  an  unending  pro- 
cession. And  cities  have  sprung  up  where  before  all  was 
silence,  and  the  tidal  wave  of  civilization  has  swept  away  tlie  last 
trace  of  savagery.  How  little  did  those  sleepers  in  unknown 
graves  dream  of  the  future  that  they  were  carving  out  for 
this  country !  Had  it  passed  before  them  like  a  dream  they 
would  have  thought  their  imagination  ran  riot.  While  we 
think  of  them  and  honor  them  it  is  well  to  remember  that  we 
can  see  as  little  of  the  changes  a  decade  or  a  quarter  of  a 
century  will  bring  to  this  country  as  did  they.  But  as  they 
would  have  wondered  at  what  has  been  wrought  in  the  brief 
time  since  they  laid  down  to  sleep  forever  amid  the  everlasting 
hills,  though  the  conquest  has  been  accomplished  ;  so  we  need 
not  regard  as  impossible  the  wildest  dream  of  the  wildest 
enthusiasts.  We  have  become  used  to  the  railroads,  the  tele- 
graph, the  telephone  and  the  electric  lights,  and  even  regard 
with  curiosity  unmingled  with  awe  the  experiments  of  a  man 
who  usurps  the  prerogatives  of  Providence  and  causes  the  rain 
to  fall  and  the  elements  to  move  at  his  command.  We  do  not 
know  what  miracle  will  be  worked  next  but  we  do  know  what 
there  is  in  the  earth  that  less  than  miracles  will  develop  into 
such  a  glory  as  the  angel  in  the  san  will  pause  in  his  daily 
rounds  to  make  note  of,  and  knowing  this  we  have  a  right  to 
anticipate  a  future  for  Wyoming  such  as  will  never  fall  to 
the  lot  of  its  sister  states,  wliether  they  be  older  or  yet 
unborn. 


144  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


HISTORY  OF  WYOMING  WRITTEN  BY  C.  G.  COUTANT, 

PIONEER  HISTORIAN,  AND  HERETOFORE 

UNPUBLISHED 

Chapter  IV 

Laramie  County 

Captivity  of  Mrs.  Eubanks — Hanging  of  Two  Face  and  Black 
Foot — Fig-ht  at  Deer  Creek — Bullock  and  Bettelyoun— 
John  Phillips'  Ride — Attack  on  Horse  Shoe — Massacre 
of  Settlers — John  Reshaw — Stuttering  Brown,  etc. 

It  will  now  be  necessary  to  go  back  a  few  months  in  the 
history  of  events  in  order  to  give  place  for  the  record  of  some 
things  which  occurred  in  connection  with  the  great  Sioux  out- 
break of  which  mention  has  been  made  in  the  preceding  chapter. 
In  the  winter  of  1863-64,  a  Mrs.  Eubanks  was  taken  prisoner 
by  the  Sioux  down  on  the  Republican  Fork  in  Nebraska  and 
brought  by  them  as  a  captive  to  the  region  of  country  above 
Fort  Laramie.  She  was  held  in  bondage  among  the  hostile 
Indians  at  a  point  not  far  from  where  the  town  of  Sundance  in 
what  is  now  Crook  county,  is  located.  The  sufferings  of  this 
poor  unfortunate  woman  were  too  great  and  terrible  to  be  nar- 
rated by  tongue  or  pen.  For  months  she  was  held  in  this  vile 
bondage  subject  to  their  will  and  caprices  and  her  fate  was  one 
far  worse  than  death  itself.  At  length  the  cupidity  and  avarice 
of  the  savages  got  the  mastery  of  them  and  they  resolved  to 
give  up  the  woman  provided  they  could  obtain  for  her  a  suit- 
able ransom.  With  this  object  in  view  Two  Face  and  Black 
Foot,  a  pair  of  unfortunate  chiefs  who  claimed  the  custody  of 
the  woman  sent  word  in  to  Ft.  Laramie  that  they  had  the 
woman  and  would  give  her  up  if  they  were  paid  a  suitable 
sum.  Word  was  sent  to  them  to  come  to  the  Fort  with  their 
captive.  The  usually  wary  savages,  partially  dazed  by  the  pros- 
pect (as  they  supposed)  of  securing  the  ransom,  boldly  ven- 
tured into  Fort  Laramie  with  their  captive,  when  without  any 
ceremony  whatever  the  two  Indians  were  hung  to  the  riecrest 
tree  by  order  of  Colonel  Moonlight  who  then  commanded  the 
post.  Judge  W.  F.  Lee  of  Cheyenne  was  present  at  the  hanging, 
and  although  he  protested  that  it  was  acting  in  bad  faith  yet 
his  protests  proved  wholly  ineffectual.  Mrs.  Eubanks  w^as 
eventually  sent  back  to  her  friends  in  Nebraska.  A  Mrs.  Lar- 
imer also  fell  into  the  hands  of  the'  Indians  at  about  this  time, 
but  was  released  through  the  intervention  of  some  of  the  old 
French  trappers  who  had  been  among  the  Indians  a  great  deal 
and  had  gained  their  confidence. 

On  the  26th  of  July,  1864,  a  decidedly  lively  skirmish  with 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  145 

the  Indians  occurred  at  Deer  Creek  some  miles  west  of  Fort 
Laramie  which  wasi  one  of  the  first  encounters  that  took  place 
between  the  Sioux  and  the  whites  after  the  outbreak  occurred. 
A  Lieutenant  Marshall  with  a  small  squad  of  soldiers  and  three 
or  four  citizens  of  whom  Levi  Ashenfelter,  now  of  Cheyenne, 
was  one,  went  some  distance  westward  from  Fort  Laramie  the 
object  being  to  afford  protection  to  another  small  party  which 
was  to  go  out  to  repair  the  military  telegraph  line  which  at 
that  time  extended  from  Ft.  Laramie  to  Ft.  Phil  Kearny  some 
150  miles  to  the  northwest.  The  party  under  Lieut.  Marshall, 
nine  men  in  all,  were  in  camp  temporarily  when  a  large  band 
of  Lidians,  all  mounted,  rode  suddenly  upon  them  giving  vent 
to  an  unearthly  warwhoop  as  they  advanced.  The  commander 
of  the  little  party  who  was  somewhat  "under  the  weather"  on 
account  of  having  partaken  of  too  much  "fire  water"  shouted  to 
his  men  when  he  saw  them  coming  ' '  get  your  guns,  boys,  get  your 
guns. ' '  The  ' '  boys ' '  were  not  slow  in  complying  with  the  order 
and  by  the  time  the  Indians  were  upon  them  they  were  ready 
for  battle.  At  this  the  Indians  who  were  slightly  disconcerted 
turned  and  rode  rapidly  down  the  hill  upon  which  the  camp 
had  been  pitched.    As  they  rode  hurriedly  down  the  decline  the 

Lieutenant  shouted  to  his  men  ' '  shoot  them,  shoot  the  D . ' ' 

At  this  the  party  opened  fire  and  Bear  Skin  the  leader  of  the 
Indians  was  badly  wounded.  The  whites,  who  had  by  this  time 
mounted  their  horses,  followed  in  pursuit  and  drove  the  savages 
into  a  clump  of  hills  not  far  away  where  their  squaws  and 
papooses  were  concealed,  and  after  having  provided  more  effec- 
tually for  the  protection  of  the  latter  the  Indians,  some  forty 
in  numbers,  rallied  and  returned  to  the  fight.  For  more  than 
two  hours  the  gallant  little  band  of  whites  fought  four  times 
their  number  of  the  savage  foe,  and  not  only  held  them  at  bay 
but  eventually  rode  safely  away,  the  Indians  at  the  same  time 
again  scampering  into  the  hills.  How  many  of  the  Indians 
were  killed  and  wounded  was  never  known  but  there  must  have 
been  several  of  tliem.  None  of  the  whites  were  killed  but  nearly 
all  of  them  received  slight  wounds.  Within  the  ensuing  year 
several  pitched  battles  were  fought  with  the  Indians  in  wliich 
Mr.  Ashenfelter  participated,  occurred  farther  westward  in 
the  vicinity  of  Old  Fort  Casper,  but  of  these  mention  will  be 
made  in  another  portion  of  this  work. 

During  the  summer  of  1866  affairs  became  so  bad  in  the 
vicinity  of  Ft.  Laramie  that  it  was  no  longer  safe  for  people  to 
remain  for  a  moment  beyond  the  protection  of  the  niilitary 
post.  Everybody  in  that  region  flocked  into  Fort  Laramie  for 
protection,  and  even  there  it  was  not  considered  entirely  safe. 
Many  were  the  depredations  committed  by  the  Sioux — many 
more  than  can  be  mentioned  here,  but  such  as  would  fill  a  vol- 
ume, were  thev  to  be  recorded.     In  the  fall  and  winter  of  1866 


146  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

the  situation  around  and  above  Fort  Laramie  was  as  dark  and 
perilous  as  it  well  could  be,  and  on  December  21st  of  that  year 
at  old  Fort  Phil  Kearny  150  miles  northwest  of  Ft.  Laramie 
occurred  one  of  the  bloodiest  massacres  that  has  ever  darkened 
the  annals  of  American  history.  This  was  the  occasion  when 
Colonel  Fetterman,  with  eighty-three  men,  were  lured  beyond 
the  reach  of  assistance  from  their  comrades  in  the  Fort  and 
butchered  to  the  last  man  by  the  hostiles.  It  is  not  the  inten- 
tion to  give  at  this  time  an  account  of  the  massacre,  as  that 
properly  belongs  to  another  portion  of  this  narrative,  but  fol- 
lowing it  came  the  daring  and  heroic  ride  of  John  Phillips 
(known  everywhere  as  ''Portugee"  Phillips)  from  the  scene 
of  the  bloody  episode  to  Ft.  Laramie  to  spread  the  alarm,  for 
what  was  left  of  the  garrison  at  Phil  Kearny  were  also  in 
danger  of  being  overpowered  and  butchered.  (_It  was  necessary 
that  word  should  be  sent  to  Fort  Laramie  in  order  that  assistance 
might  be  had,  and  for  that  dangerous  duty  the  gallant  Phillips 
volunteered  his  services.  He  made  the  ride  in  less  than  36 
hours  through  a  country  swarming  with  savages  and  gave  the 
alarm,  and  how  he  escaped  death  on  that  perilous  ride  is  more 
than  even  he  in  after  years  could  explain  or  understand.  The 
noble  steed  that 

"Brought  you  Sheridan  into  the  fray 
From  Winchester  twenty  miles  away" 

bore  not  upon  its  back  a  more  dauntless  hero  than  did  the  one 
that  safely  carried  "Portugee"  Phillips  through  on  that  ride 
of  the  gauntlet  of  death  from  Phil  Kearny  to  Ft.  Laramie  in 
those  perilous  days.  Years  afterwards  when  Phillips  died  in 
Cheyenne  the  "Pioneers  of  Wyoming"  met  and  adopted  reso- 
lutions of  respect  to  his  memory  and  attended  his  funeral  in  a 
bodv. 

^  On  May  14,  1867,  Col.  W.  G.  Bullock,  one  of  the  bravest 
and  most  sagacious  of  the  many  daring  spirits  who  in  those 
days  faltered  not  in  the  midst  of  danger,  with  a  party  of 
twenty  men  among  whom  was  Isaac  Bett«lgoon,  equally  as  dar- 
ing and  fearless,  went  some  thirty  miles  southeast  of  Fort  Lar- 
amie to  F'ox  Creek  for  the  purpose  of  looking  up  stock  which 
had  strayed  away.  While  dismounted  and  while  their  horses 
had  accidentally  been  stampeded  for  a  short  distance  were  still 
away,  they  were  suddenly  assailed  by  a  large  body  of  mounted 
Indians  who  rushed  in  between  the  party  and  their  horses. 
Under  the  leadership  of  Bullock  and  Bettelyoun  who  set  the 
example  the  whole  party  sprang  to  their  arms  and  prepared 
for  the  worst.  The  Indians  were  astounded  and  eventually 
driven  off  but  with  the  loss  to  the  little  party  of  their  horses. 
Subsequently  Colonel  Bullock  led  out  many  a  small  party  and 
although  he  and  his  men  had  many  a  brush  with  the  Indians, 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  147 

and  narrow  escapes,  the  savage  foe  at  length  learned  to  fear 
the  '  *  White  Hair  Chief ' '  more  than  any  other  man  in  the  region. 

In  August  of  the  same  year  (1867)  Isaac  Bettelyonn  with 
a  party  of  ten  men  was  surrounded  by  a  large  party  of  Indians 
on  the  Chugwater  while  out  in  charge  of  a  large  band  of  cattle. 
The  first  warning  the  party  had  of  the  proximity  of  the  Indians 
was  when  they  began  to  show  their  heads  above  the  bluffs  near 
the  stream.  I3ettelyoun  was  not  dismayed,  however,  but  throw- 
ing down  his  gun  boldly  walked  toward  them  and  made  signs 
as  though  his  party  desired  to  have  a  "medicine  talk"  with 
them.  Quite  a  parley  ensued,  the  result  being  that  American 
Horse,  who  was  at  the  head  of  the  Indians,  and  nine  of  his  war- 
riors, threw  down  their  arms  and  came  into  the  camp  of  the 
whites  where  a  sort  of  a  temporary  treaty  was  effected  which 
relieved  the  whites  of  their  danger  for  the  time  being.  Wliile 
the  treaty  was  being  made  a  portion  of  the  party  of  Indians 
who  did  not  come  in  or  assent  to  the  treaty  drove  off  a  number 
of  head  of  stock  and  the  animals  were,  of  course,  never  recov- 
ered. Not  long  after  the  affair  just  mentioned,  Bettelyoun  and 
three  others  had  a  severe  encounter  with  a  small  party  of  In- 
dians over  near  the  Laramie  river,  in  wdiich  after  exchanging 
shots  for  a  long  time  and  engaging  in  a  sort  of  a  running  fight, 
one  at  least  of  the  Indians  was  fatally  shot  and  the  balance  of 
them  drew  off.     None  of  the  whites  were  seriously  injured. 

The  winter  of  '67  and  '68  was  the  darkest  and  most  gloomy 
time  of  the  whole  period  so  far  as  the  region  to  the  west  and 
northwest  of  Ft.  Laramie  was  concerned.  Strange  though  it 
may  seem,  during  the  few  years  immediately  preceding  the 
summer  of  1867,  quite  a  numerous  settlement  had  been  made 
to  the  west  and  northwest  of  Fort  Laramie,  mainlv  at  and 
around  Horse  Shoe,  while  between  Ft.  Laramie  and  Ft.  Fetter- 
man  (recently  established)  a  line  of  ranches  at  convenient  dis- 
tances had  sprung  up  the  length  of  the  entire  route  and  a  mili- 
tary telegraph  line  had  been  put  up  between  the  two  posts.  On 
the  settlement  at  Horse  Shoe  the  Indians  made  a  descent  in  mid- 
winter and  not  ouly  burned  to  the  ground  every  building  in 
the  small  settlement,  but  massacred  quite  a  number  of  the  set- 
tlers. Fortunately  for  some,  however,  this  attack  was  made  in 
the  night  and  a  few  of  those  at  the  time  in  the  settlement  escaped 
to  the  brush  and  timber  growing  in  considerable  quantities  in 
that  locality.  Among  this  number  was  a  man  named  George 
Han-is,  who,  although  wounded,  lay  concealed  in  the  brush  all 
night  within  sight  of  the  burning  settlement,  and  although 
several  times  the  Indians  came  close  to  where  he  lay  he  was  not 
discovered  and  finally  made  his  escape  to  the  sparse  settlements 
on  the  La  Bonte.  As  already  stated,  several  others  made  their 
escapes  some  to  the  La  Bonte,  others  to  Ft.  Laramie,  and  two 
or  three  came  in  at  Ft.  Fetterman — all  of  them,  however,  in  a 


148  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

half  frozen  and  half  famished  condition.  It  was  never  known 
just  how  many  were  killed  in  the  attack  on  Horse  Shoe,  but 
there  must  have  been  twenty  at  least. 

The  bloody  tragedy  at  Horse  Shoe  was  almost  immediately 
followed  by  an  indiscriminate  massacre  of  every  settler  along 
the  entire  route  from  Ft.  Laramie  to  the  but  recently  estab- 
lished military  post  called  Ft.  Fetterman.  Not  a  single  ranch 
or  station  escaped  visitation  at  the  hands  of  the  murderous 
Sioux,  and  but  very  few  persons  escaped  to  tell  the  story.  Every 
ranch  along  the  route  was  burned  to  the  ground  and  such  a 
trail  of  devastation  and  blood  was  left  to  indicate  the  work  of 
the  savages,  that  the  awful  track  of  violence  became  known  as 
the  "Bloody  Trail  Massacre."  Upwards  of  forty  persons  in  all 
fell  victims  to  the  brutality  of  the  savages,  and  of  this  number 
ten  were  women.  Names  have  been  forgotten  so  that  at  present 
it  is  impossible  to  give  them.  Nearly  all  of  the  victims  were 
new  comers  in  the  country  and  were  not  known  to  any  extent 
to  those  who  at  that  time  lived  in  and  around  Fort  Laramie. 
Whole  chapters  might  be  written  of  the  outrages  committed  by 
the  Sioux  prior  to  and  for  a  short  time  subsequent  to  the  events 
last  related  which  occurred  in  the  winter  of  1867-1868,  but  space 
will  not  admit  of  more  than  has  already  been  given  in  relation 
to  them. 

It  remains,  however,  as  a  fitting  conclusion  to  the  chap- 
ter— or  rather  series  of  chapters  on  the  dark  and  eventful 
days  which  were  experienced  in  the  early  times  at  and  in 
the  regions  of  Fort  Laramie,  to  briefly  allude  to  some  of  the 
daring  men  who  figured  prominently  in  the  history  of  the 
early  times. 

Of  these  Col.  Bullock,  H.  B.  Kelly,  W.  F.  Lee,  Levi  Ashen- 
felter,  Isaac  Bettelyoun,  John  Phillips  and  others  have  already 
been  mentioned.  There  are  others,  however,  who  deserve 
notice  and  among  them  are  Jules  Ecoffey,  Adolph  Coney,  John 
Ryan  generally  known  as  "Posey"  Ryan  who  was  made  the 
hero  of  one  of  the  western  stories  written  by  a  gifted  writer 
of  the  east,  Richard  Whalen,  F.  M.  Phillips,  John  Hunton, 
Thomas  Hall,  Hon.  Gibson  Clark  and  many  others  whose 
adventures  and  experiences  would  of  themselves  make  an 
interesting  history.  Two  of  the  most  noted  personages  who 
figured  during  the  early  times  at  Ft.  Laramie  and  vicinity 
must,  however,  be  briefly  alluded  to  here.  They  are  John 
Reshaw  and  "Stuttering"  Brown,  so  called  from  an  unfor- 
tunate difficulty  which  the  name  will  itself  indicate.  No  one 
remembers  that  he  had  any  other  name  than  the  one  given 
here  and  if  he  did,  it  was  never  heard  of.  Brown  had  a  mule 
which  in  many  respects  was  a  marvel  and  seemed  to  be  pos- 
sessed of  a  sort  of  an  intuitive  knowledge  of  what  was  wanted 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  149 

of  him.  Mounted  upon  the  back  of  this  mule,  Brown  would 
go  anywhere  and  everywhere  day  or  night  when  no  other 
white  man  at  Ft.  Laramie  dared  to  venture  out  of  gunshot 
range  of  the  post.  Brown,  who  was  quite  well  advanced  in 
years,  had  but  little  to  say  to  any  one,  though  was  always 
ready  to  take  a  hand  in  a  fight  with  the  Indians  when  by  so 
doing  he  could  be  of  any  assistance  to  others.  As  a  general 
thing,  however,  Brown's  outgoings  and  incomings  were  by 
himself,  and  for  years  he  lived  the  life  of  a  recluse.  The  words 
of  the  poet  as  applied  to  the  old  Yellowstone  hermit : 
"In  the  Indian  wars  he  lurks  aloof 

And  ever  when  met  by  rare  good  chance 

He  glides  from  the  pathway  haggard  and  lean. 

With  bended  head  and  abstracted  glance 

It  is  only  known  that  stately  and  grand 

The  hermit  hunter  lives  all  alone. 

With  the  cataract's  thunder  forever  at  hand 

In  the  wonder  world  of  the  Yellowstone," 

would  also  apply  to  Stuttering  Brown.  At  length,  early  in 
the  year  of  1868,  both  Brown  and  the  mule  disappeared  and 
neither  have  since  been  heard  of  to  this  day.  John  Reshaw, 
whose  father  also  lived  for  many  years  in  the  vicinity  of  Ft. 
Laramie,  was  another  peculiar  character  and  in  some  respects 
a  dangerous  one.  He  was  a  half-breed,  but  in  some  way 
acquired  a  good  education  and  years  ago  used  to  take  con- 
tracts of  the  government,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  govern- 
ment never  got  much  the  best  of  him  in  those  matters.  At 
length  Reshaw  shot  and  killed  a  soldier  near  Ft.  Fetterman 
after  which  he  joined  the  Indians  and  for  more  than  a  year 
was  one  of  their  leaders  in  the  depredations  they  committed 
prior  to  1868  in  the  vicinity  of  Ft.  Laramie.  It  was  during 
this  time  that  a  large  party  of  Indians,  of  whom  Reshaw  was 
the  leader,  surrounded  in  the  night  time  a  small  party  of 
whites  camped  on  the  La  Bonte,  but  while  peering  through 
the  bushes  at  the  prospective  victims  whom  it  was  supposed 
to  kill  and  scalp,  Reshaw  discovered  T.  Jeff  Carr  now  LT.  S. 
Marshal  for  Wyoming  in  the  party.  Prior  to  that  time  Re- 
shaw had  known  Carr,  who  was  also  one  of  the  fearless 
pioneers  of  that  region  and  seeing  him  in  the  party  he  called 
off  the  Indians  and  the  little  party  never  knew  of  their 
narrow  escape  until  years  afterwards.  Subsequently,  Presi- 
dent Grant  issued  an  amnesty  order  in  Reshaw 's  case  and 
he  rejoined  the  whites,  but  after  quarreling  with  and  killing 
an  Indian  chief  somewhere  above  Ft.  Laramie  he  was  mur- 
dered by  the  Sioux,  in  revenge,  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1874. 
Wliile    many    sad    and    lamentable    affairs    happened    dur- 


150  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

ing  the  period  that  has  been  treated  of  in  the  preceding 
chapters,  occasionally,  as  in  all  wars,  something  happened 
of  a  laughable  or  humorous  character.  One  of  these  instances 
only  will  be  related.  At  the  battle  with  the  Indians  near 
the  mouth  of  Horse  Creek,  the  fight  lasted  some  two  or  three 
hours.  Judge  W.  F.  Lee,  now  of  Cheyenne,  and  who  is 
familiarly  called  "Billy"  was  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  whites 
in  that  fight,  and  it  was  he  who  first  made  a  barricade  of  the 
wagons  as  a  protection  against  the  Indians.  "Billy"  at  that 
time  had  along  with  him  a  very  small  keg  of  whiskey  which 
contained  about  one-half  of  its  original  contents  when  the 
fight  began.  He  visited  the  keg  during  the  fight  and  when 
it  was  over  went  around  for  a  final  drachm.  The  whiskey 
was  all  gone  and  Billy  was  about  to  go  on  the  "warpath" 
to  find  out  who  had  consumed  it,  but  finally  remembered  that 
no  one  of  the  party  knew  where  it  had  been  concealed  but 
himself,  and  concluding  that  he  must  have  visited  it  oftener 
than  he  had  supposed,  very  discreetly  said  nothing  about  it 
to  the  balance  of  the  party.  While  farther  along  in  this  work 
it  will  be  necessary  to  refer  again  to  Indian  troubles  around 
Ft.  Laramie  and  elsewhere  in  what  is  now  Laramie  county,' 
the  writer  must  now  leave  this  branch  of  the  subject  and 
turn  his  attention  to  events  which  by  1867-1868  had  begun 
to  transpire  elsewhere. 

Chapter  V 

Laramie  County 

Cheyenne— A  Prelude— The  First  Rush— A  City  of  Tents— 
The  First  Building- — Its  First  Inhabitants — The  Town- 
site — Other  Early  Matters. 

Some  writer  a  number  of  years  ago  wrote  the  following 
which  appeared  in  the  "Pacific  Tourist":  "Like  all  other 
Frontier  towns,  Cheyenne  has  a  history  and  it  is  similar  to 
that  of  others."  This  writer  was  wrong,  Cheyenne  has  a 
history  but  it  is  in  most  respects  unlike  that  of  any  other 
town  or  city  on  the  American  continent.  It  has  a  remarkable 
history,  although  for  the  reason  that  people  as  a  general 
thing  fail  to  see,  or  if  they  do  see,  fail  to  appreciate  the  fact, 
that  important  history  is  being  made  in  their  midst,  this 
matter  has  been  persistently  overlooked.  People  at  home  can 
never  as  a  general  thing,  be  made  to  understand — for  example 
— that  they  have  eminent  men  among  them,  and  according  to 
their  theory  and  understanding,  the  "eminent  man"  is  always 
abroad  somewhere — never  at  home.  In  places  five  hundred, 
and  even  one  thousand,  miles  from  Cheyenne  one  can  hear 
the  statement  made  that,  "the  ablest  and  most  eloquent  lawyer 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  151 

I  ever  listened  to  was  a  lawyer  out  at  Cheyenne,  etc.,"  but 
ill  Cheyenne  the  finest  lawyer  will  not  be  found  in  Cheyenne, 
but  some  other  place,  abroad.  So  in  regard  to  matters  that 
make  history — important  history — they  always  happen  some- 
where else  and  are  never  looked  for  at  home.  When  the  fact 
is  remembered  that  in  just  two  years  six  months  and  ten  days 
from  the  date  of  the  erection  of  the  first  building  in  Cheyenne, 
in  obedience  to  the  moral  and  political  sense  of  her  people,  the 
political  emancipation  of  500,000,000  of  women  throughout  the 
world  was  for  the  first  time  officially  proclaimed,  and  the  guar- 
anty of  their  equal  political  rights  and  privileges  enjoined  in  an 
embryo  empire  nearly  as  large  again  in  area  as  the  whole  of 
New  England — an  announcement  which  created  a  profound 
sensation  throughout  the  civilized  world — it  must  be  admitted 
bj  every  thinking  man  and  woman  that  Cheyenne  has  made 
a  history  that  will  endure  forever  in  the  annals  of  the  world. 

Some  years  ago  a  gentleman  named  J.  H.  Triggs  under- 
took to  write  a  history  of  Cheyenne,  but  only  a  few  facts 
were  eventualh^  given  in  reference  to  early  events  in  Chey- 
enne, the  balance  of  the  book  being  devoted  to  a  description 
of  the  resources  and  prospects  of  the  northern  country,  and 
particularly  of  the  Black  Hills  country.  Although  the  present 
writer  assisted  in  gathering  what  few  facts  there  were  given 
in  the  book  in  reference  to  Cheyenne  and  would,  therefore, 
be  justified  in  reverting  to  them  for  the  present  work,  yet 
from  the  fact  that  this  is  not  intended  to  be  a  "puff"  for  the 
country,  but  an  impartial  and  correct  record  of  events,  there 
is  little  or  nothing  in  the  work  alluded  to  that  is  available  as 
material  now.  Two  incidents,  however,  in  the  early  history 
of  Cheyenne,  one  of  them  with  an  incorrect  date,  have  been 
found  in  the  book  alluded  to,  which  were  not  ascertained 
from  other  sources. 

Robert  E.  Strahorn's  "Hand  Book  of  Wyoming"  was 
written  a  few  years  later,  but  the  present  writer  has  not  seen 
it  for  a  long  time,  and  all  that  can  be  said  of  it  here  is  that 
it  was  an  exceedingly  well  written  book  and  contained  much 
valuable  information,  mainly  of  a  descriptive  character. 

It  was  said  in  the  olden  times  that  "all  roads  lead  to 
Rome,"  and  in  a  certain  sense  the  saying  Avas  a  true  one. 
and  while  it  may  not  be  said  that  all  roads  in  Wyoming  lead 
to  Cheyenne,  it  can  be  said  that  nearly  all  of  the  history  of 
Laramie  county,  worth  relating,  and  much  of  the  history  of 
the  territory  itself  since  Cheyenne  was  founded,  has  either 
had  its  beginning  or  ending  there.  For  this  reason  the  history 
of  Laramie  county  from  the  time  Cheyenne  was  established 
(except  what  has  already  been  given)  will  be  given  as  part 
of  —  or  rather  contemporaneously  with  —  that  of  the  "Magic 


152  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

City  of  the  Plains"  (Cheyenne's  poetic  name)  from  this  point 
to  the  end. 

The  construction  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  across 
the  plains  was  a  gigantic,  as  well  as  dangerous  undertaking, 
and  in  order  that  the  work  might  progress  safely  and  expe- 
ditiously, the  United  States  government  sent  out  many  troops 
and  established  military  posts  along  the  line  of  the  road,  and 
in  many  instances  these  troops  were  posted  at  convenient 
points  even  before  the  final  survey  had  been  completed.  Such 
was  the  case  in  the  vicinity  of  what  is  now  Cheyenne.  Quite 
a  body  of  troops  were  sent  forward  and  went  into  camp  at 
what  is  now  Ft.  D.  A.  Russell  (of  which  mention  at  some 
length  will  be  made  farther  along)  some  weeks  before  the 
Cheyenne  townsite  was  laid  out  as  the  rush  to  that  point  had 
begun.  This  was  in  the  spring  of  1867  and  before  it  had 
been  clearly  understood  where  the  western  terminus  of  the 
road  would  be  for  the  approaching  winter.  Very  soon,  how- 
ever, after  it  had  been  definitely  decided  that  a  halt  until 
the  spring  of  1868  would  be  made  on  the  banks  of  Crow 
Creek,  a  rush  for  this  point,  eventually,  followed.  The  new 
comers  were  few  and  far  between  at  first,  and  by  the  middle 
of  June,  '67,  there  were  probably  not  to  exceed  fifty  people 
camped  in  tents  on  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Cheyenne. 
There  were  so  many  in  the  first  party  that  arrived  on  the 
banks  of  the  creek  that  it  is  impossible  at  this  time  to  give 
the  names  of  all  of  them  and  it  will  not  be  attempted.  Judge 
J.  R.  Whitehead,  who  is  still  a  resident  of  Cheyenne,  (1886) 
was  however  one  of  the  party.  Henry  Altman  who  arrived 
at  the  proposed  new  townsite  on  June  15,  '67  says  there  were 
not  more  than  twenty  people,  all  told,  camped  on  Crow  Creek 
when  he  reached  that  point.  In  a  very  few  days,  however, 
the  great  rush  began  and  by  the  1st  of  July  there  were  many 
hundreds  of  people  on  t'le  ground,  most  of  whom  temporarily 
occupied  tents. 

A  whole  chapter  might  be  devoted  to  a  description  of 
the  great  rush  which  brought  hundreds— and  even  thousands 
to  the  banks  of  Crow  Creek  about  this  time,  but  space  forbids. 
Tents  were  pitched  everywhere,  and  so  numerous  were  they 
that  what  is  now  Cheyenne  was  at  first  called  "The  City  of 
Tents,"  but  later  on,  because  of  its  sudden  marvelous  and 
rapid  growth,  it  was  christened  "The  Magic  City  of  the 
Plains,"  though  by  whom,  tradition  is  silent. 

(To  be  continued) 


ANNALS  OF  AVYOMING  153 


THE  CHINESE  MASSACRE 

(Part  II)* 

By  Paul  Crane  and  Alfred  Larson 

The  Chinese  miners  who  were  brought  back  to  Rock 
Springs  under  army  escort  a  week  after  they  had  fled  from 
the  scene  of  the  massacre  were  lodged  in  box  cars  near  the 
troop  encampment.  Before  long  they  were  at  work  in  the  mines 
again, ^  and  the  rebuilding  of  Chinatown  began.  The  Union 
Pacific  Coal  Department  was  able  to  continue  its  policy  of 
using  both  Chinese  and  white  labor.  The  company  discharged 
forty-five  whites  who  were  considered  participants  in  the  riot, 
but  put  other  whites  back  at  work.- 

For  a  time  the  issue  remained  in  doubt,  and  the  presence 
of  the  army  was  all  that  prevented  another  outbreak.  The 
Rock  Springs  Independent  appealed  to  public  opinion  outside 
of  Rock  Springs:  "Let  the  demand  go  up  from  one  end  of 
the  Union  Pacific  to  the  other,  THE  CHINESE  MUST  GO."^ 
Other  editors  added  their  voices  to  the  clamor  against  the 
company's  policy.'*  The  Knights  of  Labor  tried  to  put  an  end 
to  the  employment  of  Chinese.  White  inhabitants  of  Rock 
Springs  almost  unanimously  were  ready  to  deny  that  the 
massacre  had  been  wicked  or  wrong. ^  As  long  as  this  spirit 
prevailed,  the  army  was  needed  to  prevent  a  repetition  of  the 
massacre.  Three  Government  directors  of  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  who  investigated  the  massacre  reported  a  week  after 
the  Chinese  had  been  returned  to  Rock  Springs  that  the 
ninety  soldiers  on  duty  were  overworked  and  should  be 
re-enforced.^  For  a  time  the  sheriff  of  Sweetwater  County 
could  depend  on  no  assistance  from  the  white  inhabitants  in 
maintaining  order. '^  Gradually,  however,  the  spirit  of  revolt 
V'/as  dissipated  until  it  was  possible  to  withdraw  the  troops. 

The  Chinese  consul  at  San  Francisco,  who  went  to  Rock 
Springs  to  investigate,  deplored  the  refusal  of  the  Sweetwater 


*  The  first  part  of  this  study  appeared  hi  the  January,  1940  issiie 
of   the   Annals. 

1  House  Reports,  Ist  Session,  49th  Congress,  18S5-18S6,  Vol.  7, 
Report  No.  2044,  "Providing  Indemnity  to  Certain  Chinese  Subjects," 
p.  24. 

3  Ibid.,  p.  25. 

3  Supra,   p.   51. 

•1  The  Chinese  Massacre,  p.  7  &. 

5  House  Reports,  loc.  cit.,  p.  25. 

6  Ibid.,   p.    24. 

7  Ibid. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  155 

County  grand  jury  to  act  upon  testimony  provided  by  Chinese.^ 
The  failure  of  the  grand  jury  to  bring  in  any  indictments 
brought  the  release  of  sixteen  whites  who  had  been  arrested.^ 

Although  the  Chinese  were  allowed  to  go  back  to  work, 
it  was  evident  that  they  could  get  no  reddress  locally  for  the 
property  losses  they  had  suffered.  The  Chinese  consul  at 
New  York  who  had  gone  to  Rock  Springs  and  joined  the  San 
Francisco  consul  in  investigating  the  massacre  secured  a  list 
of  estimated  individual  losses,  totalling  $147,748.74.  This  list 
was  submitted  to  the  United  States  Department  of  State  by 
the  Chinese  ambassador  in  Washington,  Cheng  Tsao  Ju.  The 
ambassador  November  30,  1885,  in  a  formal  note  which  Senator 
Sherman  of  Ohio  called  "one  of  the  most  eloquent,  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  compositions  I  know  of  in  our  language,  "^° 
asked  that  guilty  persons  be  punished,  that  Chinese  subjects 
be  indemnified,  and  that  measures  be  adopted  to  protect 
Chinese  from  further  attacks. ^^  He  contended  that  the 
attack  upon  the  Chinese  was  unprovoked,  "in  broad  daylight," 
and  that  the  judicial  proceedings  were  a  "burlesque"  since 
there  had  been  no  indictments. 

Inasmuch  as  Secretary  of  State  Evarts  in  1880  and  Secre- 
tary of  State  Blaine  in  1881  had  denied  the  legal  liability  of 
the  United  States  Government  to  provide  indemnity  for  losses 
occurring  when  a  mob  assaulted  Chinese  in  Denver  in  1880, 
the  Chinese  ambassador  undertook  to  show  that  indemnity 
should  be  provided  for  losses  at  Rock  Springs  notwithstanding 
these  views.  In  one  material  respect,  opined  the  Chinese 
ambassador,  the  Rock  Springs  case  differed  from  the  Denver 
case.  Colorado  was  a  State  in  1880;  Wyoming  was  still  only 
a  Territory  in  1885.  It  was  the  ambassador's  interpretation 
of  our  Constitution  that  while  the  Federal  Government  cannot 
interfere  in  the  administration  and  execution  of  State  laws, 
the  administration  of  justice  and  the  protection  of  life  and 
property  are  functions  of  the  Federal  Government  in  a 
Territory. 

The  ambassador  declared,  furthermore,  that  international 
usage  suggests  that  indemnity  should  be  made.  There  is, 
said  he,  a  principle  of  reciprocal  justice  and  comity,  the 
Golden  Rule,  which  is  applicable  to  Governments  in  inter- 
national relations.     American  citizens  in  China  have  the  same 


8  Tbid.,  p.  2'6 

9  Ibid.,  p.  25. 

10  Congressional  Record,  Vol.  17,  p.  5110. 

11  House  Reports,  loc.  cit.,  p.  4  ff.  Arguments  of  the  Chinese  Am- 
bassador and  of  Secretary  of  St.ate  Bayard  in  reply  which  appear  in  full 
in  the  House  Reports  are  also  given  at  considerable  length  in  John 
Bassett  Moore's  Digest  of  International  Law,  Vol.  VI. 


156  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

protection  of  the  laws,  and  right  to  indemnity  for  losses,  as 
Chinese  subjects  have  in  the  United  States.  What,  then,  he 
asked,  has  been  the  United  States  Grovernment 's  practice  with 
reference  to  damages  suffered  by  United  States  citizens  from 
mob  violence  in  China?  In  1858  the  Government  of  China  paid 
to  the  United  States  the  sum  of  $735,258.97  "in  full  liquida- 
tion of  all  claims  of  American  citizens. ' '  The  Chinese  Govern- 
ment at  that  time  accepted  the  claims  presented  by  the  United 
States  Government  without  examining  the  evidence  on  which 
the  claims  were  based.  The  Chinese  ambassador  submitted 
an  abstract  of  other  cases  in  which  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment had  asked  for  punishment  of  offenders  and  indemnity 
to  citizens. ^^  It  cannot  be  believed,  wrote  the  Chinese  ambas- 
sador, "that  the  United  States  would  so  far  violate  the  spirit 
of  the  'golden  rule'  .  .  .  as  to  require  of  China  that  which 
under  similar  circumstances  it  would  not  concede  to  China 
in  reciprocity." 

The  Chinese  ambassador  also  referred  to  the  case  in  1851 
when  mobs  in  New  Orleans  and  Key  West  destroyed  Spanish 
houses,  and  the  Spanish  subjects  were  indemnified  from  the 
United  States  Treasury. ^^  On  that  occasion,  too,  the  United 
States  Secretary  of  State  had  declared  that  Spanish  residents 
were  entitled  to  no  more  protection  than  native-born  citizens. 
The  Chinese  ambassador  understood,  he  wrote,  that  the  indem- 
nification of  the  Spaniards  "was  a  voluntary  act  of  good  will, 
aliove  and  beyond  the  strict  authorization  of  domestic  law.  "^* 
But  that  indemnification  indicated  that  in  the  past  the  Presi- 
dent and  Congress  had  found  a  way  to  overcome  the  obstruc- 
tions cited  by  Webster,  Evarts,  and  Blaine,  and  suggested 
that  a  way  could  now  be  found  for  the  Chinese. 

The  Chinese  ambassador  asked  the  indulgence  of  the 
Secretary  of  State  for  one  further  point.  When  a  special 
United  States  embassy  went  to  Peking  to  ask  for  modification 
of  the  1868  immigration  treaty,  that  embassy  gave  assurances 
that  if  China  conceded  modifications  Chinese  laborers  already 
in  the  United  States  "should  have  ample  protection  guaran- 
teed to  them  by  a  specific  treaty  stipulation  and  that  the 
Government  would  'construe  all  such  obligations  in  that  spirit 
of  friendly  liberality  which  has  marked  its  relations  with  the 
Chinese  Government'. "^^  The  ambassador  intimated  that 
thereby  the  United  States  Government  incurred  an  increased 
obligation  to  protect  Chinese  laborers. 


12  House  Reports,  loc.  cit.,  p.  41  ff. 

13  Ibid.,  pp.  7-8. 

14  House  Reports,  loc.  cit.,  p.  8. 

15  Ibid. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  157 

President  Cleveland  in  his  first  annual  message  to  Con- 
gress in  December,  1885,  recommended  that  "all  the  power  of 
this  Government  should  be  ex'erted  to  maintain  the  amplest 
good  faith  toward  China  in  the  treatment  of  these  men,  and 
the  inflexible  sternness  of  the  law  in  bringing  the  wrongdoers 
to  justice  should  be  insisted  upon.  "^^ 

Secretary  of  State  Bayard  replied  formally  to  Cheng 
Tsao  Ju's  note  February  18,  ISSG.^'^  He  agreed  that  the 
massacre  was  deplorable.  "...  I  denounce  with  feeling  and 
indignation  the  bloody  outrages  and  shocking  wrongs.  .  .  . 
There  is  nothing  to  extenuate  such  offenses  against  humanity 
and  law.  ..."  He  then  considered  at  length  the  question  of 
Government  responsibility,  holding  with  his  predecessors  in  the 
State  Department  that  in  such  cases  the  Government  was  not 
legally  liable.  He  corrected  the  Chinese  ambassador's  interpre- 
tation of  our  Constitution  by  pointing  out  that  the  Territory  of 
Wyoming  enjoyed  local  self-government  with  full  authority 
to  maintain  order  and  administer  justice.  With  reference 
to  maintaining  order,  preserving  the  peace,  and  punishing 
infractions  of  it  ".  .  .  the  local  authority  and  responsibility  is 
in  practice  as  self-contained  in  a  Territory  as  in  a  State.  "^^ 
Unfortunately,  wrote  Bayard,  the  scene  of  the  massacre  was 
"a  rude  commencement  of  a  communit.y  on  the  outposts  of 
civilization  .  .  .,"  where  there  were  few  representatives  of 
formal  recognized  authority.^^  The  Chinese  went  there  vol- 
untarily. There  was  no  representative  of  the  United  States 
Government  or  Territory  of  Wyoming  among  the  assailants ; 
hence,  no  official  insult  or  wrong.  Assailants,  as  well  as 
assailed,  were  aliens ;  so  there  was  nothing  national  in  what 
occurred. 

Bayard  explained  that  no  exceptional  obligation  rested 
upon  the  United  States  toward  Chinamen  through  reciprocity, 
since  Chinese  subjects  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United 
States  at  the  time  had  far  greater  privileges  and  immunities 
than  did  American  citizens  in  China,  particularly  with  refer- 
ence to  the  right  to  "go  and  come  of  their  own  free  will  and 
accord."  Chinese  in  this  country  were  accorded  all  the 
rights,  privileges,  immunities,  and  exemptions  pertaining  to 
citizens  and  subjects  of  the  most  favored  nation.  The  same 
courts  administered  the  same  laws  to   Chinese  subjects   and 


16  House  Reports,  loc.  cit.,  p.  2. 

17  Ibid.,  p.  59  flf. 

18  In  the  Senate  debate  Sherman  of  Ohio  was  not  so  ready  to  admit 
that  Federal  responsibility  was  not  greater  in  a  Territory:  "  Remeniber 
this  was  in  a  Territory  where  the  Government  of  the  United  States  is  the 
only  power,  where  the  .inrisdiction  of  Congress  is  absolute  and  complete." 
Congressional  Record,  Vol.  17,  p.  5111. 


158  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

American  citizens,  except  that  the  Chinese  alien  was  more 
favored  in  that  he  could  select  either  a  State  or  a  Federal 
court,  whereas  a  citizen  in  many  cases  had  no  such  option. 

It  is  not,  Bayard  continued,  the  obligation  of  the  United 
States  Government  to  indemnify  individuals  injured  by  other 
individuals.  Remedies  must  be  sought  in  the  courts.  The 
action  of  the  United  States  in  1850  with  reference  to  an 
attack  on  the  Spanish  consulate  at  New  Orleans  was  no  ex- 
ception. It  was  denied  at  that  time  that  there  was  any  obli- 
gation on  the  part  of  the  United  States.  Moreover  there  was 
a  special  immunity  attached  to  the  Spanish  consular  represen- 
tative. 

Although  Bayard  emphatically  denied  all  liability,  he 
added  that  in  view  of  the  shocking  outrages  and  the  com- 
plete failure  of  the  police  authorities,  generosity  and  pity 
might  induce  the  President  to  recommend  that  Congress  in- 
demnify the  Chinese. 

President  Cleveland  in  a  special  message  March  2,  1886, 
placed  the  question  of  indemnification  before  Congress. ^^ 
The  President  called  attention  particularly  to  the  latter 
part  of  Bayard's  note  where  the  absence  of  provoca- 
tion and  the  failure  of  Wyoming  Territorial  officers 
to  bring  the  guilty  parties  to  justice  were  cited  as  possible 
reasons  for  Government  generosity.  After  this  suggestion 
from  the  President  a  bill  was  introduced  which  authorized 
the  President  to  ascertain  the  damages  and  to  award  an 
aggregate  amount  not  exceeding  $150,000.^° 

The  Senate  Committee  on  Foreign  Relations  unanimously 
recommended  indemnification,  and  it  was  soon  apparent  that 
the  bill  would  become  law.  On  the  whole  Senate  approval 
was  based  on  generosity  and  pity  rather  than  on  a  feeling 
that  there  was  any  legal  liability.  A  few  Senators  objected 
to  payment  when  there  was  no  recognized  liability.  Senator 
Mitchell  of  Oregon  maintained  that  he  would  vote  nothing 
for  the  Chinese  until  Congress  should  pay  at  least  part  of 
tweWe  or  thirteen  million  dollars  due  to  frontiersmen  on  ac- 
count of  losses  suffered  by  Indian  depredations. ^^  He  argued, 
further,  that  indemnification  would  set  a  precedent  which 
would  be  cited  many  times  in  the  future  whenever  one  set 
of  resident  aliens  injured  another  set.  He  asked  those  in 
favor  of  the  bill  whether  a  civil  suit  of  any  kind  had  been 
brought  by  any  Chinese  subject  who  had  suffered  loss  of 
property  at  Rock  Springs.     He  was  told  that  a  private  suit 


19  House  Reports,  loc.  cit.,  pp.  1-3. 

20  Congressional  Record,  Vol.   17,   p.  5184. 

21  Ibid.,  p.  5113. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  159 

would  appear  to  be  hopeless  since  a  year  had  gone  by  with- 
out any  criminal  indictments.^^ 

Senator  Cockrell  of  Missouri  also  objected  to  payment. 
"I  do  not  believe  in  the  principle  of  making  the  people  of 
the  United  States,  the  tax-payers  of  this  country,  responsible 
for  the  class  of  people  that  corporations  and  monopolies  may 
import  into  the  country  to  displace  American  labor,  and  make 
them  responsible  for  the  depredations  they  may  commit  upon 
each  other.  "23  It  was  his  opinion  that  the  Chinamen  who 
went  to  Rock  Springs  as  contract  laborers  knew  that  it  was 
an  exposed  place,  that  the  authority  of  the  United  States 
was  weak  there,  and  that  they  were  going  there  to  displace 
white  laborers.  Despite  such  opposition  from  a  few  Senators 
the  bill  passed  the  Senate  by  a  vote  of  30  to  10,  with  36  Sen- 
ators absent.^^ 

In  the  House  of  Representatives,  as  in  the  Senate,  it 
was  recognized  generally  that  the  Federal  Government  was 
under  no  legal  obligation,  although  Congressman  Rice  insisted 
that  there  was  such  an  obligation  under  international  law.^^ 
Congressman  McKenna  and  Wyoming  Territory's  delegate, 
Joseph  M.  Carey,  questioned  the  appraisal  of  property  dam- 
age. The  assessed  valuation  of  Sweetwater  County  in  1885 
vras  about  two  and  a  half  million  dollars,  of  which  only  $200 
represented  property  belonging  to  Chinese. ^^  Congressman 
Worthington  wanted  to  indemnify  the  Chinese,  but  not  be- 
cause of  any  well  established  principle  of  international  law 
nor  as  a  gratuity.  He  preferred  to  pay  as  a  matter  of  policy, 
in  view  of  the  fact  that  there  were  nearly  a  thousand  Ameri- 
can residents  in  China  and  hundreds  of  thousands  of  American 
dollars  invested  there. ^'^ 

Evident  in  the  debates  in  both  Senate  and  House  was 
the  feeling  that  the  suspension  of  Chinese  immigration  in 
1882  should  be  made  permanent.  Wyoming  Territory's  dele- 
gate, Carey,  outlined  two  possibilities  for  the  future  of  Wyo- 
ming Territory : 

Owing  to  the  building  of  new  railroads,  to  the  inex- 
haustible coal  fields  of  Wyoming  Territory  ten  thousand 
miners  will  within  a  very  short  time  be  required.  If  these 
miners  be  Mongolians,  they  will  add  nothing  to  the  wealth 


22  Ibid.,  p.  5187. 

23  Congressional  Eeeord,  Vol.  17,  p.  5112. 

24  Ibid.,  p.  5235. 

25  Ibid.,  p.  4471. 

26  Ibid.,  pp.  4428  and  4474. 

27  Congressional  Eeeord,  Vol.  17,  p.  4429. 


160  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

of  the  Territory,  but  will  sap  its  very  life,  and  the  mining 
camps  will  consist  only  of  huts.  If  the  miners  employed  be 
white  men,  besides  adding  great  wealth  to  the  Territory  it 
will  bring  forty  to  fifty  thousand  additional  population,  and 
instead  of  villages  of  Chinese  huts,  well-built  towns  will 
spring  up,  in  which  will  live  thrifty  populations. 

Indemnification  of  the  Chinese  sufferers  was  enacted  final- 
ly February  24,  1887.  The  sum  asked  by  the  Chinese  ambas- 
sador, $147,748.74,  was  paid  to  the  Chinese  Government  for 
distribution  among  those  who  lost  property. 

Although  the  Union  Pacific  won  its  battle  to  keep  Chinese 
at  work  and  the  United  States  Government  paid  for  property 
losses,  the  fears  expressed  in  1885,  that  it  was  the  intention 
to  make  a  Chinatown  of  Rock  Springs,  were  not  realized. 
Several  factors  made  it  desirable,  if  not  necessary,  for  the 
company  to  restrict  rather  than  increase  the  employment  of 
Chinese.  In  the  first  place  Congress  had  suspended  immigra- 
tion of  Chinese  in  1882 ;  and  that  temporary  exclusion  was 
later  made  permanent.  In  the  second  place  sentiment  in  the 
Territory  was  against  further  employment  of  Chinese.  An- 
other consideration  that  must  have  influenced  the  company 
was  the  one  outlined  by  Joseph  M.  Carey,  Wyoming's  dele- 
gate in  Congress,  who  has  been  quoted  above.  Chinese  labor- 
ers sent  their  earnings  home  to  their  families.  They  added 
nothing  to  the  wealth  of  the  Territory.  Employment  of 
whites  ofi:'ered  the  best  prospects  for  Wyoming's  future  de- 
velopment and  prosperity — in  which  the  Union  Pacific  would 
share. 

It  was  unfortunate  that  the  Union  Pacific  chose  to  bring 
Chinese  into  the  mines  in  the  first  place.  Much  embarrass- 
ment would  have  been  avoided  for  all  concerned  if  some 
compromise  could  have  been  worked  out  with  the  white 
miners  who  went  out  on  strike  in  1875.  Company  officials, 
however,  were  in  no  mood  to  accept  dictation  from  the  white 
miners.  Nor  were  they  any  more  ready  to  accept  dictation 
from  white  miners,  supported  by  the  Knights  of  Labor  na- 
tional organization,  in  1885.  But  after,  with  army  assistance, 
they  had  put  the  Chinese  back  in  the  mines,  and  had  won 
that  particular  engagement,  they  were  ready  to  take  a  long- 
range  view  and  to  modify  their  policy.  No  more  Chinese 
laborers  were  added.  The  company  officials  recognized,  how- 
ever, a  certain  obligation  to  the  Chinamen  whom  they  had 
brought  in.  These  were  kept  at  work  until  they  died,  or  until 
they  were   returned   to    China  at   company   expense   and   on 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  161 

pensions.      Four    who    reside    in    Canton    are    still    receiving 
pensions  from  the  company.'^^ 

The  gradual  exodus  of  Chinamen  from  Wyoming  is  indi- 
cated by  the  United  States  Census  returns  for  the  Territory 
and  State,  and  for  Sweetwater  and  Uinta  counties  where  most 
of  the  Chinamen  have  been : 

Number  of  Chinese     Number  of  Chinese        Number  of 
Year  in  Whole  Territory 

or  State 

1870  143 

1880  914 

1890  465 

1900  461 

1910  246 

1920  252 

1930  130 

The  Chinese  who  remain  in  the  state  have  gone  into  occu- 
pations other  than  mining.  At  present  the  only  Chinaman 
v/orking  in  the  Union  Pacific  mines  is  the  son  of  an  old 
Chinaman  who  formerly  worked  in  the  mines  but  is  no  longer 
able  to  do  so. 


in  Sweetwater 

Chinese  in 

County 

Uinta  County 

95 

32 

497 

357 

349 

59 

318 

64 

103 

54 

104 

27 

55 

18 

28  Information  regarding  the  retirement  of  Chinese  miners  was 
secured  for  the  authors  by  George  Schmidt  of  the  Rock  Springs  Daily 
Rocket  who   interviewed   company  officials. 


DO  YOU  KNOW  THAT— 

The  tirst  time  Wyoming  presented  an  Exhibit  at  a  World 's 
Fair  was  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition  at  Chicago,  in 
1893?  In  a  publication  comprising  the  Second  Report  of  the 
Wyoming  Historical  Society  at  Cheyenne,  by  Robert  C.  ^lorris. 
Secretary,  in  1900,  a  detailed  account  of  the  displays  under 
various  classifications,  is  given. 

Of  the  31  pages  in  the  booklet,  14  are  devoted  to  a  report 
of  the  Wyoming  exhibit,  for  which  the  sum  of  $30,000.00  was 
appropriated  by  the  State  for  cost  of  constructing  a  Wyoming 
building,  as  well  as  other  expenses. 

Awards  were  made  to  10  exhibitors  under  the  group 
including  minerals,  ores,  native  metals,  gems  and  crystals  and 
geological  specimens,  and  a  total  of  approximately  50  awards 
were  made  under  various  classifications,  including  coal,  coke 
and  petroleum,  building  and  ornamental  stone,  agriculture 
and  ''Photographs  of  topographical  and  geographical  features, 
from  Sundance  west,"  being  a  set  of  150  pictures  by  Wm. 
H.  Jackson.  A  collection  of  these  pictures  is  now  on  display  in 
the  Wyoming  State  Museum,  Cheyenne. 


162  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

ACCESSIONS 

January  1,  1940,  to  March  31,  1940 

MUSEUM 

Miscellaneous  Gifts 

Guild,  Charles  F.,  Piedmont,  Wyoming — Buffalo  skull,  found  by  donor  on 
his  ranch,  in  December,  1939. 

Blackman,  Eev.  John  C,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — A  carbon  single  filament 
electric  light  bulb  and  fluted  glass  fixture  from  the  First  Congre- 
gational Church,  Cheyenne,  built  in  1883 ;  oldest  church  building  in 
Cheyenne. 

Logan,  E.  A.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — Cartridge  used  in  old  Spencer  rifle. 

Lawson,  Samuel  A.,  410  East  Twenty-fourth  St.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — 
Candle  holder  made  by  donor  in  1885,  Avhile  a  brakeman  on  a  Union 
Pacific   passenger  train. 

Guild,  Lorin,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — -Two  old  hand-made  nails  from  Fort 
Laramie. 

Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron  Corporation,  Sunrise,  Wyoming — Two  specimens 
of  iron  ore,  locally  called  steel  ore  or  specular  hematite;  and  one 
specimen  copper  ore,  containing  minerals,  asurite,  cuprite  and 
malachite. 

Pictures — Gifts 

Heath,  Mrs.  Laura  C.  Huntington,  Eawlins,  Wyoming — Photograph  of 
her  sister,  Mrs.  Gertrude  H.  Merrill,  whose  husband  was  Judge 
Homer  Merrill.  The  two  sisters  purchased  and  published  the 
Platte  Valley  Lyre  from  1889  to  1898,  when  Laura  married  Alfred 
Heath,   of   Saratoga,   Wyoming,   and  the   newspaper   was   sold. 

Erwin,  Mrs.  Marie  H.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — Forty-six  photographs  of 
historical  subjects,  including  old  Fort  Laramie,  early  days  in  Doug- 
las, Wyoming,  State  Fair  parades,  etc. 

Montgomery,  John,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — Twenty-six  photographs  of 
historical  subjects,  including  scenes  at  Fort  Bridger,  Fort  Laramie 
and  Register  Eock,  Guernsey,  and  the  following  pioneers:  Dr. 
June  Etta  Downey,  Dean  Earl  D.  Hay,  Justice  F.  Soule,  Dr.  Aven 
Nelson,  Edward  Ivinson,  Otto  Gramm,  A.  E.  Bowman  and  Judge 
V.  J.  Tidball. 

Lawson,  Samuel  A.,  410  East  Twenty-fourth  St.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — 
Framed  photograph  of  donor,  with  pair  of  antlers,  taken  in  1886. 
Size,  13"xl7";  tinted. 

Pamphlets — Gifts 

Erwin,  Mrs.  Marie  H.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — Five  booklets  of  Oregon 
Trail   Memorial   Association. 

The  Wyoming  Tribune  and  the  Wyoming  Eagle,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — 
Five  copies  of  1940  Classified  Business  and  Professional  Directory, 
in  booklet  form. 

Adamsky,  Mrs.  E.  S.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — Booklet,  report  of  Cheyenne 
Board  of  Trade,  July,  1887,  compiled  by  Eobert  C.  Morris;  and 
booklet.  Constitution  and  By-Laws  of  T.  C.  Durant  Steam  Fire 
Engine  Company  No.  1  of  the  City  of  Cheyenne,  Wvoming  Territory, 
1887. 

King,  Norman  D.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — Forty-five  copies  of  "America's 
Historical  Opportunity, ' '  by  Oregon  Trail  Memorial  Association. 
27-Pg.  booklet;    illustrated;    1937. 


\NNALS  of  WYOMING 


'01.12 


July,  1940 


No. 


A  HISTORICAL  MAGAZINE 


THE   FIRST  FRONTIER  COMMITTEE— 1897 
;l  t  to  right  in  carriages:  Warren  Richardson,  chairman;  J,  A-  Martin,  Granville  R.  Palmer, 
J.  L.  Murray,  D.  H.  Holliday,  E.  W.  Stone,  Clarence  B.  Richaxdson  and  E.  A.  Slack 


Published  Quarterly 

by 
The  Wyoming  Historical  Department 

Cheyenne,  Wyoming 


\NNALS  of  WYOMING 

^ol.  12  July,  1940  No.  3 


Contents 

Page 
A  MEMORIAL  TO  THE  MEMBERS  OF  THE  CONSTITUTIONAL 

CONVENTION  OF  WYOMING 165 

MISS  LOUISE  S.  SMITH,  OFFICIAL  STENOGRAPHER  OF  THE 

CONSTITUTIONAL    CONVENTION 189 

REMINISCENCES  OF  A  MEMBER  OF  THE  CONSTITUTIONAL 

CONVENTION 190 

By  William  E.  Chaplin 

HISTORY  OF  CHEYENNE  FRONTIER.  DAYS 199 

By  Robert  D.  Hanesworth 

GOVERNORS  OF  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING,  Article  IV 213 

By  Harry  B.  Henderson,  Sr. 

THE  WEST  (Poem) 219 

By  E.  A.  Brininstool 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  UPPER  CLARK'S  FORK  OF  THE 
YELLOWSTONE   AND   ITS   TRIBUTARIES   WITHIN    THE 

STATE  OF  WYOMING  221 

By  J.  K.  RoUinson 

JAMES  BRIDGER  'S  CLAIMS 228 

By  Victor  H.  Cohen 

HISTORY  OF  WYOMING  WRITTEN  BY  C.  G.  COUTANT,  PIO- 
NEER HISTORIAN,  AND  HERETOFORE  UNPUBLISHED, 
Chapters  6  and  7 240 

NEIGHBORING  STATE  ASKS  QUESTIONS  ON  SUFFRAGE 244 

NEW  BOOK  DISCLOSES  ARRAY  OF  WYOMING  WRITERS 245 

ACCESSIONS  TO  THE  HISTORICAL  DEPARTMENT  AND  STATE    " 

MUSEUM   (Listed)   246 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

FIRST  FRONTIER  DAYS'  COMMITTEE (Front  Cover) 

CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTION  DELEGATES 168, 174,  180 

MISS  LOUISE   S.   SMITH 189 

FOUR  WYOMING  STATE  GOVERNORS 212 

MAP— SHOWING  UPPER  CLARK'S  FORK  OF  THE  YELLOW- 
STONE RIVER,  ETC 220 

DEAD  INDIAN  HILL  ROAD  TO  SUNLIGHT  VALLEY 223 

Published  Quarterly 

by 

THE     WYOMING     HISTORICAL     DEPART:MENT 

GLADYS  F.  RILEY 

State  Librarian  and  Ex-Offieio  State  Historian 

Cheyenne,  Wyoming 


STATE  HISTORICAL  BOARD 


Governor Nels   H.   Smith 

Secretary  of   State .       Lester   C.   Hunt 

State  Treasurer      .......       Mart  T.  Christensen 

State  Auditor .       Wm.  "Sfiotty"  Jack 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction       .       Esther  L.  Anderson 
State  Librarian  and  Ex-Officio  Historian       .       Gladys  F.  Riley 


Inez  Babb   Taylor,   Assistant   Historian 


The  State  Historical  Board,  the  State  Advisory  Committee  and  the 
State  Historical  Department  assume  no  responsibility  for  any  statement 
of  fact  or  opinion  expressed  by  contributors  to  the  Annals  of  Wyoming. 


The  Wyoming  State  Historical  Department  invites  the  presentation 
of  museum  items,  letters,  diaries,  family  histories  and  manuscripts  of 
Wyoming  citizens.  It  welcomes  the  writings  and  observations  of  those 
familiar  with  important  and  significant  events  in  the  history  of  the  State. 

In  all  ways  the  Department  strives  to  present  to  the  people  of  Wyo- 
ming and  the  Nation  a  true  picture  of  the  State's  past.  The  ANNALS 
OF  WYOMING  is  one  medium  through  which  the  Department  seeks  to 
gain  this  objective.  All  communications  concerning  the  Annals  should 
be  addressed  to  Mrs.  Gladys  F.  Eiley,  Wyoming  Historical  Department, 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 


The  Annals  of  Wyoming  are  sent  free  of  charge  to  all  State  Offi- 
cials, heads  of  State  Departments,  members  of  the  State  Historical 
Advisory  Committee,  Wyoming  County  Libraries  and  Wyoming  news- 
papers. It  is  published  in  January,  April,  July  and  October.  Subscrip- 
tion price,  $1.00  per  year;  single  copies,  35c. 


Copyright,  1940,  by  the  Wyoming  Historical  Department. 


A  Memorial  to  the  Members  of 
The  Constitutional  Convention  of  Wyoming 


111  the  Capitol  at  Cheyenne  on  September  2,  1889,  gathered 
the  most  outstanding  body  of  men  ever  assembled  in  the 
history  of  Wyoming.  Fifty-five  delegates  had  been  elected 
from  the  ten  territorial  counties  then  existent,  and  they  came 
together  for  the  momentous  task  of  framing  the  Constitution 
of  the  proposed  new  State.  The  group  convened  in  the  Su- 
preme Court  room,  referred  to  during  the  sessions  as  "Con- 
stitutional Hall,"  and  the  deliberations  continued  throughout 
twenty-five  days,  to  September  30. 

It  was  a  crucial  period,  but  that  assemblage  was  nobly 
equal  to  the  occasion,  and  in  this  Golden  Anniversary  Year 
of  Wyoming  Statehood,  1940,  that  historical  document  is  still 
recognized  as  a  masterly  instrument  in  its  "clarity,  brevity 
and  composition;"  its  provision,  granting  to  women  the 
rights  of  suffrage  on  the  same  basis  as  those  accorded  to  men, 
was  the  first  time  in  history  that  such  a  clause  had  been  writ- 
ten into  the  Constitution  of  a  State.  The  document  is  a  lasting 
monument  to  those  who  had  even  a  small  part  in  its  evolve- 
ment  and  adoption.  Were  all  those  delegates  living  today, 
they  validly  could  look  across  the  half-century  span  in  retro- 
spect  and  declare  with  the  Honorable   William  E.   Chaplin, 


EDITOE'S  NOTE:  In  presenting  these  biographical  sketches  as  a 
memorial  to  the  men  who  planned  and  perpetuated  the  text  of  the 
Constitution  of  Wonderful  Wyoming,  due  acknowledgment  is  made  of 
the  gracious  cooperation  of  pioneer  citizens  in  the  capital  city,  from 
over  the  State  and  from  more  distant  points.  All  obligingly  responded 
to  inquiries  of  the  Wyoming  Historical  Department  by  providing  such 
information   as  was   within  their  knowledge. 

Special  recognition  for  assistance  is  due  the  three  living  persons 
actively  connected  with  the  1889  Convention,  namely,  two  delegates, 
Honorable  William  E.  Chaplin,  from  Albany  County,  now  a  resident 
of  Van  Nuys,  California,  and  Judge  Henrj'  S.  Elliott  from  Johnson 
County,  now  of  Seattle,  Washington,  together  with  the  official  stenog- 
rapher of   the   Convention,  Miss  Louise   S.   Smith,   of   Cheyenne. 

Mr.  Chaplin  contributed  the  comprehensive  article  entitled  *  *  Eemi- 
niscences  of  a  Member  of  the  Wyoming  Constitutional  Convention, ' ' 
which  appears  in  this  issue  of  the  Annals,  and  Judge  Elliott,  not- 
withstanding frail  health,  responded  promptly  to  the  inquiries  of  this 
Department. 


166  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

"*  *  *  it  was  my  opinion  at  the  time  I  signed  the  Constitution 
of  Wyoming  that  the  Convention  had  performed  well.  1 
think  so  yet." 

The  lives  and  activities  of  these  representative  men  form 
an  impressive  skyline  across  Wyoming's  background,  in  which 
the  tall  spires  of  their  superior  intellect,  keen  perception, 
unqualified  integrity  and  high  ideals  outline  a  superb  lesson 
in  exemplary  citizenship.  It  is  impossible  to  honor  them  too 
greatly — masterful  men,  from  the  East,  South  and  Middle 
West — broadly  informed,  and  for  the  most  part  educated 
and  specifically  trained  in  various  lines.  Several  were  former 
or  later  Governors  of  the  Territory  or  State.  A  number  were 
Confederate  and  Union  Veterans  of  the  Civil  War,  thoroughly 
accustomed  to  dangers  and  hardships,  and  approximately 
one-third  were  lawyers.  Others  were  exceptionally  Avell  drilled 
in  the  valuable  school  of  practical  business  experience.  Almost 
fifty  per  cent  held  high  degrees  in  the  Masonic  Order,  a 
fraternal  organization,  of  which  its  precepts  for  right  and 
justice  are  universally  known. 

One  and  all,  they  had  arrived  in  this  rough  and  sparsely 
inhabited  Territory  on  various  missions — some  by  appoint- 
ment from  the  United  States  Government  —  and  all  were 
aggressive,  resourceful  and  versatile,  of  the  type  best  suited 
to  plan  the  procedure  and  direct  the  formation  of  an  embryo 
commonwealth. 

Destiny,  in  her  benign  way,  bestowed  a  signal  honor  upon 
this  royal  regiment  of  brilliant  citizens,  out  of  whose  delibera- 
tions emerged  that  historic  document. 


Miss  Smith  personally  gathered  data  and  furnished  to  the  Historical 
Department  the  biographical  "copy''  on  the  majority  of  the  Laramie 
County  members,  and  gave  valuable  assistance  in  locating  and  identi- 
fying old  photographs  for  reproduction  in   connection  with  this  article. 

Besides  this  cooperation  from  various  individuals,  the  jaages  of 
the  accepted  histories  of  Wyoming  were  consulted,  as  well  as  the 
old   newspaper    files    and    the   printed   word   from    miscellaneous    sources. 

But  it  is  extremely  difficult,  and  in  many  instances  practically 
impossible,  to  reach  back  across  the  years  and  grasp  a  set  of  facts 
concerning  personalities  of  such  distant  days  with  certainty  that  all 
those  purported  facts  are  accurate.  The  recordings  of  historians  are 
sometimes  at  variance,  and  truth  is  elusive.  Misinformation  frequently 
is  inadvertantly  given  to  the  inquirer  due  to  the  uncertainty  of  mem- 
ory, and  thus  errors  find  their  way  into  print.  Therefore,  while  this 
explanation  is  not  to  be  construed  as  an  alibi  for  any  inaccuracies,  it 
is  designed  to  present  some  of  the  handicaps  faced  by  writers  on 
historical  matter. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  167 

Albany  County* 

Melville  C.  Brown,  President  of  the  Constitutional  Con- 
vention, was  born  on  a  farm  near  Augusta,  Maine,  on  August 
16,  1838,  and  died  at  Laramie,  Wyoming,  on  April  10,   1918. 

He  migrated  to  California  when  only  18  years  old,  and 
engaged  in  business,  studied  law,  ventured  into  politics  and 
mining,  and  in  that  state  and  also  Idaho,  he  developed  an 
aggressiveness  and  leadership,  which  marked  his  active  life 
as  a  prominent  lawyer  and  citizen  of  Wyoming,  where  he  was 
known  as  "the  dean  of  the  Wyoming  bar." 

He  came  to  Wyoming  from  Idaho  where  he  held  important 
mining  interests  which  he  disposed  of,  settled  at  Cheyenne 
in  October,  1867,  began  the  practice  of  law,  but  moved  to 
Laramie  City  on  May  1,  1868,  nine  days  before  arrival 
of  the  first  Union  Pacific  train.  Almost  immediately  he  was 
elected  first  mayor  of  that  new  rough-and-ready  town,  but 
"resigned  in  disgust"  three  weeks  later,  though  in  after 
years  he  served  as  Laramie's  mayor  for  a  two-year  term. 

Judge  Brown  was  a  member  of  the  second  Territorial 
Legislature,  served  five  years  as  U.  S.  Judge  of  the  District 
of  Alaska  under  appointment  in  1890  by  President  William 
McKinley. 

Of  him,  one  of  his  contemporaries  has  written:  "The 
record  of  no  man  in  public  life  in  Wyoming  has  been  more 
faultless  in  honor,  fearless  in  conduct  or  stainless  in  reputa- 
tion than  that  of  Judge  Melville  C.  Brown.  *  *  *" 

WiLLLVM  E.  Chaplin  was  born  on  February  25,  1860,  at 
Omaha,  Nebraska,  and  is  one  of  the  two  living  members  of  the 
Wyoming  Constitutional  Convention. 

In  1873,  he  came  from  Omaha  to  Laramie  City,  where  he 
was  apprenticed  to  Colonel  E.  A.  Slack  on  the  Laramie  Daily 
Independent,  to  learn  the  printer's  trade. 

In  1881  he  became  the  first  foreman  on  "The  Boomerang," 
newly  established  by  the  famed  humorist.  Bill  Nye,  whose 
real  name  was  Edgar  Wilson  Nye.  Mr.  Chaplin  obtained  an 
interest  in  that  newspaper,  and  in  1890,  he  and  an  associate 
founded  the  Laramie  Republican,  of  which  the  former  was 
its  editor  until  1920. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  City  Council  of  Laramie  from 
1885  to  1889,   mayor  in   1894,   registrar  of  the  Public  Land 


*Eight  Constitutional  delegates  were  elected  from  Albany  County, 
including  Colonel  Stephen  W.  Downej'  and  John  McGill  whose  names 
do  not  appear  on  the  list  of  signers  of  the   Constitution. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  169 

Ofifice  at  Cheyenne  from  1898  to  1915,  and  secretary  of  state 
from  1919  to  1923.     In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Chaplin,  during  his  career  as  a  newspaper  publisher 
and  writer,  spread  the  story  of  Wyoming  far  and  wide,  as 
well  as  directed  the  public  mind  of  the  State  into  constructive 
channels,  and  thereby  nurtured  Wyoming's  groAvth  and  devel- 
opment. Though  now  advanced  in  years,  and  living  in  another 
State,  his  loyalty  to  and  interest  in  Wyoming  remain  un- 
changed, as  evidenced  by  an  excellent  guest  editorial  which 
appeared  in  the  Laramie  Republican-Boomerang,  Laramie 
Wyoming,  issue  of  June  7,  1940,  entitled  "Wonderful  Wyo- 
ming— Land  of  Opportunity."  Reminiscent  of  personalities 
who  started  from  "scratch,"  and  are  noted  for  outstanding 
accomplishments  in  Wyoming,  Mr.  Chaplin  observes  that 
"The  record  of  the  past  is  proof  of  what  may  be  accom- 
plished by  the  young  men  and  young  women  of  today." 

Since  retiring  from  active  business  life  Mr.  Chaplin  has 
made  his  home  in  California,  he  and  Mrs.  Chaplin  spending 
their  vacations  every  year  at  their  summer  home  above  Cen- 
tennial. Mr.  Chaplin,  who  is  80  years  old,  drove  across  country 
for  the  36th  time  on  a  trip  from  their  present  home  at  Van 
Nuys,  .California,  to  Wyoming,  in  June,  1940,  where  at  the 
University  of  Wyoming  in  Laramie,  Mr.  Chaplin  received  the 
honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Law. 

This  veteran  citizen  of  Wyoming  is  a  living  source  of 
detailed  information  concerning  that  momentous  event,  the 
Constitutional  Convention,  and  continuously  is  besieged  by 
avid  seekers  for  first-hand  information  on  the  Convention 
procedure  and  its  various  ramifications  as  they  developed 
from  day  to  day. 

Stephen  Wheeler  Downey  was  born  in  Westport,  Mary- 
land, on  July  25,  1839.  On  October  31,  1861,  he  enlisted  as 
a  private  in  the  Civil  War,  followed  by  quick  promotions,  so 
that  by  the  time  he  was  23,  he  was  made  a  colonel,  September 
8,  1862.  Obliged  to  resign  from  the  Army  because  of  severity 
of  wounds,  he  was  honorably  discharged  November  6,  1862. 

Colonel  Downey  then  prepared  himself  for  the  legal 
profession,  moved  to  the  Territory  of  Wyoming  in  1869  and 
began  his  practice  in  Laramie.  He  was  the  first  prosecuting 
attorney  of  Albany  county,  in  1869  and  1870,  during  the 
functioning  of  the  first  woman  jury;  elected  as  a  member  of 
the  Territorial  Council  in  1871.  1875  and  1877;  served  as 
Territorial  Treasurer,  1872-1875;  Auditor.  1877-1879;  elected 
on  the  Republican  ticket  to  the  Forty-sixth  Congress  (March 
4,  1879-March  3,  1881)  ;  declined  to  be  a  candidate  for  renomi- 


170  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

nation  as  he  preferred  to  "devote  his  time  to  the  development 
of  the  resources  of  Wyoming. ' '  Was  elected  as  a  member 
of  the  Territorial  House  of  Representatives  in  1866,  and  again 
in  1890 ;  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  University 
of  Wyoming,  Laramie,  1891-1897 ;  member  of  the  State  House 
of  Representatives  in  1893  and  1895,  serving  as  speaker  the 
latter  year;  was  again  prosecuting  attorney  for  Albanj^  county 
from  1899  until  his  death,  August  3,  1902. 

He  drafted  the  bill  creating  the  University  of  Wyoming 
and  throughout  his  lifetime  was  imbued  with  an  undying 
faith  in  the  existence  of  great  mineral  treasures  in  the  State. 

Because  of  the  illness  of  his  father.  Colonel  Downey  left 
the  Convention  after  the  first  few  sessions  and  was  not 
present  for  signing  the  Constitution.  The  procedure,  as  re- 
corded in  the  "Journals  and  Debates,"  indicates  his  active 
participation  in  the  sessions  during  the  first  two  days. 

George  W.  Fox,  born  on  August  18,  1838,  in  Preble 
County,  Ohio,  was  reared  as  a  farmer.  Served  in  the  171st 
Regiment  of  Ohio  Volunteers  during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion, 
and  came  west  to  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  in  the  fall  of  1865. 
In  the  spring  of  1866  he  crossed  the  plains  to  Montana  with 
an  emigrant  train,  by  way  of  Fort  Laramie  and  the  Big  Horn, 
fighting  his  way  through  the  hostile  Indian  country.  In 
Montana  he  engaged  in  mining  until  the  fall  of  1868  when 
he  came  to  Wyoming,  arriving  at  Laramie  City  on  October 
16,  "two  days  before  the  vigilance  committee  made  their 
descent  upon  the  Boston  Saloon."  He  operated  a  wholesale 
and  retail  meat  and  vegetable  market,  and  was  one  of  the 
leading  merchants  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Fox  was  chairman  of  the  first  board  of  trustees  of 
the  town ;  in  1874  was  elected  County  Clerk ;  re-elected  ; 
member  of  the  lower  house  in  the  Third  Legislature,  being 
elected  in  1894,  and  in  1896  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate 
for  four  years. 

Of  him,  one  of  the  early  historians  has  said,  "He  was  by 
nature  a  pioneer  and  having  faith  in  the  country  and  in  the 
people,  he  was  enabled  to  bear  a  conspicuous  part  in  thf> 
upbuilding  of  all  the  interests  in  Albany  County,"  and  o£ 
his  part  in  the  Constitutional  Convention,  that  "he  served 
with  distinction." 

Mortimer  N.  Grant  was  born  at  Lexington,  Missouri,  on 
March  2,  1851. 

Upon  his  arrival  in  Wyoming  in  1869  he  accepted  a 
position  with  a  surveying  party,  and  in  the  fall  took  a  con- 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  171 

tract  for  surveying  on  his  own  account,  and  did  some  of  the 
most  important  work  in  this  regard  ever  performed  in  the 
State.  The  township  in  which  Rawlins  is  located,  also  the 
townships  of  Rock  Springs,  Green  River  and  Evanston,  were 
surveyed  by  him,  the  work  being  completed  in  1872. 

Beginning  with  1876  Mr.  Grrant  was  actively  interested 
in  mining  in  this  State,  including  the  Keystone  Mine  on 
Douglas  creek.  Later  he  spent  some  time  in  New  Mexico 
and  Arizona,  returning  to  Laramie  in  1885  and  accepted 
appointment  as  Auditor  of  th,e  Territory,  which  he  held  until 
after  the  first  election  in  1890.  In  1894  he  was  elected  Sheriff 
of  Albany  County,  and  served  as  president  of  the  Mining 
and  Stock  Exchange  upon  its  organization.  He  was  one  of 
the  original  and  largest  owners  of  the  Douglas  Consolidated 
Placer  Mines,  Albany  County,  which  property  he  sold  for 
the  Company  in  January,   1897. 

Mr.  Grant  was  a  pioneer  who  performed  excellent  service 
to  his  community  and  State. 

John  W.  Hoyt,  M.  D.,  LL.D.,  was  born  on  October  11,  1831, 
near  Worthington,  Ohio,  and  died  on  May  23,  1912,  in  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  at  the  age  of  82,  having  passed  his  later  years 
in   literary  work. 

The  third  Territorial  Governor  of  "Wyoming,  1879-1882, 
Dr.  Iloyt  has  been  pointed  out  as  the  first  of  early  Governors 
serving  the  Territory  who  remained  to  continue  activities  in 
its  behalf  after  his  original  mission  was  ended.  He  accepted 
appointment  from  President  Grant  to  the  governorship  of 
this  raw  and  undeveloped  western  region,  though  he  had 
declined  a  post  as  minister  to  Spain,  and  has  been  referred 
to  as  "one  of  the  most  remarkable  men  ever  sent  to  Wyo- 
ming." During  his  term  of  office  the  Territory's  population 
increased  100  per  cent. 

He  was  the  first  president  of  the  University  of  Wyoming, 
from  1887  to  1890.  Upon  failure  of  re-election,  he  removed 
to  Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life  in  authorship  and  in  fostering  his  favorite  project,  a 
National  LTniversity.  "Wyoming  owes  much  to  Governor 
Hoyt's  initiative  and  his  promotional  Avork  in  education  and 
the  arts,  as  well  as  in  the  development  of  the  Territory's 
resources."  Hoyt  Hall  at  the  University,  Laramie,  was  named 
in  his  honor. 

He  traveled  the  State  extensively,  studying  its  resources 
and    possibilities,    and    he    is    credited    with    having    located 


172  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Togwotee  Pass  and  the  Shoshone  River  routes  into  the  Yellow- 
stone Park. 

His  impressive  oratory  and  vivid  writings  wielded  an 
influence  of  great  worth  to  the  State. 

John  McGill  was  bom  on  July  16,  1846,  at  Lennoxshire, 
Scotland,  and  when  20  years  of  age  he  crossed  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  to  Canada  where  he  found  employment.  In  May,  1868, 
he  came  to  Wyoming. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  last  Territorial  Council  and  the 
first  State  Senate,  representing  his  district  for  sir  terms,  and 
serving  as  its  president  for  one  term.  He  was  Laramie 
County  Commissioner  for  12  years. 

During  about  ten  of  the  earlier  years  in  Wyoming  he  was 
employed  by  Sprague,  Davis  and  Company,  manufacturers 
of  ties  for  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  after  which 
he  established  a  ranch  on  the  Big  Laramie,  directed  his  efforts 
to  cattle  and  sheepraising,  and  when  he  sold  out  in  1915,  had 
become  one  of  the  leading  cattlemen  of  his  section  of  the 
state.  The  years  brought  further  prosperity,  and  upon  retire- 
ment from  stockraising,  Mr.  McGill  moved  to  Laramie  where 
he  was  a  director  of  the  Albany  County  National  Bank. 

One  historian  has  said  of  him,  "He  not  only  wrought 
for  himself,  but  he  labored  for  the  benefit  of  others  and  left 
his  impress  for  good  upon  the  annals  of  his  commonwealth." 

Mr.  McGill  died  on  March  15,  1918,  at  Denver,  Colorado, 
while  undergoing  a  surgical  operation. 

Alexander  Sutherland  was  born  in  October,  1861,  in  the 
Dominion  of  Canada.  He  came  to  the  United  States  with  his 
parents  when  he  was  nine  years  old,  and  lived  in  Chicago 
until  1873  when  the  family  moved  to  North  Platte,  Nebraska. 

He  came  to  Wyoming  in  1880,  and  for  several  years  was 
employed  in  riding  the  range  in  Johnson  County.  In  1893, 
he  removed  to  the  Big  Horn  Basin  and  settled  on  Tensleep 
River  where  he  engaged  in  raising  stock  and  farming  on  an 
efficient  basis. 

He  served  as  a  member  of  the  Tenth  Legislative  assembly 
in   1909. 

Mr.  Sutherland  was  considered  as  "one  of  the  progressive 
and  energetic  men  of  the  county,  whose  impress  was  made  in 
enduring  lines  on  the  minds  of  his  fellow  citizens  and  the 
local  institutions  of  his  county  *  *  *"  and  recognized  as  a 
leading  factor  in  the  commercial  life  of  his  community. 


ANNALS  or  WYOMING  173 

Fremont  County* 

Major  Noyes  Baldwin  was  born  on  September  8,  1826,  at 
Woodbridge,  Connecticut,  and  died  at  Lander,  Wyoming  on 
January  12,  1893. 

At  the  time  of  his  marriage  to  Miss  Josephine  Wright,  in 
San  Francisco,  California,  on  September  5,  1854,  he  was  engaged 
in  the  contracting  and  building  business,  having  traveled  around 
Cape  Horn  to  the  West  Coast.  Unlike  most  early  newcomers 
to  Wyoming,  he  entered  the  territory  from  the  west. 

After  a  voyage  in  1854  to  Peru,  in  an  unsuccessful  attempt 
to  recover  a  fortune  in  gold  bullion  from  a  sunken  vessel  off  the 
coast,  and  in  the  fall  of  1859,  he  was  attracted  to  Nevada  by 
gold  excitement  and  located  at  Gold  Hill.  On  July  3,  1860,  his 
wife  and  family  arrived  by  stage,  and  on  that  day  a  son,  Melville 
N.,  was  born.  , 

Mr.  Baldwin,  in  1863,  organized  the  First  Nevada  Cavalry 
of  100  men,  and  accompanied  by  his  family,  took  station  as 
Captain  at  Fort  Churchill,  near  Carson  City,  Nevada.  In  1864 
he  received  the  rank  of  Major  and  was  transferred  to  Fort 
Douglas,  Utah ;  the  following  year  he  was  assigned  to  command 
at  Fort  Bridger,  and  was  mustered  out  of  service  in  1866. 

The  same  year  he  obtained  a  government  license  to  trade 
with  the  Shoshone  Indians  and  located  at  the  mouth  of  the  Popo 
Agie  River,  but  abandoned  the  enterprise  in  the  spring  of  1867. 
The  following  year  he  established  a  store  at  South  Pass  and 
opened  trade  with  the  Indians  in  the  Lander  Valley,  on  Baldwin 
Creek. 

Nine  days  after  their  son,  George  L.,  was  born  on  May  4, 
1869,  (said  to  be  the  first  white  child  born  in  the  Lander  Valley) 
Major  Baldwin  was  obliged  to  remove  his  family  and  property 
to  South  Pass,  because  of  danger  from  the  Indians.  A  few 
months  later  when  Camp  Stambaugh  was  established,  Major 
Baldwin  was  appointed  first  post  trader,  and  here  the  family 
remained  until  the  post's  abandonment  in  1878,  after  which  they 
removed  to  Lander,  erected  a  store  and  residence  and  continued 
to  reside. 

There  were  seven  daughters  and  two  sons  born  to  jMajor 
and  Mrs.  Noyes,  and  numerous  relatives  are  still  living  in  the 
State. 

C.  G.  Coutant,  the  Historian,  says  of  this  member  of  the 
Constitutional  Convention,  ''There  are  few  men  who  came  to 
Wyoming  as  early  as  he  did  and  made  it  their  permanent  resi- 


*Three  Constitutional  delegates  were  elected  from  Fremont  county, 
including  Major  Noyes  Baldwin,  whose  name  does  not  appear  on  the  list 
of  signers  of  the  Constitution. 


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ANNALS  or  WYOMING  175 

dence.  *  *  *  Before  he  came  to  Wyoming  he  had  seen  mnch 
of  the  world,  had  large  experience  in  business  as  well  as  in  mili- 
tary affairs,  and  all  this  contributed  toward  making  him  the 
valuable  citizen  he  proved  himself  to  be  in  the  frontier  days  of 
the  territory." 

Herman  G.  Nickebson  was  born  on  May  4,  1841,  at  Litch- 
field, Ohio,  and  died  on  October  24,  1927,  at  Lander,  Wyoming, 
at  the  age  of  86,  having  spent  59  years  in  that  section. 

Enlisting  with  Company  D,  Twenty-third  Regiment  of 
Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  1861,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
War,  Mr.  Nickerson  was  transferred  to  the  168th  Infantry  and 
made  Captain  of  Company  I. 

Because  of  ill  health  after  the  War  he  was  forced  to  forego 
his  law  studies,  and  in  1866  came  West  to  the  new  gold  fields 
in  Montana  through  Wyoming  over  the  Bozeman  Trail  with  ox 
teams,  at  the  height  of  Indian  hostilities.  Two  years  later  he 
returned  to  this  area  and  settled  at  South  Pass  where  he  devoted 
his  interests  to  mining  activities  for  eighteen  years  and  took 
prominent  part  in  the  life  of  the  community. 

He  was  the  Republican  candidate  for  the  first  Territorial 
Legislature,  from  whom  Esther  Morris  at  her  famed  "tea  party" 
exacted  a  promise  to  introduce  a  bill  giving  to  women  the  same 
rights  of  franchise  as  those  accorded  to  men,  and  also  to  work 
for  its  passage.  Mr.  Nickerson  was  defeated  by  his  Democratic 
opponent.  Colonel  W.  H.  Bright,  from  whom  Mrs.  ]\Iorris  had 
received  a  similar  promise,  and  which  was  fulfilled,  with  the 
framing  and  presenting  of  the  renowned  document  known  as  the 
"Female  Suffrage  Bill." 

Captain  Nickerson  was  elected  to  the  next  session  of  the 
legislature,  in  1871,  and  again  in  1884  when  through  his  efforts 
the  county  of  Fremont  was  created  out  of  Sweetwater  county. 
He  also  served  as  treasurer  of  Fremont  County,  and  probate 
judge  from  1884-1887,  as  well  as  receiver  of  the  LTnited  States 
Land  Office  at  Lander,  Wyoming,  to  which  he  was  appointed  in 
1892  and  served  until  the  following  year  when  he  accepted  ap- 
pointment as  Indian  Agent  on  the  Shoshoni  reservation.  He  held 
the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  for  twenty  years. 

He  was  the  first  superintendent  of  schools  of  Sweetwater 
county  and  was  chairman  of  the  first  board  of  county  commis- 
sioners of  Fremont  County. 

At  Elyria,  Ohio,  on  April  12,  1874,  Mr.  Nickerson  was 
married  to  Harriet  J.  Kelsey,  and  brought  his  school-teacher- 
bride  to  South  Pass.  Mrs.  Nickerson  taught  the  first  pub'ic 
school  in  Lander  and  shared  lier  husband's  interest  in  civic  and 
social  affairs,  in  which  she  also  was  a  leader. 


]76  ANNALS  OP  WYOMING 

Broad  in  his  precepts  and  generous  with  his  unusual  talents 
of  leadership,  this  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention 
contributed  largely  to  development  of  the  resources  of  the  Terri- 
tory and  State,  as  well  as  to  its  civic,  cultural  and  industrial 
progress. 

Douglas  A.  Preston,  born  on  December  19,  1858,  at  Olney, 
Illinois,  arrived  in  Wyoming  in  about  1887  and  settled  first  at 
Cheyenne,  where  he  served  as  a  clerk  in  the  office  of  the  Wyo- 
ming Attorney  General.  Later  in  the  year  he  associated  himself 
with  John  R.  Dixon  and  established  a  law  office  in  Rawlins, 
Wyoming. 

In  1888  he  moved  to  Lander  where  he  continued  his  law 
practice  until  1895  when  he  moved  to  Rock  Springs,  Wyoming, 
and  followed  his  profession  until  1912,  specializing  in  criminal 
practice. 

Before  coming  to  Wyoming,  Mr.  Preston  was  prosecuting 
attorney  for  Richland  County,  Illinois,  from  1880  to  1884. 

A  member  of  the  AVyoming  House  of  Representatives  from 
1903  to  1905,  he  was  appointed  as  attorney  general  for  Wyo- 
ming by  Governor  Carey  in  1911,  and  was  re-appointed  to  that 
office  by  Governor  John  B.  Kendrick  in  1919,  for  another  four- 
year  term. 

Though  an  active  Democrat  in  politics,  he  supported  Joseph 
M.  Care}^,  Progressive  Republican,  for  Governor  in  1910. 

Mr.  Preston  was  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  Protective 
Order  of  Elks. 

His  death  in  October,  1925,  was  the  result  of  an  automobile 
accident. 

The  recorded  activities  of  Mr.  Preston  indicate  that  he  was 
a  citizen  of  splendid  character  and  capabilities,  and  the  records 
of  the  Constitutional  Convention  show  that  he  took  his  share  of 
responsibility  in  the  deliberations  of  that  body. 


Johnson  County* 

Charles  H.  Burritt,  born  at  Manchester  Depot,  Vermont, 
on  February  15,  1854,  was  educated  at  Brown  University, 
Rhode  Island,  and  the  Detroit  Law  School.  At  the  age  of 
22,  in  1876,  he  was  admitted  to  practice  law  in  the  State  of 
Michigan. 

AVhen  he  first  came  to  Wyoming  in  1878,  he  obtained 
employment  with  George  B.  Dunham,  a  stockman  operating 
on  Horse  Creek.     Earlv  in  1883  he  was  connected  a  few  months 


^All  three  Johnson  county  delegates  signed  the  Constitution. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  177 

with  the  law  office  of  Colonel  Stephen  W.  Downey,  at  Laramie, 
W.yoming,  before  he  moved  to  Buffalo,  Wyoming,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  regular  law  practice,  and  took  active  part  in  the  affairs 
of  his  community  and  State.  He  served  several  terms  in  the 
State  Legislature. 

In  1898  Mr.  Burritt  went  to  the  Philippines  with  Company 
C,  First  Wyoming  Volunteers,  and  while  in  the  Islands  he 
joined  the  11th  U.  S.  Cavalry.  He  was  the  first  chief  of  the 
United  States  Mining  Bureau  of  the  Islands,  was  appointed 
Judge  of  the  Court  of  the  First  Instance  for  central  northern 
Luzon  Provinces,  resigned  in  1907,  returned  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  at  Reno,  Nevada,  where  he  opened  a  law 
office,  and  where  he  died  of  pneumonia  on  June  1,  1927. 

He  spoke  Spanish  and  Chinese  fluently,  and  while  in  the 
Philippines  he  rendered  the  decision  which  "forever  preserved 
for  the  Islanders  their  title  to  land,  as  superior  to  claims 
made  by  State  and  Church." 

His  adoption  of  a  full-blooded  Filipino  girl  was  the 
first  legal  adoption  of  an  Islander  by  an  American.  He  edu- 
cated his  protege  in  the  Philippine  Normal  School  and  she 
followed  the  profession  of  teaching  until  her  marriage. 

Mr.  Burritt  held  numerous  high  offices  in  fraternal  or- 
ganizations, including  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Masonic 
Order,  and  Independent  Order  of  Odd  FelloAvs,  and  was  an 
active  member  of  the  Spanish  American  War  Veterans.  He 
also  carried  the  dispensation  to  the  Islands  for  establishment 
of  Masonic  Lodges. 

He  bad  a  keen  legal  mind,  and  has  been  referred  to  as 
"the  most  active  member  in  the  Wyoming  Territorial  Con- 
vention in  connection  with  establishment  of  the  irrigation 
code  and  the  provisions  for  irrigation  in  the  Constitution." 
He  also  was  an  active  sponsor  of  woman  suffrage. 

Among  living  descendants  are  a  son,  Edwin  Wheeler 
Burritt,  of  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  and  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth B.  Snell,  of  San  Francisco,  California. 

Henry  S.  Elliott,  of  Seattle,  Washington,  is  one  of  tbe 
two  living  members  of  the  Wyoming  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion, and  served  as  its  temporary  Chairman. 

Mr.  Elliott  was  born  on  March  *26,  1858,  at  Beaufort, 
South  Carolina,  and  came  from  that  State  to  Wyoming  in 
1882.  After  a  brief  residence  in  Cheyenne  he  moved  to 
Buffalo,  Wyoming,  where  he  served  two  terms  as  prosecuting 
attorney  of  Johnson  County,  and  one  term  as  Mayor  of  the 
town. 


178  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

The  son  of  a  colonial  family,  and  reared  in  the  South, 
he  was  graduated  from  Columbia  University,  now  known  as 
George  Washington  University,  Washington,  D.  C,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1879,  when  but  twenty-one  years  of  age. 

On  August  13,  1884,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Helen 
Erhart  of  Buffalo,  Wyoming,  and  to  the  couple  six  sons  were 
born,  all  of  whom  are  living. 

In  1891  he  moved  to  Washington  State,  residing  a  few 
months  at  Centralia,  and  afterward  at  Chehalis,  where  he 
served  a  four-year  term  as  Superior  Court  Judge,  of  Lewis, 
Pacific  and  Wahkikum  Counties. 

In  1910,  Mr.  Elliott  moved  to  Seattle,  as  one  of  the  trial 
attorneys  for  The  Seattle  Electric  Company,  owner  of  the 
street  car  service.  After  the  sale  of  the  company  to  the  City 
of  Seattle,  he  was  appointed  United  States  Commissioner  for 
the  Western  District  of  Washington,  Northern  Division,  by 
United  States  District  Judge  Neterer,  and  entered  upon  his 
duties  on  August  13,  1923.  Though  82  years  of  age,  he  still 
holds  the  position  of  U.  S.  Commissioner  and  performs  the 
duties  of  that  office. 

Judge  Elliott  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church 
and  several  branches  of  the  Masonic  Order,  including  the 
Knights  Templar,  and  Order  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  as  well  as 
other  fraternal  organizations. 

Of  him  it  is  said  in  the  History  of  King  County  (Wash- 
ington) "*  *  *  a  profound  scholar,  he  is  learned  not  only 
in  the  technicalities  of  common  law,  but  in  the  broad  under- 
lying philosophy  of  jurisprudence,  and  has  shown  an  un- 
usual capacity  for  administering  the  affairs  of  the  office." 

John  M.  McCandlish  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  came 
to  Wyoming  from  that  State  between  1880  and  1885.  His 
first  residence  in  the  Territory  was  at  Cheyenne,  where  he 
was  in  the  employ  of  Caleb  P.  Organ,  after  which  he  made 
his  home  at  Buffalo  for  a  time  before  returning  to  his  native 
state  where  it  is  thought  he  died  in  about  1900. 

The  record  in  the  "Journals  and  Debates  of  the  Constitu- 
tional Convention,  Wyoming,"  shows  that  he  took  part  in 
the  regular  procedure. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  179 

Laramie  County* 

George  W.  Baxter  was  born  on  January  7,  1855,  at  Hen- 
dersonville,  N.  C,  but  soon  afterward  his  father  moved  the 
family  to  Knoxville,  Tennessee,  where  young  Baxter  spent 
his  childhood  and  received  his  early  education. 

He  was  graduated  from  the  U.  S.  Military  Academy  at 
West  Point  in  1877.  As  a  second  lieutenant  in  IT.  S.  Cavalry, 
he  saw  service  in  the  w^est,  and  in  1881  became  a  resident  of 
"Wyoming.  His  duties  included  service  in  Montana  at  the 
Sioux  Agency,  and  in  Wyoming  at  Fort  D.  A.  Russell,  Fort 
Washakie  and  Fort  Laramie.  He  assisted  in  the  capture  of 
Chief  Dull  Knife  and  his  band  in  1878. 

While  at  Fort  Washakie  he  was  delegated  to  construct 
the  telegraph  line  from  that  point  to  Rawlins. 

In  1880  before  coming  west  he  married  a  wealthy  Ten- 
nessee girl,  and  to  the  couple  were  born  a  son  and  four 
daughters. 

Colonel  Baxter  followed  Francis  E.  Warren  as  the  sixth 
Governor  of  the  Territory,  under  appointment  of  President 
Grover  Cleveland,  November  6,  1886.  He  served  for  forty- 
five  days  after  which  he  resigned. 

After  his  resignation  from  the  governorship,  Mr.  Baxter 
entered  the  cattle  business  and  in  1888  became  one  of  the  inoor- 
porators  of  the  Western  Union  Beef  Company,  first  being  a 
director,  and  for  two  years  the  manager,  following  which  he 
was  made  president. 

In  the  first  State  election  following  the  Constitutional 
Convention,  he  was  a  candidate  for  Governor  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket. 

Though  he  left  the  State  permanently  and  returned  to 
the  South  with  his  family  soon  after  his  unsuccessful  candi- 
dacy for  Governor  in  1890',  he  had  distinguished  himself  dur- 
ing the  Constitutional  Convention  and  thereby  holds  a  unique 
place  in  Wyoming  history. 

Mr.  Baxter,  on  September  7,  1889,  the  sixth  day  of  the 
Convention,  introduced  the  woman  suffrage  section,  which 
was  File  No.  25,  entitled,  ''Concerning  Female  Suffrage," 
made  an  eloquent  and  persuasive  plea  in  its  behalf,  and  an- 
nounced that  his  presence  at  the  Convention  was  "to  assist 
in  the  formation  of  a  Constitution  whose  tendencies  shall  be 
to  elevate  the  citizens  of  this  State." 

After  eulogizing  women  in  general,  he  thus  declared  his 
stand  for  the  proposed  equal  suffrage  bill:     "I  am  for  it,  and 


*Eleven  Constitutional  delegates  were  elected  from  Laramie  County 
and   all   signed   the   Constitution. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  181 

I  believe  in  it  because  of  that  great  and  overpowering  con- 
sideration which  should  influence  every  man  on  this  floor  in 
casting  his  ballot,  and  that  consideration  is  because  it  is 
right ;  because  it  is  fair ;  and  because  it  is  just,  and  I  shall 
ever  regard  as  a  distinguished  honor  my  membership  in  this 
Convention  on  which  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  all 
this  broad  land  there  is  incorporated  into  the  fundamental 
law  of  the  State  a  provision  which  shall  secure  to  every 
citizen,  man  or  woman,  the  absolute  and  equal  enjoyment 
of  every  right  and  privilege  guaranteed  under  the  law  to 
every   other  citizen." 

Anthony  C.  Campbell  was  born  in  Doe  Run,  Pennsyl- 
vania, April  1,  1853,   and  was  educated  in  his  native  state. 

He  came  to  Wyoming  in  territorial  days  and  maintained 
his  home  in  Cheyenne.  Was  United  States  District  Attorney, 
attorney  for  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad  Company, 
the  Standard  Oil  Company,  as  well  as  other  large  corporations, 
and  was  Assistant  United  States  Attorney  in  the  Interior 
Department.  He  was  recognized  nationally  as  an  authority 
on  public  land  law. 

Mr.  Campbell  departed  from  this  life  on  September  8, 
1932,  at  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  his  wife  having  preceded  him 
in  death  many  years.  There  were  three  children,  Frances, 
deceased,  Mary  Gr.  Campbell  and  Thomas  A.  Campbell. 

He  retained  during  his  life  that  keenness  of  intellect, 
loyalty  to  friends,  and  devotion  to  duty,  both  personally  and 
professionally,  which  made  him  an  eminent  citizen  and  a 
distinguished   lawyer. 

Henry  G.  Hay  was  born  at  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  October 
31,  1847,  educated  at  Vincennes,  Indiana ;  Eastman  Business 
College,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  and  Harmony,  Pa.  (now  Am- 
bridge.  Pa.). 

He  was  located  at  Reedsville,  Missouri,  near  Galena,  where 
he  became  a  surveyor.  With  John  B.  Thomas,  he  came  to 
Wyoming  in  1870  and  set  the  first  corner  stone  under  govem- 
m,ent  authorization  in  the  Territory  of  Wyoming,  and  sur- 
veyed the   southeastern  portion   of  Wyoming. 

In  1871,  associated  with  John  B.  Thomas,  he  engaged  in 
the  sheep  business,  and  built  the  Valley  Ranch  on  Lone  Tree 
Creek,  ten  miles  southwest  of  Cheyenne,  now  owned  by 
Warren  Live  Stock  Company. 

On  November  18,  1874,  he  married  Miss  Ella  Bullock, 
whom   he   had   met   at    the   home    of   Francis   E.    and   Helen 


182  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Warren.  To  this  union  were  born  Henry  G.  Hay  of  Gary, 
Indiana,  and  Mildred  Hay  Gibbs  of  Pasadena,  California. 

In  1875  he  formed  a  partnership  with  I.  C.  Whipple  in 
the  grocery  business,  sold  to  the  Union  Mercantile  Company 
in  1883  at  the  location  of  the  present  Princess  Theatre. 

In  December,  1881,  he  joined  with  J.  M.  Carey  and  Thomas 
Stargis  in  the  organization  of  the  Stock  Growers  National 
Bank,  and  subsequently  became  operating  head  of  the  insti- 
tution. This  bank  was  one  of  the  few  that  weathered  the 
trying   times   of  1893. 

From  1881  to  1893  he  also  engaged  in  range  cattle  busi- 
ness, associated  with  I.  C.  Whipple,  with  ranches  located  on 
the  Laramie  River  and  Chugwater  and  Cottonwood  Creeks. 

He  was  an  active  member  and  president  of  the  Cheyenne 
Board  of  Trade,  a  member  and  Treasurer  of  the  Wyoming 
Stock  Growers  Association,  a  charter  member  of  the  Cheyenne 
Club,  a  member  of  the  Lodge  No.  1,  A.  F.  and  A.  M.,  member 
of  the  building  committee  of  the  Carnegie  Public  Library  and 
Cheyenne  Opera  House  (opposite  the  Stock  Growers  Bank), 
and  Commissioner  to  the  World's  Fair  in  Chicago  in  1893. 

Politically,  he  served  as  chairman  of  the  Laramie  Count}'' 
Republican  Committee,  was  an  active  member  of  the  Constitu- 
tional Convention.  He  served  two  separate  terms  as  Treasurer 
of  the  State  of  Wyoming. 

In  1908  he  sold  his  holdings  in  the  Stock  Growers  Na- 
tional Bank  and  moved  to  New  York.  There  he  became 
Assistant  Treasurer  of  the  United  States  Steel  Corporation, 
filling  this  position  until  his  death,  August  18,  1919.  He  is 
buried  in  Vincennes,  Indiana,  beside  his  father  and  grand- 
father. 

John  K.  Jeffrey,  secretary  of  the  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion, was  born  on  April  6,  1843,  at  Newburgh,  Orange  County, 
New  York,  and  soon  after  the  Civil  War,  of  which  he  was  a 
veteran,  he  left  his  native  state  for  the  West. 

In  1868  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road at  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  and  a  year  later  he  accepted  a 
position  with  the  Rogers  and  Company  Bank.  Subsequently 
he  entered  the  service  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Cheyenne. 

He  served  as  clerk  under  appointment,  at  Camp  Carlin, 
quartermaster's  depot  and  commissary  located  between  Chey- 
enne and  Fort  D.  A.  Russell,  now  Fort  Francis  E.  Warren. 
The  depot  furnished  all  supplies  for  Fort  Russell,  Fort  Fetter- 
man,  Fort  Laramie  and  intermediate  points. 

Mr.  Jeffrey  held  numerous  other  positions  of  public  serv- 
ice in  Cheyenne  during  his  twenty-nine  years  residence  there. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  183 

In  1880  he  was  appointed  clerk  of  the  District  Court,  First 
Judicial  District,  Cheyenne,  where  he  served  until  his  resig- 
nation on  December  18,  1886.  He  was  County  Clerk  of  Lara- 
mie County,  from  1879  to  1888,  and  again  from  1893  to  1894. 
He  also  served  as  City  Clerk  for  three  years. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  Convention  sessions,  the  body 
voted  as  a  gift  to  Mr.  Jeffrey  the  handsome  gold  pen  used 
by  the  45  men  who  actually  signed  the  Constitution  for  the 
new  State. 

After  moving  from  Wyoming  to  Colorado  in  1897,  his 
business  connections  in  Denver  included  the  position  of 
secretary-treasurer  of  the  Seeing  Denver  Company,  from 
which  he  retired  in  about  1921. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternal 
order  and  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  His  church 
affiliation  was  the  Episcopalian. 

Surviving  Mr.  Jeffrey  are  two  sons,  John  and  Henry, 
and  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Sherley  Moore,  all  of  Denver. 

James  Albert  Johnston  was  born  on  a  farm  near  Dayton, 
Ohio,  on  December  7,  1840,  attended  public  school  for  a  few 
years,  worked  in  a  wagon  factory  in  Cincinnati  and  in  1867 
M^ent  to  Cheyenne.  From  there,  to  Denver  where  he  worked 
on  a  farm,  soon  joining  a  party  bound  for  Texas  to  drive 
cattle  to  Colorado  and  Wyoming.  He  took  up  a  homestead 
12  miles  south  of  Denver  and  in  1870  married  Miss  Melissa 
Drummond.     By  1874  he  had  a  family  of  three  children. 

In  1878  he  became  interested  in  mining  at  Leadville, 
and  later  in  the  building  of  large  irrigation  works  which 
brought  him  in  contact  with  Edwin  S.  Nettleton,  State  Engi- 
neer of  Colorado. 

Nettleton  recommended  Mr.  Johnston  to  the  Wyoming 
Development  Company  at  Cheyemie,  and  in  1883  he  left  Colo- 
rado to  become  associated  with  this  company.  In  1887  he 
was  elected  to  the  Wyoming  Territorial  Legislature  and  intro- 
duced an  important  bill  relating  to  the  use  of  water  and 
establishing  the  oft'iee  of  Territorial  Engineer,  which  act 
became  a  law.  He  was  influential  in  securing  the  appoint- 
ment of  Professor  Elwood  Mead  as  first  State  Engineer,  and 
worked  with  Mr.  Mead  in  drafting  Constitutional  provisions 
relative  to  use  of  water,  and  later,  a  code  of  water  laws  for 
the  State  of  Wyoming,  which  was  adopted,  with  little  cliange, 
by  the  first  State  Legislature  in  1891. 

He  served  as  superintendent  of  water  division  number 
one  until  1896,  also  as  the  secretary  of  the  State  Board  of 
Control,  and  engaged  in  a  variety  of  enterprises.    He  and  his 


184  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

brother,  E.  S.  Johnston,  purchased  a  grocery  business  in 
Cheyenne  which  his  brother  gradually  took  over  alone.  In 
1893  he  went  to  Senora,  Old  Mexico  to  take  charge  of  the 
construction  of  a  large  irrigation  enterprise.  Mrs.  Johnston 
died  suddenly  there  and  he  returned  to  Cheyenne,  retiring 
from  the  work  in  Old  Mexico  to  interest  himself  in  the  Stock 
GroAvers  National  Bank  of  Cheyenne. 

In  1898  he  married  Anna  Fox  and  moved  to  Denver  to 
take  charge  of  the  office  of  Clay-Robinson  Company.  He 
remained  in  this  work  until  1914  when  he  retired  and  spent 
twenty-one  years  in  California.  At  the  age  of  82  he  and 
Mrs.  Johnston  completed  a  world's  tour. 

He  never  lost  interest  in  Wyoming  and  the  activities  of 
the  State  Engineer's  office.  He  died  June  7,  1936,  at  the 
age  of  ninety-one  years.     His  wife  survives  him. 

Elliott  S.  N.  Morgan  was  born  in  January,  1832,  at  Pitts- 
burgh, and  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  that  city  and  New 
Castle,  Pennsylvania.  He  died  on  April  20,  1894,  at  Chey- 
enne, Wyoming. 

He  entered  business  on  his  own  account  following  two 
years  experience  as  a  clerk  in  his  father's  store.  In  1860, 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Laura  Spiese  of  New  Castle,  Pa.,  and 
five  children  were  born  to  the  couple. 

Before  coming  to  Wyoming  he  had  become  prominent 
in  politics  in  his  own  State,  having  served  several  terms  in 
the  Legislature  of  Lawrence  County,  Pennsylvania,  preceding 
his  appointment  as  Secretary  of  Wyoming  Territory  by  Presi- 
dent Hays,  on  March  10,  1880.  He  was  reappointed  on  March 
31,  1884,  by  President  Arthur. 

Mr.  Morgan  served  as  Acting  Governor  of  Wyoming, 
while  Secretary,  following  the  death  of  Governor  William 
Hale  on  January  13,  1885,  and  until  the  appointment  of  Gov- 
ernor Francis  E.  Warren  by  President  Arthur  on  February  27, 
1885.  At  the  time  of  Mr.  Morgan's  death  at  Cheyenne,  news- 
paper records  gave  him  credit  with  having  also  shared  re- 
sponsibilities with  Governor  Hale,  who  was  handicapped  by 
illness  in  the  performance  of  his  official  duties. 

Following  his  public  service,  Mr.  Morgan  began  practice 
of  the  legal  profession,  being  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1887. 
He  also  was  a  member  of  the  editorial  staff  of  the  Livestock 
Journal. 

He  served  as  chairman  of  the  legislative  committee  of 
the  Constitutional  Convention,  and  was  a  Republican  at  that 
time,  but  later  changed  to  Populism. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  of  the 
Masonic  Order. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  185 

Caleb  Perry  Organ  was  born  in  Virginia,  later  moving 
with  his  parents  to  Missouri.  He  served  in  the  Confederate 
Army  as  a  Lieutenant  in  a  Missouri  regiment  during  the  last 
years  of  the  Civil  War.  After  the  close  of  the  war,  he 
started  West,  arriving  in  Cheyenne  in  1867.  He  served  as 
Depot  Superintendent  at  Camp  Carlin,  when  it  was  one  of 
the  principal  supply  depots  for  the  Army  in  the  West,  and 
was  located  between  Cheyenne  and  Fort  D.  A.  Russell. 

Later  he  entered  the  cattle  business,  and  this  w^as  his 
chief  interest  until  his  death,  at  which  time  he  still  owned 
the  Org-an  ranch  about  a  mile  southeast  of  Cheyenne.  He 
was  also  interested  in  ranches  in  other  parts  of  AVyoming, 
and  in  the  hardware  business  at  Buffalo  and  Douglas,  being 
a  member  of  the  firm,  Draper  and  Organ  Hardware,  at 
Cheyenne. 

Mr.  Organ  was  a  charter  member  of  the  Cheyenne  Club, 
which  was  the  social  center  for  cattlemen  of  Wyoming, 
serving  as  an  officer  of  the  Club  for  many  years.  He  was 
twice  elected  to  the  Territorial  Council.  Was  nominated  for 
Congress  by  the  Democratic  Party  and  defeated  by  the  late 
Joseph  M.  Carey.  He  also  ran  for  Secretary  of  State,  and 
was  later  appointed  by  President  Grover  Cleveland  to  the 
office  of  Receiver  of  the  U.  S.  Land  Office  at  Cheyenne. 

He  married  Miss  Kate  Graham,  a  Cheyenne  school  teacher, 
and  lived  in  the  historic  residence  at  2201  Ferguson  Street 
(Carey  Ave.).  Mr.  Organ  died  July  28,  1898  at  the  age  of 
55  years,  and  was  survived  by  his  wife  and  a  daughter, 
Katherine,  who  is  today  Mrs.  Marsh  Armstrong  of  Rawlins, 
Wyoming.     Mrs.   Organ  passed  away  in   1938. 

Charles  N.  Potter  was  born  in  Cooperstown,  New  York. 
October  31,  1852.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Grand  Rapids, 
Michigan,  High  School  in  1870,  and  studied  law^  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan,  where  he  received  the  degree  of  L.L.B., 
in  1873.  He  practiced  law  in  Grand  Rapids  until  March.  1876, 
when  he  came  to  Cheyenne,  and  soon  became  a  factor  in  the 
social,  civic,  political  and  legal  life  of  the  City  and  Territory. 

He  was  City  Attorney  for  Cheyenne  from  1878  to  1881, 
and  again  in  1889.  He  was  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  Laramie 
County  from  1881  to  1883,  Attorney  General  of  the  State 
from  1891  to  1895,  a  member  of  the  Cheyenne  Board  of 
Education  from  1888  to  1897,  and  President  of  the  Cheyenne 
Industrial  Club.  During  his  lifetime  he  was  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Congregational  Church,  and  several  fraternal 
organizations. 


186  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Judge  Potter  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  Wyoming  in  1894,  and  re-elected  in  1902,  1910,  1918,  and 
1926.  His  service  of  thirty-three  years  as  a  member  of  the 
Supreme  Court  and  over  twenty  years  as  its  Chief  Justice, 
constituted  a  judicial  career  which,  in  its  length  and  distinc- 
tion, has  few  parallels.  In  the  field  of  law  in  Wyoming,  he 
was  a  pioneer  who  cleared  aAvay  the  brush,  and  set  the  legal 
guide  posts  for  all  time. 

Judge  Potter  died  at  his  home  in  Cheyenne  on  December 
20,  1927,  his  life  in  this  State  covering  a  period  of  fifty-two 
years. 

Thomas  R.  Reid  was  born  on  April  12,  1839,  in  London, 
England.  While  yet  a  j^oung  child  and  after  the  death  of 
his  father,  he  was  taken  by  his  mother  to  Australia  where 
lived  her  two  married  daughters,  with  whom  she  and  her  son 
made  their  home. 

He  was  educated  in  Australia  and  in  England,  and  came 
to  America  from  the  latter  country  in  1867  to  "fight  Indians." 
He  enlisted  in  the  Second  Regiment  of  the  U.  S.  Army, 
Nebraska,  for  a  period  of  five  years,  and  after  his  discharge 
accepted  employment  with  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  with 
whom  he  remained  until  retirement.  He  married  Elizabeth 
Hunt  Rodgers  in  1877. 

Mr.  Reid's  public  service  included  the  Cheyenne  City 
Council  in  1886,  and  the  State  Legislature.  He  passed  away 
on  June  16,  1917. 

John  A.  Riner  was  born  in  Preble  County,  Ohio,  1850. 
Studied  law  at  the  University  of  Michigan,  graduating  in 
1879.  Moved  to  Wyoming  and  was  attorney  for  city  of 
Cheyenne  in  1881.  He  married  Miss  May  Jillich  in  1882,  and 
they  had  four  children,  all  of  whom  are  now  living.  Was 
United  States  District  Attorney  for  the  Territory  of  Wyoming, 
1884.  Elected  a  member  of  the  LTpper  House,  Tenth  Legisla- 
tive Assembly  of  Wyoming  Territory,  in  1886,  being  selected 
as  president  of  that  body  during  the  session.  Elected  mem- 
ber of  the  Constitutional  Convention  in  1889  he  took  an 
active  part  in  its  deliberations,  serving  on  the  judiciary  com- 
mittee where  his  outstanding  legal  ability  Avas  of  especial 
value.  Elected  member  of  the  State  Senate,  1890,  but  resigned 
before  the  legislature  convened  to  accept  appointment  as 
United  States  District  Judge  for  the  District  of  Wyoming, 
commissioned  September  23,   1890. 

His  work  as  a  Judicial  Officer  was  such  as  to  receive  the 
generous  and  hearty  commendation  not  only  of  his  associates 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  187 

in  the  great  8th  Circuit  as  then  constituted,  but  also  of  the 
Bar  and  all  who  had  business  to  transact  in  the  Federal  Court 
in  Wyoming.  He  had  a  broad  intellectuality,  deep  human 
sympathies  and  wide  tolerance.  Honor  and  integrity  were 
synonymous  with  his  name.  No  one  enjoyed  or  merited  more 
the  respect,  confidence  and  the  high  regard  of  the  people  of 
this  commonwealth.    He  died  March  4,  1923. 

Hubert  E.  Teschemacher  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in 
1856,  of  a  wealthy  family  and  in  1879  came  to  "Wyoming 
where  he  entered,  prominently,  into  business  and  social  life 
of  the  Territory,  accumulating  large  holdings  in  the  cattle 
business. 

He  was  head  of  a  firm  operating  as  the  Teschemacher 
and  DeBillier  Cattle  Company,  which  included  his  brother, 
Arthur,  and  a  number  of  local  and  eastern  men,  among  whom 
was  Theodore  Roosevelt.  The  range  was  at  Bridger's  Ferry 
on  the  North  Platte  River. 

Harry  Ralston,  of  Cheyenne,  was  foreman  of  the  outfit 
from  March,  1884,  until  about  1893,  as  he  recalls,  and  esti- 
mated that  there  were  around  25,000  head  of  mixed  cattle 
in  the  herds. 

Mr.  Teschemacher  was  a  Harvard  man,  and  during  his 
residence  in  Cheyenne  was  president  of  the  exclusive  social 
group  known  as  the  old  Cheyenne  Club,  and  resided  at  the 
club-house,  since  razed  and  the  site  is  now  occupied  by  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  Building. 

He  served  in  both  houses  of  the  Territorial  Legislature 
and  was  a  member  of  the  Wyoming  Stock  Growers  Associa- 
tion. He  was  a  Republican,  and  is  among  those  whose  name 
appears  most  frequently  in  the  journal  and  debate  records 
of  the  Constitutional  Convention. 

It  is  thought  that  he  died  in  Boston,  of  pneumonia,  in 
about  the  year  1906,  and  that  his  brother  passed  away  in 
Switzerland  several  years  earlier. 

According  to  Cheyenne  old-timers,  the  father  of  the  two 
brothers  was  H.  F.  Teschemacher,  a  California  forty-niner, 
who  served  as  an  early  mayor  of  San  Francisco. 


Bibliography  of  Material  Used  in  Compiling  Above  Biographies  of 

Delegates  from  Albany,  Fremont,  Johnson  and 

Laramie  Counties: 

History  of  Wyoming,  Vols.  1,  2,  3,  by  Bartlett. 
History  of  Wyoming,  Vols.  1,  3,  by  Beard. 
Wyoming  Historical  Eeports,  Miscellaneous,  1900. 

Men   of  Wyoming,   compiled   and  published  by   C.   S.   Peterson,   Denver, 
Colorado. 


188  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Herringham 's  Encyclopaedia  of  American  History. 

Biographical  Directory  of  the  American  Congress,  1774-1927. 

Coutant  's  History  of  Wyoming,  Vol.   1. 

Coutant  Notes. 

History  and  Directory,  Laramie  City,  Wyoming  Territory,  by  J.  H. 
Triggs. 

History  of  the  University,  Wyoming,  by  Wilson  O.  Clough. 

Bancroft's  Works,  Vol.  25. 

Progressive  Men  of  Wyoming. 

History  of  Fort  Bridger,  by  Robert  S.  Ellison. 

Dr.  L.  C.  Hunt 's  notes  on  the  Constitutional  Convention. 

National  Encyclopaedia  of  American  Biography,  Vol.  23. 

Women  of  Wyoming,  by  Beach,  Vol.  1. 

Journals  and  Debates  of  the  Constitutional  Convention,  and  also  numerous 
correspondents  in  this  and  other  states,  as  well  as  newspaper  clip- 
pings, files  and  personal  interviews. 

(To  ie  concluded  in  the  October  issue,  with  biographies  of  delegates 
from  the  following  counties:  Carbon,  Converse,  Crook,  Sheridan,  Sweet- 
water   and    Uinta.) 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


189 


Miss  Louise  S.  Smith,  1889 

MISS    LOUISE    S.    SMITH,    OFFICIAL    STENOGRAPHER 
OF  THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTION 

Miss  Smith,  assistant  cashier  of  the  Stock  Growers  National 
Bank,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  and  active  in  Cheyenne  business 
and  social  life  the  past  half  century,  holds  the  distinction  of  hav- 
ing been  the  official  stenographer  for  the  Constitutional  Con- 
vention in  1889.  Appfreciation  of  Miss  Smith's  skill  in  recording 
the  proceedings  was  evidenced  by  the  presentation  of  an  ex- 
quisite gold  pin  by  the  Convention  at  its  close. 

In  addition  to  her  connection  with  the  historical  Conven- 
tion, Miss  Smith  holds  the  unique  position  of  being  the  Capital 
City's  first  stenographer,  beginning  her  business  career  in  1886. 
One  of  her  first  positions  was  with  the  banking  institution  of 
which  slie  is  now  an  officer. 

Miss  Smith  resides  at  712  East  Eighteenth  Street,  Cliey- 
enne.  Wvoming. 


190  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


REMINISCENCES  OF  A  MEMBER  OF 
THE  WYOMING  CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTION 

By  W.  E.  Chaplin 

In  1889  conditions  seemed  ripe  for  statehood.  The  buffalo 
had  ceased  to  roam  and  the  deer  and  the  antelope  were  more 
wary  in  their  play.  The  savage  hostilities  of  Red  Cloud,  Sitting 
Bull,  Chief  Gall,  Spotted  Tail  and  Crazy  Horse  were  in  the 
past.  The  Indian  was  living  peacefully  on  his  reservation  and 
the  herds  and  flocks  of  the  white  man  grazed  on  a  thousand  hills. 
The  Union  Pacific  had  for  a  score  of  years  carried  the  traffic 
of  the  nation  across  our  southern  border  and  the  Northwestern 
and  the  Burlington  had  penetrated  the  central  and  northern 
portions  of  the  Territory.  The  population  was  not  large — 
about  60,000 — ^but  it  was  intelligent,  energetic  and  ambitious. 
Francis  E.  Warren,  powerful  in  business  and  statesmanship, 
was  Governor  by  the  appointment  of  President  Benjamin  Har- 
rison. Joseph  M.  Carey,  lawyer,  judge  and  able  business  man, 
was  delegate  in  Congress.  You  could  have  scratched  the  Rockies 
with  a  fine-toothed  comb  and  found  no  abler  men.  The  people 
of  Wyoming  were  tired  of  being  governed  by  carpetbaggers 
While  the  officials  sent  to  us  were  generally  good  and  able  citi- 
zens, they  were  not  of  our  choosing.  We  longed  for  statehood. 
Mr.  Average  Citizen  desired  to  vote  for  those  who  controlled 
the  state  government  and  for  the  President  of  the  United  States. 
Bills  had  been  introduced  in  both  the  Senate  and  House  of 
Representatives  providing  for  the  admission  of  Wyoming.  It 
was  thought  advisable  to  follow  the  provisions  of  the  Senate 
Bill.  The  boards  of  commissioners  in  the  several  counties 
passed  resolutions  requesting  the  Governor,  the  Chief  Justice 
and  Secretary  of  the  Territory  to  issue  a  call  for  a  Constitutional 
Convention  and  to  apportion  the  delegates  among  the  counties. 
The  basis  of  the  apportionment  was  the  vote  on  Delegate  in 
Congress  at  the  election  of  1888.  The  number  decided  upon 
was  55.  The  selection  of  delegates  was  without  regard  to  party. 
It  was  sought  to  obtain  one  fitted  for  the  responsibility  and  of 
sterling  character.  A  glance  over  the  roster  and  a  study  of  the 
occupations  of  the  members  in  their  after  lives  proves  that 
nothing  but  the  good  of  the  people  was  sought.  Almost  every 
walk  of  life  was  represented. 

The  delegates  assembled  in  the  Supreme  Court  room  of  the 
Capitol  Building,  September  2,  1889.  Temporary  organization 
was  effected  without  delay  by  the  choosing  of  Henry  S.  Elliott 
of  Johnson  County  as  Temporary  Chairman.  Mr.  Elliott  is 
still  living,  his  home  being  in  the  city  of  Seattle,  Washington. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  191 

After  the  report  of  the  Committee  oil  Credentials  had  been 
read,  forty-five  members  were  sworn  in.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  that  this  is  the  exact  number  of  signatures  appended  to 
the  Constitution.  The  total  number  sworn  in  was  finally  forty- 
nine.  That  ancient  and  honorable  Justice  of  the  Peace,  W.  P. 
Carroll,  adminitstered  the  oath. 

Melville  C.  Brown,  able  attorney  of  Albany  County,  was 
chosen  permanent  chairman.  There  was  no  particular  struggle 
for  the  position.  Laramie  County,  with  eleven  delegates,  did 
not  have  a  candidate  for  the  position.  It  was  suspected  that 
bigger  game  was  looked  for  in  the  future.  J.  K.  Jeffrey  of 
Laramie  County  was  chosen  Secretary.  Permanent  organiza- 
tion being  perfected,  the  Convention  at  once  entered  into  its 
important  work.  Louise  Smith  of  Laramie  County  was  selected 
for  the  position  of  stenographer.  She  is  still  living  and  through 
all  the  years  has  been  a  valued  citizen  of  Cheyenne.  Although 
at  the  time  a  very  young  woman,  she  performed  her  work  with 
outstanding  ability.     The  published  report  proves  her  worth. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  review  in  any  considerable  detail 
the  work  of  the  Convention ;  time  does  not  permit.  Chairmen 
of  committees  were  named  by  the  President  because  of  their 
peculiar  fitness  for  the  duties  to  be  performed.  If  I  were  called 
upon  to  choose  the  article  of  the  Constitution  I  believe  of  the 
highest  value,  I  would  name  Article  VIII,  Irrigation  and  Water 
Rights.  The  Chairman  of  that  Committee  was  James  A.  Johns- 
ton of  Laramie  County,  an  engineer  of  ability.  Not  long  before 
the  effort  for  statehood  there  had  been  imported  into  the  Terri- 
tory a  young  civil  engineer  to  take  the  position  of  Territorial 
Engineer  by  the  name  of  Elwood  Mead.  He  owed  the  obtain- 
ing of  this  position  to  Mr.  Johnston,  who  had  known  him  favor- 
ably as  a  professor  in  the  Agricultural  College  at  Fort  Collins. 
It  was  a  hard  fight  for  Mr.  Johnston,  because  of  Mead's  youth, 
to  get  him  appointed  to  the  "Wyoming  position.  Tliis  is  the  same 
Mead  who  became  an  outstanding  world  character  and  high 
authority  upon  irrigation  and  water  rights.  He  directed  the 
construction  of  the  wonderful  Hoover  Dam  that  regulates  the 
flow  of  the  Colorado  River.  Mead  and  Johnston  drew  the  article, 
only  five  sections  in  length,  and  then  looked  over  the  roll  of 
the  Convention  for  a  man  whom  they  considered  capable  of 
making  an  adequate  argument  in  its  favor.  They  decided  upon 
Delegate  Charles  H.  Burritt  of  Johnson  County.  Burritt  was 
a  yoimg  lawyer  who  had  much  experience  in  the  adjudication 
of  water  rights.  He  entered  into  the  work  with  a  zest  and  made 
an  argument  for  the  measure  as  presented  that  was  unanswerable. 
Many  objections  were  raised  by  attorneys,  but  they  were  all 
answered  satisfactorily.   Under  the  terms  of  the  proposed  con- 


192  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

stitutional  provision,  Wyoming  was  winning  virgin  ground 
Riparian  ownership  of  water  was  thrown  in  the  discard,  thrj 
state  was  given  ownership  of  all  waters  within  its  borders.  The 
citizen  could  only  secure  the  right  to  use  the  water  and  to  obtain 
that  right  he  must  put  it  to  beneficial  uses  and  continue  to  use  it. 
He  is  not  permitted  to  use  the  water  of  a  stream  if  the  use  inter- 
feres with  a  prior  appropriator  below  or  above.  In  other  words, 
the  first  man  to  take  out  a  permit  has  the  better  right. 

Another  change  from  the  then  general  practice  was  the 
division  of  the  state  into  four  water  districts  and  the  appoint- 
ment of  district  commissioners.  The  four  district  commission- 
ers, together  with  the  State  Engineer,  were  to  constitute  a 
Board  of  Control,  to  which  appeals  could  be  made  from  the 
District  Commissioners.  This,  some  believed,  would  provide 
too  much  interference  with  the  functions  of  the  Courts.  How- 
ever, all  opposition  was  overcome  and  the  article  went  into  the 
Constitution  with  slight  amendment.  It  has  worked  quite  well 
for  a  period  of  fifty  years.  Wyoming  has  the  distinguished 
honor  of  having  pioneered  in  irrigation  and  water  right  law. 

Suffrage  brought  forth  extended  and  on  one  occasion 
acrimonious  debate.  There  was  little  opposition  to  woman 
suffrage.  It  had  been  tried  out  in  the  Territory  for  twenty 
years  and  had  proved  satisfactory.  Long  speeches  had  been 
prepared  by  some  who  were  looking  forward  to  political  prefer- 
ment, and  it  had  seemed  probable  that  they  would  be  disappoint- 
ed, but  a  motion  by  Mr.  Campbell  of  Laramie  County  afforded 
the  opportunity  of  oratory.  He  moved  to  amend  the  first  section 
by  making  it  a  separate  article  to  be  submitted  separately  and 
voted  on  separately  by  the  people.  In  his  argument,  Mr.  Camp- 
bell stated  that  he  was  in  favor  of  woman  suffrage,  but  that 
he  had  been  requested  to  make  this  motion  in  order  that  the 
question  might  be  tested  at  the  polls.  There  had  been  a  time 
in  his  life  when  he  was  in  opposition,  but  that  time  had  passed. 
His  observations  since  coming  to  Wyoming  had  convinced  him 
that  the  women  should  have  the  privilege  of  voting.  While  in 
Omaha  some  years  before,  he  had  heard  an  argument  between 
Phoebe  Cozzins  and  a  bright  young  lawyer  of  that  city  in  which 
the  young  man  had  stated  that  woman  suffrage  had  been  a 
failure  in  Wyoming.  He  said  that  throughout  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  nation  you  could  not  find  a  more  lawless  condi- 
tion of  things  than  at  Rawlins,  Laramie  and  Cheyenne.  Camp- 
bell had  taken  that  statement  as  true  until  he  had  made  a  per- 
sonal investigation  and  found  it  absolutely  false.  He  had  seen 
several  elections  conducted  in  Wyoming  and  always  in  the 
most  orderly  manner.  However,  while  the  tendency  of  uni- 
versal suffrage  was  for  the  best,  there  had  never  been  a  vote 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  193 

upon  the  matter  and  he  believed  that  those  who  wished  that  it 
be  submitted  separately  ought  to  have  the  opportunity  to  vote 
upon  it  independent  of  the  balance  of  the  Constitution. 

A  storm  broke  loose.  Mr.  Holden  of  Uinta  County  would 
prefer  to  remain  a  territory  during  all  the  endless  cycles  of 
time  to  having  this  question  submitted  separately.  Mr.  Baxter, 
who  had  sponsored  the  woman  suffrage  clause  from  the  first, 
made  a  very  clear  and  forceful  argument  against  the  motion. 
Mr.  Coffeen  of  Sheridan  County,  in  a  lurid  speech,  challenged 
Mr.  Campbell's  motives  and  aroused  the  ire  of  that  gentleman. 
As  white  as  a  sheet,  Mr.  Campbell  arose  and  shouted,  "Any 
man  who  impugns  my  motives  on  the  floor  of  this  Convention 
lies,  away  down  in  the  bottom  of  his  old  throat."  There  was 
much  confusion,  but  Mr.  Coffeen  was  a  peace-loving  citizen  and 
a  personal  encounter  was  avoided.  After  some  discussion  it 
was  decided  to  expunge  the  incident  from  the  record.  Perhaps, 
I  should  have  made  no  reference  to  it  at  this  time,  but  it  was 
the  only  real  fireworks  of  a  somewhat  prosy  convention  and 
created  a  lot  of  genuine  amusement.  Miss  Smith,  who  took  the 
stenographic  report  of  the  convention,  will  attest  the  accuracy 
of  my  comments  at  this  late  date. 

Former  Governor  John  W.  Hoyt  of  Albany  County,  made 
an  excellent  address  favoring  suffrage  for  women  and  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  Campbell  motion.  He  said  he  had  not  believed  it 
would  be  necessary  to  make  extended  argument  on  the  subject 
and  yet  went  away  back  into  the  dark  ages  and  discussed  the 
manner  in  which  women  had  been  treated  long  before  Christ 
came  to  bring  peace  on  earth.  Governor  Hoyt  was  a  candidate 
for  the  United  States  Senate.  President  Brown  made  an  argu- 
ment for  woman  suffrage  that  was  excellent  in  detail.  He  also 
was  a  candidate  for  the  United  States  Senate.  A  few  other 
forward-looking  members  took  the  occasion  to  endear  them- 
selves to  the  lady  voters.  The  only  member  who  came  out  flat- 
footed  in  opposition  to  woman  suffrage  was  Mr.  Palmer  of 
Sweetwater  County. 

Mr.  Campbell's  motion  was  defeated  by  a  vote  of  20  to  8. 
and  woman  suffrage  stood  with  the  remainder  of  the  Constitu- 
tion. In  future  discussions  of  the  Constitution  it  never  ap- 
peared to  prove  a  handicap. 

There  were  some  other  matters  pertaining  to  suffrage  tliat 
aroused  considerable  debate.  Tliere  was  an  insistent  demand  for 
an  educational  test  and  yet  it  was  not  desired  that  those  al- 
ready qualified  to  vote  should  be  deprived  of  the  franchise.  It 
was  finally  decided  to  require  voters  to  be  able  to  read  the  con- 
stitution, excepting  those  who  had  already  enjoyed  the  privilege. 

The  committee  having  education  in  charge  was  headed  by 


194  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

President  Hoyt  of  the  University.  He  it  was  who  drafted  the 
Territorial  Statute  Law  founding  and  governing  that  institu- 
tion. He  had  been  its  President  for  more  than  two  years  and 
was  qualified  theoretically  and  practically  to  write  the  article 
that  was  to  control  the  educational  system  of  the  new  State. 
He  carried  into  the  Constitution  the  chief  provisions  of  the 
Territorial  Law.  The  establishment  of  the  University  with  all  of 
its  departments  was  confirmed.  A  single  consolidated  institu- 
tion was  contemplated.  The  various  necessary  colleges  were  to 
be  under  one  central  control.  It  was  provided  that  school  in- 
come should  be  distributed  among  the  several  counties  in  pro- 
portion to  the  number  of  children  of  school  age,  and  it  was 
further  required  that  no  school  money  should  be  used  in  the 
support  of  private  or  sectarian  schools.  The  work  of  this 
committee  was  so  well  performed  that  there  was  little  debate 
upon  its  report  in  committee  of  the  whole.  As  I  recall,  there 
was  no  opposition  to  the  work  of  the  committee. 

Article  V,  the  Judicial  Department,  caused  a  great  deal 
of  discussion.  It  afforded  the  lawyers  of  the  Convention  ample 
opportunity  to  exploit  their  legal  erudition.  "Wyoming  Ter- 
ritory had  been  getting  along  with  three  Federal  Judges,  acting 
both  as  District  Judges  and  Supreme  Justices.  The  people 
had  become  used  to  the  system  and  many  favored  a  continuance 
of  something  along  the  same  order.  By  the  time  the  finished 
report  of  the  committee  had  reached  the  committee  of  the  whole, 
the  subject  had  been  pretty  well  threshed  out  and  a  majority 
of  the  Convention  favored  a  separate  Supreme  Court.  Judge 
Potter  had  been  with  this  majority,  but  constant  rumor  and 
pressure  from  the  outside  demanding  economy  caused  him  to 
yield  to  the  point  of  submitting  an  amendment  providing  for 
a  consolidated  Supreme  Court  for  a  period  of  six  years,  to  con- 
sist of  four  judges,  one  of  whom  was  to  step  aside  when  deci- 
sions rendered  by  him  were  being  acted  upon.  This  amend- 
ment was  very  ably  argued  by  the  best  lawyers  in  the  body. 
Mr.  John  A.  Riner  of  Laramie  County  disagreed  most  decidedly 
with  Mr.  Potter,  his  stand  being  that  if  the  people  of  Wyoming 
did  not  care  to  adopt  a  constitution  providing  for  the  right 
kind  of  a  government,  then  it  would  be  better  to  remain  as  a  terri- 
tory till  they  changed  their  minds.  The  stand  taken  by  Judge 
Riner  proved  to  be  the  will  of  the  majority,  the  final  vote  upon 
the  rejection  of  the  Potter  amendment  being  21  to  17.  The 
question  of  salaries  for  the  judges  caused  a  good  deal  of  com- 
ment.    It  was  finally  left  to  the  legislature. 

Times  were  not  so  good  in  1889  and  a  wave  of  economy  was 
upon  the  land.  The  Convention  went  into  the  matter  of  salaries 
of  public  officers  with  a  heavy  hand.     It  really  went  far  beyond 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  195 

the  usual  requirements  of  constitutional  law  and  legislated. 
There  has  been  much  criticism  of  this  portion  of  the  conven- 
tion's work,  but  in  its  defense  it  can  be  said  that  the  people 
were  saved  a  great  deal  of  money  thereby. 

Public  indebtedness  was  handled  without  mercy.  The  State 
was  required  to  limit  its  indebtedness  to  one  per  cent,  except 
to  suppress  insurrection  or  provide  for  the  public  expense.  Offi- 
cials were  limited  to  their  budgets.  Counties  were  limited  to 
two  per  cent  in  the  creation  of  indebtedness.  An  exception  was 
made  governing  sewage  systems  and  water  works. 

Hours  of  labor  on  public  works  were  restricted  to  eight 
and  none  but  citizens  or  those  who  had  declared  their  intention 
to  become  such  was  permitted  to  be  employed. 

The  fact  that  the  Constitution  has  operated  successfully 
for  a  period  of  fifty  years  is  ample  proof  of  its  value.  Amend- 
ments have  been  few. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  those  interested  in  the  history  of 
the  Constitutional  Convention  to  review  briefly  the  lives  of  some 
of  the  more  important  members. 

.  Judge  Melville  C.  Brown,  President  of  the  Convention, 
was  born  in  Maine  in  1838.  His  first  location  in  the  west  was  in 
Idaho.  He  came  to  Wyoming  about  the  time  of  the  completion 
of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  locating  at  Laramie.  He  was, 
without  much  delay,  elected  to  the  position  of  Mayor,  but  re- 
signed in  a  few  weeks.  He  was  soon  wed  to  the  beautiful  Nancy 
Fillmore,  daughter  of  the  Superintendent  of  the  Wyoming  Divi- 
sion of  the  Union  Pacific.  They  were  a  handsome  couple.  She 
made  of  his  home  a  sweet  haven  of  rest  and  contentment.  He 
took  high  rank  in  the  practice  of  law  and  at  one  time  was  Fed- 
eral Attorney  for  the  District  of  Wyoming.  In  later  years  he 
was  again  elected  Mayor  of  Laramie.  At  times.  Judge  Brown 
had  a  temper  that  was  hard  to  control.  In  the  heat  of  passion 
his  tongue  was  vitriolic.  On  one  occasion  he  lambasted  the  Jus- 
tices of  the  Supreme  Court  with  such  venomous  language  that 
the  court  took  Judicial  notice  and  debarred  him  from  practice 
for  a  considerable  period.  President  Theodore  Roosevelt  ap- 
pointed him  to  th'^  position  of  Judge  of  Alaska,  whicli  he  filled 
for  about  five  years.  In  that  position  he  was  the  subject  of 
many  criticisms  and  Rex  Beach's  novel,  "The  Spoilers,"  was 
based  upon  some  of  the  actions  of  the  court.  After  his  s?rvice 
in  Alaska,  Judge  Brown  returned  to  Laramie  and  resumed  the 
practice  of  law.  He  did  not  step  into  the  good  practice  he  laid 
down,  but  with  the  added  emoluments  of  Justice  of  the  Peace 
he  kept  the  pot  boiling.     He  died  in  1928. 

John  W.  Hoyt  came  to  Wyoming  as  Territorial  Goveriuu-, 
through  the  appointment  of  President  Hayes,  in  the  spring  of 


196  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

1878.  He  was  a  talented  man ;  had  studied  medicine  and  was 
an  M.  D. ;  he  had  also  studied  law.  He  edited  a  paper  in  Wis- 
consin for  a  number  of  years.  He  had  occupied  many  other 
positions  of  trust.  After  ably  serving  the  Territory  as  Gov- 
ernor he  became  the  manager  of  the  Wheatland  Development 
Company.  He  framed  the  law  which  created  the  University  of 
Wyoming  and  carried  its  excellent  provisions  into  the  State 
Constitution.  He  was  the  first  President  of  the  University.  He 
published  a  paper  at  Laramie  for  a  brief  period,  but  it  was 
not  a  success  financially.  He  spent  his  afternoon  of  life  in  the 
city  of  Washington,  where  he  died  in  1912. 

James  A.  Johnston  was  the  oldest  brother  of  five  Johnstons 
who  made  history  in  Wyoming.  In  Colorado,  where  he  resided 
for  a  time,  he  became  acquainted  with  Elwood  Mead,  one  of 
the  most  capable  engineers  of  his  day.  He  persuaded  Governor 
Moonlight  to  appoint  Mead  Territorial  Engineer.  In  the  Con- 
stitutional Convention,  Johnston  was  the  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Irrigation,  and  in  collaboration  with  Mead  and  Burritt 
formulated  Wyoming's  excellent  law  upon  the  subject.  In  after 
years  he  became  interested  in  banking  and  for  a  long-  time  was 
manager  of  the  live  stock  commission  office  of  Clay,  Robinson 
&  Co.,  of  Denver,  Colorado.  Upon  his  retirement  he  located  in 
California,  at  Los  Angeles,  where  he  died  a  few  years  ago. 

Charles  H.  Burritt  of  Johnson  County  came  to  Wyoming 
in  the  early  eighties  and  married  an  Albany  County  girl 
named  Wheeler.  They  were  married  at  Laramie  and  shortly 
thereafter  settled  in  Buffalo,  which  had  but  recently  been 
made  a  county  seat.  He  practiced  law  successfully  there 
until  1898,  when  he  went  to  the  Philippines  as  an  officer  in  the 
Spanish-American  War.  He  remained  abroad  for  several 
years.  Upon  his  return  to  the  United  States,  he  settled  in 
Reno,  Nevada,  where  he  practiced  his  profession  until  his 
death  in  1927. 

Clarence  D.  Clark  of  Uinta  County  grew  to  manhood  in 
the  State  of  Iowa.  He  was  a  good  story-teller  and  was  fond 
of  relating  his  experience  in  trying  to  get  a  job  as  brakeman 
on  a  railroad.  He  applied  to  the  trainmaster  for  work.  The 
trainmaster  looked  him  over  and  said:  "Young  man,  you 
would  not  make  a  brakeman  in  a  thousand  years.  It  takes 
brains  to  make  a  railroad  man."  He  taught  school  and 
studied  law.  In  Evanston  he  had  a  good  practice  and  was 
very  popular  among  the  people.  He  was  elected  Congress- 
man at  the  first  State  election.  At  the  second  State  election 
he  was  defeated  by  Coffeen.  In  1895,  he  was  elected  to  the 
United  States  Senate  and  had  the  good  fortune  to  receive 
the  salary  of  $10,000,  that  would  have  been  paid  to  a  Senator 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  197 

had  we  elected  one  for  the  two  preceding  years.  He  served 
in  the  Senate  until  1916,  wiien  he  was  defeated  by  John  B. 
Kendrick.  He  was  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Railroads 
and  Committee  on  Judiciary  for  the  greater  portion  of  his 
service  in  the  Senate.  On  his  retirement  from  that  body  he 
was  made  a  member  of  the  Canadian  Boundary  Commission. 

Jesse  Knight  of  Uinta  County  became  Judge  of  the  Third 
Judicial  District  and  thereafter  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court. 
He  probably  had  as  large  a  personal  following  as  any  man  in 
the  State.  He  would  stick  to  a  friend  through  thick  and  thin. 
His  slaps  at  enemies  were  rather  cutting.  He  died  while  a 
member  of  the  High  Court  in  1905. 

George  W.  Baxter  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina ;  was 
reared  and  educated  in  Tennessee  and  West  Point.  Soon  after 
graduating  from  West  Point,  he  resigned  from  the  army  and 
engaged  in  the  cattle  business,  at  the  head  of  the  Union  Cattle 
Company.  This  company  owned  some  30,000  acres  of  land 
southeast  of  Cheyenne,  purchased  from  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad.  This  land  was  enclosed  and  the  alternate  sections 
were  government  land.  This  condition  prevailed  when  Presi- 
dent Cleveland  appointed  Mr.  Baxter  to  the  position  of  Terri- 
torial Governor.  Cleveland  soon  learned  of  the  condition  of 
affairs  and  removed  Governor  Baxter  summarily.  Governor 
Baxter  was  a  handsome  man,  a  true  southern  gentleman.  In 
the  Constitutional  Convention,  he  espoused  the  cause  of 
woman  suffrage  and  made  a  good  argument  for  the  ladies. 
He  ran  for  Governor  in  the  first  state  election,  being  defeated 
by  Francis  E.  Warren.  In  a  few  years  the  large  tract  of 
land  owned  by  the  Union  Cattle  Company  was  sold,  and 
Governor  Baxter  left  the  State.     He  died  a  few  years  ago. 

From  start  to  finish  Charles  N.  Potter  took  a  lively  hand 
in  the  proceedings  of  the  Constitutional  Convention.  He  was 
particularly  valuable  in  matters  pertaining  to  the  judiciary. 
He  was  educated  in  lavv^  at  Ann  Arbor  and  came  to  Cheyenne 
in  the  early  eighties.  He  held  many  positions  of  trust  during 
Territorial  days.  He  favored  a  separate  Supreme  Court,  but 
was  willing  to  yield  if  it  was  found  that  a  majority  was 
against  him.  He  introduced  an  amendment  to  that  effect,  but 
it  was  defeated.  He  was  elected  to  the  Supreme  Court  in 
1894  and  served  as  a  member  of  that  body  during  the  remain- 
der of  his  life. 

John  A.  Riner  was  of  that  class  of  young  men  who  earned 
their  way  through  college.  At  Ann  Arbor,  he  did  chores  of 
various  kinds  to  help  win  his  way  financially.  He  said  to 
me  once,  "I  wonder  if  Judge  Carpenter  remembers  when  I 
used  to  carry  coal  and  kindling  up  to  his  room  at  Ann  Arbor." 


198  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Carpenter  was  at  that  time  Judge  of  the  Second  Judicial 
District,  and  Riner  was  United  States  Judge  for  the  District 
of  AVyoming,  having  been  appointed  to  that  position  when 
Wyoming  was  admitted  as  a  State.  As  a  judge  he  made  a 
fine  record.  He  retired  in  1921  and  did  not  live  long  there- 
after.    The  State  has  had  no  better  citizen. 

Morris  C.  Barrow  of  Converse  County  came  to  Wyoming 
from  southeastern  Nebraska  in  the  late  seventies.  He  had 
edited  a  newspaper  in  the  town  of  Tecumseh.  His  advent 
in  Wyoming  was  through  the  railway  mail  service,  his  run 
being  from  Sidney  to  Laramie.  He  got  into  trouble  with 
the  government,  but  was  acquitted  by  a  jury  of  his  peers.  He 
became  city  editor  of  the  Laramie  Daily  Times  and  when  the 
Boomerang  was  started  in  1881  he  became  a  compositor  on 
that  paper,  thereafter  obtaining  the  position  of  city  editor. 
From  that  position  he  went  to  Rawlins,  where  he  edited  a 
paper  for  about  two  years.  When  the  Northwestern  Railroad 
built  into  central  Wyoming  he  established  Bill  Barlew's 
Budget  at  Douglas,  which  he  conducted  till  the  date  of  his 
death,  in  1910.  He  also  published  a  monthly  publication, 
"Sage  Brush  Philosophy."  He  was  Receiver  of  the  United 
States  Land  Office  at  Douglas  for  several  years. 

If  I  were  called  upon  to  pick  out  the  most  useful  member 
of  the  Convention  I  would  name  Henry  G.  Hay.  He  got  the 
necessary  money  to  pay  for  the  things  that  had  to  be  obtained 
before  Congress  could  pass  an  appropriation.  In  other  ways 
he  served  the  Convention  well.  He  was  manager  of  the  Stock 
Growers  National  Bank,  Cheyenne.  In  after  years  he  became 
treasurer  of  the  United  States  Steel  Corporation  and  died  in 
the  east. 

Henry  S.  Elliott  of  Johnson  County  took  a  prominent 
part.  He  was  the  temporary  chairman.  He  married  a  girl 
who  was  a  member  of  a  family  by  the  name  of  Erhart  who 
were  Albany  County  pioneers  and  who  located  in  Buffalo 
in  the  seventies.  He  now  resides  in  Seattle,  where  he  is  a 
United  States  Commissioner.  He  is  one  of  the  two  living 
members  of  the  Convention. 

Henry  A.  Coffeen  of  Sheridan  County  was  on  the  floor 
perhaps  more  than  any  other  member.  As  he  was  the  only 
delegate  from  Sheridan  perhaps  this  was  justified.  He  came 
from  Illinois  to  Wyoming.  He  took  great  interest  in  Theoso- 
phy  and  at  one  time  had  Madame  Besant  deliver  a  lecture 
in  Sheridan.  Among  his  literary  efforts  he  wrote  a  Life  of 
Christ. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  199 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  CHEYENNE 
"FRONTIER  DAYS"  SHOW 

By  Robert  D.  Hanes worth* 

FOEEWORD 

Because  of  the  comparative  accuracy  of  facts  recorded  at  the  time 
of  their  happening,  the  major  portion  of  the  material  assembled  for 
this  historical  resume  of  Wyoming  Frontier  Days  Show  has  been  gleaned 
from  the  newspapers,  authentic  registers  of  events  as  they  take  place. 
Some  of  the  vivid  descriptions  by  the  insjaired  newswriters  of  those 
e;xciting  days  have  been  quoted  verbatim,  in  order  that  a  bit  of  the 
color,  glamor  and  thrill  of  the  spectacular  beginnings  of  an  institution 
which  has  developed  into  a  magnificent  Western  Tradition,  might  be 
conveyed  to  the  readers  of  this  discourse. — E.  D.  H. 


Conceived  early  in  August,  1897,  Cheyenne  Frontier  Days 
has  grown  until  today  it  is  recognized  the  country  over  as 
the  "World's  Greatest  Outdoor  Show."  Of  its  origination, 
Warren  Richardson,  chairman  of  the  first  committee,  says, 
"The  Frontier  Days  baby  was  bom  on  the  train  between 
Cheyenne  and  Greeley,  Colorado,  during  the  summer  of  1897. 
It  M^as  customary  then  as  it  still  is  for  the  natives  of  Greeley 
to  celebrate  what  was  known  as  'Potato  Day.'  It  was  on 
one  of  these  occasions  that  Colonel  E.  A.  Slack,  his  wife,  my 
mofher  and  myself,  had  gone  to  Greeley  together.  Upon  our_ 
return  from  the  celebration  while  on  the  train,  the  Colonel 
said"to  me,  'Why  cannot  Chevenne~Eave  some  such  celel) ra- 
tion once  a  year.'  1  said,  'I  did  not  think  it  possible  as  we  did 
not  raise  much  of  anything  in  Cheyenne,  except  hell,  and  I 
did  not  qaite  see  how  we  could  pull  off  such  a  show.'   It  was 

*BIOG-RAPHICAL  SKETCH— Eobert  D.  Hanesworth  has  been  sec- 
retary of  the  Cheyenne  Chamber  of  Commerce  since  March  1,  1924,  and 
secretary  of  the  Clieyenne  Frontier  Days  Committee  since  1926. 

He  was  born  on  March  30,  1898,  at  Cheyenne,  Wyoming.  A  son  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  S.  Hanesworth,  he  was  educated  in  this  State  and  was 
graduated  from  the  Cheyenne  High  School  with  the  class  of  1913.  He 
received  the  degree  of  bachelor  of  science  in  electrical  engineering  from 
the  University  of  Wyoming,  at  Laramie,  with  the  class  of  1917. 

Mr.  Hanesworth  attended  the  First  Officers  Training  Camp  at  the 
Presidio,  San  Francisco,  California  in  1917,  where  he  received  the 
commission  of  Second  Lieutenant  in  Coast  Artillery.  He  was  ]iromoted 
to  First  Lieutenant  in  September  of  1918,  served  six  months  with 
the  American  Expeditionary  Forces  in  France,  returned  to  the  United 
States  and  was   discharged  on  March   3,   1919. 

His  talents  and  energies  have  been  devoted  generously  to  numerous 
civic  activities,  including  the  Boy  Scouts  of  America  and  the  American 
Legion,  in  addition  to  the  quantity  of  detail  in  connection  with  his 
regular  work  with  the  Cliamber  of  Commerce,  and  Frontier  Days,  "The 
World's  Greatest  Outdoor  Show." 


200  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

at  this  point  that  Colonel  Slack's  fertile  mind  developed  the 
idea  of  Frontier  Days.     Said  he,  'Let's  get  up  an  old  times 
day   of   some   sort,   we   will    call   it   Frontier   Day.      We__wilL 
get  all  the  old  timers  together,  and  have  the  remnant  of  the 
cow  punchers  come  in  with  a  bunch  of  wild  horses,  get  out" 
the   old  stage   coaches,   and   some   Indians,   etc.,   and   we   will 
have  a  lively  time  of  it. '   The  Colonel  started  the  idea  working" 
in  the  next  issue  of  his  paper." 

As  the  years  have  passed  by  there  has  been  some  differ- 
ence of  opinion  as  to  who  suggested  a  "Wild  West"  celebra- 
tion and  the  name  ' '  Frontier  Days. ' '  After  reading  all  obtain- 
able information  in  the  1897  files  of  local  newspapers,  it  seems 
to  me  that  both  Mr.  F.  W.  Angier,  passenger  agent  of  the 
Union  Pacific,  and  Mr.  E.  A.  Slack,  editor  of  the  Daily  Sun 
Leader,  were  instrumental  in  suggesting  "Frontier  Days," 
and  probably  should  be  giA^en  credit  jointly.  The  August 
28,  1901  issue  of  the  Cheyenne  Leader,  under  the  heading 
"History  of  Frontier  Days,"  says  in  part  "The  Union  Pacific 
Agent,  Mr.  Angier,  came  to  the  Leader  Office,  and  after 
mentioning  the  various  celebrations,  asked  us  to  suggest  some- 
thing for  Cheyenne.  Going  over  the  list,  it  was  quite  evident 
that  Wyoming  could  not  hope  to  excel  in  any  of  the  features 
then  in  vogue,  so  casting  about  to  see  what  new  thing  there 
was  that  would  attract  the  people  in  and  outside  of  its  state, 
we  suggested  cowboy  exploits,  and  if  possible  the  procurement 
of  a  band  of  Indians.  This  met  the  approval  of  Mr.  Angier, 
.  .  .  and  he  left  in  a  hopeful  train  of  thought." 

The  word  "WE"  in  the  above  quotation  indicated  that 
the  Dail}^  Sun  Leader  and  Mr.  Slack  in  particular,  was  the 
originator  of  Frontier  Days. 

Warren    Richardson    also    gives    Col.    E.    A.    Slack,    then 

editor   of  the   Daily   Sun   Leader,    credit   for   Frontier   Days. 

'       He  ^saysT-^^he   man  who   was  the  father   of  Frontier  Days, 

who   originated  the   idea,   who   developed  the   sentiment   that 

resulted  in  its  complete  success,   and  who,  for  the  first  few 

^         years  of  its  infancy,  stood  by  it  through  thick  and  thin,  when 

"^^f^  it  was   attacked   as  a   'rough   neck   show   and   should  not   be 

permitted,'  and  who,   as  long  as  he  lived,   was  the  greatest 

power  behind  the  show,  both  with  his  mighty  intellect,  through 

the  columns  of  his  newspaper,   and  with  his  money  when  it 

was  necessary,  was  Colonel  E.  A.  Slack." 

But  later,  Mr.  Angier  on  August  23,  1911,  wrote  a  letter 
to  the  Sun  Leader,  referring  to  a  history  of  Frontier  Days 
appearing  a  week  previous  in  his  newspaper  giving  E.  A. 
Slack  credit  for  starting  the  show.  He  states  that  he  (Mr. 
Angier)  went  to  Cheyenne  and  laid  his  plans  before  Colonel 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  201 

Slack  who  at  once  said,  "It  is  all  right  and  I  am  with  you." 
The  Sun  Leader  of  even  date  in,  an  editorial  says,  "The 
Leader's  Frontier  Days  history  of  a  week  ago  is,  as  Mr. 
Angier  states,  erroneous.  The  idea  of  a  carnival  with  wild 
western  sports  for  Cheyenne  was  originated  by  Mr.  Angier. 
then  traveling  passenger  agent  for  the  Union  Pacific  at 
Denver,  and  a  great  deal  of  the  subsequent  advertising  which 
the  show  received  was  due  to  his  remarkable   energy." 

Be  that  as  it  may,  the  undisputed  fact  remains  that  on 
August  30,  1897,  Mayor  Wm.  R.  Schnitger  called  a  meeting 
of  representative  business  men  at  the  office  of  Riner  and 
Schnitger  to  discuss  the  suggestion  of  Frontier  Days,  at 
which  time  a  committee  was  appointed  to  solicit  funds  and 
arrange  for  the  celebration.  This  committee  was  Warreii 
Richardson,  chairman,  Edward  A.  Slack,  J.  A.  Martin,  E.  W.  ^. 
Stone,  J.  H.  Arp,  G.  R.  Palmer,  D.  H.  Holiday,  John  L. 
Murray  and  Clarence  B.   Richardson.  — 

Chairman  Warren  Richardson  donated  the  "elegant  front 
room  of  the  Tivoli  Cafe,  upstairs,  for  the  use  of  the  com- 
mittee. ' '  This  room  is  above  the  Tivoli  Saloon  where  Sam 
Marchick  is  now  located. 

An  elaborate  description  of  that  first  celebration  appeared  ' 
in  "the  Sun  Leader  of  Sept.  23,  1897,  under  the  heading  "The 
First  Frontier  Days"  which  declared,  in  part,  "No  more 
perfect  day  in  every  respect  could  have  been  designated  by 
Providence  for  the  first  Annual  Celebration  of  Frontier  Days 
in  Cheyenne.  Incoming  trains  during  the  night  and  the 
trains  from  the  south  and  east  this  morning  brought  hundreds 
of  visitors  to  our  city,  but  the  largest  iiumber,  as  might  well  be 
expected,  arrived  on  the  excursion  train  from  Denver,  which 
arrived  in  the  city  about  noon.  On  this  train,  also,  came 
the  Greeley  band,  which,  discoursed  fine  music  at  the  depot 
before  dinner. 

"The  appearance  of  the  city  indicated  a  grand  holiday, x^ 
the   stars   and   stripes  and   bunting   adorned  business   houses,    ^^ 
and    on    all    sides   were    seen    Frontier   badges    and    everj^one  J  J 
seemed  out  for  a  celebration  with  a  seeming  inspiration.     ^^ 

"The  commencement  of  the  grand  festivities  of  the  occa- 
sion was  made  manifest  at  12  o'clock  by  the  firing  of  cannon 
by  battery  A,  by  the  ringing  of  all  the  bells  in  the  city,  by 
the  blowing  of  the  railroad  whistles  and  also  the  wliistles 
of  every  plant  in  the  city.  Hundreds  of  citizens  fired  shotguns, 
rifles,  pistols  and  the  combined  noise  was  deafening  in  the 
extreme. 

"At  12:30  o'clock  the  citizens  began  to  repair  to  the 
fair  grounds.     The  committee  had  announced  that  the  pro- 


? 


202  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

gram  was  long  and  must  commence  at  1  o'clock,  sharp.  The 
Union  Pacific  ran  trains  from  the  depot  to  the  fair  grounds 
at  1,  2,  and  3  o'clock.  It  is  estimated  that  the  number  of 
visitors  to  our  city  was  at  least  3,000.  The  citizens  of  the 
city  turned  out  in  full  force  and  the  fair  grounds  never 
were  so  full  of  people. 

'On  the  grounds  the  guests  could  obtain  any  kind  of 
liquor  or  solid  refreshments.  The  track  had  been  worked  on 
Jor  days  and  was  in  good  condition  for  horse  racing. 

'Around  the  stables  were  the  racing  horses  and  their 
owners  and  riders.  Bucking  bronchos,  cow  ponies,  bulls, 
steers  and  oxen  were  everywhere  in  evidence. 

"The  following  was  the  revised  order  of  the   exercises: 
^       No.  1.     Cow  pony  race,  quarter  mile. 
No.  2.     Free   fo/  all,   half   mile. 
No.  3.     Cow  pony  heat  race   (2  in  3). 
No.  4.     Pony  Express.     Event  sham  battle  by  the  U.  S. 

Troops. 
No.  5.     Stake  race,  250  yards,  time  race. 
No.  6.     Wild  horse  race,  half  mile. 
No.  7.     Cow  pony  race,  second  heat  and  to  close. 
No.  8.     Pitching  and  bucking  horses. 
No.  9.     Free  for  all,  one  mile. 

Event — Scene    on   the    Overland    Trail — ox   train — stage 
holdup,  vigilantes,  etc. 

"The  first  event  was  a  cow  pony  race,  quarter  mile,  purse 
$20 ;  5  per  cent  to  enter. 

"Starter  McDermott  not  having  appeared,  the  races  were 
started  by  Mr.  R.  S.  Van  Tassell. 

"The  second  event,  the  free  for  all  half  mile,  excited  a 
great  deal  of  attention.  The  first  race  was  greatly  delayed 
on  account  of  the  slowness  of  the  riders  to  materialize.  After 
the  first  race,  the  other  events  were  rushed.  The  bands  were 
delayed  in  town  on  account  of  missilig  the  trains,  but  arrived 
at  this  time.  (Access  to  Park  by  train.)  It  was  two  o'clock 
when  the  second  race  was  called. 

"At  this  time  the  soldiers  from  Fort  Russell  marched 
into  the  fair  grounds  in  grand  military  style  under  the  gen- 
eralship of  Capt.  Pitcher  and  aided  by  the  officers  as  published 
in  the  Sun  Leader  last  night.  The  soldiers  pitched  tents 
in  military  style  and  their  maneuvers  were  immensely  en- 
joyed. At  this  time  the  Sioux*  Indians,  under  Chief  Chile, 
gave  a  fine  war  dance  in  the  old  time  Indian  fashion.  This 
was  received  by  loud  applause  from  the  grand  stand. 

"When  the  time  came  for  the  third  event,  the  fair 
grounds  looked  like  an  immense  city.  The  people  had  turned 
out  in  thousands  and  the  half  mile  track  was  completely 
lined  up.     The  grand  stand  was  absolutely  packed  so  tightlj'' 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  203 

it  was  impossible  to  get  one  more  person  in.  The  crowd  was 
even  larger  than  any  one  had  imagined,  and  still  more 
visitors.  The  total  number  of  visitors  can  be  estimated 
reasonably  at  4,000  people. 

"The  sham  battle  was  the  next  thing  on  the  program 
and  one  of  the  most  exciting  events  of  the  day.  This  was 
brilliantly  conducted  by  the  dashing  Captain  Pitcher.  The 
bugle  sounded  and  the  battalion  was  called  to  the  open  space 
inside  the  half  mile  track.  The  battle  was  viewed  with  the 
greatest  of  interest  by  the  thousands  of  visitors,  many  of 
whom  had  never  viewed  a  similar  scene.  The  excitement  ac- 
companying the  discharge  of  a  number  of  guns  fired  as  if 
at  an  enemy  inspired  many  to  intense  excitement.  The  battle 
was  brilliantly  conducted,  the  soldiers  showing  much  skill 
in  the  many  maneuvers. 

"The  sixth  event  was  the  wild  horse  race,  distance  one- 
half  mile,  purse  $75 ;  this  was  the  first  race  of  the  kind  ever 
pulled  off  at  the  fair  grounds. 

"The  seventh  event  was  the  cowpony  stake  race,  250 
yards,  purse  $25.     5  per  cent  to  enter. 

"A  great  deal  of  excitement  was  occasioned  by  the 
runaway  of  a  black  cow  horse.  A  number  of  cowboys  struck 
out  after  it  and  another  scene  of  old-time  life  was  revived. 

"The  eighth  event  was  pitching  and  bucking  horses. 
This  was  the  event  of  the  day.  The  wild  horses  were  brought 
on  the  track  barely  halter  broken  and  every  rider  rode  a 
strange  horse.  Some  of  them  were  very  wild  and  could 
hardly  be  kept  in  the  track  limits,  although  the  best  riders 
in  the  west  had  them  under  control.  The  scene  of  the  wildest 
kind  of  horses  raving  and  jumping  and  attempting  to  jump 
the  fence  kept  the  crowd  at  distance  and  presented  a  thilling 
scene.  Some  of  the  riders  showed  the  greatest  of  skill  and 
it  is  regretted  that  space  does  not  allow  for  individual  men- 
tion of  the  expert  riding.  This  event  was  pronounced  by 
old  timers  as  equal  to  anything  they  ever  witnessed  and  the 
crowd  went  wild  over  it.  Horses  jumped  fences,  men  were 
knocked  down  and  thought  killed.  The  scene  was  thrilling 
and  we  are  happy  to  chronicle  that  no  one  was  hurt,  though 
many  were  knocked  down.  The  scene  of  the  overland  train 
Avas  realistic  in  the  extreme.  Freight  wagons  bedecked  in 
old  time  style,  genuine  old  time  stages  used  thirty  years  ago. 
The  old  oxen  and  bull  teams  were  prominent  and  vigilantes 
were  immense. 

"The  stage  coach  event  was  next.  Chairman  Richardson, 
Secretary  Martin,  R.  S.  Van  Tassell,  L.  Kabis,  Mr.  McUlvan 


204  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

and  a  number  of  other  citizens  rode  on  the  stage,  which  was 
pulled  by  six'  swift  horses  and  driven  by  Dave  Creath. " 

The  First  Frontier  committee  had  at  least  one  task  that 
does  not  confront  the  1940  committee  for  the  Wyoming  Trib- 
une of  September  22,  1897,  says,  "The  Frontier  Days  Com- 
mittee will  arrange  to  have  all  ash  cans,  dry  goods  boxes, 
barrels,  etc.,  which  now  occupy  conspicuous  places  on  the 
sidewalks  in  the  business  section  of  the  city,  temporarily^ 
removed  and  gotten  out  of  sight  for  Wyoming's  first  celebra- 
tion of  Frontier  Days. ' ' 

In  describing  the  attendance  of  this  show,  the  Wyoming 
Tribune  says,  "To  the  east  and  west  of  the  grandstand,  on 
both  sides  of  the  track,  for  a  distance  of  300  yards  the  people 
were  packed  so  that  standing  room  was  at  a  premium,  and 
hundreds  more  occupied  the  more  favored  places  around  the 
track  and  in  the  open  or  inside.  The  grandstand  was  con- 
gested with  pent  up  enthusiasm  and  people.  If  there  had 
been  seating  room  for  500  more  it  would  have  been  occupied, 
no  matter  what  the  cost." 

One  of  the  writer's  very  early  recollections  is  that  of 
standing  along  the  outside  rail  of  the  track  fence  together 
with  hundreds  of  others.  Practically  eveyone  carried  um- 
brellas to  protect  against  the  rain  or  for  shade.  Whenever  a 
steer  or  bronc  came  towards  the  fence,  all  umbrellas  were 
immediately  raised  and  pointed  toward  the  animal  to  turn 
him  in  another  direction  and  it  usually  did. 

Apparently  the  two  newspapers  of  that  period  took  de- 
light in  presenting  opposing  views,  for  while  the  Daily  Sun 
Leader  praises  the  celebration  in  superlatives,  the  Wyoming- 
Tribune  declares,  "There  are  some  features  of  such  a  pro- 
gram that  do  not  meet  with  the  approbation  of  all.  .  .  . 
Our  visitors  know  that  the  stage  hold-up,  the  vigilantes  and 
the  ox  team  departed  our  boundaries  a  generation  ago. 

"The  influence  of  Frontier  Days  is  not  elevating  in 
character,  but  is  it  harmful  to  any  extent?  We  think  not, 
and  yet  suggest  that  next  year  a  more  varied  program  be 
gotten  up.     .     .     ." 

"One  thing  impressed  the  observer  more  than  all  the 
rest  combined  and  that  was  the  absolute  incapacity  shown 
to  handle  the  crowds.  It  is  a  curious  and  inexplicable  thing, 
the  unaccountable  desire  of  dozens  of  ladies  to  stand  on  the 
race  track,  totally  oblivious  to  the  extreme  novelty  and  danger 
of  their  position,  and,  while  it  was  a  relief  to  see  them  grab 
their  petticoats  and  safely  get  away  from  the  deadly  feet  of 
wild  and  crazy  broncs,  the  spectacle  was  not  edifying,  and 
should  be  dispensed  with  next  year." 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  205 

It  is  rather  interesting  to  review  the  list  of  contributors 
to  the  first  show,  many  of  Avhom  are  still  in  the  harness  today 
i]]  civic  work.  H.  P.  Hyncls,  recently  deceased,  leads  the 
list,  others  are  E.  A.  Logan,  Miss  Louise  Smith,  Max  Meyer, 
Arp  &  Hammond  Hardware  Co.,  F.  A.  Meanea  Co.,  Stock 
Growers  National  Bank,  C.  W.  Hirsig,  Union  Mercantile  Co., 
J.  W.  Lacey,  Idelman  Bros.,  Dinneen  Bros.,  Pitt  Covert,  J.  M. 
Carey  Bros.,  F.  E.  Warren  Mercantile  Co.,  G.  Kingham,  A.  E. 
Roedel,  Richardson  Brothers,  Lem  Ellis,  Hofmann  Bros.,  Dr. 
Conwa3%  Palace  Pharmacy,  Percy  Smith  and  D.  W.  Gill.  A 
rather  interesting  item  to  those  of  us  who  knew  Sam  Bergman, 
a  man  who  made  considerable  money  in  the  second-hand 
business  where  Louie  Wax  was  later  located,  is  the  listing 
of  his  contribution  of  25c. 

In  1898  we  find  that  the  following  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  arrange  for  the  second  Frontier  Days  Celebration : 
John  L.  Murray,  chairman,  Stephen  Bon,  treasurer,  J.  A. 
Breckons,  secretary,  Daniel  McLUvan,  Pitt  Covert,  Maurice 
Dinneen  and  Morris  Wasserman.  This  committee  decided 
tliat  two  days  would  be  necessary  to  successfully  stage  this 
event  and  set  the  date  for  Sept.  5  and  6,  INIonday  and  Tuesday. 

The  second  Frontier  committee  decided  to  ask  for  a  grent 
deal  of  assistance,  and  appointed  the  following  sub-commit- 
tees :  Election  and  Wedding ;  Indian  Dances  and  Ceremonies ; 
Stage  Coach  and  Emigrant  Events ;  Pony  Express ;  Roping 
Steers ;  Dog  and  Hare  Coursing  contest ;  Music  Committee ; 
for  press  representatives ;  City  Officials,  State  Officials,  Corner 
Stone  Laying  and  Pioneer  Picnic.  Our  loyal  friend  and  sup- 
porter. Max'  J.  Meyer,  was  announcer  at  this  show. 

The  Daily  Sun  Leader,  under  the  caption  "Our  Second 
Celebration,"  says  in  part:  "The  Second  Annual  Frontier 
Celebration  has  eclipsed  any  previous  one  in  the  history  of 
Cheyenne.  It  has  been  made  up  of  a  combination  and  rapid 
succession  of  the  most  exciting  and  picturesque  events  recall- 
ing an  ideal  period  of  early  Frontier  Days. 

"Since  early  yesterday  morning,  teams  have  been  coming 
into  the  city,  bringing  people  from  the  country  by  the  bun 
dreds,    from   distances   of  fifty  to   seventy-five  miles.     Every 
incoming  train  has  been  loaded  down  with  passengers,   ovei* 
2500  coming  from  Colorado  points. 

"The  ceremonies  of  the  day  opened  with  a  monster 
parade  which  started  immediately  after  the  arrival  of  the  last 
special  train  from  Colorado. 

"The  parade  was  formed  of  four  divisions,  the  first  being 
Buffalo  Bill's  Wild  West  Show.  This  was  lead  by  Colonel 
Codv,  riding  in  an  o])en  carriage  with  Governor  W.  A.  Rich- 


206  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

ards  seated  by  him.  Following  the  carriage  came  twenty 
Sioux  Indians  mounted  and  dressed  in  typical  Indian  costume. 
Then  came  a  company  of  German  Uhlans  in  a  white  uniform 
of  their  rank.  Following  were  bands  of  Arabs,  Turks,  and 
Cheyenne  Indians,  all  magnificently  mounted.  Then  came 
a  party  of  cowgirls,  and  following  these  were  a  band  of 
Indians,  followed  by  a  mounted  cowboy  brass  band.  Follow- 
ing these  came  a  squadron  of  the  6th  U.  S.  Cavalry,  then  a 
company  of  Cubans,  then  some  Mexican  riders,  more  Indians 
and  a  squadron  of  British  lancers.  Following  these  was  the 
old  Overland  Pioneer  Coach,  with  an  escort  of  cowboys. 
Following  were  Indians,  the  division  closing  with  the  A  battery 
of  the  U.  S.  Artillery. 

"The  second  division  of  the  parade  consisted  of  Cheyenne 
Fire  Department,  200  strong,  with  its  apparatus  handsomely 
decorated  with  flags  and  flowers,  making  a  splendid  exhibi- 
tion of  the  superb  volunteer  fire  department  in  the  U.  S. 
Following  them  came  the  labor  organizations  of  the  city, 
the  machinists,  boiler  makers  being  particularly  noticeable 
on  account  of  their  handsome  suits.  This  division  was  led 
by  the  Cheyenne  City  Band. 

"The  third  division,  led  by  the  Eaton  band,  had  for  its 
feature  the  magnificent  float  of  the  directors  of  the  Festival 
of  Mountain  and  Plain  of  Denver.  The  float  was  drawn  by 
six  black  horses,  and  was  applauded  by  the  crowds  along  the 
entire  route.     It  was  entitled  "Neptune  and  the  Seas." 

"A  number  of  Cheyene  merchants  had  handsome  floats. 

"Next  came  the  beautiful  cereal  floats  of  the  Wyoming 
Development  Company  exhibiting  productions  of  the  Wheat- 
land Colony.  Clark,  the  Cheyenne  taxidermist's  float  of 
stuffed  animals  and  rare  skins,  was  perhaps  the  most  unique 
and  elaborate  in  the  parade. 

"The  big  Sweickert  Hardware  Co.  was  here  represented 
by  four  handsome  floats  displaying  their  ware.  Manewal's 
Bakery  float  attracted  great  attention.  Charles  Erswell  fol- 
lowed in  a  boat  float  made  of  canvas  and  propelled  by  a 
bicycle.  The  float  was  pure  white,  twenty  feet  long  and 
was  a  perfect  counterpart  of  a  smack  in  the  sea.  It  evoked 
all  the  patriotic  enthusiasm  of  the  crowd. 

"Next  came  the  Phil  Zang  mammoth  beer-keg  float,  the 
keg  being  ten  feet  in  diameter.  The  Wyo.  Cycle  Co.  had  a 
notable  display  on  a  float.  E.  S.  Johnston,  the  big  grocer,  had 
two  grand  floats,  one  of  them  being  a  moving  grocery,  the  other 
a  negro  and  watermelon.  Saturnalia,  where  real  happiness 
reigned  supreme. 


.      ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  207 

"Next  came  the  Messick  Dry  Goods  Company's  hack  filled 
with  the  most  beautiful  women  in  silks  and  satins.  Major  Tal- 
bot, the  finest  specimen  of  the  frontier  cavalry  man  now  extinct, 
was  knight  errant  on  a  beautiful  charger. 

''Then  came  out  thirty  weather  beaten,  travel  stained  prairie 
schooners  with  their  "Pikes  Peak  or  Bust"  outfits,  the  motive 
power  being  horses,  cattle,  asses,  etc.,  in  all  imaginable  variety 
in  way  of  hitching  them  on. 

"The  fourth  division  headed  by  the  Loveland  Band,  repre- 
sented the  distinctive  features  of  the  day. 

"A  number  of  the  old  time  visitors  to  the  city  rode  in  the 
pioneer  coach  which  formerly  ran  between  this  city  and  Dead- 
wood.  The  coach  was  drawn  by  six  horses,  driven  by  George 
Lathrop,  a  stage  driver  of  thirty  years '  experience  on  the  plains. 
Following  the  pioneer  coach  came  a  genuine  emigrant  train,  con- 
sisting of  twenty  emigrant  wagons,  halted  on  their  way  across 
the  plains  to  take  part  in  the  celebration.  Following  the  emi- 
grants were  bands  of  Shoshoni  and  Arapahoe  Indians,  led  by 
Chiefs  William  Shakespeare  and  Dick  Washakie.  The  parade 
closed  with  a  band  of  cowboy  riders,  mounted  on  fine  specimens 
of  bronchos. 

' '  The  parade  in  its  entirety  was  pronounced  the  most  unique 
and  successful  ever  seen  in  the  west. 

"The  events  in  the  afternoon  proved  as  exciting  and  inter- 
esting as  those  in  the  morning.  Promptly  after  the  parade 
ended,  the  doors  of  Buffalo  Bill 's  wild  west  were  opened  and  over 
6,000  people  witnessed  the  performance,  which  was  a  revelation 
to  the  westerners,  who,  accustomed  as  they  are  to  seeing  exhibi- 
tions of  fine  horsemanship,  were  astonished  and  delighted  at 
the  magnificent  riding  of  the  cowboys,  Indians,  Arabs,  Cossacks, 
and  cavalrymen  forming  the  world's  congress  of  riders. 

"The  dog  and  hare  coursing  events  were  a  novel  and  inter- 
esting feature,  out  of  the  four  events  run.  The  hares  were 
invariably  run  down  within  a  radius  of  250  yards. 

"Tbe  day's  sport  passed  with  but  two  accidents,  a  rider  in 
one  of  the  running  races  and  rider  in  the  wild  horse  race  being 
thrown,  one  of  them  being  rather  seriously  injured. 

"The  following  program  was  pulled  off  this  afternoon  at 
the  fair  grounds: 

1.  Running  race,  one  mile,  free  for  all. 

2.  Trotting  race. 

3.  Representation   of  first  election  in  Wyoming. 

4.  Rnnning  race,  one-quarter  mile,  free  for  all. 

5.  Pony  express,  under  the  direction  of  Clias.  Hirsig. 

6.  Bucking  and  pitching  contest.     Purses  for  the  worst 
horse  and  the  best  rider. 

7.  Novelty  race  for  Wyoming  horses. 

8.  Roping  wild  steers. 


208  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

9.     Dog  and  hare   coursing. 

10.  Emigrant    train    attacked    by    Indians,    rescued    by 
cowboys. 

11.  Livery  wagon  race,  one-half  mile. 

12.  Stage  coach  hold-up  by  road  agents. 

13.  Cowpony   race,  one   mile   'catch   weights.'  " 

Interesting  sidelights  on  the  show  were  scattered  through- 
out that  particular  newspaper:  "The  fine  steers  used  in  the 
roping  contest  were  purchased  by  the  committee  for  $40,  and 
were  sold  today  for  $32.50." 

"In  the  dog  and  hare  coursing  contest  there  was  no  deci- 
sion.   All  the  dogs  on  the  ground  joined  in  the  chase." 

"The  delivery  wagon  race  was  won  by  L.  R.  Bresnahen, 
Dinneen  Bros,  second." 

"Frontier  Days  has  become  a  permanent  institution  in 
Wyoming.  It  has  come  to  stay.  Those  who  had  doubts  are  now 
fully  persuaded.     The  skeptical  man  is  no  longer  to  be  found." 

A  choice  bit  of  poetry  was  thrown  in  for  good  measure : 

"With    Spirits    Gay    in    Frontier    Day 

I  came  with  all  my  dough; 
In  bed  I  lay,  I'm  not  so  gay, 

My  head  is  swelled,  you  know." 

In  his  report  on  the  second  celebration,  SecV  Joe  Breckons, 
recorded  total  receipts  of  $2,910.26  as  follows  : 

From  former  committee  - $    134.31 

Concessions    351.05 

Subscriptions  1,351.50 

Entry  fees - 92.40 

Sale  of  grandstand  seats 1,017.00 

$2,910.26 
The  committee  turned  a  balance  of  $2,612  over  to  the  suc- 
ceeding committee.  The  newspaper  account  of  the  meeting  at 
which  the  above  report  was  submitted,  says  ' '  The  Cheyenne  Club 
entertained  last  year's  (1897)  and  this  year's  (1898)  Frontier 
committees.  The  discussion  of  Frontier  work  was  extremely 
entertaining,  as  were  the  humorous  anecdotes  related.  Last 
year's  committee  is  sensitive  on  one  point,  and  that  is  reference 
to  those  ice  cream  suits  which  the  members  wore  on  the  last  day 
of  the  celebration,  when,  as  it  will  be  remembered,  the  ther- 
mometer went  down  to  10  degrees  below  zero.  But  the  old  com- 
mittee, with  its  charitable  and  Christian  spirit,  presented  the 
suits  to  the  new  committee  and  a  resolution  was  passed  that 
they  wear  them  (the  old  committee  had  a  majority  at  dinner)." 
August  23  and  24,  1899,  were  the  dates  set  for  the  observ- 
ance of  the  third  annual  Frontier  Celebration.  The  following 
comprised  the  3rd  committee :  E.  W.  Stone,  W.  E.  Dinneen. 
Frank  Ptoedel,  R.  W.  Breckons,  Alex  Nimmo,  Ed.  F.  Stable, 
C.  W.  Riner,  Warren  Richardson,  and  W.  F.  Daiber. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  209 

Frontier  Wedding-  and  Bridesmaids' 
Ball  Highlight  Second  Show 

A  new  "Social  Feature"  as  the  Sun  Leader  calls  it,  was 
added  to  the  1898  program.  This  feature  was  a  Frontier  Wed- 
ding. Newspapers  in  23  cities  of  Wyoming  and  Colorado  spon- 
sored contests  for  the  election  of  bridesmaids  to  represent  their 
respective  communities.  The  election  was  by  coupons  printed 
in  each  edition  of  the  newspaper,  the  girl  receiving  the  greatest 
number  being  elected,  and  was  sent  to  Cheyenne  as  the  guest  of 
the  Frontier  Committee.  Prominent  Cheyenne  families  enter- 
tained these  young  ladies  while  in  Cheyenne. 

Shortly  after  the  announcement  of  the  contemplated  wed- 
ding, an  application  was  received  which  is  quoted  from  the 
Sun  Leader  of  July  27,  1899,  as  follows: 

"Having  just  read  your  advertisement  in  the  Denver  Post, 
I  hasten  to  apply  for  the  honor  of  being  married  on  Frontier 
Days  at  Cheyenne.  I  am  a  young  man,  24  yrs.  old.  The  young 
lady  is  18  and  handsome  too.  As  we  are  desirous  of  getting 
married  on  the  23rd  of  August  as  that  is  the  young  lady's  birth- 
day, I  sincerely  hope  and  pray  that  you  will  do  us  the  honor 
and  make  us  both  happy  for  life  by  letting  us  be  the  bride  and 
bridegroom  on  this  occasion.  .  .  .  Mr.  Secretary  if  our  pros- 
pects are  bright  let  me  know  at  the  earliest  opportunity  so  that 
we  may  know  what  to  do." 

One  of  the  newspapers  informed  its  readers  that  "all  day 
yesterday  and  today  people  from  the  surrounding  country  have 
been  driving  into  the  city  prepared  to  take  in  the  big  show. 
Cowboys,  bunches  of  wild  horses  have  crowded  the  barns  and 
corrals  as  they  have  not  been  since  the  days  when  Chevenne  was 
the  gateway  to  the  Famous  Black  Hills  region  to  the  north. 
Emigrants  traveling  across  the  country  and  hearing  of  the 
Frontier  Days  celebration  have  pulled  here  with  their  wagons 
and  there  is  quite  an  encampment  of  these  schooners  of  the 
prairie  at  the  Fair  Grounds." 

For  the  3rd  Frontier  Days  celebration  the  following  pro- 
gram was  given  : 

1.  Half    mile    cowpony    race. 

2.  Erunning  free  for  all. 

3.  Exhibition  by  Cavalry  from  Tt.  Eussell. 

4.  Pioneer  wedding. 

5.  Bucking  and  pitching  contest. 

6.  Indian   pony   race. 

7.  Stake   race. 

8.  Wild  horse  race. 

9.  Ladies'  cowpony  race. 

10.  Frontier  Day  stage  coach  holdup. 

11.  Running  free-for-all — one  mile. 

12.  Roping  wild  steers. 


210  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

The  rules  of  the  steer  roping:  contest  were  somewhat  differ- 
ent from  those  now  in  effect.  In  that  event  the  roper  after 
catching  his  steer  had  to  dismount,  tie  the  steer  and  then  re- 
mount his  horse  to  give  signal  to  judges  by  waving  his  hands. 

In  the  bucking  contest,  prizes  were  given  not  only  for  the 
best  rider  but  for  the  worst  horse. 

The  Pioneer  Wedding  was  awaited  with  great  interest,  and 
was  a  highlight  of  the  show.  In  anticipation,  the  Sun  Leader 
announced  the  planned  details  as  follows :  ' '  Miss  Cora  Baer 
and  Dr.  M.  C.  Mathews  of  Denver,  in  full  frontier  garb,  will  be 
united  in  marriage  by  the  famous  Parson  Uzell  of  Denver.  The 
wedding  will  take  place  Wednesday  afternoon  and  23  brides- 
maids will  attend  the  bride.  At  one  o'clock  on  Wednesday  the 
bride  and  groom,  minister  and  bridesmaids  will  assemble  at 
the  home  of  Pitt  Covert.  At  2  o'clock  the  bridesmaids  will  be 
conveyed  in  the  old  Black  Hills  stage  coach  drawn  by  six  horses, 
to  the  Fair  Grounds.  A  separate  conveyance  will  be  on  hand 
for  the  bride  and  groom  and  minister.  On  arrival  at  the  fair 
grounds,  the  bridal  party  is  to  take  position  under  the  grand- 
stand and  upon  the  signal  from  the  master  of  ceremonies,  Covert, 
and  with  the  band  playing  suitable  music,  the  party  will  repair 
to  the  stand  which  will  be  located  directly  in  front  of  the  grand- 
stand and  in  full  view  of  the  thousands  of  spectators,  the  cere- 
mony will  be  performed.  The  Ladies  Auxiliary  of  the  Frontier 
Association  has  made  ample  preparations  for  the  entertainment 
of  the  bridesmaids,  who  will  be  driven  over  the  city  in  the  morn- 
ing and  attend  a  reception  at  the  Capitol  in  the  evening. ' ' 

The  Bridesmaids'  Ball,  which  was  held  on  Capitol  Avenue, 
between  16th  and  17th  streets,  north  of  the  Interocean  Hotel, 
where  the  Hynds  building  is  now  located,  was  also  an  outstand- 
ing event.  Of  that  occasion  the  Sun-Leader  says,  "The  brides- 
maids' ball  last  evening,  aside  from  the  unfortunate  accident 
of  the  bleachers  falling  down,  was  one  of  the  most  enjoyable 
events  in  Cheyenne's  history.  The  evening  was  ideal  for  out- 
door entertainment,  and  thousands  turned  out  to  participate  in 
the  dancing  and  witness  presentation  of  prizes. 
^--  ' '  The  bride  and  groom  and  bridesmaids  arrived  about  9  :30, 
and  the  grand  march  was  called.  This  was  really  a  pretty  sight ; 
the  bride  and  groom  led,  followed  by  23  bridesmaids  and  their 
escorts,  for  the  most  part  well  known  Cheyenne  gentlemen.  The 
Indians,  in  gala  attire,  participated  and  added  much  to  the 
appropriateness  of  the  occasion. 

"With  nothing  overhead  but  the  canopy  of  heaven,  the 
stars  out  in  their  fullest  splendor,  the  moon  lending  material 
assistance  to  the  electric  lights,  with  no  wind  whatever,  the  out- 
door ball  proved  eminently  successful   and  enjoyable.     It  was 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  211 

truly  a  frontier  event  and  one  that  those  present  will  ever  re- 
member. At  the  conclusion  of  the  grand  march,  Governor 
Richards  awarded  the  prizes." 

The  newspapers  teemed  with  interesting  articles  on  the 
various  celebrations.  However,  for  the  lack  of  space,  I  cannot 
discuss  the  details  of  each  show. 

For  the  first  *five  years,  there  was  no  gate  admission,  the 
only  charge  being  for  grandstand  seats.  Large  numbers  of  peo- 
ple crowded  around  the  entire  track.  The  1901  committee  esti- 
mated that  four  or  five  thousand  people  saw  the  show  in  this 
manner  and  did  not  contribute  one  cent  to  its  support.  Starting 
in  1902  a  gate  admission  of  25  cents  was  charged. 

The  Frontier  Show  continued  to  grow  and  expand  and 
periodically  a  additional  day  was  added  to  the  celebration  until 
in  1925  when  5  days  were  inaugurated.  Up  to  the  present  time 
there  have  been  147  days  on  which  Frontier  contests  were  held. 

''A  new  Frontier  Park,"  quoting  from  a  program  of  1908, 
"large  enough  for  the  maneuvers  of  batteries  of  artillery  or 
hundreds  of  mounted  men  has  been  laid  out  just  north  of  the 
city  and  a  monster  double-deck  stand  is  now  completed  at  a 
cost  of  $20,000."  This  so-called  monster  stand  is  half  of  the 
present  double  deck  steel  stand.  In  1922  another  section  was 
added  at  a  cost  of  $20,000.  Again  in  1926  additional  seating 
capacity  was  needed  and  the  stadium  stand  was  erected  at  a 
cost  of  $16,000.  Additional  sections  were  added  to  the  double- 
deck  steel  grandstand  in  1936  and  1939.  These  improvements 
bring  the  total  cost  of  Frontier  Park,  as  it  now  stands,  to  ap- 
proximately $300,000.  All  of  this  was  paid  for  from  the  profits 
of  the  show  since  its  inception. 

In  addition  to  paying  for  the  improvements,  the  Frontier 
Committee  purchased  approximately  100  horse-drawn  vehicles 
which  are  invaluable  at  the  present  time  because  of  difficulty  in 
replacing  them ;  also  Indian  tepees,  the  entire  night  show 
grounds,  fireproof  warehouse  for  storage  of  the  parade  vehicles, 
harness,  saddles,  and  many  other  items. 

Cheyenne  Frontier  Days  Celebration  has  been  imitated 
throughout  t^  e  United  States  but  never  has  been  equalled.  For 
43  years  Ch'^'vesnie  has  been  building  soundly  and  costructively 
and  today  Cheyenne  Frontier  Days  towers  above  all  competitors 
— has  been  justly  called  the  "Daddy  of  'em  All"  and  the 
"world's  greatest  outdoor  contest." 

An  estimated  total  number  of  2,000,000  people  has  wit- 
nessed the  43  Frontier  shows.  Each  year  people  from  every 
state  in  the  Union  and  usually  several  foreign  countries  are  in 
attendance  at  Frontier  Days  and  the  average  annual  attendance 
during  recent  years  has  been  60,000  persons. 


STATE  GOVERNORS 


(Left  to  right,  top) :    John  B.  Kendrick — Jauuaiy  4,   1915-February  26, 

1917;    Frank    L.    Houx    (Acting)^February    26,    1917-January    6,    1919; 

(Bottom):    Robert  D.  Carey — January  2,  1919-January  1,  1923;   William 

B.  Ross— January  2,   1923-October  2,   1924.     (Died  in   office.) 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  213 

GOVERNORS   OF   THE   STATE   OF   WYOMING 
By  Harry  B.  Henderson,  Sr.* 

Article  IV 

John  B.  Kendrick 

John  B.  Kendrick  was  inaugurated  as  Governor  on  the 
first  Monday  in  January,  1915,  serving  the  State  as  such 
officer  to  February  24th,  1917,  when  he  was  elected  United 
States  Senator.  He,  too,  was  a  western  man,  familiar  with 
the  traditions  of  the  people  of  the  state,  the  resources  of 
the  state  and  all  the  activities  which  were  for  their  develop- 
ment; he  was  keen  in  his  observations,  practical  in  business, 
and  urged  upon  the  people  to  adhere  to  the  thrift  and  econo- 
mies that  make  for  progress  and  happiness. 

Governor  Kendrick,  in  his  first  message  to  the  Legisla- 
ture said,  "The  first  requisite  of  a  State  Department  is  good 
service :  appropriations  should  be  made  to  insure  this  result 
under  a  strictly  business  management.  "We  should  bear  in 
mind  the  actual  needs  of  establishments  rather  than  the  bene- 
fits to  accrue  to  the  localities  in  which  they  may  be  situated. 

"Equality  of  taxation  is  a  necessary  principle  of  fair 
and  impartial  government." 

Legislation  to  create  a  Public  Utilities  Commission  was 
recommended  and  the  Public  Utilities  Act  was  subsequently 
enacted. 

The  Governor  also  recommended  that  Permanent  Land 
Funds  "might  be  loaned  on  Wyoming  agricultural  lands  of 
unquestioned  value.  I  want  to  impress  you  that  as  guar- 
dian of  this  heritage  it  is  imperative  that  we  safeguard  it 
with  every  precaution  to  insure  its  integrity. 

"We  are  confronted  by  the  extreme  danger  which  arises 
from  the  application  of  rights  of  priority  of  appropriation  of 
our  waters  after  they  have  crossed  into  neighboring  states. 
Constructive  legislation  is  earnestly  urged  to  protect  the 
rights  of  Wyoming  to  the  waters  of  its  streams." 

Enlargement  of  the  Capitol  Building  is  stated  as  an 
imperative  necessity.  In  conclusion  the  Governor  says,  "I 
have  suggested  that  you  let  your  keynote  be  Co-operative. 
I  now  urge  you  to  make  your  watchword  Progress." 

The  Governor,  in  his  message  of  1917,  says:  "In  making 


*A  biographical  sketch  of  Mr.  Henderson  appears  in  the  ANNALS 
OF  WYOMING,  Vol.  11,  No.  4,  October,  1939,  with  the  first  of  this 
series  of  five  articles  on  Wyoming  Territorial  and  State  Governors 
being  written  especially  for  this  publication. 


214  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

appropriations  for  the  support  of  the  various  public  institu- 
tions of  the  state — we  should  bear  in  mind  that  they  are  for 
a  definite  and  fixed  purpose  and  not  to  be  considered  as  allot- 
ments to  be  expended  within  the  limits  of  a  certain  community. 
There  should  be  a  definite  disposition  on  the  part  of  every 
member  to  restrict  all  state  appropriations  wherever  the  exer- 
cise of  such  economy  is  at  all  consistent  with  the  actual  needs 
of  the  State." 

The  creation  of  the  "Budget  System"  and  an  enactment 
of  a  laAv  for  that  purpose  is  urged.  The  law  was  enacted 
in  1919. 

Legislation  is  asked  upon  the  prohibition  question. 

The  enactment  of  a  law  providing  for  a  Highway  Com- 
mission is  requested,  and  the  suggestion  was  enacted  into  a 
law.  Attention  is  directed  to  the  reclamation  of  lands,  in 
the  Green  River  watershed  and  the  statement  is  made,  "there 
are  one  million  twenty-five  thousand  acres  that  can  be  re- 
claimed by  irrigation." 

The  Governor,  in  conclusion,  urges  "the  enactment  of 
carefully  considered  legislation,  avoiding  the  necessity  of 
hasty  action  upon  important  measures.  *  *  *  Forget  section- 
alism, obliterate  county  lines,  merge  partisanship  into  patri- 
otism, blend  the  north  with  the  south,  east  and  west,  so  that 
your  every  effort  will  be  to  serve  your  state  as  a  whole." 

Mr.  Kendrick  was  bom  in  Cherokee  County,  Texas,  in 
1857.  His  ancestors  were  Virginians,  who  came  to  the  Texas 
country  in  its  pioneer  days.  He  received  the  country  school 
education  the  district  afforded,  in  which  he  lived.  His  an- 
cestors were  engaged  in  the  cattle  business  and  as  a  boy  he 
became  interested  in  the  range  and  the  driving  of  cattle. 
In  1879,  when  but  twenty-one  years  old,  he  brought  to  "Wyo- 
ming for  his  employers  over  what  was  then  known  as  the 
Texas  Trail,  his  first  herd  of  cattle.  He  located  on  the  Run- 
ning Water,  a  small  stream  just  north  of  the  site  where  the 
town  of  Lusk  was  later  built.  He  returned  to  Texas  in  1883 
and  purchased  for  his  o^vn  account  a  small  herd  of  cattle, 
trailed  them  to  Wyoming,  and  in  1889  established  his  ranch 
in  northern  Wyoming  and  southern  Montana.  There  were 
no  railroads  in  that  section  of  the  country.  The  town  of 
Sheridan  on  Goose  Creek  had  just  been  established  as  a 
community  trading  point. 

Mr.  Kendrick  lived  on  the  ranch  and  was  his  own  fore- 
man. He  knew  the  cattle  business ;  he  knew  how  to  operate 
his  ranch  so  that  it  would  earn  a  profit.  He  knew  how  to 
invest  his  profits  so  that  they  would  become  profit  earners. 
His    investments    were    diversified.      The    '  0  W '    ranch    was 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  215 

known  because  it  was  the  home  of  the  Kendricks.  Miss  Eula 
Wulfjen,  who  became  Mrs.  Kendrick,  January  20,  1891,  was 
the  faithful,  loving  and  helpful  wife  that  managed  the  home 
and  made  the  ranch  not  only  home  but  brought  into  it  those 
things  which  gave  encouragement  to  Mr.  Kendrick,  her  hus- 
band. A  daughter  and  son  were  born  to  this  family,  Rosa 
Mae  and  Manville,  who  like   their  parents,   are  fine  people. 

Mr.  Kendrick  was  one  of  the  best  educated  and  cultured 
men  in  Wyoming,  although  he  never  was  a  student  of  any 
college.  His  education  was  dug  out  by  giving  his  evenings 
to  reading  and  learning  the  practical  things  of  life.  He  was 
always  a  student  in  the  University  of  Experience,  but  it  has 
no   "Commencement  Days." 

Trail  driver,  foreman,  owner,  stockman.  State  Senator, 
Governor,  United  States  Senator,  husband,  father;  the  youth 
of  today  can  gain  much  by  taking  on  the  spirit  of  thrift, 
industry,  and  good  citizenship  that  were  so  marked  in  Gov- 
ernor  Kendrick. 

Death  came  to  the  Senator,  November  3,  1933  at  Sheridan, 
the  community  which  he  had  recognized  as  home  for  forty- 
five  years. 

Frank  L.  Houx 

Prank  L.  Houx,  Acting  Governor  of  Wyoming  from  Feb- 
ruary 26,  1917  to  the  first  Monday  in  January  in  1919,  was 
born  in  1860  in  the  State  of  Missouri.  His  educational  advan- 
tages were  limited  to  the  common  schools  of  the  district  in 
which  he  was  brought  up.  As  a  young  man  he  attended  a 
business  college  and  read  law  for  a  short  period  of  time. 
He  came  west  and  lived  in  Montana  for  several  years,  then 
moved  to  the  Big  Horn  Basin,  settled  at  Corbett  at  the  mouth 
of  Sage  Creek  on  the  Shoshone  River. 

With  the  opening  of  the  new  town,  Cody,  he  established 
his  residence  at  that  point.  He  was  first  Mayor  of  Cody  and 
succeeded  to  that  office  for  several  terms.  He  was  elected 
Secretary  of  State  for  the  State  of  Wyoming  in  1910  and 
again  in  1914.  It  was  during  his  second  tenn  as  Secretary 
that  Governor  Kendrick  was  elected  United  States  Senator. 
Upon  Mr.  Kendrick  being  elected  Senator,  Mr.  Houx  auto- 
matically became  Acting  Governor.  Shortly  after  taking  over 
the  duties  of  the  office  of  Governor,  war  Avas  declared  against 
Germany  by  the  Congress  of  the  United  States.  Mr.  Houx 
thereupon  became  the  War  Governor  of  the  State.  He  mo- 
bilized the  National  Guard  of  Wyoming  and  the  Regiment 
was  offered  to  the  United  States  for  service  abroad.  He 
nominated   the  persons   in   the   state   to   have   charge   of  the 


216  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

registration  of  men  and  to  make  the  selective  draft.  He 
appointed  the  Wyoming  Council  for  National  Defense  which 
functioned  during  the  war  period. 

Governor  Houx''s  term  of  service  being  between  Legisla- 
tive Sessions,  he  had  no  opportunity  to  present  a  message 
concerning  the  affairs  of  State.  As  Chief  Executive  during  a 
most  trying  period  in  world  affairs  he  served  creditably  and 
faithfully  the  interests  of  Wyoming. 

Upon  retiring  from  office  in  1919  he  directed  his  energies 
towards  the  industrial  interests  of  the  country,  particularly 
in  the  refining  of  oil.  He  has  now  retired  from  business  and 
is  living  at  Cody  where  he  first  held  public  office. 


Robert  D.  Carey 

We  are  now  presenting  to  you  a  Wyomingite — Honorable 
Robert  D.  Carey,  citizen  and  native  son,  Governor  and 
United  States  Senator;  a  man  who  grew  into  the  business 
and  affairs  of  the  State  naturally. 

Governor  Carey  delivered  his  first  message  to  the  Legis- 
lature in  1919.  His  first  recommendation  is  that  "we  provide 
a  memorial  to  the  men  of  Wyoming  who  were  lost  in  the 
great  War  in  France  that  for  all  time  the  people  of  this 
state  shall  have  a  reminder  of  those  who  made  the  supreme 
sacrifice." 

The  Governor  recommended  the  enactment  of  a  Prohibi- 
tion Law,  effective  June  30,  1919.  He  also  said,  "The  most 
important  problem  that  any  legislature  has  to  deal  with  is 
the  matter  of  appropriations.  To  avoid  extravagance  and 
waste  we  should  adopt  what  is  known  as  the  executive 
budget.  *  *  *  Keep  appropriations  as  low  as  possible,  bearing 
in  mind  the  good  of  the  entire  state  rather  than  some  com- 
munity, but  remember  that  money  spent  for  a  useful  purpose 
is  never  wasted." 

Regarding  taxation,  the  Governor  said,  "No  system  can 
be  devised  which  will  be  entirely  satisfactory.  Taxes,  to  be 
just,  must  be  equitable  and  their  equalization  is  the  most 
important  factor." 

Good  roads  are  urged  as  a  valuable  asset  of  the  State. 
"Legislation  for  the  betterment  of  our  schools  should  be 
given  careful  thought  and  consideration  of  such  bills  should 
not  be  postponed  until  the  closing  hours  of  the  Session." 

The  Governor  calls  attention  to  the  agencies  carrying 
forward  agricultural  experiments,  and  says,  "It  would  seem  as 
if  all  this  work  could  be  done  under  the  direction  of  a  Depart- 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  217 

merit  of  Agricnltiire. "  He  urges,  "surveys  of  areas  of  land 
susceptible  to  irrigation  and  that  permits  be  obtained  for 
water  rights.  If  this  is  not  done  at  an  early  date,  these  rights 
will  be  acquired  by  other  states."  The  consolidation  of  Boards 
having  to  do  with  the  live  stock  industry  was  recommended. 

Governor  Carey  asked  for  legislative  cooperation  regard- 
less of  political  affiliations. 

In  his  message  to  the  Sixteenth  State  Legislature,  the  Gov- 
ernor says,  "I  shall  submit  a  budget  giving  a  complete  itemized 
plan  of  all  proposed  expenditures  for  each  department  of  state 
government.  It  is  the  first  time  we  have  had  a  budget  and  there 
have  been  no  precedents  to  guide  us. ' ' 

Attention  is  called  to  the  rapid  increase  in  assessed  valua- 
tions ;  the  valuation  for  tax  purposes  for  1920  being  approxi- 
mately $430,000,000.  The  question  of  an  equitable  tax  had  not 
yet  been  solved.  State  institutions  and  oil  royalties  are  dis- 
cussed very  fully  in  the  message. 

"The  soldiers  who  gave  their  service  in  the  great  war 
should  be  granted  a  bonus  by  the  Federal  Government  in  the 
form  of  public  lands.  A  resolution  to  congress  so  recommend- 
ing is  suggested.  We  can  never  expect  to  do  very  much  for 
agriculture  until  a  State  Agricultural  Department  is  created." 

The  creation  of  the  State  Fish  and  Game  Commission  was 
recommended,  the  administration  of  the  Blue  Sky  Law  was 
recommended. 

Tbe  Governor  criticises  in  no  uncertain  terms  the  inactivity 
of  county  officers  to  enforce  the  provision  of  certain  laws,  and 
suggests  the  creation  of  a  State  Department  of  Law  Enforce- 
ment. 

In  closing,  he  said,  "My  desire  and  purpose  is  to  co-operale 
with  you,  to  assist,  not  to  dictate,  bearing  in  mind  that  we  have 
one  and  all  assumed  a  solemn  obligation  to  the  people." 

Robert  D.  Carey  served  Wyoming  as  Governor  for  four 
years  and  approximately  seven  years  as  United  States  Senator. 
He  Avas  born  in  Cheyenne,  August  12,  1878.  Wyoming  was 
always  his  home.  He  was  a  typical  westerner ;  courteous  to  all, 
just  in  dealing  with  his  fellowmen,  wise  in  counsel  in  business 
and  public  affairs,  he  loved  the  people  of  his  state.  He  died  in 
his  home  city,  January  17,  1937. 

After  completing  his  college  course  at  Yale,  he  took  on  the 
management  of  the  Carey  laud  and  livestock  interests  in  Central 
Wyoming,  and  thereby,  learned  from  practical  experience  the 
problems  of  the  stockman  and  farmer.  He  was  successful  in 
overcoming  some  of  the  difficulties  that  attend  agricultural  pro- 


218  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

duction  and  made  the  ranch  a  profitable  unit  of  the  Carey  Com- 
pany. He  was  interested  in  the  things  that  made  for  develop- 
ment and  progress  in  the  State. 

Mr.  Carey  married  Julia  B.  Freeman  of  Douglas  in  1903, 
a  daughter  of  an  honored  pioneer  family  of  Wyoming.  Mrs. 
Carey  and  their  two  children,  Miss  Sarah  and  Mr.  Joseph  Carey, 
survive  the  fine  gentleman,  stockman,  Governor,  Senator  and 
statesman. 

Williajn  B.  Ross 

William  B.  Ross,  the  ninth  elected  Governor  of  Wyoming, 
was  born  in  Tennessee,  December  4,  1873,  educated  in  his 
native  state  and  admitted  to  the  practice  of  law,  came  to 
Wyoming  in  1901,  located  in  Cheyenne  where  he  opened  a 
law  office  and  began  the  practice  of  his  profession. 

Mr.  Ross  was  a  clean  young  man  of  splendid  personality 
and  was  well  received  by  the  people  of  the  State.  He  was  elected 
Prosecuting  Attorney  of  Laramie  County  in  1906  and  during 
his  term  of  office  made  decided  advance  in  enforcing  the  laws 
of  the  State,  and  closing  places  of  vice  in  Cheyenne.  He  was 
a  Democrat  and  was  willing  at  all  times  to  defend  the  principles 
of  his  party ;  he  was  active  in  politics  and  campaigned  the  State 
several  times  in  the  interests  of  his  party  candidates. 

Mr.  Ross  was  nominated  for  Governor  by  his  party  in  1922 
and  was  elected  to  the  high  office,  assuming  the  duties  on  the 
first  Monday  of  January,  1923. 

Governor  Ross,  in  his  message  to  the  Seventeenth  Legisla- 
ture, presented  the  following : 

"We  are  here  only  because  the  men  upon  whom  the  same 
duty  fell  in  their  day  were  steadfastly  loyal  to  the  masses  from 
whom  they  derived  their  authority.  Against  the  encroachments 
of  arbitrary  powers  and  selfish  greed,  they  stood  fearlessly  for 
the  right.  In  the  w^ords  of  the  immortal  Lincoln,  'A  Govern- 
ment of  the  people,  by  the  people  and  for  the  people.'  In  con- 
templation of  the  high  ideals  of  the  men  who  have  gone  before 
us  in  legislating  for  this  State,  we  cannot  fail  to  be  moved 
by  the  solemnity  of  the  moment.  Not  as  partisan  do  we  meet, 
but  as  delegated  spokesmen  of  the  people  who  sent  us.  They 
expect  us  to  meet  the  emergencies  which  arise  and  to  perform 
the  tasks  allotted  to  us  with  a  view  to  their  welfare.  T  have 
every  confidence  in  the  success  of  our  common  efforts. 

"At  the  outset,  I  must  impress  upon  you  the  importance 
of  the  strictest  economy.  The  financial  crisis  existing  through- 
out the  nation  is,  no  doubt,  temporary,  but  so  long  as  it  lasts  we 
will  have  no  alternative  but  to  forego  many  of  the  things  we 
considered  necessities  under  normal  conditions. ' ' 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  219 

The  Governor  recommended  the  consolidation  of  depart- 
ments of  government  and  thereby  curtailing  expense.  He  said, 
' '  Many  of  such  departments  are  luxuries  we  can  afford  in  times 
of  prosperity,  but  which  we  ought  to  deprive  ourselves  of  in 
times  of  financial  depression.  It  is  just  as  incumbent  upon 
the  State  as  it  is  upon  the  individual  to  live  within  its  income. 

"Louisiana  has  a  severance  license  tax  placed  upon  state 
products  which  are  removed  from  that  State.  The  national 
resources  of  Wyoming  which  are  being  removed  year  after  year 
are  probably  of  more  value  than  those  removed  from  the  State 
of  Louisiana.  We  should  have  the  benefit  of  a  severance  license 
tax  law." 

Law  enforcement  was  urged.  The  violation  of  the  Pro- 
hibition Laws  is  particularly  referred  to.  "In  order  to  secure 
enforcement  it  is  necessary  for  the  Executive  to  have  the  power 
to  remove  any  officer  who  fails  to  discharge  his  full  duty  in 
this  regard." 

The  message  has  many  fine  suggestions,  in  fact  Mr.  Ross 
would  make  none  other. 

A  supplemental  message  was  sent  to  the  Legislature  upon 
the  subject  of  severance  tax  legislation,  in  which  the  Governor 
says,  "A  crisis  has  been  reached;  the  people's  cause  is  imperiled. 
My  desire  to  do  something  for  them  is  the  force  which  impels 
me  to  appear  before  you.  I  remind  you  of  your  responsibility 
to  the  people  at  home  whom  you  are  chosen  to  represent,  those 
who  are  too  poor  to  send  emisaries  to  safeguard  their  interests. ' ' 

Mr.  Ross  and  Miss  Nellie  Tayloe  were  married  September 
11,  1902.    Four  children  were  born  in  the  family. 

Governor  Ross  died  October  2,  1924,  having  served  less  than 
twenty-one  months  of  his  four-year  term.  He  was  an  efficient 
executive,  a  gentleman  and  an  honored  citizen. 

(To  he  concluded  in  October  issue) 


THE  WEST 

When  you  can  ride   each  lengthening  trail 

Without  a  sense  of  loneliness; 
When  every  coulee,  draw  and  swale 

Holds  beauties  which  you  would  possess; 
When  you  can  read  the  starry  skies 

Beneath  which  you  lie  down  to  rest, 
Then  shall  you  know  and  realize 

The  fascination  of  the  West! 

— From  "Trail  Dust  of  a  Maverick," 
Bv  E.  A.  Brininstool. 


O-' 


'7 


/ 


ANNixi^S  UF  WYOMING  221 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH   OF   UPPER   CLARK'S    FORK   OF 

THE  YELLOWSTONE  AND  ITS  TRIBUTARIES 

WITHIN  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING 

By  John  K.  RoUinson 

FOEEWOED 

In  preparing  the  following  article  on  early-day  history  of  the 
Clark 's  Fork  region  in  northwestern  Wyoming,  it  has  been  necessary 
to  include  considerable  data  concerning  certain  border  points  in  Mon- 
tana, and  especially  Cooke  City,  as  the  early  travel  into  the  Clark's 
Fork  district  came  by  way  of  Cooke  City.  Up  to  about  the  year  1900, 
much  of  the  trading  was  done  in  Cooke  City  or  Livingston,  Bozeman 
or  Fort  Yellowstone,  and  later,  in  Eed  Lodge,  Montana. — J.K.E. 

The  earliest  known  white  man  to  have  left  any  history 
behind  him  in  the  state  of  Wyoming  was  John  Colter,  who 
definitely  was  known  to  have  traversed,  and  for  a  time  dwelt, 
in  the  valley  of  the  Clark's  Fork  of  the  Yellowstone  as  early 
as  1807.  As  the  facts  are  well  established  in  regard  to  Colter 
leaving  the  Lewis  and  Clark  party  on  the  return  from  the 
explorations  down  the  Columbia  to  the  Pacific,  nothing  fur- 
ther need  be  related  as  to  how  Colter  happened  to  have 
separated  himself  from  the  Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition  and 
ventured  by  himself  on  an  exploration  which  disclosed  the 
Yellowstone  National  Park,  as  we  now  know  it,  but  which 
was  first  known  to  the  early  travelers  in  the  West  as  "Colter's 
Hell."  Small  wonder  it  is  that  his  true  stories  of  his  discov- 
eries were  not  regarded  seriously  by  many  in  the  early  days. 

Colter  traveled  through  Sunlight  Valley,  a  tributary  of 
Clark's  Fork,  and  crossed  the  divide  between  the  head  of 
Sunlight  Creek  and  the  head  of  the  North  Fork  of  the  Stink- 


EDITOE'S  NOTE:  John  K.  Eollinson,  now  living  at  2285  Mar 
Vista  Ave.,  Altadena,  California,  spent  "many  happy  years  as  a  cow 
hand,  ranger  and  freighter"  in  Wyoming.  He  was  an  early  pioneer 
settler  of  Sunlight  Basin,  one  of  the  less  known  beauty  spots  in  the 
extreme  northwestern  Wyoming,  Park  County,  concerning  which  he 
has  written  the  accompanying  informative  and  entertaining  article, 
especially  for  the  ANNALS. 

He  Avas  in  the  stock  business  in  that  section,  as  well  as  in  the 
hunting  and  guiding  business.  He  freighted  to  the  Sunlight  Mines 
and  to  the  Winona  Mines,  also  from  Gardiner  to  Cooke  City,  Montana. 
Later,  1906  to  1913,  Mr.  Eollinson  was  a  United  States  rnnger  in  charge 
of   the    Sunlight-Clark's   Fork    district. 

Mr.  Eollinson  is  representative-at-large  of  the  Montana-Wyoming 
National  Cowboys  association,  a  social  organization  made  up  of  men 
who  rode  range  in  Montana  or  Wyoming  for  cow  or  horse  outfits  in  the 
'80s  or  '90s.  State  "camps"  are  formed,  "wagon  bosses"  elected  and 
meetings  held  once  or  twice  a  year.  "The  organization,  founded  recently 
in  Montana  and   Wyoming,  was   formed  to   organize   and   hold   the   old- 


222  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

ing  Water,  down  which  stream  he  traveled,  finding  well- 
marked  Indian  trails  leading  to  the  Stinking  Water  Hot 
Springs,  now  known  as  the  DeMarris  Springs.  He  was  the 
first  white  man  to  visit  those  springs,  which  caused  the 
Indians  to  name  the  river  which  passes  the  Springs  ''The 
Stinking  Water,"  because  of  the  sulphurous  odors  arising 
therefrom,  and  because  of  the  active  small  geysers,  likewise 
emitting  a  strong  sulphurous  odor. 

Years  went  by  after  the  first  visit  on  the  upper  Clark's 
Pork  by  John  Colter,  and  it  was  not  until  fifty  years  later 
that  any  authentic  knowledge  was  had  of  a  white  man  in 
that  section,  when  Pat  O'Harra  was  known  to  have  trapped 
in  the  Clark's  Pork  country  and  had  established  headquarters 
on  Pat  O'Harra  Creek  in  1857,  when  he  was  with  the  Great 
American  Pur  Company  and  where  he  lived  for  several  years 
until  the  middle  seventies,  when  all  trace  of  him  became  lost, 
after  he  was  last  seen  at  old  Fort  C.  P.  Smith  on  the  Big  Horn. 

Hunting  parties  of  Crow  Indians  frequented  the  upper 
Clark's  Pork  and  Sunlight  Valley,  as  game  was  at  all  times 
abundant,  and  where  there  was  but  little  difficulty  in  getting 
a  few  scalps  of  "Sheep  Eaters"  to  take  back  to  the  Crow 
villages  on  the  lower  Clark's  Pork,  Pry  or  Creek  and  the 
lower  Stinking  Water. 

The  first  actual  prospecting  for  gold  in  the  upper  Clark's 
Fork  country  followed  closely  the  discovery  of  gold  at  Alder 
Gulch,  Montana  Territory,  when  prospectors  came  from  the 
west,  traveling  down  stream  from  the  head  of  Clark's  Fork, 
as  the  early  prospector  had  entered  the  Gallatin  Valley  by 
the  Bozeman  Trail.  It  was  one  of  the  small  groups  of  the 
original  John  Bozeman  party  that  encountered  disaster  on 
Crandall  Creek,  a  tributary  of  the  upper  Clark's  Fork,  when, 


time  American  cowboys  together  and  preserve  the  traditions  of  the 
range."     There  are  no  dues  or  assessments. 

As  symbolic  evidence  of  Mr.  Eollinson  's  continuing  loyalty  and 
interest  in  his  home  state,  he  has  donated  a  handsome  gift  in  the 
form  of  a  bronze  plaque  to  commemorate  the  historical  aspects  of 
the  summit  of  Dead  Indian  Hill,  that  high  pass,  "which  is  the  only 
passageway  to  the  valleys  west  of  the  Big  Horn  Basin  country,  and 
opening  to  Sunlight  Creek  and  the  upper  Clark 's  Fork  of  the  Yellow- 
stone." 

Engraved  on  the  plaque,  which  is  24"  x  36"  in  size,  are  the 
names  of  the  16  pioneers  including  Mr.  Rollinson  as  having  made  pos- 
sible the  road  work  in  1909  that  rendered  the  dangerous  Dead  Indian 
Hill  safer  for  travel.  Efforts  were  concentrated  particularly  on  the 
so-called  ' '  Beaver  Slide, ' '  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  which  was  the  most 
perilous   of   several  precarious   stretches. 

The  plaque  is  set  into  a  native  stone,  cut  and  faced  by  the  Forest 
Service,  and  the  monument  is  to  be  dedicated  in  a  public  ceremony  by 
the  Wyoming  Landmarks  Commission,  some  time  in  August,  1940. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


223 


Old  Dead  Indian  Hill  Road  to  Sunlight  Valley 
and  Upper  Clark's  Fork 

■ — ^Photo  by  J.  K.  Eollinson 


in  1869,  a  prospector  named  Marvin  J.  Crandall,  with  one 
companion,  went  from  Bozeman  to  Jardin,  Montana  Territory, 
and  with  a  pack  outfit  traveled  that  old  Indian  trail  to  Lake 
Abundance,  and  through  Daisy  Pass  to  where  Cooke  City 
now  is  located.  He  prospected  the  upper  Clark's  Fork  and 
upper  Crandall  Creek,  and  found  a  rich  placer,  Avhich.  as 
fall  came  on,  he  reported  in  Bozeman  on  his  return  there. 

In  the  spring-  of  1870  (the  following  spring),  a  party  of 
prospectors  was  organized  by  Adam  (Horn)  Miller,  one  of 
the  original  John  Bozeman  men,  consisting  of  Bart  Henderson, 
J.  H.  Moore,  James  Gurley,  T.  Dougherty  and  Maiwin  J. 
Crandall,  (often  referred  to  as  "Jack").  Crandall  and  Dough- 
erty started  out  a  month  in  advance  of  the  remainder  of  the 
party,  and  planned  to  meet  on  Clark's  Fork  Meadows,  a  few 
miles  south  of  the  Montana-Wyoming  line.  The  main  party 
under  Horn  Miller  met  Indians  and  crossed  the  divide  west 
of  Cache  Creek.  While  there,  Indians  stole  all  their  horses, 
leaving  them  afoot.  They  cached  their  outfit,  hence  Cache 
Creek.  The  four  men.  Miller,  ]\Ioore,  Henderson  and  Gurley, 
made  their  way  over  the  old  Indian  trail  down  Slough  Creek 


224  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

and  down  the  Boulder  to  Bozeman.  A  searching  party  was 
organized,  and  horses  procured  to  hunt  for  Crandall  and 
Dougherty.  Their  bodies  were  found  at  their  camp  on  the 
forks  of  a  creek  which  became  known  thereafter  as  Crandall 
Creek. 

In  murdering  these  two  men,  the  Indians  had  decapitated 
both  bodies,  and  placed  each  head  on  the  spike  of  a  miner's 
pick,  which  had  been  driven  in  the  ground,  and  placed  a 
tin  cup  of  coffee  in  front  of  each  impaled  skull.  In  the  right 
hand  of  each  man's  body,  a  few  feet  away,  was  held  a  spoon. 
It  was  evident  to  the  searching  party  that  young  men  of  the 
Crow  Nation  had  committed  the  murder  and  taken  the  men's 
horses,  camp  equipment  and  guns. 

The  same  party  of  searchers,  again  under  Miller,  set  out 
from  Bozeman  in  the  spring  of  1871,  and  hunted  all  summer 
for  the  lost  placer,  and  when  on  Cache  Creek  found  that 
their  cache  had  been  looted  by  Indians,  and  the  contents 
carried  off  and  equipment  destroyed,  they  crossed  the  divide 
from  Cache  Creek  to  Republic  Creek,  and  discovered  the 
manganese-stained  outcrop  which  was  later  developed  as 
the  Republic  mine. 

The  following  year  (1872)  mining  claims  were  staked 
out  on  Miller  and  Republic  mountains,  and  by  1875  the  mining 
camp  then  called  Clark's  Fork,  was  established,  although 
located  at  that  time  on  or  within  the  Crow  Indian  Reserva- 
tion.    The  Lost  Placer  has  never  been  re-discovered. 

In  1877,  a  raiding  party  of  Chief  Joseph's  Nez  Perce 
Indians,  during  their  famous  retreat  from  General  Howard, 
robbed  the  small  smelter  at  the  outskirts  of  the  new  camp 
then  called  Cooke  City,  of  lead  bullion  and  silver,  and  used 
the  silver  lead  for  molding  bullets  for  their  muskets.  Chief 
Joseph's  retreat  followed  up  Cache  Creek  and  down  Crandall 
Creek  to  Lodge  Pole  Creek,  then  over  Lodge  Pole  Creek  (a 
tributary  of  the  upper  Clark's  Fork)  then  down  Trail  Creek 
and  into  Sunlight  Valley,  then  to  Dead  Indian  Creek,  where 
a  sharp  skirmish  occurred,  and  from  which  incident  the 
creek  acquired  its  name.  Then  up  that  steep  pass,  now 
known  as  Dead  Indian  Hill,  then  down  eastward  off  Bald 
Ridge  and  on  to  the  Clark's  Fork  below  the  canyon. 

By  1880  the  little  camp,  (named  in  honor  of  Jay  Cooke), 
one  of  the  builders  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  which, 
at  that  time,  had  planned  to  build  into  the  new  mining  camp, 
had  a  fast-growing  population,  and  by  that  time  travel  had 
already  started  to  come  from  the  east  side  of  the  mountains 
and  from  Big  Horn  Basin  and  down  the  famous  Dead  Indian 
Hill  where   the   grade   was  so   steep   that  the   driver   of  the 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  225 

first  two-wheel  mountain  carts  cut  down  a  heavy  tree  to  use 
as  a  drag  to  help  their  double  rough-locks  make  their  descent 
of  the  hill  less  hazardous,  and  even  when  four-wheeled  wagons 
made  the  descent,  they  likewise  dragged  huge  trees  as  a 
precaution  against  the  all-too-often  accident.  This  hill  had 
an  altitude  at  the  summit  of  8,000  feet,  and  at  the  crossing 
of  Dead  Indian  Creek,  at  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  the  altitude 
was  6,000  feet.  The  road  was  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter 
long,  and  was  in  places  a  25  per  cent  grade.  The  road  from 
Dead  Indian  Creek  crossed  Sunlight  at  a  dangerous  ford 
and  down  a  bad  hill,  so  that  any  heavy  vehicle  was  obliged 
to  go  up  Sunlight  Creek  eight  miles  to  the  crossing  at  the 
Spruce  point  (later  the  Painter  ranch),  and  there  ford  the 
stream,  which  was  a  safe  ford  except  in  flood  water. 

The  road  then  went  down  Sunlight  Creek  to  the  rim  of 
the  box  canyon  of  the  Clark's  Fork  River,  and  followed  up 
the  south  side  of  the  river  to  the  head  of  the  stream,  which 
was  the  Montana-Wyoming  boundary.     Three  miles  down  the" 
Soda  Butte  Creek  side  of  the  divide  was  located  Cooke  City.y 

The  need  for  meat  in  the  new  mining  camp  gave  hunters 
an  opportunity  to  profit  from  the  abundant  herds  of  elk  that 
ranged  in  Wyoming  close  to  the  new  mining  camp,  and  out- 
standing amongst  these  hunters  was  Frank  Chatfield,  a  young 
man  with  one  of  the  earliest  of  the  Bozeman  Trail  freighters. 
Chatfield  went  to  Cooke  City,  and  having  a  good  pack  outfit 
of  horses,  he  engaged  in  killing  elk  for  the  camp,  and  built 
up  not  only  a  reputation  as  a  good  hunter,  but  a  profitable 
enterprize  as  well,  and  as  his  hunting  in  late  fall  took  him 
into  the  Sunlight  Valley,  where  large  elk  herds  were  found, 
he  made  a  winter  camp  there  and  in  1884  built  the  first  log 
house  in  Sunlight  Basin,  and  to  keep  the  elk  out  of  a  piece  of 
nice  grass-land  or  meadow,  he  built  a  pole  fence  Avith  bored 
posts  to  fence  in  his  land,  which  now  began  to  take  the  name 
of  a  "ranch,"  the  first  ranch  in  the  entire  upper  northwest 
corner  of  what  was  then  Sweetwater  County,  Wyoming 
Territory. 

Frank  Chatfield  married  a  young  woman  in  Cooke  City  in 
1884,  her  given  name  was  "Kitty"  (last  name  unknown).  She 
helped  Chatfield  build  up  the  ranch  in  Sunlight  Basin,  and 
they  purchased  a  few  shorthorn  or  Durham  cows  from  a  trail 
herd  that  was  driving  from  Oregon  into  Big  Horn  Basin  to 
deliver  to  the  Lovell  ranch  on  the  lower  Stinking  Water.  Kitty 
milked  cows  all  summer,  and  sold  the  butter  in  Cooke  City, 
taking  pack  horses  to  carry  the  elk  meat  and  butter,  and  they 


226  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

brought  back  their  winter  provisions,  a  little  at  a  time,  each 
trip.  They  had  taken  into  Sunlight  an  old  mowing  machine, 
piece  by  piece,  on  pack  animals ;  they  made  a  hayrack  out  of  a 
pole  with  shafts  on  it  with  willow  brush  teeth.  This  was  dragged 
by  one  horse,  and  a  small  amount  of  hay  was  put  up  and  care- 
fully husbanded,  for  it  had  to  carry  through  the  first  calves 
that  winter  and  spring  to  feed  some  of  the  older  cows. 

The  following  year  they  continued  to  make  butter  and  put 
up  hay,  and  soon  several  tons  were  produced  from  the  natural 
meadow  which  they  irrigated  from  a  small  ditch  of  water  out 
of  Sunlight. 

Kitty  was  handy  and  willing,  and  Frank  was  able  to  do 
almost  anything  he  set  his  hand  to.  They  added  to  their  fences 
and  buildings,  and  their  herd  of  cattle  grew  in  numbers,  for 
Sunlight  was  a  fine  grass  country.  This  couple  took  time  away 
from  ranch  and  hunting  duties  to  prospect  for  gold,  for  both 
had  the  mining  urge.  They  crossed  the  head  of  Sunlight  and 
on  to  the  head  of  the  Stinking  Water,  even  as  John  Colter  had 
done  so  long  before,  and  prospected  all  the  tributaries  of  the 
North  Fork  of  the  Stinking  Water.  On  a  small  creek,  now 
known  as  Kitty  Fork  or  Kitty  Creek,  they  found  placer  indica- 
tions sufficiently  promising  so  that  they  made  a  permanent 
camp  and  set  up  a  pit  saw,  with  which  they  whip-sawed  lodge- 
pole  pine  logs  into  inch  lumber  to  build  flumes  and  sluices  to  aid 
them  in  their  placer  operations.  They  succeeded  quite  well,  it 
is  said. 

These  same  placer  grounds  on  Kitty  Fork  are  still  being 
worked  by  other  miners  to  this  day.  It  was  a  man's  work  to 
whip-saw  lumber,  but  Kitty  was  willing  and  courageous. 

The  second  white  man  to  become  a  permanent  resident  of 
Sunlight  Basin  was  Adolphus  J.  Beam,  who  came  from  Prairie 
duChien,  Wisconsin,  and  who  had  spent  some  time  trapping 
and  had  assisted  Chatfield  with  his  market  hunting.  Al  Beam, 
as  he  was  familiarly  known,  settled  on  a  piece  of  land  two  miles 
down  the  creek  below  Chatfield 's,  and  began  the  development 
of  a  ranch,  building  log  houses,  corrals  and  pole  fences.  He 
purchased  a  small  bunch  of  cows,  and  prospered  as  a  cattleman, 
as  did  Chatfield,  for  they  both  shortly  gave  up  their  efforts  at 
hunting  for  the  market,  and  had  sufficient  cattle  to  require  all 
their  time  in  attending  to  the  ranch  and  their  herd. 

All  of  the  range  was  open  to  these  two  pioneers,  and  their 
herds  of  horses  and  cattle  prospered.  After  the  death  of  Frank 
Chatfield,  the  widow,  Kitty,  married  a  Cyrus  Josiah  Davis,  who 
also  came  from  the  Gallatin  Vallev.    In  1909,  Kittv  was  wounded 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  227 

in  the  arm  by  a  gunshot  while  she  was  in  the  new  town  of  Cody, 
Wypming,  and  died  as  the  result  thereof. 

;'  It  was  customary  for  the  first  few  settlers  in  Sunlight  and 
Crahdall  Creek  and  the  Upper  Clark's  Fork  Valleys  to  do  their 
trading  in  Cooke  City  and  Livingston,  and  very  little  travel 
went  over  Dead  Indian  Hill  to  the  east,  until  the  nineties,  when 
each  year  a  considerable  migration  of  Mormons,  traveling  bj^ 
wagon  to  Idaho  did  a  little  necessary  road  work  here  and  there, 
and  as  the  town  in  Big  Horn  Basin  started  to  offer  some  trade 
advantages  to  the  settlers  of  the  upper  Clark's  Fork,  to  attract 
them  and  their  purchasing  away  from  Cooke  City  and  Red 
Lodge,  Montana,  and  when  Big  Horn  County  was  formed  from 
Fremont  County,  there  were  reasons  for  the  Clark 's  Fork  peo- 
ple to  trade  more  in  Big  Horn  Basin.  yi^In  the  late  nineties,  John 
R.  Painter  developed  a  ranch  in  Sulilight  Basin,  and  was  also 
opening  up  the  Sunlight  mining  district.  He  built  a  wagon 
road  from  the  settlement  in  Sunlight,  on  up  to  the  mouth  of 
Galena  creek,  close  to  the  mining  property,  and  as  a  consider- 
able amount  of  freighting  was  done  for  three  or  four  years,  the 
Dead  Indian  Hill  road  became  more  traveled,  and  eru)ugh  work 
was  done  on  it  to  enable  a  wagon  to  travel  the  grade.) 

fit  was  in  1909,  however,  Ijefore  any  attempt  was  ever  made 
to  permanently  improve  the  old  dangerous  Dead  Indian  Hill 
road.  That  year  the  few  original  settlers  in  Sunlight  Basin  or- 
ganized, and  established  a  grade  from  the  foot  of  the  lull  at 
the  creek  on  up  to  the  top  of  the  old  "Beaver  Slide,"  which  had 
been  the  worst  of  several  bad  places.  This  new  grade  was  sur- 
veyed out  with  a  spirit-level  and  a  sixteen-foot  straight-edg'e. 
The  new  road  was  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  long,  and  is  still 
in  use  on  the  same  grade  as  originally  built,  and  today  a  good 
graded  road  has  been  completed  to  the  top  of  the  mountain, 
where  the  altitude  is  8,000  feet. ' 

The  county  and  the  United  States  Forest  Service  made  pos- 
sible the  later  road  building,  but  the  first  work  was  done  entirely 
by  the  settlers  without  outside  help  of  any  kind.  It  is  no  longer 
necessary  to  drag  a  tree  or  use  a  rough-lock,  and  today  the 
automobile  ascends  and  descends  this  ancient  game  trail  on  a 
well-graded  road.  In  the  course  of  time  the  Sunlight  and 
Clark's  Fork  country  became  a  part  of  the  Yellowstone  Timber 
Reserve,  which  was  the  very  first  attempt  by  the  Government 
to  set  aside  a  large  piece  of  the  public  domain,  and  which  became 
known  later  as  the  Shoshone  National  Forest. 

The  following  men  and  women  dwellers  of  Sunlight  Basin 
in  1909  contributed  work,  teams,  cattle  or  funds  to  make  the 
new  grade  on  the  lower  end  of  the  hill  a  possibility : 


228  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Adolphus  J.  Beam  Ella  Tighe 

William  V.  Campbell  John  R.  Painter 

Siras  J.  Davis  Willard  D.  Ruscher 

Wade  McClung  Evelyn  T.  Painter 

Augustus  G.  Lafond  Mary  E.  Painter 

Oliver  Whitney  William  T.  Painter 


(. 


Hervey  G.  Marvin  Marguerite  M.  Painter 

Samuel  Tliompson  John  K.  Rollinson 


^n  the  early  part  of  this  century  a  post  office  was  established 
at  the  Painter  Ranch  on  Sunlight  at  "Spruce  Point;"  it  was 
called  Painter,  Wyoming.  A  once-a-week  mail  from  Cody  was 
inaugurated.  It  was  quite  a  lengthy  trip  to  the  county  seat  of 
Big  Horn  County  at  Basin  but  a  much  longer  trip  to  Lander, 
when  that  was  the^^county  seat,  in  Sweetwater  County,  and  later 
Fremont  County. 


JAMES  BRIDGER'S  CLAIMS 
By  Victor  H.  Cohen* 

An  article  in  the  October,  1939,  issue  of  this  joumaP 
mentions  the  claims  of  James  Bridger  against  the  United 
States  government  and  includes  quotations  which  suggest  that 
Bridger  was  defrauded  of  his  property  through  the  machina- 
tions of  United  States  army  officers  and  a  lack  of  good  faith 
on  the  part  of  the  United  States  government.  The  purpose 
of  the  article  was  merely  to  give  a  description  of  Fort  Bridger 
and  to  convey  some  information  concerning  its  acquisition, 
but  the  incidental  reference  to  Bridger 's  claim  against  the 
government  raises  an  important  question.  Was  the  United 
States  government  guilty  of  bad  faith? 

James  Bridger,  celebrated  hunter,  trapper,  fur  trader, 
and  guide,  founded  Fort  Bridger,  a  trading  post,  about  1843,^ 

*Mr.  Cohen,  who  is  a  graduate  assistant  in  the  Department  of  His- 
tory of  the  University  of  Wyoming,  has  prepared  this  essay  under  the 
direction  of  Dr.  Alfred  Larson. 

1  "James  Bridger,  a  Mexican  Citizen,"  p.  292. 

2  The  exact  year  when  the  fort  was  established  is  a  point  of  dis- 
pute among  writers  of  Western  History.  The  year  1843  is  accepted  by 
J.  Cecil  Alter,  James  Bridger  (Salt  Lake  City,  Shepard  Book  Co.,  1925), 
p.  176,  and  Hiram  M.  Chittenden,  The  American  Fur  Trade  of  the  Far 
West  (New  York,  Press  of  the  Pioneers,  Inc.,  1935),  Vol  I,  p.  366. 
Hubert  H.  Bancroft,  History  of  Nevada,  Colorado  and  Wyoming,  1540- 
1888  (San  Francisco,  The  History  Co.,  1890),  p.  684,  and  C.  G.  Coutant, 
History  of  Wyoming  (Laramie,  Cliaplin,  Spafford  &  Mathison,  1899), 
Vol.  I,  p.  350,  recognize  1842  as  the  date  for  the  erection  of  Fort  Bridger. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  229 

on  Mexican  territory.  The  post  was  located  in  what  was  at 
that  time  Green  River  County,  Utah  Territory,^  in  the  valley 
of  Black's  Fork,  a  tributary  of  Green  River.  It  was  a  boon 
to  the  emigrants  on  the  Overland  Trail  to  California,  for  this 
oasis  in  the  desert  provided  an  adequate  resting  spot  for  the 
weary  and  a  place  for  replenishing  necessary  supplies.^ 

Although  Bridger's  name  was  given  to  the  fort,  it  was 
established  and  owned  by  Bridger  and  Vasquez,  a  Mexican 
fur  trader  who  was  associated  with  him  in  a  fur  trading  outfit 
about  1840.^  The  partners  prospered  under  the  jurisdiction 
of  Mexico  and  later  the  United  States.  In  1853,  however,  the 
Mormons,  who  wished  to  secure  control  of  the  whole  Green 
River  Valley,  made  efforts  to  oust  Bridger  and  Vasquez.  The 
desire  to  depose  "Old  Jim"  was  intensified  by  the  rumor 
that  he  was  supplying  arms  to  the  Ute  Indians,  with  whom 
the  Mormons  were  at  war.  Brigham  Young  issued  orders 
for  Bridger's  arrest  on  charges  of  inciting  the  Indians  against 
the  Mormon's.  It  was,  however,  no  easy  matter  to  capture 
the  old  mountaineer.  While  Mormon  posses  were  organizing 
to  search  the  mountains,  Bridger  with  a  former  government 
surveyor,  John  M.  Hockaday,  surveyed  the  Fort  Bridger 
lands.  Unable  to  return  to  the  fort  because  he  feared  Mor- 
mon posses,  Bridger  left  with  his  family  (toward  the  end  of 
1853),  and  went  direct,  it  is  believed  to  the  farm  at  Little 
Santa  Fe,  Jackson  County,  Missouri.  Bridger  then  proceeded 
to  St.  Louis,  and  through  official  channels  had  his  land  survey 
papers  filed  in  the  General  Land  Office  on  March  9,   1854.^ 

In  1854  Bridger  joined  Sir  George  Gore,  a  wealthy  Irish 
nobleman,  in  a  two-year  expedition  through  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains.    Gore's  purpose  in  his  western  journey  seemed  to  be 


3  Fort  Bridger  is  now  located  in  Uinta  County,  Wyoming,  and  is 
still  a  historic  landmark  on  the  great  Lincoln  Highway. 

4  "It  might  be  said  that  Fort  Bridger  was  the  West's  first  'tour- 
ist's' park,  for  it  was  the  first  post  to  be  established  for  the  convenience 
and  trade  of  travelers,  all  others  having  been  established  for  either 
purely  militarv  or  fur  trading  purposes. "  Eock  Springs  Miner,  June  23, 
1933. 

5  Chittenden,  op.  cit.,  p.  366.  Coutant  (op.  cit.,  p.  350),  however, 
disagrees  with  Cliittenden  and  states  that  Vasquez  did  not  become  a 
partner  until  1845,  fully  two  years  after  the  fort  was  established.  An 
article  on  Fort  Bridger  in  the  Kansas  City  Times  of  Sept.  24,  1928  sup- 
ports Coutant. 

Vasquez'"  given  name  is  not  known  and  Chittenden  (op.  eit.,  p.  350), 
refers  to  him  as  Benito  Vasquez;  Alter  (op.  cit.,  p.  176),  calls  him  Louis; 
Coutant  (op.  cit.,  p.  350),  refers  to  him  as  Auguste.  Some  travelers 
referred  to  him  as  a  Frenchman  and  others  as  a  Mexican. 

6  Alter,  op.  cit.,  p.  253. 


230  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

for  pleasure  and  to  justify  an  eccentric  curiosity.'''  Bridger 
acted  as  guide,  interpreter,  and  companion  to  Gore  who  was 
highly  pleased  with  his  services. 

After  leaving  Gore  in  1856  ''it  is  said  that  he  (Bridger) 
journeyed  to  Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  not  only  acquainted 
himself  with  the  government's  attitude  toward  the  Mormons, 
but  made  certain  officials  acquainted  with  his  own  views  of 
the  Mormons,  and  was  presented  by  a  Missouri  senator  to 
the  President.^  Knowing  that  the  United  States  government 
was  going  to  send  an  army  to  quell  the  Mormon  resistance, 
Bridger  went  to  Fort  Laramie  in  the  summer  of  1857,^  and 
he  stayed  there  until  General  Albert  S.  Johnston,  in  command 
of  the  Army  of  Utah,  arrived  at  Fort  Bridger  in  the  winter 
of  the  same  year,  and  drove  the  Mormons  from  the  fort. 
Bridger  was  then  restored  to  possession  of  the  fort  by  Gen- 
eral Johnston,  but  on  November  18,  1857,  he  leased  it  (on 
behalf  of  himself  and  Vasquez)  under  a  written  contract  with 
Captain  John  H.  Dickerson,  assistant  quartermaster,  who 
acted  for  the  United  States  government.  The  contract  pro- 
vided that  Bridger  should  lease  to  the  United  States  for  ten 
years  the  tract  of  land  consisting  of  3,890%  acres  upon  which 
Fort  Bridger  was  situated.  In  return,  the  United  States 
government  agreed  to  pay  an  annual  rental  of  $600  for  ten 
years,  the  payment  of  which  was  to  commence  as  soon  as  he 
established  his  title  to  the  land  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
Quartermaster  General  of  the  United  States,  or  whenever  the 
Attemey  General  of  the  United  States  pronounced  the  title 
good.  The  contracting  parties  further  agreed  that  the  United 
States  government  should  have  the  privilege  of  purchasing 
the  said  tract  of  land  by  paying  Bridger  $10,000  and  that  the 
lease  could  be  terminated  by  the  United  States  upon  three 
months'  notice. ^° 

The  provision  for  postponing  payments  of  rent  was 
inserted  because  of  a  doubt  as  to  the  validity  of  Bridger  "s 
title  to  the  land.  About  a  month  after  the  contract  was 
signed.  Captain  Dickerson  reported  as  follows : 

"He  (Bridger)  bases  his  claim  to  it  (the  fort  and 
vicinity)  on  some  Mexican  or  Spanish  law,  somewhat  similar 


7  F.  Geo.  Heldt,  from  conversations  with  Henry  Bostwick,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Gore  party,  in  "Contributions,  Montana  Historical  Society," 
Vol.  I,  1876,  quoted  by  Alter,  op.  cit.,  p.  268. 

8  Alter,  op.  cit.,  p.  270. 

9  Ibid.,   p.   270. 

10  Report  of  the  Secretary  of  War  to  the  Senate  of  the  United 
States,  Jan.  25,  1889.  Sen.  Ex.  Doe.  86,  Vol.  Ill,  50  Cong.,  2  Sess.,  and 
Special  Session  of  March  4,  1889,  Exhibit  4  C,  p.  8  (Ser.  No.  2612).  Here- 
after, this  reference  will  be  referred  to  as  Sen.  Ex.  Doc.  86. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  231 

to  the  preemption  laws  of  the  United  States.  I  think  it  ex- 
ceedingly doubtful  whether  his  title  is  good,  but  the  contract 
is  so  drawn  that  no  payment  is  to  be  made  until  he  estab- 
lishes his  title.  I  have  leased  the  property  in  order  to  pre- 
vent any  heavy  reclamations  on  the  Government  for  loss  or 
destruction  of  private  property  in  case  his  title  is  good.  "^^ 

Bridger  was  then  employed  as  a  guide  in  the  Mormon 
War  of  1857-1858  and  probably  delighted  in  leading  United 
States  troops  against  his  old  enemies,  the  Mormons,  who 
had  driven  him  out  of  his  beloved  fort.  After  the  war 
Bridger  made  frequent  visits  to  his  family  who  were  living 
on  his  old  Missouri  farm.  Between  visits  he  acted  as  a  guide 
for  United  States  exploring  expeditions,  Union  Pacific  sur- 
veys,  and  Indian  campaigns. 

Not  until  1869,  twelve  years  after  he  had  leased  Fort 
Bridger  to  the  United  States,  did  Bridger  begin  inquiring 
of  the  War  Department  whether  the  government  intended 
to  pay  him  $6,000,  the  sum  of  the  ten  annual  rental  payments 
which  he  claimed  was  due  him  under  the  terms  of  the  lease. ^^ 
Receiving  no  reply,  he  wrote  again  on  January  6,  1870,  to 
remind  the  Secretary  of  War  that  the  lease  of  1857  also  gave 
the  United  States  government  the  option  of  purchasing  Fort 
Bridger  for  $10,000,  and  to  say  that  if  the  government  did 
not  wish  to  take  advantage  of  this  option,  he  would  like  to 
be  restored  to  peaceful  possession  of  the  fort.^^  On  April 
25  of  the  same  year  the  War  Department  replied  that  as 
soon  as  Bridger  produced  evidence  of  his  title  to  the  fort, 
the  government  would  carry  into  effect  the  agreement  made 
with  him  in  1857.^^  Apparently  Bridger  made  no  effort  to 
establish  title,  but  the  War  Department  made  inquiries  of 
the  General  Land  Office,  and  in  1872,  Willis  Drummond, 
Commissioner  of  that  office,  declared  that  no  private  survey^^ 
or  claim,  such  as  Bridger 's,  was  recognized  in  the  vicinity  of 
Fort  Bridger. 16 


11  Dickerson  to  Major  G-eneral  Thos.  S.  Jesup,  Quartermaster-Gen- 
eral, Dec.  21,  1857.     Sen.  Ex.  Doc.  86,  Exhibit  3,  p.  7. 

12  Bridger  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  August  21,  1869.  Sen.  Ex.  Doc. 
86,  Exhibit  4  A,  p.  7.  Bridger  was  apparently  illiterate  (as  indicated  by 
the  signature  on  this  letter),  for  in  this  instance  A.  Wadsman  (sometimes 
spelled  Wachsman),  Bridger 's  son-in-law,  wrote  for  him. 

13  Sen.  Ex.  Doc.  86,  Exhibit  4  B,  p.  7. 

14  Ibid.,  Exhibit  4  F,  pp.  9-10. 

15  Infra,  p.  2. 

16  Drummond  to  E.  D.  Townsend,  Adjutant  General  of  the  IT.  S. 
Army,  Dec.  14,  1872.     Sen.  Ex.  Doc.  86,  Exhibit  4  G,  p.  10. 


232  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

In  1873  Bridger,  now  ill,^'^  but  urged  on  by  friends  and 
family,  solicited  the  aid  of  General  B.  F.  Butler,  at  that  time 
a  Senator  from  Massachusetts.  Failing  to  get  any  satisfac- 
tion from  the  War  Department,  Bridger  wrote  a  general 
letter  to  the  Senator  hoping  that  he  would  use  his  political 
influence  with  the  War  Department  or  else  introduce  a  pri- 
vate bill  in  Congress  for  Bridger 's  relief.  Bridger  also 
played  upon  Butler's  sympathies  and  wrote  him  that  he  was 
a  poor  man,  growing  old  and  feeble,  and  thus  unable  to  pursue 
his  claim.  In  regard  to  his  title  to  the  fort,  Bridger  admitted 
to  General  Butler  that  he  had  no  evidence  and  therefore 
could  not  comply  with  the  government  demand,  ".  .  . 
although  I  (Bridger)  was  authorized  to  establish  my  fort 
there  and  settle  Salt  Lake  Valley  by  the  Governor  of  Upper 
California,  I  have  no  proper  papers  to  show  therefor.  "^^ 

There  is  no  evidence  that  Butler  acted  upon  Bridger 's 
plea  or  even  replied  to  his  letter,  and  Bridger  was  too  ill 
and  helpless  to  do  anything  more.  In  1878  his  family  decided 
to  take  the  situation  in  hand  and  on  January  12  of  the  same 
year  they  made  a  formal  inquiry  of  the  Secretary  of  War 
in  regard  to  the  status  of  Bridger 's  claims  and  also  asked 
to  be  paid  the  accumulated  rent  owed  to  them.^^  On  Feb- 
ruary 21,  1878,  the  Secretary  of  War  informed  Bridger 's 
family  that  "his  (Bridger 's)  failure  to  establish  title  to  the 
property  in  question,  previous  to  its  being  embraced  in  a 
military  reservation  (on  July  14,  1859),  excluded  the  Secre- 
tary of  War  from  recognizing  his  claim  to  ownership  or  rent.^° 

Receiving  no  satisfaction  from  the  War  Department, 
Bridger 's  family  hired  one  Charles  M.  Carter,  attorney,  to 
pursue  their  claim  directly  in  Congress.  By  bringing  pressure 
upon  that  body,  Bridger 's  family  and  their  attorney  finally 
started  the  machinery  of  Congress  rolling  on  May  17.  1880, 
at  which  time  the  House  Committee  on  Claims,  in  cooperation 


17  Mrs.  Wachsman,  Bridger's  daughter,  wrote  to  General  Grenville 
M.  Dodge  (date  unknown)  that  in  1873  her  father's  health  was  beginning 
to  fail  and  his  eyes  were  so  bad  that  he  could  not  distinguish  people 
except  by  the  sound  of  their  voices.  Dodge,  G.  M.,  "Biographical 
Sketch  of  James  Bridger,"  quoted  in  Alter,  op.  cit.,  p.  520. 

18  Bridger  to  Butler,  Oct.  12,  1873.  Sen.  Ex.  Doc.  86,  Exhibit  5,  pp. 
13-14.  Bridger  also  added  that  ".  .  .  had  I  not  leased  the  premises  in 
good  faith  to  the  government,  I  would  now  reside  thereon,  and  would 
surely  by  this  time  have  perfected  my  title  thereto  under  the  several 
acts  of  Congress  since  passed,  from  which  I  was  prevented  by  the  Gov- 
ernment keeping  me  out  of  possession  thereof    .    .    ." 

19  Ibid.,  Exhibit  4  N,  p.  10. 

20  Alex.  Eamsey,  Secretary  of  War,  to  Samuel  L.  Sawyer,  of  the 
House  Committee  on  Claims,  June  9,  1880.     Ibid.,  Exhibit  4  N,  p.  12. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  233 

with  the  corresponding  Senate  Committee,  asked  the  War 
Department  to  investigate  and  report  upon  Bridger's  suit.^^ 

Carter,  evidently  knowing  that  Bridger's  claim  for  the 
rental  payments  was  very  doubtful,  thought  that  he  would 
have  a  chance  to  collect  for  the  improvements  erected  by 
Bridger  and  in  1880  he  began  to  collect  affidavits  to  the  effect 
that  Bridger's  improvements  were  existing  when  the  United 
States  army  arrived  at  Fort  Bridger  in  1857.^2  Bridger  died 
on  July  17,  1881,  but  his  family,  with  the  aid  of  Carter, 
continued  pursuing  the  case  which  was  slowly  investigated 
by  Congress  from  1880  until  January  25,  1889,  at  which  time  a 
complete  report  of  the  investigation  was  presented  by  Quarter- 
master General  S.  B.  Holabird.^^ 

Knowing  that  the  War  Department  did  not  recognize 
Bridger's  claim  to  title  of  the  fort  by  a  grant  from  the  Gov- 
ernor of  Upper  California,  Carter  decided  that  it  was  hope- 
less to  press  that  claim,  and  decided  to  base  the  source  of 
title  to  the  fort  on  an  alleged  grant  from  the  Governor  of 
Chihuhua  whose  records  probably  would  be  difficult  to  obtain. 
He  stated  before  the  Senate  Committee  on  Claims  (date 
unknown)  that : 

"Under  the  auspices  of  the  governor  of  Chihuhua,  in 
1843,  before  the  Mexican  War,  Capt.  James  Bridger  was 
induced  under  a  promise  by  the  Government  of  a  large  grant 
of  land  to  establish  a  colony  in  Green  River  country,  Utah, 
then  Mexican  territory,  which  he  did  at  great  expense.  .  .  . 

"Under  the  Spanish  rule^^  he  was  to  plant  said  colony 
and  retain  possession  of  the  country  for  a  term  of  years 
before  he  was  to  receive  the  title  to  that  grant.  "^^ 

Carter  further  alleged  that  after  the  Mexican  War  Bridger 's 
possession  became  a  part  of  United  States  territory,  and  that 
Bridger,    as    a    former    citizen    of    Mexico,-^    was    entitled    to 


21  Sawyer  to  Eamsey,  May  16,  1880.     Ibid.,  Exhibit  4  K,  p.  11. 

22  For  improvement  story  see  Supra,  p.  6  et  seq. 

23  The  complete  report  was  published  in  Sen.  Ex.  Doc.  86. 

24  Mexico  became  independent  of  Spain  in  1820  but  doubtless  there 
was  no  change  in  the  Spanish  rules  for  claiming  titles  to  land. 

25  Sen.  Ex.  Doc.  86,  Exhibit  18,  p.  21. 

26  The  question  as  to  whether  Bridger  was  a  citizen  of  Mexico  has 
never  been  settled  although  an  anonymous  article,  "James  Bridger,  a 
Mexican  Citizen,"  in  Annals  of  Wyoming,  Oct.  1939,  p.  292,  states  that 
Bridger  no  doubt  had  to  have  permission  from  Mexican  authorities  be- 
fore he  could  build  his  fort  on  Mexican  territory,  and  cited  Carter's  un- 
proved statement  that  Bridger  was  a  former  Mexican  citizen. 

However,  it  was  possible  for  Bridger  to  erect  his  fort  without  per- 
mission from  the  Mexican  governent.  as  it  was  a  common  practice  at 
the  time  in  an  area  so  sparsely  settled  and  so  far  from  any  repre- 
sentatives of  governmental  authority  for  a  man  to  occupy  land  without 
authorization. 


234  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

have  his  rights  respected  and  protected  as  provided  for  by 
the  treaty  of  peace  and  the  rules  of  international  law  which 
state  that  conquering  nations  cannot  dispose  of  the  private 
rights  of  conquered  subjects.  Though  Carter's  averment  as 
to  the  existence  of  this  rule  for  international  law  is  correct, 
he  could  not  produce  evidence  of  title  from  the  Mexican 
government  and  therefore  the  committees  on  claims  felt  justi- 
fied in  not  applying  the  rule. 

Bridger's  attorney  ventured  to  say  that  the  United  States 
army  officers  deliberately  attempted  to  swindle  Bridger  at 
the  time  of  the  signing  of  the  contract  in  1857.  "Being  an 
illiterate  man  (as  will  be  seen  from  making  his  mark  on 
the  lease),  these  intelligent  Army  officers  ingeniously  worded 
the  lease  of  his  property  to  suit  alone  the  interests  of  the 
Government,  and  got  possession  of  a  property  in  which  he 
had  put  his  earnings  of  a  lifetime — his  all  on  earth.  "^'^ 

Carter  also  averred  that  the  establishment  of  a  military 
reservation  at  the  fort  by  the  United  States  government  in 
1859  defeated  Bridger's  efforts  to  complete  his  title. ^^  How- 
ever, his  argument  did  not  convince  the  Congressional  commit- 
tees on  claims  for  they  had  proof  from  Bridger  that  he  made 
no  efforts"  .  .  .  owing  to  the  fact  that  I  (Bridger)  was 
all  my  life  out  in  the  mountains,  and  consequently  ignorant 
what  steps  were  required  to  be  taken  to  perfect  my  title  to 
the  premises.  "^^  Robert  Ellison,  former  chairman  of  the 
Historical  Landmark  Commission  of  Wyoming,  believed  that 
Carter   stretched   the  truth   several   times   during   the   case.^° 

After  hearing  all  the  testimony  on  the  question  of  owner- 
ship of  Fort  Bridger,  the  Congressional  committees  on  claims 
in  1892  accepted  Quartermaster  General  Holabird's  investi- 
gations and  recommendations  that  no  money  be  paid  for 
rental  of  the  fort  on  the  ground  that  the  condition  of  the 
contract  had  not  been  fulfilled,  thus  precluding  the  claimant 
from  recovery. 31 

After  denying  Bridger's  claim  to  ownership  of  Fort 
Bridger,  Congress  considering  the  question  of  payments  for 
improvements  which  were  said  to  be  erected  by  the  claimant, 


27  Sen.  Ex.  Doc.  86,  Exhibit  18,  p.  21. 

28  Ibid.,  Exhibit  18,  p.  21. 

29  Bridger  to  Butler,  Oct.  27,  1873.     Ibid.,  Exhibit  5,  pp.  13-14. 

30  Ellison,  Eobert  E.,  Fort  Bridger,  Wyoming  (Casper,  Commercial 
Printing  Co.,  1931),  p.  29. 

31  Report  of  the  Committee  on  Claims,  May  5,  1892,  Sen.  Eep.  625, 
52  Cong.,  1  Sess.  (Ser.  No.  2913),  and  Eeport  of  the  Committee  on  Claims, 
June  4,  1892,  House  Rep.  1576,  52  Cong.,  1  Sess.  (Ser.  No.  3046). 


,\ 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  235 

apparently  adhered  to  the  doctrine  of  equity,^^  which  stated 
that  a  reputed  owner  of  land  in  unsettled  territory  where 
unimproved  land  is  of  small  value  should  not  lose  the  benefit 
of  full  compensation  for  enhancing  the  value  of  the  property. 
The  improvements  were  said  to  consist  of  thirteen  log  houses 
which  were  so  located  as  to  form  a  hollow  square  in  the 
center  of  an  area  of  about  four  thousand  square  feet,  all  of 
whicli  were  surrounded  by  a  stone  wall  laid  in  cement  about 
eighteen  feet  high  and  five  feet  thick,  with  bastions  at  each 
corner.  Outside  this  wall  were  a  corral  for  stock,  which 
was  enclosed  by  a  stone  wall  laid  in  cement,  and  six  other 
outhouses. ^^  The  questions  now  arose  as  to  whether  Bridger 
built  the  improvements  and  if  they  were  still  in  existence  at 
the  time  of  the  occupation  of  the  fort  by  the  United  States 
army  in  1857.  In  answer  to  this  question  Carter  presented 
the  affidavits  that  he  had  gathered  in  1880  of  several  men 
who  testified  on  Bridger 's  behalf,  many  years  after  they  had 
been  at  Fort  Bridger. 

Mr.  John  Kiney  of  Missouri  swore  on  January  21,  1880, 
that  he  was  employed  as  a  teamster  at  the  time  of  the  occu- 
pation of  Fort  Bridger  by  Johnston's  army  of  Utah,  and 
when  he  arrived  at  the  fort  there  were  valuable  improve- 
ments upon  the  premises  made  by  James  Bridger.  The  im- 
provements, he  said,  consisted  of  thirteen  log  houses  enclosed 
by  a  stone  wall  laid  in  cement,  and  had  cost  at  least  $20,000.^^ 
O.  li.  P.  Rippeto,  on  January  21,  1880,  swore  that  he  was  a 
wagonmaster  with  the  army  of  General  Johnston  in  1857  and 
upon  his  arrival  at  Fort  Bridger  he  saw  valuable  improve- 
ments comprising  thirteen  log  houses  and  a  corral,  both  of 
which  were  enclosed  by  stone  walls  laid  in  cement,  and  these 
improvements  could  not  be  placed  at  a  cost  of  less  than 
$20,000.  William  T.  Mack  Craw,  a  day  earier,  testified  to 
the  same  effect. -^^ 


32  "While  it  is  true  that  improvements  and  permanent  buildings 
upon  land  belong  to  the  owner,  yet,  in  a  comparatively  newly  organized 
state,  where  titles  are  necessarily  more  uncertain  than  they  are  in  Eng- 
land, there  is  an  instinctive  conviction  that  justice  requires  that  the 
possession  under  a  defective  title  should  have  recompense  for  the  im- 
provements which  have  been  made  in  good  faith  upon  the  land  of  an- 
other. The  maxim,  often  repeated  in  the  decisions  upon  this  subject, 
nemo  debet  locupletari  ex  alterius  incommodo,  tersely  expresses  the 
antagonism  against  the  enrichment  of  one  out  of  the  honest  mistake, 
and  to  the  ruin  of  another."  Griswold  v.  Bragg  et  ux.,  May  27,  1880, 
Federal  Eeporter,  Vol.  48,  p.  521,  et  seq. 

33  Sen.  Ex.  Doc.  86,  Exhibit  17,  p.  20. 

34  Ibid.,  Exhibit  8,  p.  15. 

35  Ibid.,  Exhibit  9  and  7,  pp.  14-16. 


236  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Perhaps  there  was  collusion  among  these  witnesses  and 
an  interested  notary  public.  It  seems  an  odd  coincidence 
that  three  men,  Kiney,  Rippeto  and  Mack  Craw,  within  two 
days,  before  the  same  notary  public,  A.  Wachsman  (who  was 
Bridger's  son-in-law  and  who  helped  him  pursue  his  claims), 
swore  to  the  same  story  after  a  lapse  of  twenty-three  years. 
Ellison,  in  his  brief  history  of  Fort  Bridger,  suggests  that 
the  statements  of  the  various  people  who  testified  on  the 
question   of  improvements  were  not   entirely   accurate. 

"I  (Ellison)  do  not  know  that  Bridger  should  be  held 
directly  responsible  for  such  'mistakes'  (the  affidavits  filed 
by  Bridger's  attorney,  Carter,  describing  the  improvements 
that  existed  in  1857),  as  he  could  neither  read  nor  write 
and  after  reading  his  attorney's  statements  in  the  case  I 
prefer  to  lay  the  blame  upon  the  latter  as  I  judge  he  stretched 
the  truth  in  making  them  in  several  instances.  "^^ 

Government  officials  apparently  questioned  these  affida- 
vits. On  January  25,  1889,  Holabird  stated  that  the  people 
who  testified  some  twenty  or  thirty  years  after  the  event 
that  improvements  to  the  value  of  from  $20,000  to  $30,000 
Were  still  standing  when  General  Johnston  arrived  at  Fort 
Bridger  were  unquestionably  mistaken  and  must  have  eon- 
fused  the  affairs  then  existing  with  those  existing  before  the 
Mormon  destruction.  Moreover,  Holabird  continued,  General 
Johnston  in  his  report  to  Major  J.  McDowell,  Assistant  Adju- 
tant-General, dated  November  30,  1857,  immediately  after  his 
occupation  of  Fort  Bridger  asserted  that  the  Mormons  before 
they  retreated  burned  the  buildings  in  and  about  Fort 
Bridger,  and  the  only  improvement  appropriated  by  the 
troops  was  a  strong  stone  wall  enclosing  a  square  of  100 
feet  which  was  used  for  storage  of  the  supplies  for  the  army.^'^ 
In  confirmation  of  this  statement  is  a  letter  from  Captain 
Jessie  A.  Gove  who  wrote  to  his  wife  from  the  army  head- 
quarters at  Fort  Bridger  on  November  21,  1857,  that  when 
he  arrived  there  all  the  buildings  were  burned,  but  there 
was  still  standing  a  stone  wall  laid  in  cement.^^  Bridger, 
in  his  letter  to  Butler,  admitted  that  the  Mormons  destroyed 
his  possessions  before  the  arrival  of  the  United  States  army. 

"Shortly  before  the  so-called  Utah  expedition,  and  before 
the  Government  troops  under  General  A.  S.  Johnston  arrived 
near  Salt  Lake  City,  I  (Bridger)  was  robbed,  and  threatened 
with  death  by  the  Mormons,  by  the  direction  of  Brigham  Young, 
of  all  my  merchandise,  stock, — in  fact  of  everything  I  possessed 


36  Ellison,  op.  cit.,  pp.  28-29. 

37  Sen.  Ex.  Doc.  86,  Exhibit  2,  p.  6. 

38  Gove  to  wife,  quoted  in  Ellison,  op.  cit.,  p.  29. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  237 

amounting  to  more  than  $100,000  worth — the  buildings  in  the 
fort  partially  destroyed  by  fire,  and  I  barelv  escaped  with  my 
life.  "39 

If  Bridger  erected  improvements  valued  from  $20,000  to 
$30,000,  Holabird  continued,  he  would  not  have  been  willing  to 
sell  his  fort  and  improvements  for  a  sum  of  $10,000.  The  only 
improvement  at  Fort  Bridger  when  the  United  States  army  ar- 
rived, he  concluded,  was  a  solid  stone  wall  laid  in  cement, ^° 
which  was  brought  from  the  States  at  great  expense,  and  for 
which  the  claimant  should  be  paid  the  just  and  generous  sum 
of  $6,000.*^  His  recommendations  were  accepted  by  the  Con- 
gressional committees  on  claims  in  1892,^^  but  Congressional 
action  thereon  was  deferred  until  1899  at  which  time  Congress 
awarded  the  heirs  of  James  Bridger  $6,000  for  the  stone  wall 
erected  by  him  at  Fort  Bridger.^^ 

One  aspect  of  this  case  which  was  never  considered  or  at 
least  was  not  mentioned  in  the  Congressional  investigations  of 
Bridger 's  suit  was  the  claim  of  the  Mormons  to  have  purchased 
the  fort  from  Bridger  in  1855,  before  the  arrival  of  Federal 
troops  and  the  signing  of  the  contract  between  Bridger  and  the 
goverment.  This  paper  would  not  be  complete  without  examin- 
ing the  basis  and  evidence  of  this  claim.  The  evidence  for  such 
a  sale  by  Bridger  is  the  following  entry  in  the  Mormon  Church 
Plistorian's  Office  Journal,  under  date  of  October  18,  1858: 

"Louis  Vasquez,  of  the  firm  of  Bridger  and  Vasquez,  ex- 
ecuted a  bill  of  sale  of  Fort  Bridger  and  acknowledged  receipt 
of  $4,000  on  August  3,  1855,  and  $4,000  this  day  (October  18, 


39  Bridger  to  Butler,  Oct.  27,  1873.  Sen.  Ex.  Doc.  86,  Exhibit  5,  p. 
18. 

40  The  Congressional  investigations  make  no  mention  of  the  Mot 
mons  in  connection  with  the  stone  wall.  Captain  Gove,  writing  to  his 
wife  on  Nov.  21,  1857,  said  that  the  stone  wall  laid  in  cement  was  built 
by  the  Mormons  the  previous  May.     Quoted  in  Ellison,  op.  cit.,  p.  29. 

Lieutenant  Col.  A.  Chambers  to  H.  H.  Bancroft,  Jan.  4,  1855,  quoted 
in  Annals  of  Wyoming,  Oct.  1927-Jan.  1928,  Vol.  V,  p.  91,  states  without 
any  proof  that  after  examining  the  records  of  Fort  Bridger  he  found 
that  the  Mormons  built  the  stone  wall. 

The  "old  Mormon  wall"  is  still  standing  and  is  so  styled.  Ellison, 
op.  cit.,  p.  29. 

41  Sen.  Ex.  Doc.  86,  pp.  1-3. 

42  See  note   26. 

43  U.  S.  Statutes  at  Large,  55  Cong.,  3  Sess.,  1899,  Vol.  XXX,  p.  1206. 
Dodge  in  his  "Biographical  Sketch  of  James  Bridger,"  given  in  full 

in  Alter,  op.  cit.,  pp.  512-513  wrote  that  in  1856,  (sic)  Bridger  had 
trouble  with  the  Mormons  who  robbed  him  of  all  his  property  and  burned 
all  the  buildings  in  the  fort.  Despite  this  admission  that  improvements 
at  the  fort  were  destroyed  before  the  arrival  of  the  U.  S.  army,  Dodge 
says  that  "The  improvements  were  worth  a  great  deal  more  money 
(than  $6,000)  but  after  the  government  took  possession  it  seemed  to 
have  virtually  ignored  the  rights  of  Bridger.    .    .    ." 


238  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

1858) — also  acknowledged  before  Samuel  A.  Gilbert,  Clerk  of 
Third  District  Court,  that  Hiram  A.  Morrell  was  his  lawfully 
appointed  agent  and  that  he  fully  approved  of  the  acts  and 
doings  of  said  Morrell  in  the  sale  of  said  property.^^ 

At  my  request,  Mr.  Glynn  Bennion,*^  a  member  of  the  His- 
torian's Office  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day 
Saints,  looked  for  this  bill  of  sale  but  has  not  yet  been  able  to 
find  it.  He  did,  however,  find  a  letter  from  Hebar  C.  Kimball 
to  Franklin  D.  Richards  in  England  dated  August  31,  1855,  in 
which  the  following  occurs : 

"  'The  Church  has  bought  out  Bridger's  ranch  and  one 
hundred  head  of  horned  stock,  some  7  or  8  horses,  some  flour 
and  goods  that  he  had,  and  paid  $8,000  for  it,  and  Mr.  Bridger 
is  gone.'  Kimball  was  Brigham  Young's  first  counselor  in  the 
Presidency  of  the  Church  and  his  letter  contained  the  current 
Utah  news.  Richards  was  the  president  of  the  L.  D.  S.  Mission 
in  Great  Britain.  If  the  purchase  had  been  made  in  1853^^  it 
would  not  have  been  news  to  Richards,  since  he  was  in  Utah  at 
that  time.  "47 

A  third  item  of  possible  evidence  is  indicated  by  the  follow- 
ing letter  by  Bennion : 

"Yesterday  (Jan.  24,  1940)  we  found  a  copy  of  a  letter 
(there  are  tons  of  them,  each  volume  indexed  separately  and 
only  indexed  according  to  the  name  of  the  recipient)  from 
Brigham  Young  to  Lewis  Robinson,'*^  dated  Aug.  9,  1855,  con- 
gratulating the  latter  on  having  made  'the  deal.'  Robinson's 
letter  which  evoked  this  compliment  evidently  was  not  preserved. 
On  this  copy  (in  the  well  known  hand  writing  of  Brigham 's 
scribe)  the  address  of  Robinson  is  not  given,  and  the  scribe 
evidently  misspelled  'Bridger's  ranch,'  making  it  'Bridges 
Ranch'.  However,  direction  is  given  to  sell  the  flour  at  two  bits 
a  pound  and  beef  at  12  to  the  passing  trains.  I  (Bennion)  feel 
sure  this  letter  went  to  Fort  Bridger  and  refers  to  the  purchase 
of  that  place,  since  Robinson  was  Pres.  Young's  agent  placed  in 
charge  there,  and  certainly  no  other  place  on  the  emigrant  trail 
having  beef  cattle  and  flour  was  purchased  at  that  time. '  '^^ 


44  Quoted  in  Alter,  op.  cit.,  p.  257. 

45  The  author  wishes  to  thank  Mr.  Glynn  Bennion  for  material  which 
aided  in  the  preparation  of  the  part  of  this  essay  relating  to  the  Mormon 
claim. 

46  Many  secondary  writers  state  without  proof  that  the  Mormons 
purchased  the  fort  from  Bridger  in  1853. 

47  Letter  of  Bennion  to  author,  Jan.  23,  1940. 

48  He  is  usually  referred  to  by  writers  of  Western  History  as  Lewis 
Eobinson. 

49  Bennion  to  the  author,  Jan.  25,  1940. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  239 

The  Mormons  evidently  believed  that  they  purchased  the 
fort  because  the  War  Department  wrote  to  Coutant  (date  not 
known )  that  ' '  The  Mormons  set  up  a  claim  to  the  land  on  which 
the  post  was  located  on  the  ground  of  a  conveyance  from  James 
Bridger,  who  was  said  to  hold  a  Spanish  grant  for  the  same."^° 

We  may  wonder  why  Brigham  Young  was  so  gullible  as  to 
pay  the  firm  of  Bridger  and  Vasquez  $4,000  after  the  fort  was 
occupied  by  the  United  States  Government.  Mr.  Bennion  gives 
the  explanation  that :  ' '  Brigham  had  made  a  bona  fide  deal 
with  Bridger,  through  Vasquez,  and  the  reputation  Brigham 
bore  among  friends  and  foes  was  that  he  never  reneged  on  a 
contract.  "^1 

The  entry  in  the  Church  Journal  referred  to  above  states 
that  the  money  for  the  purchase  of  the  fort  by  the  Mormons  was 
paid  to  Vasquez  in  two  installments,  one  in  1855  and  the  other 
in  1858.  Since  Bridger  was  in  another  part  of  the  country  on 
an  expedition  with  Sir  George  Gore  between  1854  and  1856, s- 
he  could  not  have  participated  in  the  sale  of  Fort  Bridger,  there- 


to Quoted  ill  Coutant,  op.  cit.,  p.  352. 

By  1873  it  was  coninion  gossip  around  Port  Bridger  that  Bridger 
had  sold  the  fort  to  the  Mormons.  E.  A.  Curley,  special  correspondent 
of  the  London  Field,  after  visiting  Fort  Bridger  in  1873  and  probably 
interviewing  Judge  William  A.  Carter  (who  was  no  relation  to  Bridger's 
attorney,  Charles  M.  Carter),  wrote  to  his  paper  the  same  year  as  fol- 
lows: 

",  .  .  .  at  any  rate,  he  (Bridger)  so  far  sophisticated  President 
Brigham  Young — who  was  even  then  an  old  bird  not  easily  caught — 
that  he  bought  out  Bridger,  who  pretended  to  hold  a  stretch  of  thirty 
miles  under  a  Mexican  grant,  paying  him  do^vn  $4,000  for  the  grant,  the 
shanties  and  the  cattle,  and  agreeing  to  pay  $4,000  more  at  a  subsequent 
time.  The  place  became  too  hot  for  the  Mormons,  they  had  to  leave,  and 
Bridger  rented  his  pretended  grant  to  General  A.  E.  Johnston,  of  a  mili- 
tary post  for  $600  a  year,  on  a  ten  years  lease.  Taking  a  copy  of  this 
provisional  lease,  he  then  journeyed  to  Salt  Lake  and  succeeded  in 
raising  the  other  $4,000  from  the  Mormon  prophet.  But  the  contract, 
to  be  valid,  must  be  confirmed  at  Washington.  A  diligent  search  re- 
vealed the  fact  that  there  was  no  Mexican  grant,  and  that  Bridger  was 
kindly  obliging  the  government  for  a  substantial  consideration,  with  a 
piece  of  its  own  property.  The  bargain  consequently  fell  through,  and 
the  post  was  established  without  payment  of  rental,  but  old  Jim  had  the 
pleasure  of  spending  the  $8,000.  President  Young  had  made  repeated 
applications  to  have  his  claim  allowed;  but,  although  it  is  quite  as  good 
as  many  another  that  had  passed  muster,  it  is  very  unlikely  that  the 
prophet  will  ever  find  profitable  his  $8,000  investment  in  Bridger.  He 
still  maintains,  however,  that  he  was  never  so  unwise  as  to  be  outdone 
by  old  Jim,  that  his  deeds  are  all  right  in  his  possession;  and  that  it  is 
nothing  but  the  willful  injustice  of  Uncle  Sam  that  withholds  from  him 
this  magnificent  domain."  Curley  to  London  Field,  1873  in  report  of 
Wvoming  Board  of  Liimigration,  1874,  pp.  67-68.  Also  quoted  in  Coutant, 
op*,  cit.,  pp.  351-352. 

51  Bennion  to  the  author,  Jan.  23,  1940. 

52  Supra,  p.  2. 


240  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

fore,  there  is  a  strong  possibility  that  Vasquez  did  not  share  it 
with  Bridger  who  tried  to  make  up  the  loss  by  leasing  the  fort 
to  the  United  States  Government. 

The  whole  question  of  ownership  of  Fort  Bridger  has  been 
clouded  by  a  dense  haze  of  contradictory  and  circumstantial 
evidence  presented  many  years  after  the  sale  of  the  fort  was 
said  to  have  occurred.  If  the  research  being  conducted  by  an 
active  Historian's  Office  produces  concrete  evidence  of  a  pur- 
chase from  Bridger  then  it  will  be  shown  conclusively  that 
Bridger  attempted  to  sell  to  the  United  States  government  what 
he  had  alreadv  sold  to  the  Mormons. 


HISTORY  OF  WYOMING,  WRITTEN  BY  0.  G.  COUTANT, 

PIONEER  HISTORIAN,  AND  HERETOFORE 

UNPUBLISHED 

Chapter  VI 

Laramie  County 

Erection  of  First  Buildings  in  Cheyemie — General  G.  M. 
Dodge,  Engineer  for  U.  P.  Railroad — Indian  Raids — U.  P. 
Tracks  Enter  Cheyenne  November  13,  1867. 

Between  the  1st  and  10th  day  of  July,  1867,  a  party  of 
Union  Pacific  surveyors  surveyed  and  laid  out  the  townsite 
which  was  platted  and  entered  eventually  by  .  .  .  *  There  is 
some  uncertainty  about  the  erection  of  the  first  building  in  Chey- 
enne but  while  several  small  shanties  and  portable  buildings  were 
put  up  among  the  great  field  of  tents  and  wagons  which  then 
dotted  the  shores  of  Crow  creek  the  first  substantial  wooden 
building  erected  on  the  present  site  of  the  flourishing  City  of 
Cheyenne  was  built  by  Judge  J.  R.  Whitehead  and  its  erection 
was  commenced  on  July  1st,  1867.  This  building,  the  material 
of  which  had  to  be  cut  and  hauled  from  the  Foot  Hills  twenty 
miles  away,  at  great  expense  is  still  standing  in  an  excellent 
state  of  preservation  on  Eddy  Street  (Pioneer  Ave.)  in  Chey- 
enne. Across  the  street  and  where  Ellis'  establishment  now 
stands,  Judge  "Whitehead  at  this  time  had  a  tent  pitched  which 
served  as  a  temporary  home  and  law  office  as  well.  Into  this 
tent  on  the  second  day  after  the  erection  of  the  building  had 
been  commenced,  walked  a  tall  pale  faced  young  man  who  in- 


*Blank  space  left  in  manuscript  for  several  lines  which  Mr.  Coutant 
evidently  intended  to   supply  later. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  241 

quired  for  Judge  Whitehead.  The  Judge  was  there  aud  re- 
sponded for  himself  when  the  young  man  who  had  walked 
nearly  all  the  way  from  Denver  handed  him  a  letter.  The  letter 
was  from  an  old  friend  of  Judge  Whitehead's  in  Denver  intro- 
ducing W.  W.  Corlett  and  suggesting  that  it  might  be  a  good 
plan  to  form  a  law  partnership  with  him.  "Well,"  said  Judge 
Whitehead,  "I  am  pretty  busy  just  now  with  other  business 
and  if  you  have  a  mind  to  try  your  hand  with  me  in  the  law 
business  you  can  do  so.  Tliis  is  my  office  and  here  are  my  books 
and  papers.  Pitch  in  for  every  thing  you  see  in  sight."  While 
the  Judge  was  speaking  a  party  came  in  who  wanted  some  kind 
of  a  paper  drawn.  Corlett  seated  himself  at  the  only  table  in 
the  tent  and  proceeded  to  "pitch  in."  The  paper  was  drawn 
up  in  due  form  for  which  the  young  lawyer  received  two  five 
dollar  greenbacks,  one  of  which  he  handed  to  Judge  Wliitehead, 
keeping  the  other  himself.  The  law  partnership  and  firm  of 
Corlett  and  Whitehead,  which  lasted  for  some  years,  was  formed 
then  and  there.  As  soon  as  the  survey  of  the  townsite  was 
completed,  and  even  before,  the  sale  of  town  lots  was  begun, 
some  of  them  bringing  fabulous  prices,  the  erection  of  many 
other  buildings,  principally  along  what  is  now  Sixteenth,  Seven- 
teenth, Eddy,  Thomes  and  O'Neil  Streets  was  at  once  begun 
and  in  a  very  few  days  after  the  completion  of  the  survey  (July 
10th)  the  embryo  city  began  to  acquire  quite  a  substantial 
appearance.  All  kinds  of  business  establishments  were  opened, 
between  three  and  four  hundred  in  all,  and  among  them  sev- 
eral gambling  houses  and  as  many  as  sixty  saloons.  Boarding 
houses  and  small  hotels  also  began  to  spring  up  and  among  the 
latter  the  "Dodge  House"  near  the  corner  of  O'Neil  and 
Eighteenth  Streets,  which  is  still  standing  (1886)  and  being 
used  as  a  steam  laundry.  The  popvdation  of  the  city  which 
had  been  officially  christened  "Cheyenne"  began  to  be  esti- 
mated by  the  thousands  long  before  the  season  was  over  and 
it  was  made  up  of  men,  women  and  children  from  nearly  every 
country  and  clime  on  the  face  of  the  globe.  This  population 
was  composed  of  three  elements,  the  active  respectable  and 
energetic  business  men,  the  transient  and  the  uncertain  element 
which  contained  many  bad  characters  of  both  sexes.  Wldle  it 
has  many  times  been  said  and  no  doubt  believed  to  the  contrary, 
there  never  was  a  time  in  the  history  of  the  early  days  of  the 
"Magic  City  of  the  Plains,"  when  the  respectable  eleme-t  of 
its  people  did  not  out-number  all  other  classes  nearly  two  to  one. 


242  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Chapter  VII 

Laramie  County 

Cheyenne  Continued — The  Union  Pacific,  Dangers  Attending 
Its  Construction — Hill  and  Archer — The  Road  Completed 
to  Cheyenne — A,  Track  to  Fort  Russell,  etc. 

During  the  time  covered  by  the  preceding  chapter  work 
was  being  pushed  on  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  with  great  and 
unprecedented  vigor  and  grading  parties  were  operating  all 
along  the  line  between  Sidney,  the  then  western  terminus  of 
the  road,  and  Cheyenne.  Before  the  first  house  was  built  at  the 
last  mentioned  place  the  graders  were  at  work  in  the  vicinity 
of  Pine  Bluffs,  near  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  Territory, 
and  for  a  considerable  distance  west  of  that  point.  By  the 
time  the  "City  of  Tents"  began  to  be  transformed  into  one 
of  wooden  buildings  there  was  scarcely  a  mile  along  the  entire 
route  which  was  not  subjected  to  the  application  of  the  plow, 
the  shovel,  and  the  scraper.  This  work  was  done  under  the 
general  supervision  of  General  G.  M.  Dodge,  the  chief  engineer 
of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  and  a  man  of  unusual  energy  and 
"push."  General  Dodge  had,  however,  many  subordinates  who 
were  not  unworthy  of  their  chief,  and  from  them  several  of  the 
streets  of  the  city  were  named,  such  as  Ferguson  (Carey  Ave.), 
Ransom  (Warren  Ave.),  Eddy,  Sej^mour,  Hills  (Capitol  Ave.), 
and  others,  some  of  whom  were  not  much  known,  however,  to 
the  people  of  Cheyenne.  The  work  of  constructing  the  road 
was  attended  by  constant  and  great  danger  for  it  will  be  re- 
membered by  the  reader  that  this  was  the  period  when  bloody 
and  tragic  scenes  were  being  enacted  in  the  northern  portion 
of  the  country.  The  Sioux  were  constantly  making  invasions 
and  raids  into  the  country  lying  contiguous  to  the  proposed 
line  of  railroad  and  frequently  bloody  and  sanguinary  were 
the  encounters  that  attended  these  raids. 

In  the  employ  of  the  Union  Pacific  at  that  time  were  two 
subordinate  civil  engineers  named  William  Archer,  a  paymaster, 
and  James  Hill,  both  of  whom  had  been  making  Cheyenne  their 
home  and  had  become  quite  well  known  to  most  of  the  respect- 
able people  in  the  city  at  that  time.  On  the  last  day  of  July, 
1867,  Messrs.  Hill  and  Archer  rode  out  of  the  then  embryo  and 
chaotic  city  to  the  east  for  the  purpose  of  making  an  inspection 
along  the  line.  When  near  what  is  now  Archer  station,  six 
miles  east  of  Cheyenne,  they  were  attacked  by  a  band  of  mounted 
Indians — Archer  being  shot  from  his  horse  and  terribly  wounded, 
he  was  left  for  dead  but  recovered,  though  he  never  was  the  same 
man  again  and  his  hair  turned  as  white  as  snow.  As  the  Indians 
had  intervened  between   Hill  and   Cheyenne,   he   put   spurs  to 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  243 

his  horse  and  fled  in  the  direction  of  Pine  Bluffs.  The  Indians 
overtook,  killed  and  scalped  him  when  near  what  is  now  Hills- 
dale station,  thirteen  miles  from  where  the  pursuit  commenced. 
Archer  station  was  named  for  one  of  these  victims  and  not  only 
Hillsdale  Station  but  Hill  Street  in  Cheyenne  for  the  other. 
Though  somewhat  later  in  the  season  two  other  incidents  illus- 
trating the  dangerous  proximity  of  the  Sioux  to  Cheyenne  might 
as  well  be  mentioned  here. 

In  the  month  of  October,  the  Indians  made  a  raid  to  the 
southeast  of  Cheyenne  and  taking  a  turn  to  the  northwest  came 
up  to  and  upon  the  bluffs  south  of  the  city  and  three  of  them, 
more  adventurous  than  the  rest,  dashed  across  the  creek  and 
rode  up  to  within  fifty  yards  of  where  the  Union  Pacific  ' '  round- 
house" now  stands.  On  the  same  day  they  drove  off  several 
head  of  stock  that  had  strayed  out  of  the  city  to  the  south. 
Not  long  after  the  occurrence  last  mentioned,  two  brothers 
Henry  and  Ed  Hurlbut  residents  of  the  city,  went  out  south- 
east of  the  city  to  take  a  look  at  the  country.  Henry  Hurlbut, 
who  was  at  that  time  a  boy  of  some  sixteen  or  seventeen  years 
of  age,  had  a  gun  with  him,  but  Ed,  who  was  several  years 
younger,  had  none.  While  out  nearly  three  fourths  of  a  mile 
from  the  city  two  dismounted  Indians  suddenly  made  their 
appearance  and  came  toward  them  apparently  with  the  in- 
tention of  taking  them  prisoners,  for  though  armed  one  with 
a  gun  and  the  other  with  a  bow  and  arrow  they  did  not  fire. 
Commanding  his  j^ounger  brother  to  lie  flat  on  the  ground, 
Henry  placed  himself  between  him  and  the  Indians  and  pre- 
pared to  fire  on  them.  The  two  savages  retraced  their  steps 
for  a  short  distance  when  the  two  brothers  ran  for  their  lives 
toward  the  city.  Turning,  the  Indians  pursued,  when  Henry 
again  faced  them,  his  smaller  brother  lying  down  as  before. 
Again  the  Indians  hesitated  and  again  the  two  brothers  ran, 
and  this  sort  of  a  game  was  kept  up  until  the  two  brothers  got 
back  so  near  the  city  that  the  Indians  dared  to  pursue  them 
no  further  and  disappeared.  Why  the  two  brothers  were  not 
fired  at  can  only  be  accounted  for  on  the  ground  that  the  In- 
dians desired  to  effect  their  capture  or  were  afraid  of  alarming 
the  city  in  which  event  they  would  have  been  in  great  danger 
themselves.  Through  the  many  dangers  and  perils  which  beset 
the  work,  grading  and  track  laying  was  pushed  with  such  energy 
that  on  the  13th  day  of  November,  1S67,  the  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road track  entered  Cheyenne  amid  great  rejoicing  among  all 
classes.  Among  the  hoodlum  element  all  who  had  any  respect 
for  themselves,  of  course  got  drunk,  and  if  a  persistent  investi- 
gation were  to  be  made  upon  this  point  it  is  quite  probable  that 
some  who  were  not  of  the  class  alluded  to,  got  drunk  also. 


244 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


Early  in  the  following  month,  a  track  was  laid  from  Chey- 
enne to  Camp  Carlin  which  had  then  been  permanently  estab- 
lished so  that  not  only  ''The  Magic  City  of  the  Plains,"  but 
the  military  posts  in  the  vicinity  also  had  full  accommodation 
by  rail  with  the  eastern  world. 


NEIGHBORING  STATE 
ASKS  QUESTIONS  ON  SUFFRAGE 

The  following  letter,  dated  April  1,  1903,  from  "F.  Chat- 
terton,*  Secretary  of  State,"  (Wyoming),  addressed  to  Hon. 
Lyle  Branch,  Senate  Chamber,  Pierre,  South  Dakota,  was  found 
among  the  "Coutant  Notes"  and  is  in  the  files  of  the  Wyoming 
State  Historical  Department: 

"Dear  Sir: 

Replying  to  yours  of  March  30th,  with  regard  to  Woman 
Suffrage,  would  say  that  our  last  Legislature  passed  a  reso- 
lution endorsing  same,   copy  of  which  is  enclosed  herewith. 

In  answer  to  your  questions,  would  say: 

1.  Question:  Do  the  women  take  advantage  of  their  rights 
as  voters? 
Answer:  This  office  had  a  census  of  the  voters  taken  in 
1896  and  discovered  that  thirty-two  and  sixty- 
two  one  hundredths  per  cent  of  the  votes  cast  were 
cast  by  women.  This,  in  the  sparsely  settled 
State  of  Wyoming,  would  indicate  that  about 
the  same  proportion  of  women  vote  as  men,  in 
the  country  districts,  and  a  slightly  larger  per- 
centage of  men  in  the  towns. 


2.    Question 


Answer : 


Does  it  increase  the  expense  of  political  cam- 
paigns ? 
It  does.  In  order  to  get  the  vote  out,  it  is  nec- 
essary to  have  carriages  at  all  polling  precincts 
in  order  that  the  women  may  vote  at  convenient 
times,  as  it  has  been  found  that  many  of  them 
engaged  in  household  duties  cannot  spare  the 
time  to  walk  to  the  polling  places. 


*renimore  Chatterton  was  Acting  Governor  of  Wyoming  from 
April  28,  1903,  when  Governor  DeForest  Eichards  died  in  office,  until 
January  2,  1905,  when  Bryant  B.  Brooks  was  elected  Governor  of  the 
State.     Mr.   Chatterton  resides  at   Arvada,   Colorado. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  245 

3,  Question:     Are  the  conditions  of  the  voting  places  better? 
Answer:     The  polling  places  are  kept  in  the  best  possible 

condition  consistent  with  the  use  to  which  the 
building,  is  put,  and  I  would  say  that  more  care 
is  taken  to  keep  the  polling  places  clean  than 
if  it  were  used  entirely  as  a  voting  place  for 
men.  Disorderly  conduct  at  the  polls  is  unknown 
in  Wyoming. 

4.  Question:     Does  it  effect  the  legislation  of  your  State  in 

regard  to  saloons  and  crime? 
Answer:     The  Legislature  of  1901  passed  a  law  repealing 
the  law  which  licensed  gambling.     This  was  al- 
most entirely  through  the  efforts  of  the  women 
of  the  State. 

In  regard  to  the  following  questions,  would  say,  as  "Wyo- 
ming had  equal  suffrage  both  as  a  Territory  and  State,  there 
is  no  basis  for  comparison.  It  is  possible  you  can  procure  this 
information  from  the  State  of  Colorado,  which  has  had  a  female 
suffrage  for  the  last  few  years  only." 


NEW  BOOK  DISCLOSES 
ARRAY  OF  WYOMING  WRITERS 

"Wyoming  Writers,"  an  87-page  book  by  Eva  Floy 
Wheeler,  of  Laramie,  Wyoming,  is  one  of  the  valuable  literary 
contributions  to  the  State  during  Wyoming's  observance  qt  her 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  statehood,  this  year.  Off  to  a  favorable 
start  with  a  good  title  which  immediately  reveals  the  subject- 
matter  of  its  contents,  the  volume  is  an  impressive  as  well  as 
an  illuminating  answer  to  those  interested  in  knowing  "who 
has  written  what"  about  Wyoming,  and  one  which  stimulates 
greater  pride  in  and  respect  for  this  ' '  Wonderful  Wyoming. ' ' 

More  than  250  Wyoming  writers,  with  brief  biographical 
sketches  of  each,  together  with  description  of  their  work,  are 
listed  under  the  seven  headings:  Fiction.  Children's  Literature, 
Poetry,  Drama  and  Pageantry,  Non-Fiction,  History  and 
Memoirs,  and  General  Non-Fiction.  Names  of  fame,  as  well  as 
those  less  known,  appear  in  their  respective  classifications. 

The  attractive  book,  published  by  the  Douglas  Enterprise 
Company,  Douglas,  Wyoming,  is  enclosed  in  a  rustic  card-board 
cover,  and  its  price  is  $1.00. 

Mrs.  Wheeler  is  the  author  of  "  A  Bibliography  of  Wyoming 
Writers, ' '  of  which  the  new  book  is  an  expansion,  also  numerous 
articles  on  professional  subjects  in  current  publications. 


246  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


ACCESSIONS 

April  1,  1940,  to  June  30,  1940 

MUSEUM 

Miscellaneous  Gifts 
Morg-aii,  Fred  and  Edward,  3809  Hawthorne   Ave.,   Richmond,  Va. — Six 

Civil    War    bullets    or    ' '  Minnie ' '    balls    (named    for    Capt.    Minnie) 

from  site  of  Battle  of  the  Crater,  Petersburg,  Va. 
Smalley,  Mrs.  E.  J.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — -An  11-inch  light  shade  from 

the  court  chambers  of  the  old  court-house,  Cheyenne. 

Books — Gifts 

Spring,    Agnes    Wright,    Cheyenne,    Wyoming — How    the    Oregon    Trail 

Became  a  Eoad,  by  G.  W.  Martin. 
Wheeler,    Eva    Floy,    Laramie,    Wyoming — Wyoming    Writers,    of    which 

donor  is  the  author. 

Books — Purchased 

McClure,  A.  K. — Three  Thousand  Miles  Through  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Shankle,  G.  E. — State  names,  flags,  seals,  song,  etc. 

Men   of  Wyoming,  1915. 

Kearny,  Thomas- — General  Philip  Kearny. 

Wister,  Owen — The  Virginian. 

Historical  Society  of  Montana — Contributions,  Vols.  4  and  9. 

Pamphlets — Gifts 

Houser,  G.  O.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — -A  Story  of  Register  Cliff  on  the 
old  Oregon  Trail,  by  G.  O.  Houser,  published  by  The  Guernsey 
Gazette,  Guernsey,  Wyoming. 

Roedel,  A.  E.,  Jr.,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — Five  copies  of  booklet  entitled 
"Brands"  published  by  his  late  father,  A.  E.  Roedel,  Sr.,  of  Chey- 
enne, 1938. 

Burlington  Railroad,  through  R.  C.  Overton,  Chicago,  111.  Four  copies 
"The  First  Ninety  Years.''  An  historical  sketch  of  the  Burlington 
Railroad,  1850-1940. 


A.NNALS  of  WYOMING 


^''ol.  12 


October,  1940 


No.  4 


A  HISTORICAL  MAGAZINE 


THE  COURAaEOUS  PIONEERS  - 

To  Whom  the  Four  Issues  of  the  1940  Volume  of  the  ANNALS  Have  Been  Dedicated   , 
...  in  Observance  of  Wyoming's  Golden  Anniversary  of  Statehood  ■% 


Published  Quarterly 
by 

The  Wyoming  Historical  Department 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming 


ANNALS  of  WYOMING 

^ol.  12  October,  1940  No.  4 

Contents 

Page 
WONDEEFUL   WYOMING    (Poem) 249 

By   E.  A.   Brininstool 

WYOMING'S  GOLDEN  ANNIVEESARY  GOVERNOR, 

NELS  H.  SMITH 250 

THE  TEXAS  TRAIL  AS  FOLLOWED  BY'  A  PIONEER  IN  1882 2'53 

By  Mrs.  George  H.  Gilland 

GOVERNORS  OF  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING,  ARTICLE  V 

(Concluding   Installment) 265 

By  Harry  B.  Henderson,  Sr. 

A  MEMORIAL  TO  THE  MEMBERS  OF 

THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTION 

(Concluding   Installment) 273 

THERESE  A.  PARKINSON  JENKINS, 

A  Prominent  Wyoming  Feminist 295 

By  Agnes  Jenkins  Metcalf 

WYOMING'S  FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY   AS  A   STATE 302 

By  William  A.  Riner,  Chief  Justice,  Supreme  Court 

"THAT'S  WY'OMING"   (Golden  Anniversary  Theme  Song) 309 

By  Jack  Bryant 

STATE-WIDE  CELEBRATION  OF  GOLDEN  ANNIVERSARY 

IS  COLORFUL  EVENT  IN  CHEYENNE..... 310 

MARY  G.  BELLAMY',  Wyoming's  First  Woman  Legislator 317 

By  Eva  Floy  Wheeler 

HISTORY  OF  WYOMING,  WRITTEN  BY'  C.  G.  COUTANT, 
PIONEER  HISTORIAN,  AND  HERETOFORE 
UNPUBLISHED,   Chapters  VIII  and  IX 323 

EARLY'-DAY^  LIFE  TRACED  BY  COLLECTION  OF 

MOTHER  AND  DAUGHTER 328 

NEW  FACTS  ABOUT  FORT  PHILIP  KEARNY' 329 

By  Thomas  Kearny 

ACCESSIONS  332 

}  ACTIVITIES  OF  WYOMING  HISTORICAL 

1  LANDMARK    COMMISSION 335 

Published  Quarterlv 

I'y 

THE     WY^OMING     HISTORICAL     DEPART:\IENT 

GLADY^S  F.  RILEY" 

State  Librarian  and  Ex-Officio  State  Historian 

Cheyenne,  Wyoming 


STATE  HISTORICAL  BOARD 


Governor Nels   H.   Smith 

Secretary  of   State .       Lester   C.   Hunt 

State  Treasurer      ......       Mart  T.  Christensen 

State  Auditor Wm.  "Sootty"  Jack 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction       .       Esther  L.   Anderson 
State  Librarian  and  Ex-Officio  Historian       .       Gladys  F.  Riley 


Inez  Babb   Taylor,   Assistant   Historian 


The  State  Historical  Board,  the  State  Advisory  Committee  and  the 
State  Historical  Department  assume  no  responsibility  for  any  statement 
of  fact  or  opinion  expressed  by  contributors  to  the  Annals  of  Wyoming. 


The  Wyoming  State  Historical  Department  invites  the  presentation 
of  museum  items,  letters,  diaries,  family  histories  and  manuscripts  of 
Wyoming  citizens.  It  welcomes  the  writings  and  observations  of  those 
familiar  with  important  and  significant  events  in  the  history  of  the  State. 

In  all  ways  the  Department  strives  to  present  to  the  people  of  Wyo- 
ming and  the  Nation  a  true  picture  of  the  State's  past.  The  ANNALS 
OF  WYOMING  is  one  medium  through  which  the  Department  seeks  to 
gain  this  objective.  All  communications  concerning  the  Annals  should 
be  addressed  to  Mrs.  Gladys  F.  Eiley,  Wyoming  Historical  Department, 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 


The  Annals  of  Wyoming  are  sent  free  of  charge  to  all  State  Offi- 
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Copyright,  1940,  by  the  Wyoming  Historical  Department. 


"WONDERFUL  WYOMING" 
By  E.  A.  Brininstool 

I'll  give  to  you  the  whole  round  earth, 

And  all  there  is  within  it — 
Just  take  it  all,  for  what  it 's  worth, 

This  very  blessed  minute, 
If  you  will  leave  me  one  small  spot. 

Out  there  beyond  the  gloaming — 
The  only  Homeland  that  I've  got — 

My  Wonderful  Wyoming! 

'Way  up  beyond  the  smoke  that  palls, 

Your  peaks  rise,  white  and  hoary. 
And  on  the  crooning  breeze  there  falls 

The  music  of  your  glory! 
'Tis  there  my  feet  would  fondly  turn, 

'Tis  there  my  thoughts  go  roaming. 
As  for  your  peaks  and  plains  I  yearn. 

My  Wonderful  Wyoming! 

Your  wide,  free  ranges  stretch  away, 

And  call  and  beckon  to  me; 
In  all  my  visions  through  the  day 

Your  azure  skies  pursue  me. 
I  long  for  your  wild  canyons  deep 

Where  brawling  streams  go  foaming, 
Out  where  the  sunset  glory  creeps, 

My  Wonderful  Wyoming! 

For  me  no  spot  can  quite  compare 

With  your   cloud-capped  expanses; 
I  love  your  rocky  ranges  there, 

Where  soft  the  sunlight  glances. 
I  love  your  sagebrush-covered  plains, 

Where   mighty  herds   are   roaming, 
And  every   spot  where  beauty  reigns, — 

My  Wonderful  Wyoming! 

Your  stalwart  sons  have  turned  the  sod, 

And  lo!  fat  fields  are  gleaming! 
Where  once  fierce  tribes  of  rednien  trod. 

With  progress  all  is  teeming! 
I  love  your  skies,  so  fair  and  blue, 

As  softly  falls  the  gloaming, 
My  heart  now  fondly  turns  to  you, 

Oh,  Wonderful  Wyoming! 


[  249  ] 


Governor  Nels  H.  Smith 

WYOMING'S    GOLDEN   ANNIVERSARY    GOVERNOR 

Nels  H.  Smith,  present  Governor  of  Wyoming,  was  bom 
of  sturdy  Scandinavian  parents  on  August  27,  1884,  at  Gay- 
ville,  South  Dakota.  He  received  his  elementary  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  his  community,  and  attended  the 
University  of  South  Dakota,  at  Vermilion. 

His  career  as  a  stockman-rancher  began  in  1905,  near 
Gettysburg,  South  Dakota,  where  he  remained  until  the  Fall 
of  1907,  when  he  sold  the  ranch  and  came  to  Wyoming,  where 
he  has  continued  through  hard  work  and  thrift,  to  prosper 
and  increase  his  holdings  in  Crook  and  Westoii  Counties  until 
he  now  has  become  one  of  the  most  successful  ranchers  and 
cattle-raisers  in  the  State. 

In  1911,  Mr.  Smith  and  Miss  Marie  Christensen,  a  native 
of  Weston  County,  were  married  at  the  ranch  home  of  her 
parents.  Mrs.  Smith  shares  whole-heartedly  in  all  her  hus- 
band's   interests,    and    she   has    the   distinction    of    being   the 


[  250  ] 


State's  first  native-born  First  Lady.  Their  two  sons,  Peter  F. 
and  Christy  K.,  carry  on  the  traditions  of  the  family  and  are 
now  managing  the  ranch  while  the  Governor  is  occupied 
with  his  State  duties  at  the  Capital  city. 

Always  public-spirited,  Mr.  Smith  served  in  the  State 
Legislature,  on  the  Wyoming  Highway  Commission,  and  year 
in  and  year  out,  in  victory  or  defeat,  he  has  been  a  loyal  and 
uncompromising  Republican.  He  is  a  thirty-second  degree 
Mason  and  a  Shriner. 

Nels  H.  Smith  was  elected  Governor  by  the  people  of 
Wyoming  on  November  8,  1938,  by  the  largest  majority  of 
votes  ever  accorded  a  candidate  for  that  office  in  the  State. 

To  have  served  the  State  as  its  Golden  Anniversary 
Governor  has  been  one  of  his  greatest  prides,  and  none  has 
watched  with  keener  interest  than  he  the  news  of  community 
observances  throughout  the  State. 

Governor  Smith  has  affected  a  general  system  of  com- 
bining and  coordinating  the  various  State  Departments,  which 
has  resulted  in  greater  economy,  and  at  the  same  time  in- 
creased efficiency.  Some  of  the  outstanding  accomplishments 
during  the  first  part  of  this  Golden  Anniversary  Administra- 
tion are  the  reduction  of  the  Mill  Levy  Tax  to  its  lowest  point 
in  the  history  of  the  State ;  the  reduction  of  the  price  of  gaso- 
line to  the  consumer ;  an  extremely  large  saving  in  the  opera- 
tion of  the  Highway  Department,  and  at  the  same  time  con- 
tinued improvement  in  Wyoming  highways.  More  than  twenty 
communities  of  the  State  are  enjoying  the  benefits  of  lower 
electric  rates,  and  a  complete  revision  of  the  law  relating  to 
the  Games  and  Fish  Department  was  made.  This  revision  elimi- 
nated a  number  of  objectionable  phases  of  the  then  existing 
law  which  had  been  criticized  by  the  courts,  and  gave  greater 
freedom  to  the  Department,  enabling  it  to  operate  for  the 
benefit  of  the  State  with  consideration  for  the  welfare  of 
game  and  fish  resources  of  the  State. 

In  Governor  Smith's  message  to  the  twenty-fifth  State 
Legislature,  he  said:  "During  the  past  several  months  we 
pledged  ourselves  to  repeal  the  Sales  Tax  on  foodstuffs.  T 
have  always  felt,  and  I  feel  now,  that  foodstuffs  should  be  ex- 
empt from  the  Sales  Tax.  1  earnestly  urge  that  Chapter  102, 
Session  Laws  of  1937,  be  amended  and  reenacted  exempting 
foodstuffs  from  an  excise  tax. ' '  However,  the  legislature  did 
not  pass  the  law  providing  for  this  revision. 

Governor  Smith's  wholesome  and  practical  attitude  to- 
ward the  affairs  of  State,  his  congenial  and  friendly  manner 
toward  all — rich  or  poor,  young  or  old — who  come  within  the 
radius  of  his  fine  personality,  have  combined  to  attract  to 
himself  hosts  of  admirers  and  followers  who  take  pride  in 
knowing  this  man  as  a  Good  Citizen  and  a  Good  Governor. 

[251] 


THE  UNIQUE  TEXAS  TRAIL  MONUMENT 
on  National  Highway  20,  Lusk,  Wyoming,  dedicated  on  August  15,  1940. 
Sponsored  by  the  Lusk  Lions  Club,  Wyoming  Stock  Growers'  Associa- 
tion and  stockmen  of  Eastern  Wyoming.  Plaq.ue  designed  by  Bill  Har- 
wood.  Inscription:  "TEXAS  TRAIL.  Texas  to  Montana,  1876-1897. 
Along  this  trail  passed  herds  of  cattle  from  distant  Texas  to  replace  in 
Wyoming  and  Montana  the  fast  vanishing  buffalo  and  build  civilization 
on  the  Northwestern  plains.  Dedicated  by  the  Historical  Landmark 
Commission  of  Wyoming,  1940." 


[  252  1 


'^he  Texas  Trail 

as  Followed  by  a  Pioneer  in  1882 

By  Mrs.  George  H.  Gilland* 

FOREWORD 

There  seems  to  be  a  wealth  of  data  concerning  the  origin,  rise  and 
fall  of  the  western  cattle  industry.  Undoubtedly  one  of  the  most  au- 
thentic descriptions  extant  is  that  given  by  Walter  Prescott  in  his 
valuable  book  ' '  The  Great  Plains. ' '  From  this  work,  from  Anthony 
Adams  "The  Log  of  a  Cowboy,"  from  the  March,  1926,  edition  "The 
Cattleman"  and  from  other  sources  I  have  drawn  for  much  of  the 
information  submitted  in  this  preface,  a  subject  of  too  great  scope  to 
be  more  than  touched  upon  here. 

Following  the  Texas  Revolution  of  1836  and  the  succeed- 
ing border  warfare  between  the  Texans  and  Mexicans,  the 
latter  retreated  across  the  Rio  Grande,  abandoning  their 
ranches  and  thousands  of  head  of  wild  Spanish  longhorns 
which  thrived  and  multiplied  in  the  valley  of  the  Neuces, 
the  southernmost  end  of  the  Texas  cattle  range. 

The  Texas  Republic  decreed  that  all  abandoned  cattle 
were  public  property ;  therefore,  many  were  rounded  up  by 
Texans  and  marked  with  their  own  brands,  thus  practically 
founding  the  Texas  cattle  industry,  and  gradually  establish- 
ing some  of  the  largest  cattle  ranches  in  North  America. 
Sporadic  attempts  were  made  to  market  them ;  a  drive  to 
Ohio  in  1846  is  mentioned  and  another  to  Chicago  ten  years 
later.  But  while  these  long-legged,  rugged  range  cattle  were 
capable  of  enduring  a  1,000  or  even  a  2,000  mile  trek  they 
were  neither  good  beefers  nor  good  milkers.  A  few  shipments 
were  made  to  New  Orleans  and  to  Cuba ;  some  beef  was 
furnished  the  Confederate  army  during  the  Civil  War ;  pickled 
beef  was  sent  to  England,  but  marketing  had  not  become  an 
industry  and  these  wild  Texas  longhorns,  originally  natives 
of  Old  Mexico  and  driven  across  the  border  over  the  Rio 
Grande,  increased  in  southern  and  western  Texas  until  they 
threatened  to  over-run  the  country. 

After  the  Civil  War  the  South  was  prostrated,  but  the 
rise  of  large  cities  in  the  industrial  North  created  a  demand 
for  beef  and  gave  an  impetus  to  Texas  cattle  drives.  In  1865 
an  animal  worth  four  or  five  dollars  in  Texas  sold  for  forty 
or  fifty  dollars  in  the  North ;  hence  the  effort  to  ' '  connect  a 
four  dollar  cow  with  a  forty  dollar  market. ' '     Thus  the  first 


*See  biographical  sketch  of  Mrs.  Gilland  in  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING, 
Vol.  11,  No.  4,  October,  1939,  p.  254. 

[  253  ] 


254  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

link  was  forged  in  re-establishing  economic  relations  betAveen 
the  North  and  South  after  the  war. 

One  of  the  first  two  herds  driven  from  Texas  to  Wyoming 
in  the  late  '60 's  was  sold  to  Mr.  Iliff  of  Colorado,  who  turned 
them  on  liis  range  southeast  of  Cheyenne.  The  first  shipment 
of  beef  from  Cheyenne  was  made  in  1870  during  the  Franco- 
Prussian  war  by  a  Mr.  Pritchard,  who  bought  H.  B.  Kelly's 
work  cattle  for  $70  per  head  and  sold  them  in  Paris  for  beef 
for  about  $150. 

The  tales  which  drifted  across  the  Atlantic  concerning 
the  immensity  of  the  open  range  between  the  Rio  Grande  and 
the  Mexican  border  excited  the  curiosity  of  English  and  Scotch 
capitalists,  some  of  whom,  among  them  lords  and  earls,  came 
over  not  only  to  investigate  but  to  invest.  Large  companies 
were  formed'  and  it  was  claimed  that  by  1882  $30,000,000  had 
been  invested  by  foreign  interests  in  ranches  and  stock  on  the 
western  plains,  the  stock  usuall.y  purchased  in  Tex'as  and 
New  Mexico  and  trailed  north.  The  first  herds  were  driven 
up  over  pathless  ground,  but  as  herd  followed  herd,  "trails" 
were  made,  named  and  nameless,  the  most  notorious  of  which 
was  the  Chisholm  which  is  said  to  have  wended  its  way  by 
Fort  Worth,  AVichita  and  Abilene  and  became  the  most  popu- 
lar trail  in  song  and  story.  But  its  identity  seems  to  have 
merged  with  others  as  the  multiplicity  of  herds,  both  large 
and  small,  in  search  of  feed,  made  new  trails  or  crossed  the 
old  until  they  were  finally  embraced  in  the  all-inclusive  title 
of  "The  Texas  Trail." 

In  the  early  days  of  the  industry  as  St.  Louis  and  towns 
east  developed  demands  for  western  cattle,  it  became  neces- 
sary to  establish  shipping  points  where  trails  from  the  South 
met  the  several  railroads  which  by  1866  and  later,  had  crossed 
the  Mississippi  River  and  reached  the  Great  Plains.  Salina, 
Kansas,  seems  to  have  been  the  first  shipping  point  to  the 
East,  then,  as  the  railroads  pushed  westward,  Abilene,  Wichita 
and  Dodge  City,  where  eastern  buyer  could  bargain  with 
western  seller.  Cattle  which  reached  shipping  points  unfit 
for  market  or  which  failed  to  find  buyers  were  often  placed 
on  ranches  to  be  fattened.  And  so  the  cattle  kingdom  spread 
from,  southern  Texas  to  and  over  the  Great  Plains  with  its 
free  and  nutritious  grasses  until  the  growth  of  the  ranch  and 
range  industry  within  fifteen  years  was  phenomsnal. 

But  reverses  came.  The  financial  panic  of  1873  was 
weathered  and  by  '76  the  market  was  recovering.  The  up- 
trend extended  into  the  boom  of  the  early  '80 's  and  by  '85 
the  peak  of  the  cattle  industry  was  reached.  Ranges  had 
been  overstocked ;   the  homestead  law  passed  in    '62  had,   in 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  255 

the  ensuing  years,  brought  in  settlers  who  staked  out  claims 
on  the  heretofore  public  domain  and  following  the  invention 
of  barbed  wire  in  1874  many  claims  as  well  as  additional 
range  were  fenced.  The  time  when  cattle  outfits  such  as  the 
Converse  Company  could  run  a  herd  of  30,000  or  40,000  head 
on  free  range  was  passing.  Texas  cattle,  while  hardy  on  the 
trail,  were  often  unable  to  withstand  the  severity  of  northern 
winters  and  perished  by  thousands.  The  winter  of  '86  Avas 
a  bitter  one,  the  succeeding  summer  dry  and  many  stockmen, 
native  and  foreign,  lost  their  entire  herds.  Among  the  few 
companies  to  survive  was  the  Swan  Land  and  Cattle  Company. 

And  what  of  the  men  and  boys,  the  ''Cowboys"  who 
helped  to  build  up  this  gigantic  range  and  cattle  business  on 
so  huge  a  scale  that  its  ramifications  reached  afar?  But  for 
whom  in  fact  it  could  not  have  existed.  Who,  often  at  the 
risk  of  their  lives,  took  charge  of  the  cattle  from  the  time 
they  left  their  native  haunts  on  and  on  to  the  end  of  the  trail. 

When  in  the  early  days,  the  Texans  settled  in  the  Colo- 
rado River  valley,  they  had  to  learn  a  method  of  horseman- 
ship and  of  carrying  arms  that  "placed  them  on  a  footing 
with  the  Mexicans  and  Plains  Indians ; ' '  also  as  a  protection 
from  the  wild  Texas  cattle,  many  of  which  were  said  to  have 
been  as  dangerous  as  beasts  of  prey  and  when  attempting  to 
round  them  up  no  man  was  safe  without  his  revolver  since 
sometimes  only  his  dexterity  in  drawing  it  saved  his  life  from 
a  charging  steer.  Thus  it  was  that  the  cattlemen  and  cow- 
boys of  the  period  grew  up  with  a  knowledge  of  handling 
cattle,  meeting  emergencies  and  "roughing  it"  born  of  experi- 
ence— a  wild  and  dangerous  life  in  a  wild  and  dangerous 
environment. 

Small  wonder  then  that,  as  Mr.  Webb  says,  "The  East- 
erner with  his  background  of  forest  and  farm  was  often  at 
a  loss  to  understand  the  men  of  the  cattle  kingdom;  one  went 
on  foot,  the  other  on  horseback;  one  carried  his  law  in  books, 
the  other  carried  it  strapped  around  his  waist ; — one  responded 
to  convention,  the  other  to  necessity  and  evolved  his  own 
conventions" —  "in  the  East  a  farm — perhaps  10,000  farms — 
will  each  have  six  or  seven  cows  and  as  many  calves.  They 
attract  no  attention;  are  incidents  of  agriculture.  In  the  AYest 
a  ranch  will  cover  the  same  area  as  10,000  farms  and  will 
perhaps  have  10,000  head  of  cattle,  with  roundups,  rodeos, 
men  on  horseback  and  all  that  goes  with  ranching — men  in 
boots  and  jingling  spurs ;  big  hats  and  frisky  horses :  camp 
cook  and  horse   wrangler;   profanity  and   huge   appetites""- — • 

"The  East  did  a  large  business  on  a  small  scale;  the  West 
did  a  small  business  magnificently." 


256  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

And  the  glamour  lured  young  men  from  the  East  who 
came  out  to  exchange  the  prosaic  life  of  farm,  factory  or 
college  for  the  danger  and  excitement  of  the  western  range. 
Some  failed  to  make  the  grade,  others,  notably  those  with  a 
rugged  New  England  background,  remained  to  make  good 
and  to  be  included  among  the  West's  most  substantial  citizens. 


Among  the  latter  was  George  Henry  Gilland  who  was 
born  in  the  village  of  Fairfax,  Vermont,  on  the  8th  of  May, 
1856.  He  was  the  sixth  of  nine  children,  three  of  whom  were 
born  in  Ireland  before  the  parents  emigrated  to  this  country 
in  1849.  Of  those  three  two  died  in  infancy.  The  father, 
Samuel  Gillilan — as  the  name  was  spelled  in  Ireland — had 
raised  a  family  of  five  children  by  his  first  wife,  all  of  whom 
emigrated  to  Vermont,  that  rugged  state  which  has  imparted 
so  many  of  its  sturdy  characteristics  to  its  sons. 

Wresting  a  living  from  the  rocky  New  England  soil  was 
a  perpetual  struggle  and  like  the  majority  of  children  in 
those  parts  the  young  Gillands  worked  at  odd  jobs  to  help 
supply  the  family  larder  and  to  earn  the  one  pair  of  shoes 
that  must  serve  to  cover  their  feet  during  the  long,  bitter 
winter.  But  in  those  days  shoes  were  made  to  last,  with  their 
heavy  soles,  copper  toes  and  calf-skin  uppers.  At  the  age  of 
twelve  and  fourteen  respectively,  George  and  his  brother 
John  walked  two  miles  from  home  to  cut  cord  wood  at  fifty 
cents  per  cord.  An  experienced  man  could  cut  two  cords  a 
day ;  a  boy  half  a  cord.  Thus  the  combined  daily  wage  of 
the  two  boys  averaged  fifty  cents  and  this  only  when  condi- 
tions were  favorable,  for  now  and  then  a  tree,  in  falling,  would 
bury  itself  in  the  snow  and  much  time  was  lost  in  digging  it 
out.  The  boys  took  their  pay  in  trade,  sometimes  a  barrel  of 
flour  at  fourteen  dollars  a  barrel.  Think  of  it,  ye  boys  of 
today,  swinging  an  axe  twenty-eight  days  or  more  to  pay  for 
ninety-six  pounds  of  flour.  In  the  spring  they  worked  in 
the  maple  sugar  bush,  the  "Sugar  Season"  opening  when  the 
sap  began  to  run,  usually  the  last  of  March  or  first  of  April 
and  lasting  from  four  to  six  weeks.  But  they  had  their  good 
times  too — at  the  "old  swimming  hole,"  corn  huskings,  spell- 
ing bees  and  out-of-door  sports. 

In  this  environment  of  hard  work,  simple  pleasures  and 
such  education  as  the  village  school  aff^orded,  the  young  Gil- 
lands  grew  to  the  age  of  fifteen  when  each  in  turn  was  con- 
sidered old  enough  to  become  an  independent  unit  in  the 
battle  of  life.  Desiring  to  see  something  of  the  world  and 
having,  before  reaching  his  majority,  saved  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars,  a  goodly  sum  for  one  of  his  age  in  that  locality, 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  257 

in  April,  1877,  George  followed  his  friend,  Charles  Rugg,  to 
Egbert,  Wyoming.  Soon  after  his  arrival  at  the  Rugg  ranch 
on  the  Muddy,  south  of  Egbert,  he  made  the  acquaintance  of 
my  father,  Alonzo  Martin,  who  owned  the  UC  ranch  farther 
up  the  valley,  became  associated  with  him  and  there  remained 
for  thirty  years.  With  New  England  frugality  he  saved  his 
money  and  invested  in  cattle. 

He  and  father  desired  to  increase  their  herds  and  in  the 
spring  of  1882  George  went  by  train  to  Dallas,  Texas,  to 
purchase  cattle  for  himself,  father,  Whiffen  and  Calkins  and 
a  Mr.  Griffen  of  Iowa  who  had  made  arrangements  to  run 
their  herds  on  father's  range. 

At  Gainsville,  Texas,  he  met  Mv.  Whiffen  by  prearrange- 
ment  and  together  they  attended  the  three-days  meeting  of 
the  Texas  Stock  Growers  Association,  made  interesting  by 
the  presence  of  all  the  largest  cattle  owners  of  the  state. 
Hearing  of  several  herds  for  sale,  they  went  from  Dallas  to 
P^ort  Worth  to  which  place  George  had  shipped  branding 
irons,  as  all  cattle  before  taking  the  trail  were  marked  with 
the  owner's  or  a  road  brand,  in  this  case  the  owner's. 

While  inspecting  herds  and  talking  with  trail  bosses 
George  took  occasion  to  learn  something  about  the  ethics  of 
the  trail — unwritten  laws,  the  observance  of  which  might 
save  trouble  and  annoyance.  For  example,  no  herd  approved 
another  herd  attempting  to  pass  it  without  good  reason.  Nor 
should  a  herd  trespass  on  range  alreadj^  occupied.  The  long- 
experience  of  old  trailers  had  taught  them  that  if  cattle  were 
well  fed  and  watered  before  bedding  down  at  night  they  were 
less  likely  to  stampede.  In  the  early  days  of  Texas  drives, 
trailers  had  to  break  the  trails,  ward  off  Indian  attacks  and 
watch  for  buffaloes,  for  nothing  would  start  a  stampede  more 
([uickly  than  a  charging  buffalo  herd.  By  '82  these  hazards 
were  minimized  but  there  were  enough  other  obstacles  to  be  en- 
countered to  keep  a  trail  boss  and  his  riders  constantly  on  the 
alert. 

At  Dallas,  George  bought  1,500  head  of  one  and  two 
year  old  steers.  Leaving  them  there  he  and  Mr.  Whiffen 
returned  to  Fort  Worth  to  assemble  their  outfit.  This  con- 
sisted of  forty  head  of  horses,  half  of  them  broken  to  ride 
and  the  rest  only  halter  broken;  two  teams  of  mules,  a  mess 
wagon  for  which  he  made  a  box  to  fit  into  the  back,  with  a 
drop  door  for  a  table  and  compartments  for  cooking  utensils 
and  small  jirovisions,  also  a  large  box  in  which  to  carry  and 
keep  dry  staple  provisions  such  as  flour,  coffee,  sugar,  etc. 
He  then  hired  a  cook,  a  very  important  asset  since  a  range 
outfit  like  an  army  must  be  well  fed.    Eight  riders  were  then 


258  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

engaged,  two  of  them  colored  men.  Two  of  the  white  men, 
Caraco  and  Whitehead,  admitted  that  they  knew  nothing 
about  riding  but  wanted  the  experience  of  the  trail.  They 
made  good.  Saddles,  bridles  and  blankets  too  were  purchased, 
also  bedding  for  altho'  it  was  customary  for  a  rider  to  supply 
his  own  outfit  the  majority  of  these  men  were  financially 
"broke."    To  quote  Mr.  Gilland: 

"With  our  outfit  complete  we  went  into  camp  to  break 
the  saddle  horses  which  were  only  "haltered"  and  a  lively 
week  ensued.  But  they  were  finally  subdued  and  we  returned 
to  the  ranch  below  Dallas  to  receive  our  cattle  which  were 
then  ready  to  be  turned  over  to  us.  This  required  a  ten-day 
journey  over  narrow  roads,  through  mud  knee  deep  and  rain 
which  fell  daily.  Arriving  at  the  ranch  several  days  were 
consumed  in  branding  the  cattle.  ...  In  this  work  we 
were  assisted  by  the  eight  riders  of  the  ranch  who  also  went 
with  us  the  first  ten  days  of  our  northward  march. 

"We  left  with  our  herd  on  the  morning  of  April  20th, 
traveling  first  through  a  well  settled  country  over  narrow, 
ungraded  roads  poorly  fenced,  which  gave  us  much  trouble. 
The  first  night  we  camped  on  the  banks  of  a  small,  muddy 
creek  lined  with  trees  and  brush.  Including  the  men  from 
the  ranch  we  had  sixteen  riders.  We  bedded  down  in  the 
only  place  available  but  the  yearlings  were  determined  to  go 
back  home  to  their  mothers,  and  it  was  midnight  before  all 
became  quiet.  We  then  called  "relief  guard"  and  turned  in, 
but  I  first  took  the  precaution  to  tie  my  pony,  saddled,  to 
the  wheel  of  the  wagon  nearby  to  be  prepared  in  case  of 
emergency.  And  the  emergency  came  for  almost  immediately 
I  heard  the  cattle  start.  The  two  Kentuckians  were  sleeping 
beside  me  in  a  tent  with  an  opening  in  each  end,  the  flaps 
turned  back,  for  the  night  was  warm.  When  I  shouted  'The 
cettle  are  coming'  and  they  saw  through  one  of  the  tent 
doors  the  onrush  of  the  herd,  they  dashed  out  the  other  for 
a  tree  on  the  creek  bank,  but  one  of  them  missed  his  footing 
and  plunged  headlong  over  the  edge.  The  charging  cattle 
however,  divided  and  swept  around  instead  of  over  the  camp, 
so  no  harm  was  done.  By  this  time  the  men  were  all  in  the 
saddle,  the  Kentuckians  in  their  pajamas  (for  being  tender- 
feet  they  still  slept  in  their  'nighties')  but  it  was  long  after 
daylight  before  the  frightened  animals  were  under  control. 
The  following  night  they  were  quiet  until  nearly  morning 
when  their  attempted  stampede  was  quickly  checked.  That 
day  the  ranch  riders  left  us  and  went  back. 

We  were  still  in  a  farming  country  and  could  find  no 
place  to  feed  our  cattle  until  we  reached  the  small  town  of 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  259 

St.  Joe,  where  we  had  our  last  stampede.  Rain  was  falling, 
the  night  so  dark  that  no  object  could  be  seen  and  the  cattle 
scattered  in  the  brush.  The  men  were  all  mounted  but  know- 
ing that  search  was  futile  I  called  them  together  and  sent 
them  to  bed  until  daylight,  when  we  started  forth.  One  of 
the  men  had  become  lost  in  the  darkness  and  came  in  the 
next  morning  with  two  hundred  head.  The  ground  was  soft 
and  we  could  easily  trail  the  cattle.  One  of  the  darkies, 
Hamm  Harris,  and  I  trailed  a  bunch  down  a  lane  to  a  farm 
where  we  found  it  shut  up  in  a  corral  with  a  dozen  men  lined 
up  on  the  fence.  The  spokesman  hailed  me  with,  'Are  these 
your  cattle?'  When  I  replied  in  the  affirmative  he  declared 
he  had  found  them  in  his  cornfield  where  they  had  done  much 
damage.  'We'll  go  and  see,'  I  replied.  There  had  been  cattle 
in  the  field  but  the  tracks  were  not  fresh  ones.  Moreover, 
I  told  him  that  we  had  trailed  my  cattle  direct  to  his  corral, 
but  he  demanded  fifty  dollars  to  release  them.  Without  fur- 
ther ado  I  told  Hamm  to  open  the  gate  (we  were  both  armed) 
and  I  drove  the  cattle  out  followed  only  by  the  direful  threats 
of  the  farmer.  Later,  one  of  the  men  who  had  witnessed 
the  affair  came  to  our  camp  and  told  us  that  the  farmer  was 
also  a  self-styled  preacher  of  St.  Joe  who  left  his  fence  down 
purposely  and  had  already  collected  toll  several  times  that 
season  for  purported  damage  done  to  his  corn. 

Upon  counting  our  herd  we  found  we  were  fourteen 
head  short.  As  feed  was  scarce  we  went  on  to  the  Red  River, 
an  eighteen  mile  drive  through  cross  timber,  and  stayed  there 
that  night.  Early  the  next  morning  we  moved  our  herd  down 
to  the  crossing  ahead  of  the  other  trail  herds  which,  however, 
soon  caught  up.  The  Red  was  a  dangerous  river  to  cross 
and  took  toll  of  many  lives,  both  of  men  and  cattle.  The 
water  was  swift  and  high  and  our  cattle  refused  to  cross, 
the  current  catching  them  and  milling  them  around.  The 
boys  of  the  other  herds  joined  us  and  we  soon  had  a  force  of 
fifty  men  at  work  but  to  no  avail.  Then  we  drove  the  horses 
in  ahead  thinking  the  cattle  would  follow  but  that,  too, 
failed.  After  bringing  the  cattle  back  we  again  started  them 
across,  I  swam  behind  with  a  lariat,  lassooed  a  steer  around 
the  neck  and  started  with  him  after  the  horses ;  his  bawling 
attracted  the  rest  of  the  herd  which  followed  without  further 
trouble.  Two  miles  beyond  the  river  we  went  into  camp  for 
two  days  to  let  the  cattle  rest  and  graze,  as  the  feed  was 
good.  Two  men  were  sent  back  from  there,  found  the  fourteen 
head  lost  at  St.  Joe  and  caught  up  with  us  two  days  later. 

Up  to  this  time  Mr.  Whift'en  had  been  with  us.  He  now 
decided  to  return  to  Gainesville  and  take  a  train  for  Rock- 


260  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

ford,  Illinois,  his  home.  But  before  he  left  he  had  an  experi- 
ence that  was  amusing,  at  least  to  the  rest  of  us.  One  morning 
we  saddled  and  mounted  in  the  rain.  Pinto,  a  pony  to  which 
Mr.  Whiff  en  had  become  attached  and  which  he  always  rode, 
seemed  to  object  to  his  yellow  slicker  and  when  urged  to 
start  humped  his  back  and  refused  to  move.  Mr.  Whiffen 
then  spoke  to  him  coaxingly  and  patted  him  on  the  neck,  at 
the  same  time  touching  him  gently  with  his  spurs,  whereupon 
Pinto  thrust  his  head  down  and  gave  one  tremendous  'buck' 
into  the  air,  landing  Mr.  AVhiffen  on  his  back  in  the  mud. 
Getting  up  he  looked  disgustedly  at  the  pony,  then  standing 
perfectly  still,  and  exclaimed,  'These  cussed  brutes  won't 
stand  petting,  will  they ! ' 

We  were  now  in  the  Indian  Territory,  afterward  Okla- 
homa, and  passed  through  the  Arapaho  and  Chickasha  Na- 
tions. While  not  unfriendly  they  were  inveterate  beggars 
and  therefore  annoying.  Often  they  would  present  a  request 
from  their  agent  for  a  dole  of  beef  or  a  few  head  of  cattle 
in  payment  for  the  privilege  of  grazing  our  herd  across  their 
land  although  the  trail  was  an  open  one.  This  we  sometimes 
granted,  giving  them  a  crippled  animal  unable  to  keep  up 
with  the  rest. 

We  were  now  in  open  country  with  plenty  of  feed  but 
with  four  rivers  to  cross — the  Washita,  the  south  and  north 
branches  of  the  Canadian  and  the  Cimarron.  The  Washita 
offered  no  difficulties  but  when  we  reached  the  South  Canadian 
we  were  detained  twenty-four  hours  by  a  flood  which  caused 
it  to  overflow  its  banks ;  when  this  subsided  we  crossed  with- 
out much  difficulty.  The  north  branch  was  dry  and  its  wide 
bed  of  alkali  deposits  could  be  seen  for  miles,  glistening  white 
in  the  sun  like  snow.  The  Cimarron  was  wide  but  the  cattle 
had  become  trail  broken  and  were  not  afraid  to  cross,  so  we 
reached  Dodge  City  in  southeastern  Kansas  without  further 
incident. 

Dodge  City  was  then  the  delivery  point  (the  half  way 
point)  for  many  herds  going  north,  and  we  found  fully  fifty 
thousand  head  there  before  us.  Leaving  our  herd  in  charge 
of  some  of  the  men  the  rest  of  us  went  into  town  to  purchase 
supplies  and  to  get  our  mules  shod.  When  returning  to  camp 
we  were  caught  in  a  terrific  rain  and  hail  storm  which  lasted 
all  night,  and  fearing  our  cattle  would  get  mixed  with  the  other 
herds  we  rode  around  them  all  night  without  stopping  to  eat 
or  sleep.  Our  reward  came  in  the  morning  when  we  counted 
our  cattle,  for  not  one  was  missing  while  many  of  the  other 
herds  were  badlv  mixed. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  261 

The  main  trail  after  crossing  the  Arkansas  at  Dodge  City. 
led  to  Julesburg,  Colorado,  but  as  this  was  about  one  hundred 
and  forty  miles  east  of  our  destination  in  Wyoming  I  decided 
upon  a  more  direct  route.  Therefore,  instead  of  crossing  the 
river  here  we  followed  it  on  the  south  side  in  a  north-westerly 
direction.  On  the  second  day  out  one  of  our  men,  Mr.  Wallace, 
who  had  become  homesick,  wanted  to  return  to  Texas.  Almost 
opposite  our  camp  but  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  was  Pierce- 
ville,  a  station  on  the  Santa  Fe  railroad,  but  there  was  no  bridge, 
the  river,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide,  was  in  flood,  running  bank 
high  and  the  muddy,  foaming,  seething  water  reminded  me  of 
the  cauldrons  of  boiling  soft  soap  I  had  seen  on  Vermont  farms 
in  my  youth.  But  I  told  Mr.  Wallace  if  one  of  the  boys  would 
swim  across  with  him  to  bring  his  horse  back,  he  might  go.  No 
one  volunteered,  however,  and  taking  pity  on  his  distress  I 
piloted  him  over.  We  rode  to  the  edge  of  the  bank  and  after 
repeated  urgings  my  horse  plunged  in,  going  so  far  beneath 
the  surface  that  I  was  submerged  to  my  neck.  Coming  up,  he 
struck  out  for  the  other  side,  Mr.  Wallace  following  on  his 
mount,  but  the  swift  current  carried  us  quite  a  distance  do^vn 
stream.  We  crossed  without  once  touching  bottom  until  near 
the  bank;  as  this  was  too  steep  for  our  horses  to  climb  we 
jumped  otf  and  led  them  to  lower  ground.  Leaving  my  com- 
panion at  Pierceville  I  found  a  shallower  crossing  and  returned 
to  camp  with  both  horses  in  safety.  (After  reaching  Wyoming 
I  received  a  letter  of  thanks  from  ]Mr.  Wallace.) 

We  continued  our  course  on  the  south  side  of  the  Arkansas 
until  we  reached  Granada  on  the  Colorado  boundary.  Here 
we  attempted  to  drive  the  cattle  across  to  the  north  side  but 
the  river  was  still  A^ery  high  and  they  refused  to  go  in.  At  this 
point  there  was  a  combination  rail  and  wagon  bridge  guarded 
by  a  watchman  in  a  cabin.  In  reply  to  my  inquiry  he  said  uo 
regular  trains  were  due  for  two  hours,  and  that  while  he  had 
no  orders  to  prevent  a  herd  from  crossing,  we  would  do  so  at 
our  own  risk.  Returning  to  the  herd  I  strung  the  horses  out 
in  the  lead,  drove  them  onto  the  bridge,  some  of  the  cattle  fol- 
lowed them  and  the  rest  plunged  iuto  the  river  beside  and  under 
the  bridge  and  the  crossing  was  accomplished  without  mishap. 

We  had  left  Oklahoma  behind  and  after  crossing  the  Big 
Sandy  in  eastern  Colorado  we  followed  it  up  to  Kit  Carson  on 
the  Kansas  Pacific,  thence  to  River  Bend  where  we  left  the  rail- 
road, down  Beaver  Creek  to  the  present  site  of  Brush,  and 
crossed  the  South  Platte  river  at  Snyder  Station  on  the  Jules- 
burg branch  of  the  Union  Pacific.  I  was  now  back  on  my  old 
range  where  I  knew  every  spring  and  water  hole.  From  there 
we  passed  Hunter's  Lake,  South  Pawnee  Creek  and  Wild  Horse 


262  ANNALS  OP  WYOMING 

Corral  to  Grover,  thence  up  Crow  Creek  to  our  camp  at  the 
Beaver  Dams  in  Wyoming,  two  miles  from  Areola  and  ten  miles 
south  of  the  Muddy.  Thus  ended  an  interesting  but  the  hardest 
experience  of  my  life." 


Mr.  Gilland  now  returned  to  the  UC  ranch  on  the  Muddy 
of  which  he  continued  in  charge.  In  the  fall  of  '83  Mr.  Martin 
moved  his  family  to  Cheyenne.  Two  years  later  George  Gilland 
came  up  and  in  November  ('85)  he  and  I,  then  Cora  Belle 
Martin,  were  married  by  the  Keverend  C.  M.  Sanders,  pastor 
of  the  Congregational  church,  and  began  housekeeping  in  the 
house  George  had  built  at  408  West  23rd  street  which  still 
stands.  Father  then  went  back  to  the  ranch.  But  his  health 
was  failing  and  the  following  year  by  his  request  we  moved  to 
the  ranch.  Father  and  family  to  town. 

After  Father's  death  here  in  1889,  George  bought  the  ranch 
and  it  was  there  that  our  four  children  spent  much  of  their 
early  life  altho'  they  were  all  bom  in  Cheyenne  and  attended 
high  school  there  before  dispersing  to  complete  their  college, 
business  or  university  education,  according  to  individual  choice. 

By  the  turn  of  the  century  the  dry  farming  craze  had 
reached  our  vicinity  on  the  Muddy,  to  the  displeasure  of  the 
stockmen  who  needed  the  range.  Partly  on  this  account  we 
sold  the  ranch  in  1907  to  the  Federal  Land  and  Cattle  Com- 
pany of  Iowa,  the  stock  and  equipment  to  other  parties  and 
moved  to  town  to  remain. 

In  1909  we  bought  our  present  home  at  2116  Carey  Ave., 
then  Ferguson  street,  built  in  the  '80 's  by  George  Draper  and 
successively  owned  by  N.  R.  Davis  and  the  Episcopal  Church 
which  used  it  as  a  rectory  at  the  time  of  our  purchase.  Here 
our  three  daughters  were  married — Ida  to  Dr.  Galen  A.  Fox 
of  Cheyenne,  Vera  (now  deceased)  to  Bruce  S.  Jones  of  Chey- 
enne, and  Helen  to  Dr.  Robert  C.  Shanklin,  then  of  South  Bend, 
Indiana  but  now  retired  from  practice  and  living  in  Chicago 
where  George  Jr.  and  his  wife  also  live. 


During  his  thirty  years  residence  on  the  UC  ranch  near 
Egbert,  Wyoming,  George  Henry  Gilland  was  always  a  leading 
spirit  in  the  community,  serving  on  the  school  board,  several 
times  elected  to  the  Republican  county  convention  at  Cheyenne, 
and  in  May,  1892,  sent  as  a  delegate  to  the  State  convention 
there,  called  to  elect  delegates  to  the  National  convention  at 
Minneapolis  in  June.  In  1902  he  was  elected  to  the  state  legis- 
lature ;  in  1904  was  a  delegate  to  the  state  convention  at  Casper 


ANNALS  or  WYOMING  263 

and  in  1911  served  again  as  a  representative  in  the  legislature^ 
this  time  from  Cheyenne. 

After  his  inception  into  the  Blue  Lodge  in  1902  Mr.  Gilland 
took  an  active  and  prominent  part  in  Masonry.  He  became  a 
member  of  Cheyenne  Lodge  No.  1,  A.  F.  and  A.  M. ;  Past  High 
Priest  of  Wyoming  Chapter  No.  1 ;  Member  of  the  Order  of 
High  Priesthood,  Wyoming ;  Past  Commander  of  Wyoming 
Commandery,  No.  1 ;  Past  Master  of  Kadosh,  Wyoming  Con- 
sistory, No.  1 ;  Knight  Commander  of  the  Court  of  Honor,  33rd 
degree  Honorary  and  a  Shriner  of  Korean  Temple,  Rawlins. 
He  was  also  Almoner  of  Consistorj^  No.  1  and  Treasurer  of 
the  Scottish  Rite  Fund.  He  belonged  to  Surat  Grotto,  to 
B.P.O.E.  Lodge  No.  660  and  to  the  Cheyenne  Country  Club ; 
was  a  water  commissioner  of  District  No.  1  and  an  appraiser 
for  the  State  Land  Board. 

In  1924  came  business  reverses  and  following  years  of 
strenuous  effort  to  recuperate,  Mr.  Gilland 's  once  vigorous 
health  gave  way.  The  death  of  our  daughter,  Vera,  December 
4,  1930,  was  the  final  blow  and  three  years  later,  on  the  first  of 
December,  1933,  he  too  passed  aAvay,  loved  and  honored  by  all 
who  knew  him  for  his  business  integrity,  courageous  perse- 
verance in  the  face  of  difficulty  and  his  loyalty  to  family,  friends 
and  ideals. 


"SOCIETY"  DISAPPEARING 

(From  The  Wyoming   Commonwealth,   Clieyenne,   Wyoming, 
December,  1891.) 

In  this  democratic  Nineteenth  century  "society,"  in  the 
old  and  aristocratic  sense  of  the  term,  is  disappearing.  People 
of  a  certain  class  and  certain  means  do  certain  things  at  certain 
times  because  other  people  of  the  same  class  and  the  same  means 
do  likewise.  There  is  a  universal  tendency  toward  the  equali- 
zation of  luxury  and  of  the  exterior  manifestations  of  refine- 
ment. Social  habits  are  formed  on  the  models  established  by 
two  or  three  great  centers  of  civilization,  and  all  the  life  that 
you  find  elsewhere  is  a  more  or  less  pale  reflection  of  the  real 
article.  With  the  increase  of  facilities  of  communication  orig- 
inality of  all  kinds  decreases,  and  the  search  for  local  color 
becomes  more  and  more  hopeless. — Theodore  Child  in  Harper's. 


The  least  act  of  the  most  unlettered  Pioneer  toward  mold- 
ing an  untamed  wilderness  into  a  glorious  commonwealth,  is 
worthy  of  the  highest  mark  of  respect  by  each  succeeding  gen- 
eration. 


STATE  GOVERNORS 

(Top,  left  to  right):  Frank  E.  Lucas— October  2,  1924-January  5  1925; 
Prank  C.  Emerson— January  3,  1927-February  18,  1931  (Died  m  office); 
(Center):  Nellie  Tayloe  Ross— January  5,  1925-January  3,  1927;  (Bot- 
tom): Alonzo  M.  Clark— (Acting)  Eebruary  18,  1931-January  2,  193d; 
Leslie  A.  Miller,  January  2,  1933-January  2,  1939. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  265 

GOVERNORS  OF  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING 
By  Harry  B.  Henderson,  Sr.* 

Article  V 

Frank  E.  Lucas 

Frank  E.  Lucas  was  born  at  Grant  City,  Missouri,  in  1876. 
He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  at  Bedford,  Iowa. 
Early  in  life  he  served  an  apprenticeship  in  the  printing-  trade 
at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  and  became  a  newspaper  publisher  in 
that  State. 

Mr.  Lucas  transferred  his  residence  to  Wyoming  in  1899, 
locating"  at  Buffalo,  the  County  seat  of  Johnson  County.  He 
acquired  the  Buffalo  Bulletin,  became  and  is  its  editor  and 
publisher.  His  paper  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  publica- 
tions of  the  State. 

After  having  served  his  constituents  as  a  member  of  the 
House  and  Senate  of  Wyoming,  he  became  a  candidate  and 
was  nominated  for  and  elected  to  the  office  of  Secretary  of 
State  in  1922. 

During  the  Legislative  Session  of  1923  he  urged,  recom- 
mended and  secured  constructive  legislation  relating  to  the 
Secretary  of  State's  office. 

LTpon  the  death  of  Governor  William  B.  Ross,  October  2, 

1924,  Mr.  Lucas  automatically  became  acting  Governor  of 
Wyoming. 

Governor  Lucas  at  once  took  over  the  duties  of  the  execu- 
tive office  and  administered  them  with  fidelity,  to  January  2, 

1925,  when  the  Governor-elect  was  inducted  into  office.  Inas- 
much as  the  duty  of  preparing  a  message  to  the  Legislature 
was  not  incumbent  upon  him,  no  state  paper  was  presented. 
His  management  and  administration  of  public  aff'airs  during 
his  brief  term  as  Acting  Governor  was  most  creditable.  Upon 
the  qualifications  of  his  successor,  Mr.  Lucas  again  returned 
to  the  duties  of  his  office  as  Secretary  of  State,  completing 
his  term. 

Mr.  Lucas  was  married  to  Ina  B.  Craven  of  Lynnville, 
Iowa,  in  1886,  they  have  two  children. 

The  Lucas  family  has  continued  to  reside  at  Buffalo  and 
are  counted  among  the  honored  and  highly  esteemed  citizens 
of  Johnson  Countv  and  the  State. 


*A  biographical  sketch  of  Mr.  Henderson  appears  in  the  ANNALS 
OF  WYOMING,  Vol.  11,  No.  4,  October,  1939,  with  the  first  of  this 
series  of  five  articles  on  Wyoming  Territorial  and  State  Governors 
being  written  especially  for  this  pnblication. 


266  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Nellie  Tayloe  Ross 

Nellie  Tayloe  Ross,  the  first  Woman  Governor  of  a  Sover- 
eign State  to  be  elected  and  inducted  into  office  in  the  United 
States,  was  the  widow  of  Grovernor  William  B.  Ross  who  died 
in  the  second  year  of  his  term  of  office.  Subsequent  to  her 
husband's  death  she  was  nominated  by  the  State  Central 
Committee  of  her  political  party  and  at  the  election  held  in 
November,  1924  was  selected  by  the  people  to  be  the  Chief 
Executive  of  the  State  for  the  ensuing  two  years. 

Mrs.  Ross  was  elected  to  the  office  of  Governor  November 
4,  1924  and  took  the  oath  of  office  January  5,  1925.  While 
Mrs.  Ross  was  tactful,  charming  in  manner  and  easy  of  ap- 
proach, yet  her  election  was  influenced  in  a  measure  by 
reason  of  the  sympathy  which  went  out  to  her  because  of 
her  bereavement  and  further,  because  she  was  the  nominee 
for  Governor  in  the  First  Woman  Suffrage  State. 

Mrs.  Ross  had  been  a  resident  of  the  State  of  Wyoming 
for  more  than  twenty  years,  coming  as  a  bride  in  1902.  She 
was  interested  in  making  a  good  home  for  her  husband  and 
the  proper  raising  of  her  three  splendid  sons.  It  was  not 
until  after  her  husband  had  been  elected  Governor  that  she 
took  an  interest  in  politics  and  public  affairs. 

While  Mrs.  Ross  lacked  executive  experience,  yet  she 
gained  an  insight  into  state  affairs  that  was  most  creditable. 

In  the  introductory  paragraph  of  her  Message  to  the 
Eighteenth  Legislature  she  said:  "The  contemplation  of  duty 
moves  me  to  a  declaration  of  humility  with  which  I  approach 
the  obligations  of  the  high  office  which  has  been  committed 
to  me,  and  of  my  hope  that  God  may  give  me  wisdom  and 
direct  my  mind  and  heart  in  the  discharge  of  all  my  official 
duties. ' ' 

In  her  message  Mrs.  Ross  called  attention  to  recommen- 
dations to  the  Seventeenth  Legislature,  made  by  her  deceased 
husband.  Governor  William  B.  Ross,  and  urged  that  his 
policies  be  continued.  That  the  ''pay  as  you  go"  system  in 
effect  should  continue.  She  urged  that  property  values  be 
equalized  so  that  the  tax  burden  should  be  proportionately 
upon  all.  "Tax  reduction  is  generally  recognized  as  the  most 
pressing  problem.  .  .  .  The  time  has  come  in  many 
localities  when  farm  taxes  equal  or  surpass  the  very  income 
from  the  land  itself.  The  excessive  cost  of  government  is 
becoming  a  restraint  on  individual  enterprise.  Such  a  con- 
dition cannot  be  prolonged  with  safety.  The  State  has  made 
an  extraordinary  record  of  economy  and  tax  reduction,  which 
had  it  been  followed  by  local  taxing  bodies,  would  have 
lowered  the  tax  bill  of  every  taxpayer  in  the  state. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  267 

Public  opinion  must  be  directed  toward  the  control  of  local 
expenditures." 

Reference  is  made  in  the  message  to  "Interstate  streams 
defense"  and  that  negotiations  were  in  progress  in  Wyoming, 
Nebraska  and  Colorado  for  the  purpose  of  effecting  a  com- 
pact as  to  the  use  of  the  waters  of  the  North  Platte  River. 
Many  other  problems  were  discussed  in  the  document,  deemed 
pertinent  to  Wyoming  advancement. 

The  message  is  generally  comparable  with  the  utterances 
of  other  Governors  and  is  the  first  State  document  from  a 
woman  Governor. 

Mrs.  Ross  after  her  retirement  from  the  Governor's  office 
continued  her  interest  in  public  affairs  and  politics.  She  was 
elected  in  1928  National  Vice  Chairman  of  the  Democratic 
Party  Organization  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  campaign 
of  that  year.  She  continued  as  an  Executive  officer  of  her 
party  and  was  active  in  its  management  in  the  years  following 
and  upon  the  election  of  President  Roosevelt  was  appointed 
Superintendent  of  the  United  States  Mint.  The  duties  of 
this  position  have  been  performed  with  dignity  and  fidelity. 

While  Mrs.  Ross  has  been  active  in  political  affairs  for 
the  past  fifteen  years,  yet  she  has  not  lost  her  gracious  manner 
or  held  herself  aloof  from  the  friends  she  met,  learned  to 
know  and  love  during  the  years  preceding  her  public  career. 


Frank  C.  Emerson 

Frank  C.  Emerson  was  governor  of  Wyoming  from  Janu- 
ary 3,  1927  to  February  18,  1931,  the  date  of  his  death. 

Mr.  Emerson  was  born  May  26,  1882  at  Saginaw,  Michigan. 
He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  his  city  and  the  University 
of  Michigan.  He  came  to  Wyoming  in  190-4,  locating  at  Cora 
on  New  Fork  in  what  is  now  Sublette  County,  and  engaged  in 
merchandising  but  that  was  not  his  forte.  In  1905  lie  was 
appointed  to  an  engineering  position  in  the  State  Engineer's 
office  at  Cheyenne.  Upon  the  opening  of  a  portion  of  the 
Shoshone  Indian  Reservation,  Mr.  Emerson  was  placed  in 
charge  of  locating  irrigation  canals  in  the  district.  There- 
after he  directed  bis  eff'orts  in  the  construction  of  irrigation 
projects  in  the  Big  Horn  Basin,  particularly  in  the  Shell  Creek 
and  Worland  localities.  He  was  regarded  highly  as  an  Irriga- 
tion Engineer,  and  was  a  valuable  man  to  the  Basin  Country, 
not  only  as  a  citizen  but  as  an  adviser  in  Irrigation  Canal 
building,  and  also  in  the  building  of  drainage  systems. 

He  was  appointed  State  Engineer  in  1919  and  became  a 
member  of  the  Colorado  River  Commission  for  allocating  the 


268  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

waters  of  the  Colorado  River  and  its  tributaries  among  the 
seven  mountain  states  constituting  the  water  shed. 

Mr.  Emerson  was  nominated  to  the  office  of  and  elected 
Governor  in  1926  taking  the  oath  of  office  on  the  first  Monday 
of  January  1927,  and  was  re-elected  in  1930. 

By  virtue  of  his  having  been  engaged  in  the  development 
of  State  resources  Governor  Emerson  brought  to  the  office  a 
knowledge  of  the  physical  and  economic  conditions  in  the 
State. 

In  his  message  of  January  1927  he  said : 

"In  arriving  at  my  recommendations  as  to  appropria- 
tions, I  have  been  ruled  by  the  consideration  of  the  utmost 
economy  consistent  with  efficiency  in  administration  in  order 
that  the  tax  burden  may  not  be  increased  .  .  .  It  is 
essential  that  sufficient  amounts  of  money  be  allowed  for 
.  the  different  offices  and  departments  of  State  which 
vitally  concern  the  business  and  industry  of  Wyoming.  .  .  . 
Offices,  Departments  and  Institutions  have  presented  requests 
for  appropriations  in  excess  of  the  amounts  made  available 
for  their  use  heretofore  and  each  from  its  viewpoint  impressed 
with  the  necessity  for  more  money  if  its  operations  are  to  be 
carried  on  to  the  best  advantage.  The  necessity  of  sound 
judgment  in  arriving  at  a  conclusion  as  to  appropriations  is 
therefore  apparent." 

"There  are  certain  economies  that  may  be  effected  by 
assigning  to  present  established  agencies,  duties  now  per- 
formed by  special  officers  or  departments." 

A  comprehensive  program  of  highway  construction  cover- 
ing a  period  of  years  is  heartily  endorsed. 

Legislation  designed  to  provide  pensions  for  the  unfor- 
tunate who  have  reached  old  age  is  urged.  "A  law  can  be 
drafted  that  will  cause  only  nominal  financial  demand  upon 
the  State.  The  benefits  to  be  derived  would  appear  to  more 
than  offset  any  outlay  of  money. 

"The  Interstate  Commission  is  still  engaged  upon  its 
deliberations  in  relation  to  a  compact  between  the  States  of 
Colorado,  Nebraska  and  Wyoming." 

"Recommendations  have  been  made  concerning  those 
things  that  in  my  mind  bear  promise  of  definite  results  in 
relation  to  the  prosperity  of  Wyoming." 

Governor  Emerson  in  his  message  to  the  Twentieth  State 
Legislature  in  January,  1929  reiterates  some  of  the  recommen- 
dations made  by  him  in  1927. 

He  referred  to  economics  and  said  "while  we  may  recog- 
nize the  wisdom  of  the  increases  proposed  in  the  budget  we 
still  have  to  foot  the  bill.     How  this  is  to  be  done  without 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  269 

increase  in  taxes  is  the  question.  Two  ways  are  open,  cut 
clown  expenses  of  operation  and  increase  the  revenues." 

The  following  subjects  are  ably  discussed  in  the  message: 

Consolidation  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture  and  the 
livestock  boards,  the  Commissioner  of  Child  and  Animal  Pro- 
tection, the  Board  of  Charities  and  Reform,  and  the  State 
Veterinarian.  Collection  of  property  taxes ;  taxation  of  intan- 
gible securities,  the  land  leasing  system,  farm  loans,  sec- 
ondary highways  and  a  bond  issue  for  their  construction. 

In  fact  all  the  subjects  presented  were  of  great  impor- 
tance to  the  progress  and  economic  interests  of  Wyoming. 

Governor  Emerson  was  an  ardent  advocate  of  the  move- 
ment in  the  Public  Land  States  for  the  ceding  of  the  public 
domain  to  such  states.  He  was  recognized  as  an  authority 
upon  public  land  questions  and  inter-state  stream  adjustments. 

Mr.  Emerson  and  Miss  Zennia  Reynders  of  Michigan  were 
married  January  17,  1910  and  at  once  established  their  home 
in  the  Big  Horn  Basin.  Three  fine  boys  now  grown  to  man- 
hood were  born  in  the  family.  Mr.  Emerson  was  a  deeply 
religious  man.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church  in  his  young  manhood  and  brought  that  membership 
and  Church  activity  to  W^^oming,  into  his  home,  business  and 
political  life.  He  also  had  membership  in  the  American  Society 
of  Civil  Engineers. 

Governor  Emerson  took  the  duties  of  his  job  seriously. 
He  was  an  untiring  worker.  The  responsibilities  of  his  office 
and  the  further  fact  that  the  Legislative  period  brought  addi- 
tional work,  weakened  his  physical  condition,  he  fell  sick  and 
on  Wednesday  night,  February  8,  1931,  four  days  before 
Legislative  adjournment,  he  passed  away. 

In  the  passing  of  Governor  Emerson,  Wyoming  people 
lost  a  wise  councellor,  citizen  and  friend. 


Alonzo  M.  Clark 

Upon  the  death  of  Governor  Prank  C.  Emerson,  Alonzo 
M.  Clark,  Secretary  of  State,  became,  under  the  provisions 
of  the  State  Constitution,  Acting  Governor,  February  18,  1931. 

Mr.  Clark  was  born  in  Steuben  County,  Indiana,  August 
13,  1868.  He  established  his  home  in  Crook  County,  Wyoming, 
in  1901  by  homesteading  3'20  acres  of  land.  He  taught  school 
for  many  years  in  Crook,  Converse  and  Niobrara  Counties. 
Subsequent  to  the  creation  of  Campbell  County  he  was  County 
Clerk  and  Clerk  of  Court  of  that   county  for  several  years. 

In  1926  Mr.  Clark  was  elected  Secretary  of  State  and 
re-elected  in  1930.     It  was  while  serving  his  second  term  that 


270  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Governor  Emerson  passed  away,  and  he  was  automatically 
ushered  into  the  office  and  became  acting  governor. 

Governor  Clark  necessarily  assumed  large  responsibilities 
in  taking  up  the  duty  of  governor.  The  legislature  had  four 
days  in  which  to  complete  its  session.  Many  bills  had  been 
enacted  and  were  awaiting  the  signature  of  the  governor  and 
there  was  also  important  legislation  pending,  all  of  which 
enacted  bills  were  placed  on  the  Acting  Governor's  desk  for 
consideration,  approval  or  rejection. 

Governor  Clark  took  up  the  task  of  analyzing  the  Legis- 
lative Acts  before  him,  giving  approval  to  such  as  in  his 
judgment  would  be  beneficial  to  the  State.  He  entered 
actively  into  the  administration  of  State  affairs — acquainted 
himself  Avith  the  responsibilities  of  Governor,  and  discharged 
the  duties  of  the  office  with  efficiency  and  dignity.  He  retired 
from  office  upon  the  qualification  of  the  Governor  on  the 
First  Monday  of  January,  1933. 

Governor  Clark  and  his  good  wife  have  continued  to  live 
in  Cheyenne  since  his  retirement  from  office. 

Leslie  A.  Miller 

Leslie  A.  Miller  was,  at  the  November  election  in  1932, 
elected  to  the  office  of  Governor  for  the  unexpired  term  of 
Governor  Frank  C.  Emerson,  deceased,  and  took  the  oath  of 
office  January  2,  1933.  He  was  again  elected  Governor  at 
the  November  election  in  1934,  and  was  inaugurated  on  the 
first  Monday  in  January,  1935 — serving  for  the  full  term  of 
four  years ;  retiring  from  office  on  the  first  Monday  in  Januarv, 
1939. 

Mr.  Miller  was  born  at  Junction  City,  Kansas,  January 
29,  1886.  While  yet  a  young  child,  he  was  brought  by  his 
parents  to  Laramie  where  they  established  their  home.  He 
grew  up  in  Laramie — was  educated  in  the  schools  of  that  city 
— worked  for  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Company  for  about 
tAvo  years,  and  then  entered  the  employ  of  his  father  Avho  was 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business.  During  such  employment 
he  became  interested  in  politics  and  was  elected  in  1910  to 
the  House  of  the  Wyoming  Legislature.  He  Avas  subsequently 
elected  to  the  House  in  1922  and  to  the  State  Senate  in  1928. 
After  the  close  of  the  Legislative  Session  in  1911  he  transferred 
his  residence  to  Cheyenne  and  was  employed  by  the  State 
Land  Department. 

Mr.  Miller  was  appointed  Collector  of  Internal  Revenue 
for  Wyoming.  Upon  his  Federal  Service  being  terminated 
he  gave  personal  attention  to  his  business  as  an  oil  distributor 
and  incorporated  the  Chief  Oil  Company. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  271 

His  observations  and  experience  in  public  life  led  him  to 
seek  the  position  of  Governor. 

Governor  Miller  in  preparing  the  budget  in  1932  had  the 
advantage  of  the  research  work  of  the  Tax  Payers  League 
of  which  he  was  a  member  and  was  able  to  present  to  the 
Legislature  a  program  looking  toward  decreasing  the  expense 
of   State   Administration   and   yet   rendering   more    efficiency. 

In  his  message  to  the  twenty-second  State  Legislature 
he  said : 

"We  are  all  agreed  that  economy  in  State  expenditures 
is  absolutely  necessary.  This  necessity  extends  to  all  political 
subdivisions.  Extravagances  must  first  be  eliminated,  cut  the 
expenses  next.  I  am  asking  practically  every  department  of 
the  State  to  curtail  ordinary  running  expenses. 

"Attention  is  called  to  the  default  in  interest  on  State 
Land  Board  investments  and  recpiest  made  for  remedial 
measures.  Suggestion  is  made  that  on  defaulted  Land  Board 
loans,  the  State  is  entitled  to  at  least  the  landlord's  share  of 
crop  production.  Reduction  of  salary  of  office  and  employees 
of  the  State,  in  a  reasonable  amount  is  urged. 

"I  have  concluded  I  will  not  take  up  my  residence  in 
the  Executive  mansion  during  my  present  term,  thereby  saving 
the  State  the  expense  of  maintenance." 

The  recommendation  is  made  to  reduce  allowances  on 
mileage  of  privately  owned  automobiles  used  by  State  officers 
and  employees.  Also  that  State  owned  cars  be  pooled  and 
furnished  upon  requisition  only. 

Governor  Miller  urged  the  consolidation  of  certain  gov- 
ernmental subdivisions,  the  abolition  of  other  departments. 
He  also  urged  members  of  the  Legislature  to  give  careful 
thought  to  the  several  State  institutions  and  provide  for  their 
administration  upon  lines  that  oft'ered  the  best  results. 

He  recommended  a  study  of  the  price  of  gasoline  in  order 
to   prevent   discrimination   against  the   citizens   of   Wyoming. 

Governor  Miller  off^ered  a  supplementary  message  to  the 
Legislature  upon  the  subject  of  tax  relief.  He  urged  that 
the  legislature  should,  by  proper  resolution,  provide  for  a 
committee  to  study  the  entire  tax  structure  of  the  State. 

Perhaps  the  most  important  legislation  of  the  twenty- 
second  state  legislature  was  the  Bill  providing  a  way  by  which 
the  overdraft  on  the  general  fund  of  the  State  could  be  paid. 
This  Bill  became  Chapter  12-1  of  the  Laws  of  1933. 

Governor  Miller  in  his  message  to  the  twenty-third  State 
Legislature  discussed  at  length  the  subject  of  sales  tax,  old 
age  pensions,  unemployment  insurance — experiment  farm  ex- 
penses, the  highway  department,  what  to  do  with  the  gambling 


272  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

problem  and  liquor  control.  Many  of  these  subjects  were 
favorably  considered  by  the  Legislature  and  Laws  relating 
thereto  were  enacted. 

In  his  message  to  the  twenty-fourth  State  Legislature, 
Governor  Miller  refers  to  the  certificates  of  indebtedness 
provided  for  in  1933  as  being  paid  and  a  credit  balance  to 
the  State  General  Fund.  Public  welfare  is  given  extended 
consideration.  Taxes  are  generally  discussed.  The  subject 
of  gambling  legislation  is  treated  as  follows :  ' '  Gambling  creates 
no  wealth,  discourages  thrift,  invites  an  undesirable  element — 
has  nothing  to  commend  it." 

The  cricket  and  grass  hopper  menace  was  presented,  water 
conservation  and  other  subjects  pertinent  to  the  progress  of 
the  State  were  called  to  the  attention  of  the  Legislature. 

Governor  and  Mrs.  Miller  reside  in  their  beautiful  home 
in  Cheyenne ;  their  son  and  daughter  likewise  live  in  this  city. 

(Conclusion) 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  273 


A  MEMORIAL  TO  THE  MEMBERS 

OF  THE 

CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTION  OF  WYOMING 

In  the  first  installment  of  this  Memorial,  which  appeared 
in  the  July,  1940,  number  of  the  ANNALS,  comment  was 
made  concerning  the  high  type  of  men  who  drafted  the 
Constitution  of  AVyoming  at  the  memorable  convention  at 
Cheyenne  in  September  of  1889.  As  the  study  has  progressed 
in  preparation  for  this,  the  concluding  installment,  it  has 
been  further  obvious  that  Dame  Fortune  smiled  on  this  young 
Territory  when  she  attracted  within  her  borders  such  states- 
men as  formulated  the  document  by  which  the  new  State  and 
its  citizens  were  destined  to  abide. 

In  following  through  these  pages  it  is  apparent,  to  a 
remarkable  degree,  that  most  of  the  men  continued  to  reside 
in  Wyoming  and  to  give  unsparingly  of  their  talents  in 
public  service  throughout  the  years — until  called  to  the 
Higher  Realm.  Those  whom  circumstances  transferred  to 
other  States  in  the  early  subsequent  years  are,  certainly, 
none  the  less  appreciated  for  their  contribution  made  to 
Wj'^oming. 

The  ten  counties  existing  in  the  Territory  were  to  be 
represented  by  fifty-five  delegates  elected  for  attendance  at 
the  convention.  Of  these,  forty-five  appeared  in  the  conven- 
tion hall  in  the  Capitol  on  the  first  day,  September  2,  and 
were  sworn  in — all  counties  being  represented.  Within  the 
next  few  days,  four  more  delegates  appeared  and  took  the 
oath,  making  forty-nine  in  all  who  actually  participated  in 
the  sessions.  The  other  six,  comprising  two  each  from  Carbon, 
Crook  and  Sheridan  counties,  were  not  present  and  did  not 
serve. 

Carbon  County* 

Charles  W.  Burdick,  an  attorney,  who  became  one  of  Wyo- 
ming's  wealthiest  men,  was  born  on  August  15,  1860.  in 
Lucas  county,  Ohio,  and  died  on  January  8,  1927,  at  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  while  sojourning  in  that  city  on  business,  from 
Cheyenne. 

The  son  of  a  prominent  eastern  banker  and  manufacturer. 


*Eight  Constitutional  delegates  were  elected  from  Carbon  County, 
including  John  C.  Davis  and  W.  N.  Strobridge  who  did  not  serve,  and 
whose  biographies  are  not  contained  in  this  memorial.  Little  biograph- 
ical information  was  found  concerning  Delegate  Robert  C.  Butler,  and 
no  photograph  though  extensive  research  was  made. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  275 

he  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Toledo,  Ohio,  at  the 
Friend's  School  of  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  and  at  the  Ohio 
Wesleyan  University,  before  receiving  his  law  degree  from 
the  University  of  Michigan. 

In  1879,  attracted  to  the  West  in  the  hope  of  improving 
his  health,  Mr.  Burdick  first  settled  in  the  Saratoga  section 
of  Carbon  county,  where  he  engaged  in  livestock  raising  and 
began  taking  part  in  public  life.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Agriculture,  Irrigation  and  Water  Committee  of  the  Constitu- 
tional  Convention. 

Mr.  Burdick  was  a  member  of  the  Territorial  Legislature 
in  1889,  and  held  the  office  as  first  auditor  of  the  new  State, 
having  begun  his  term  in  1890,  when  he  took  up  his  residence 
in  Cheyenne.  He  was  Secretary  of  State  in  1894  and  served 
four  years,  following  which  he  began  the  practice  of  law  in 
Cheyenne,  and  for  a  time  was  associated  with  J.  A.  VanOrsdel, 
later  a  federal  judge  for  the  District  of  Columbia. 

In  the  early  stages  of  the  Salt  Creek  oil  field  activity, 
Mr.  Burdick,  seeing  its  potential  value  and  importance,  be- 
came an  active  force  in  its  development,  which  ultimateh^ 
contributed  largely  to  his  own  financial  success.  At  the  time 
of  his  death  he  was  vice-president  of  the  Franco-Wyoming 
Oil  Company  and  president  of  the  Enalpac  Oil  and  Gas  Com- 
pany, a  subsidiary  of  the  Franco-Wyoming. 

Mr.  Burdick  served  as  chairman  of  the  Republican  State 
Central  Committee  from  1906  to  1912.  From  1900  to  1911 
he  served  as  secretary  of  the  state  board  of  law  examiners, 
and  was  a  member  of  the  executive  council  of  the  American 
Bar  Association. 

This  Convention  delegate  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order  and  of  the  Episcopal  church.  The  honorary  thirty-third 
degree  had  been  conferred  upon  him  by  the  former. 

He  was  buried  in  Lakeview  cemetery,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 

Surviving  him  is  his  only  daughter,  IMargaret  Bur- 
dick (Mrs.  George  W.)  Hewlett.  She  and  Mr.  HcAvlett  reside 
at  their  ranch,  the  Shellback,  six  miles  northwest  of  Cheyenne. 

James  A.  Casebeer,  in  partnership  with  a  ]\Ir.  Lombard, 
established  at  Casper,  on  November  23,  1888,  the  "Casper 
AVeekly  Mail,"  the  first  newspaper  in  what  later  has  become 
Natrona  County.  He  became  the  sole  owner  of  the  publica- 
tion on  April  1,  1889,  when  Mr.  Lombard  retired  from  the 
enterprise,  but  later  sold  the  newspaper  to  Alex  T.  Butler, 
who  assumed  its  management  on  ]May  16,  1890,  whereupon 
Mr.  Casebeer  departed  for  Yellowstone  Park  immediately, 
though  what  became  of  him,  ultimately,  is  not  known. 


276  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

The  "Mail"  suspended  operations  after  its  issue  of  Janu- 
ary 16,  1891. 

Mr.  Casebeer,  Casper's  only  delegate  to  the  Convention, 
was  the  third  postmaster  of  the  town. 

Mr.  A.  J.  Mokler,  in  his  "History  of  Natrona  County," 
says  that  an  attempt  was  made  to  locate  this  delegate  for  a 
reunion  of  members  of  the  Convention  assemblage  in  1920, 
but  without  success. 

In  the  "Journals  and  Debates  of  the  Constitutional  Con- 
vention, Wyoming,"  the  index  shows  that  Mr.  Casebeer  spoke 
twice  during  the  sessions;  once,  to  make  a  brief  report  in  the 
absence  of  the  chairman  of  the  printing  committee,  of  which 
he  was  a  member,  and  at  another  time  to  voice  a  second  to  a 
motion. 

Robert  C.  Butler  was  a  cattle  man  who  operated  exten- 
sively in  Carbon  County,  probably  from  approximately  1883 
to  about  1888,  though  the  records  available  concerning  him  are 
scarce. 

The  Brand  Book  for  1885,  published  by  the  Wyoming 
Stock  Growers'  Association,  lists  the  Butler  Brothers,  of 
Ferris,  Wyoming,  and  records  five  brands.  The  range  is 
listed,  ' '  Sweetwater,  Sand  Creek  and  Muddy,  Wyo. ' '  The 
Brank  Book  of  1887  lists  "R.  C.  Butler,"  and  gives  the  same 
brands  and  same  range  as  in  1885  for  "Butler  Brothers." 

Charles  L.  Vagner  was  born  in  1849,  in  Germany,  and 
died  at  Laramie,  Wyoming,  on  July  4,  1905. 

He  arrived  in  Wyoming  from  Illinois  in  1875,  and  settled 
at  Carbon,  coal  mining  community,  now  a  ghost  town,  in 
Carbon  county,  where  he  lived  until  1901,  when  the  family 
moved  to  Laramie. 

Mr.  Vagner  was  engaged  in  the  cattle  and  sheep  business 
in  his  county,  and  operated  a  general  merchandise  store. 

He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Carbon  State  Bank 
(now  the  Hanna  Bank)  and  the  Carbon  Timber  Company, 
and  was  serving  as  president  of  both  institutions  at  the  time 
of  his  death.  Mr.  Vagner  was  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  in 
the  State. 

He  served  his  county  as  a  representative  to  the  legisla- 
ture, and  during  the  Constitutional  Convention  he  was  a 
member  of  the  committee  on  mines  and  mining. 

Other  public  service  included  membership  on  th-e  first 
board  of  trustees  of  the  University  of  Wyoming. 

In  earlier  life  an  adherent  of  the  Catholic  faith,  he  later 
withdrew   from   that    church,    but    at   his    request    before   his 


ANNALS  or  WYOMING  277 

death,  was  reinstated.     In  the  meantime  he  became  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  order  and  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

A  daughter,  Mrs.  Louis  E.  Coughlin,  of  Laramie,  Wyo- 
ming, survives. 

George  Ferris,  one-time  owner  of  the  famed  Ferris-Hag- 
ga.rty  copper  mine  in  Carbon  County,  Wyoming,  was  a  Civil 
War  veteran,  Avho  came  to  Wyoming  territory  a  year  after  he 
was  mustered  out  of  service. 

Born  on  a  farm  in  Michigan  he  received  the  usual  educa- 
tion of  his  time  and  station.  He  enlisted  with  Company  D, 
Seventh  Michigan  Cavalry,  and  served  four  years  in  the  War 
of  the  Rebellion.  Mustered  out  at  Camp  Douglas,  Utah,  Lieu- 
tenant Ferris  returned  to  his  native  state  for  a  year,  following 
which  he  came  to  Wyoming  and  spent  some  time  hunting  and 
prospecting,  after  which  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Joe  Hurt, 
and  secured  a  ranch  on  the  Platte  river  twelve  miles  below  Fort 
Steele,  where  they  engaged  in  raising  cattle. 

In  1889,  Mr.  Ferris  sold  his  cattle  interests  and  turned 
attention  to  sheep  raising.  Subsequently  he  also  disposed  of 
that  property,  and  devoted  his  efforts  to  mining. 

Mr.  Ferris  grub-staked  Ed.  Haggarty.  who  later  discovered 
the  copper  mine  knoAv  as  the  Ferris-Haggarty.  Soon  after  its 
discovery  and  before  much  work  had  been  accomplished,  Mr. 
Ferris  accepted  an  opportunity  to  purchase  the  interest  of  a 
Haggarty  associate,  and  thereafter  devoted  his  full  time  and 
means  to  the  mine  development,  with  outstanding  success.  In 
September,  1902,  the  mine  was  sold  to  the  North  American  Cop- 
per Mining  company,  for  the  sum  of  $1,000,000.00.  To  i\Ir. 
Ferris  was  given  much  credit  for  the  stability  of  the  mining 
industry,  as  it  existed  in  Carbon  county  in  those  days. 

He  served  his  county  as  commissioner,  and  twice  was  elected 
to  the  legislature,  on  the  Republican  ticket. 

While  the  Convention  Journal  shows  that  this  delegate 
voted  on  numerous  motions  presented,  his  name  does  not  appear 
on  the  list  of  signers  of  the  Constitution. 

George  C.  Smith  was  born  on  December  25,  1842,  at  Al- 
toona,  Pennsylvania,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  his  native 
state. 

He  spent  a  year  in  Denver  before  moving  to  Rawlins,  Wyo- 
ming, in  1873,  where  he  practiced  law  and  held  the  office  of 
county  attorney  for  several  terms,  and  where  he  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  279 

Mr.  Smith  enlisted  in  a  Pennsylvania  regiment  at  Lincoln's 
first  call  for  volunteers  and  served  three  years  and  six  months 
under  General  McClelland. 

His  part  in  the  Convention  was  an  active  one,  for  in  the 
"Journals  and  Debates  of  the  Wyoming  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion" the  record  shows  that  he  presented  a  number  of  motions, 
several  amendments  and  made  many  comments  and  suggestions 
throughout  the  sessions. 

Mr.  Smith  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

He  died  of  pneumonia  on  December  25,  1900,  on  a  train 
between  Cheyenne  Wells,  Colorado,  and  Cheyenne,  Wyoming, 
enroute  to  his  home  at  Rawlins  from  Pueblo,  Colorado,  where 
he  had  undergone  treatment  for  rheumatism. 

A  daughter,  Mrs.  Anna  L.  Evans,  who  resides  at  4330  Claude 
Court,  Denver,  Colorado,  was  with  her  father  when  he  passed 
away. 

Converse  County* 

Morris  C.  Barrow,  ("Bill  Barlow")  brilliant  Wyoming 
journalist  and  newspaper  publisher,  was  born  on  October  4, 
1857,  at  Canton,  Pennsylvania,  and  died  on  October  9,  1910,  at 
Douglas,  Wyoming. 

A  son  of  the  Reverend  and  Mrs.  Robert  C.  Barrow,  he  came 
West  with  his  parents  to  Nebraska,  and  as  a  youth  learned  the 
printing  trade.  In  1876  he  leased  the  Tecumseh  (Nebraska) 
Chieftain,  and  published  it  for  two  years.  Later  as  a  U.  S. 
postal  clerk  he  was  sent  to  Wyoming,  with  headquarters  at 
Laramie,  but  in  1879  he  returned  to  his  journalistic  work,  and 
for  seven  years  he  accepted  editorial  positions,  successively,  on 
several  newspapers  at  both  Laramie  and  Rawlins,  Wyoming.  In 
the  meantime  he  adopted  the  pseudonjan,  "Bill  Barlow,"  under 
which  he  became  so  well  known  that  even  many  of  his  friends 
were  unaware  of  his  real  name. 

His  final  move  was  in  1886,  to  Douglas,  Wyoming,  where 
he  established  the  first  newspaper  in  Converse  County,  "Bill 
Barlow's  Budget,"  the  present-day  "Douglas  Budget,"  which 
made  its  initial  appearance  on  June  9,  1886,  three  months  before 
arrival  of  the  railroad  into  the  town. 

While  the  "Budget"  was  popular  and  a  financial  success 
from  the  time  of  its  first  appearance,  fame  of  the  publisher  was 
spread  the  widest  by  his  small  monthly  magazine,  called  "Sage- 
brush Philosophy,"  whose  circulation  eventually  extended  over 
the  United  States  and  the  author's  reno"\^^l  increased  beyond  the 
portals  of  Wyoming.     Endowed  with  an  extensive  vocabulary, 


*Four  delegates  were  elected  from  Converse  County,  including  J.  K. 
Calkins,  who  did  not  accept,  but  Frederick  H.  Harvey  took  his  place, 
and  the  four  signed  the  Constitution. 


280  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

which  he  used  prolifically  in  unique,  humorous  style,  Mr.  Barrow 
injected  into  his  writings  sparkling  wit,  optimism  and  wise 
philosophy.  The  magazine  reflected  so  perfectly  the  rare  per- 
sonality of  its  author,  that  after  his  passing  the  publication  did 
not  long  survive. 

When  the  U.  S.  Land  Office  was  established  at  Douglas  in 
1890,  Mr.  Barrow  was  appointed  by  President  Harrison  as  its 
first  receiver,  and  held  the  office  several  other  terms.  He  was 
Mayor  of  Douglas  for  two  successive  terms,  and  served  in  the 
Wyoming  Legislatures  of  1894  and  1896,  during  which  he  was 
chief  clerk  of  the  House. 

He  was  a  Republican,  and  a  Mason. 

Frederick  H.  Harvey  was  born  on  September  7,  1858,  at 
Anamosa,  Jones  County,  Iowa,  came  to  Douglas,  Wyoming, 
on  July  10,  1886,  from  Nebraska,  began  the  practice  of  law 
and  entered  upon  a  long  and  useful  career  in  the  State. 

After  receiving  his  elementary  education,  he  won  his 
bachelor  of  arts  degree  at  Grinnell  College,  Grinnell,  Iowa, 
and  moved  to  Butte,  Montana,  in  1882,  where  he  taught  school 
a  year,  then  returned  east  for  further  study,  and  was  grad- 
uated from  law  college  at  Iowa  City,  Iowa,  with  an  LL.  B. 
degree.  Following  a  year's  post-graduate  work  in  law  at 
Columbia  University,  New  York  City,  Mr.  Harvey  came  west 
again  and  settled  at  Ashland,  Nebraska,  where  he  practiced 
his  profession  for  a  year  before  moving  to  Douglas,  Wyoming, 
where  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life,  and  died  on  January 
8,  1920. 

Mr.  Harvey  was  elected  the  first  prosecuting  attorney 
of  his  county,  1887,  and  served  as  Mayor  of  Douglas  for  eight 
years,  1900  to  1908,  during  which  terms  the  wide  streets  were 
laid  out,  a  new  cemetery  established,  a  tree  planting  program 
conducted,  and  other  progressive  activities  launched  and  com- 
pleted. 

In  1913  Mr.  Harvey  was  vice  president  of  the  Wyoming 
Bar  Association,  and  in  1918  he  served  as  president  of  Con- 
verse County  Bar  Association.  He  was  head  of  the  law  firm 
of  Harvey,  Hawley  and  Garst,  and  was  attorney  for  the  town 
of  Douglas. 

In  the  later  years  of  his  career,  Mr.  Harvey  took  promi- 
nent part  in  the  development  and  promotion  of,  the  mining 
industry  and  was  one  of  the  pioneer  oil  attorneys  in  the 
Rocky  Mountain  region. 

At  the  time  of  his  passing,  eulogies  of  his  friends  appeared 
in  the  press,  and  spoke  impressively  of  the  high  esteem  in 
Vvhich  he  was  held  throughout  the  State. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


281 


DELEGATES  TO  CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTION  OF  1889 

(Top  row,  left  to  right):     Edward  J.  Morris,  of  Sweetwater  County; 
Clarence   D.   Clark,   Frank   M.   Foote.      (Bottom   row) :      Charles   W. 
Holden,  Jonathan  Jones,  Jesse  Knight,   all  of  Uinta  County. 


He  was  cited  as  one  belonging  to  the  class  of  those  who 
''Live  honestly;  hurt  nobody;  render  to  everyone  his  due." 

This  delegate  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  frequently 
addressed  that  body,  according  to  the  records,  and  as  he  was 
gifted  with  eloquence,  the  flow  of  his  speech  was  strong  and 
convincing.  He  was  a  member  of  the  judiciary  committee, 
and  also  served  in  other  capacities. 


William  C.  Irvine,  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1852,  was  one 
of  Wyoming's  pioneer  stockmen  and  prominent  citizens  for 
fifty  years,  having  come  to  the  Territory  in  1873,  and  as 
head  of  the  Ogalalla  Cattle  Company,  soon  became  a  leading 
figure,    which    continued   until    the    time    of   his    death.      He 


282  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

passed  away  on  July  27,  1924,  at  Santa  Monica,  California, 
where  he  had  gone  a  year  previously  with  his  family  in  an 
effort  to  regain  his  failing  health. 

The  family  resided  at  Cheyenne  in  the  1870s  and  1880s 
before  moving  to  their  ranch  at  Ross  in  Converse  county,  and 
returned  to  the  former  city  following  Mr.  Irvine's  election 
as  State  Treasurer  in  1904,  in  which  office  he  served  four  years. 

At  twenty  years  of  age  Mr.  Irvine  left  his  native  home 
and  emigrated  to  Kansas  where  he  wintered  some  stock  along 
the  Solomon  river  and  afterward  went  East  for  a  few  months. 
Returning  again  to  Nebraska  he  bought  a  herd  of  700  cattle 
near  Ogalalla  where  he  spent  two  years.  Next,  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  the  Bosler  Brothers,  of  Pennsylvania,  who 
also  were  interested  in  cattle. 

One  and  a  half  years  thereafter  he  purchased  and  brought 
4,000  head  of  stock  from  Texas  and  located  them  near  Fort 
Fetterman.  The  following  winter,  1877,  he  purchased  3,800 
more  head,  making  approximately  8,000  in  all.  In  1881,  he 
consolidated  his  holdings  with  some  associates  and  organized 
what  was  known  as  the  Converse  Cattle  Company,  the  capital 
stock  at  one  time  being  $1,000,000.00,  in  which  he  was  the 
second  largest  stockholder. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  1882  and  1884, 
and  was  a  director  in  the  first  company  incorporated  to  build 
the  Cheyenne  Northern  Railroad,  now  the  Chicago,  Burling- 
ton and  Quincy  Railroad.  One  of  the  originators  of  the  Elec- 
tric Light  Company  of  Cheyenne,  later  known  as  the  Brush- 
Swan  Electric  Light  Company.  Mr.  Irvine  also  was  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  Wyoming  Development  Company,  in 
1883,  in  the  Wheatland  section,  formed  "for  the  purpose  of 
taking  out  ditches,  reclaiming  desert  land"  and  similar 
objectives. 

Mr.  Irvine  was  president  of  the  Wyoming  Stock  Growers 
Association  from  1896  to  1911,  and  was  its  treasurer  at  the 
time  of  his  passing,  having  been  elected  to  the  office  in  1912. 
Other  service  for  the  Association  included  membership  on  the 
executive  committee  from  1882  to  1900,  assistant  round-up 
foreman  of  District  No.  4  in  1879,  and  round-up  foreman  of 
the  same  District  in  1881. 

The  recordings  of  the  "Journal  and  Debates  of  the  Con- 
stitutional Convention"  of  Wyoming  show  that  this  delegate 
took  active,  though  conservative,  part  in  the  sessions.  He 
was  a  Republican. 

Funeral  services  were  held  at  the  Masonic  Temple  in 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  on  August  5,  1924,  and  eulogies  to  his 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  283 

memory  were  expressed  by  friends,  through  the  press  of  the 
State.    He  was  buried  in  Lakeview  cemetery  of  that  city. 

His  widow,  Mrs.  Carolyn  Irvine,  died  in  March,  1928, 
and  also  is  buried  in  Lakeview  cemetery  at  Cheyenne. 

Deforest  Richards  performed  his  first  public  service  to 
Wyoming  as  a  delegate  to  the  Constitutional  Convention,  hav- 
ing come  to  Douglas,  Wyoming,  from  Chadron,  Nebraska, 
two  or  three  years  previously.  He  was  bom  in  New  Hampshire. 

He  served  as  Wyoming's  fourth  Governor  from  January 
2,  1899,  until  his  death  in  office,  on  April  28,  1903,  having 
completed  only  four  months  of  his  second  term. 

With  an  excellent  background  of  educational  training 
and  rigid  New  England  Puritanical  rearing,  together  with 
considerable  experience  in  public  service  and  business  enter- 
prises before  coming  West,  Mr.  Richards  arrived  in  the  prime 
of  life  to  take  his  place  as  one  of  the  best  loved  leaders  of 
Wyoming  and  an  outstanding  citizen  for  fifteen  years,  t 

Crook  County* 

Meyer  Frank,  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  on  February  22^ 
1854,  came  to  America  in  1870,  and  joined  an  elder  brother 
at  Jeffersonville,  Indiana,  where  he  obtained  a  place  as  clerk 
and  salesman  for  a  time.  Later  he  moved  to  Alabama  and 
for  about  six  years  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  which 
he  had  learned  from  his  father,  a  prosperous  grain  merchant. 

In  1882  he  came  West  to  the  Black  Hills  of  South  Dakota 
and  obtained  a  position  in  a  mercantile  establishment  at 
Central  City. 

Two  years  later,  1884,  he  proceeded  to  northeastern  Wyo- 
ming and  established  the  firm  of  Frank  Brothers  at  Sundance. 
Later  the  business  was  incorporated  as  the  Ogden-Frank 
Mercantile  Co.,  of  which  Mr.  Frank  was  its  vice-president. 
He  also,  during  his  career,  was  vice-president  of  the  Black 
Hills  Livestock  Company,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
Weston  County  Livestock  Company,  vice-president  of  the 
Wyoming  Livestock  Company,  vice-president  of  the  Antlers 
Hotel  Company,  and  cashier  and  principal  stockholder  of  the 
Bank  of  Newcastle  which  he  organized  in  1889. 

He  assisted  in  laying  out  the  town  of  Newcastle  and  in 
organizing  the  county  of  Weston.  "He  was  the  first  treasurer 


fFor  a  complete  resume  of  this  delegate's  career,  see  ANNALS  OF 
WYOMING,  Volume  12,  No.  2,  April,  1940,  pg.  121,  sketch  as  Governor, 
by  Harry  B.  Henderson,  Sr. 

*Four  delegates  were  chosen  from  Crook  County  to  the  Constitutional 
Convention,  but  Thomas  H.  Moore  and  Joseph  L.  Stotts  did  not  serve. 


284  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

of  these  respective  municipal  organizations."  As  county 
treasurer  he  was  ex-officio  probate  judge,  and  in  this  capacity 
he  solemnized  the  first  marriage  ceremony  performed  in  the 
new  county.  He  was  county  treasurer  for  three  successive 
terms  and  served  as  Mayor  of  Newcastle  in   1900   and  1901. 

He  purchased  the  first  lot  sold  in  the  townsite  of  Sun- 
dance and  erected  the  first  two  business  blocks  within  its  limits. 

He  was  a  charter  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge  at  Sun- 
dance, was  a  deputy  grand  master  of  the  grand  lodge  of  Wyo- 
ming in  1902,  and  had  received  the  thirty-second  degree  in 
Wyoming  Consistory,  No.  1. 

Though  active  in  politics,  Mr.  Frank  was  not  known  as 
a  partisan,  but  ''in  all  the  essentials  of  good  citizenship  and 
enlightened  humanity  was  an  example  and  an  inspiration, 
quickening  with  the  touch  of  a  master  hand  every  impulse 
for  good,  and  concentrating  and  energizing  every  element  of 
civic  power  and  progress." 

He  never  married.  While  Mr.  Frank  succeeded  in  build- 
ing up  large  financial  holdings,  his  fortune  later  was  swept 
away  and  he  left  the  State.  His  death  occurred  in  New  York 
City,  on  August  22,   19]  0. 

Richard  H.  Scott,  born  on  September  3,  1858,  in  Henne- 
pin County,  Minnesota,  came  to  Wyoming  on  July  5,  1886, 
and  settled  at  Sundance,  where  he  began  the  practice  of  law. 

At  the  age  of  17  he  received  appointment  to  the  United 
States  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis,  Maryland,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  on  June  10,  1880.  After  a  year's  service 
in  the  U.  S.  Navy,  he  resigned  in  1881  and  began  the  study 
of  law  in  Minnesota,  working  on  government  surv^ey  in  the 
summer  and  pursuing  his  studies  in  the  winter. 

For  sixteen  years,  from  1890  to  1906,  Mr.  Scott  presided 
as  judge  of  the  First  Judicial  District  in  Wyoming.  February 
24,  1906,  he  was  appointed  as  a  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court 
to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  Judge  Jesse  Knight, 
and  was  in  continuous  service  on  the  bench  from  that  date, 
having  been  chosen  at  the  general  election  following  his 
appointment  in  1906,  re-elected  in  1910,  and  again  re-elected 
in  1914.  He  served  as  Chief  Justice  from  January  6,  1913 
to  January  4,  1915  and  at  the  time  of  his  death' at  Cheyenne, 
September  26,  1917,  he  was  an  Associate  Justice. 

At  both  the  primary  and  general  elections,  Judge  Scott 
was  given  one  of  the  largest  majority  votes  ever  accorded  a 
candidate  for  a  state  office  in  Wyoming,  to  that  time. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  285 

He  was  a  Republican,  and  his  religious  affiliation  was 
the  Episcopal  church.  He  was  a  thirty-third  degree  member 
of  the  Masonic  Order. 

A  year  previous  to  coming  to  Wyoming,  Mr.  Scott  and 
Miss  Agnes  Coalis,  of  Jordan,  Minnesota,  were  married,  and 
to  them  a  son  and  four  daughters  were  born,  who,  together 
with  Mrs.  Scott,  were  living  at  the  time  of  his  passing. 

Sheridan  County* 

Henry  A.  Coffeen,  born  in  Gallipolis,  Gallia  County,  Ohio, 
on  February  14,  1841,  came  to  Wyoming  from  Danville, 
Illinois,  and  settled  first  at  Big  Horn,  in  September,  1884, 
prior  to  the  formation  of  Sheridan  county  from  Johnson 
count}^  in  1888. 

In  1887  he  moved  to  Sheridan,  and  to  the  time  of  his 
death  in  that  city  on  December  8,  1912,  he  took  active  part  in 
public  affairs  of  his  community  and  state. 

He  was  engaged  in  the  real  estate  and  mercantile  busi- 
ness as  well  as  ranching  and  mining. 

Of  him  it  was  said,  ' '  He  was  a  brilliant  orator  and  a  man 
of  refinement  and  culture.  .  .  .  He  sought  to  promote  better 
standards  of  business  and  social  conditions.  He  believed 
in  advancement." 

He  was  educated  at  Butler  College  in  Illinois.  He  taught 
at  Hiram  College,  Ohio,  when  James  A.  Garfield  was  president 
of  the  college,  and  while  conducting  a  music  and  book  store 
in  Danville,  Illinois,  he  traveled  as  a  public  lecturer  on  a 
lyceum  course. 

When  the  first  railway  survey  was  made  through  northern 
Wyoming  and  Sheridan  came  into  being,  Mr.  Coffeen,  fore- 
seeing this  advantage  to  the  little  town,  moved  to  that  point 
and  assisted  vigorously  with  its  advancement  by  taking  active 
part  in  the  promotion  of  all  business  enterprise.  He  was 
largely  instrumental  in  securing  the  county  seat  for  Sheridan, 
ill  competition  with  the  towns  of  Big  Horn  and  Dayton. 

In  1892,  "when  the  political  issue  was  the  gold  and  silver 
standard,  Mr.  Coffeen  joined  the  ranks  of  the  silver  Demo- 
crats," and  was  elected  to  Congress,  where  on  August  15, 
1894,  he  made  a  speech  in  behalf  of  the  reclamation  of  arid 
lands  of  the  West,  endorsing  some  of  the  ideas  incorporated 
into  the  Carey  Act  of  that  year. 

Being  his  county's  only  representative  at  the  Convention 
probably  accounts  for  the  fact  that  he  was  one  of  the  most 
frequent  and  eloquent  speakers,  as  disclosed  by  the  records. 

*Tliree  Constitutional  delegates  were  elected  from  Sheridan  County, 
including  Cornelius  Boulware  and  "William  N.  Robinson  vrlio  did  not 
serve. 


286  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

At  the  time  of  his  death,  Mr.  Coffeen  was  heavily  inter- 
ested in  gold  and  silver  mining  projects  in  the  Big  Horn 
Mountains,  and  it  was  stated  in  the  newspaper  columns  that 
he  had  spent  a  small  fortune  in  exploiting  and  developing 
various  mines  of  that  section.  A  street  and  school  building 
in  Sheridan  bear  his  name. 

A  daughter,  Mrs.  John  V.  Telander,  lives  at  Sheridan, 
"Wyoming. 

Sweetwater  County* 

AsBURY  B.  CoNAWAY  was  bom  on  October  13,  1837,  in 
McLean  County,  Illinois,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  moved 
Vvdth  his  parents  to  Mount  Pleasant,  Iowa,  and  as  those  were 
the  days  before  public  schools  in  that  state  he  received  his 
preliminary  education  in  private  schools. 

At  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  entered  Iowa  AVesleyan  Univer- 
sity, and  "having  an  unusually  active  brain,  combined  with 
great  love  of  study,"  he  finished  the  four-years  classical 
course  in  three  years,  besides  studying  law  and  being  gradu- 
ated from  that  department  at  the  same  time.  The  degree  of 
LL.D.  was  afterward  conferred  upon  him  by  that  institution. 

He  won  all  prizes  offered  in  his  classes,  and  it  was  said 
of  him  that  he  "read  mathematics  as  others  read  books." 

Shortly  after  his  graduation  in  1860  with  the  highest 
honors  of  his  class,  he  was  elected  to  his  first  office,  Justice 
of  the  Peace,  from  which  he  resigned  in  the  following  spring 
and  moved  with  the  family  to  Chariton,  Iowa.  Mr.  Conaway 
then  taught  school  a  year  before  enlisting  in  the  18th  Regi- 
ment of  the  Iowa  Volunteer  Infantry,  for  duty  in  the  Civil 
War.  He  soon  rose  from  a  private  to  the  rank  of  Captain 
and  at  the  close  of  the  War  he  was  brevetted  Major  for 
meritorious  conduct. 

Upon  returning  to  his  home  in  Iowa,  Major  Conaway 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  and  was  elected  to  the  Legis- 
lature of  his  county,  but  in  1868  he  responded  to  the  call  of 
the  West  and  settled  first  at  South  Pass  in  Fremont  County, 
Wyoming,  but  later  moved  to  Green  River,  Sweetwater  County, 
where  he  practiced  law,  and  served  as  County  and  Prosecuting 
Attorney.  He  also  served  as  Territorial  Judge  of  the  Third 
Judicial  District,  and  was  chairman  of  the  Constitutional 
Convention  Judiciary  Committee. 

On  September  11,  1890,  he  was  elected  one  of  the  three 
first  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  new  State  of  Wyo- 


*Five  delegates  were  elected  to  represent  Sweetwater  County,  all  of 
whom  served  and  all  of  whose  signatures  appear  on  the  original  document. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  287 

ming,  became  Chief  Justice  in  1897,  and  died  in  office  at  Cliey- 
enne,  Wyoming,  on  December  7th  of  that  year. 

Judge  Conaway  was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church, 
and  in  politics  he  was  a  Republican.     He  never  married. 

So  much  did  Governor  W.  A.  Richards  value  this  early 
pioneer  of  Wyoming  for  his  service  to  the  State  and  of  his 
worth  as  a  man  and  fellow  citizen,  that  the  former,  in  his 
retiring  message  to  the  Fifth  Legislature,  early  in  1899,  eulo- 
gized Judge  Conaway  and  suggested  that  a  monument  be 
erected  to  his  memory  at  the  expense  of  the  State. 

Herman  F.  Menough,  born  at  Wellsville,  Ohio,  in  about 
1843,  died  in  Rock  Springs,  Wyoming,  on  August  8,  1921. 

He  came  to  Wyoming  in  1885  from  Steubenville,  Ohio, 
and  settled  at  Rock  Springs,  where  he  held  the  position  of 
foreman  mechanic  for  the  Union  Pacific  Coal  Company. 

Later  he  spent  several  years  in  Utah,  and  was  in  the 
Klondike  region  during  the  gold  rush. 

Returning  to  Rock  Springs  he  took  active  part  in  com- 
munity life.  He  served  as  postmaster  four  or  five  years,  until 
1894,  and  also  served  as  county  commissioner,  as  well  as 
superintendent  of  the  General  Hospital  of  that  city. 

One  of  the  last  remaining  Civil  War  Veterans  of  his 
community  at  the  time  of  his  death,  Mr.  Menough  had  served 
with  the  165th  Ohio  Regiment.  He  was  a  Republican  and  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  church. 

Burial  took  place  in  Rock  Springs,  Wyoming,  and  the 
casket  was  draped  with  a  silk  flag  belonging  to  the  American 
Legion,  for  the  purchase  of  which  the  deceased  had  been  the 
first  to  subscribe,  with  a  liberal  donation. 

The  "Journals  and  Debates  of  the  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion" show  that  tliis  delegate  was  a  member  of  the  Credentials 
Committee  of  that  body. 

Mark  Hopkins,  born  in  Connecticut  in  1860,  had  superior 
advantages  of  education  in  New  York  City,  where  his  father, 
an  expert  civil  engineer,  followed  his  profession  more  than 
thirty  years.  He  also  received  a  thorough  course  of  instruction 
in  a  Brooklyn  College,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1878. 

Having  placed  sjiecial  emphasis  on  the  technical  and 
scientific  branches  of  mining,  immediately  after  graduation  ]\Ir. 
Hopkins  began  the  profession  of  mining  engineering  in  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  remained  for  eight  years. 

He  then  came  to  Rock  Springs,  Wyoming,  in  1886,  and 
accepted  the  position  of  assistant  general  superintendent  of 
the  coal  mines  of  the  Union  Pacific  at  that  place,  which  he 


288  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

held  for  four  years.  Later  he  filled  similar  positions  in  Colo- 
rado and  Utah,  but  returned  to  Wyoming  in  1891  and  assumed 
charge  of  the  coal  mines  at  Cumberland,  Sweetwater  County. 
He  also  served  as  superintendent  of  the  property  now  known 
as  the  Gunn-Quealy  Coal  Company,  and  other  activities  in- 
cluded his  development  of  the  mines  at  Sweetwater,  now 
known  as  the  town  of  Quealy,  Sweetwater  County,  which 
originally  was  named  for  him  and  was  called  "Hopkinsville. " 

The  year  of  his  severing  connections  with  his  mining  posi- 
tion in  Pennsylvania,  1886,  Mr.  Hopkins  was  married  to  Miss 
Ella  Bright,  of  that  State. 

He  attended  the  Congregational  Church  and  was  a 
Republican. 

He  was  chairman  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  Com- 
mittee on  Mines  and  Mining,  and  the  records  show  that  he 
took  active  part  in  the  discussions  pertaining  to  those  matters. 

Louis  J.  PxIlmer  was  a  young  lawyer  of  Rock  Springs, 
Wyoming,  who  came  to  Wyoming  Territory  from  Illinois, 
where  his  father.  General  John  Palmer,  at  one  time  a  United 
States  Senator,  ran  for  President  as  a  "gold  Democrat"  in 
1896. 

Mr.  Palmer  became  County  Attorney  in  his  community, 
but  returned  to  Illinois  in  about  the  year  1895,  and  it  is 
thought  that  he  died  soon  thereafter. 

He  was  a  Democrat  and  attended  the  Episcopal  church. 

This  delegate  to  the  Wyoming  Constitutional  Convention 
in  1889,  is  one  of  a  group  whose  names  appear  most  frequently 
in  the  journal  and  debate  records  of  the  sessions.  Under  the 
heading,  "Remarks"  in  the  index  of  those  records,  he  is 
credited  with  having  spoken  thirty  times  on  the  Convention 
floor,  and  in  addition,  offered  several  motions. 

EoWiVED  J.  Morris  was  born  on  November  8,  1851,  at 
Peru,  Illinois,  came  to  South  Pass,  Wyoming,  in  1869. 

He  was  a  son  of  Esther  Morris,  known  as  the  "JMother 
of  Woman  Suffrage  in  Wyoming,"  and  her  husband,  John 
Morris,  whose  family  became  prominently  identified  with  the 
early  history  of  the  Territory  and  State. 

In  the  fall  of  1882,  Mr.  Edward  Morris,  a  Democrat,  was 
elected  clerk  of  Sweetwater  county  and  moved  to  Green 
River,  Wyoming,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
After  serving  two  terms  he  was  appointed  postmaster  of  that 
town,  and  was  its  Mayor  two  terms,  1891-1892,  and  1895-1896. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Morris  had  entered  the  mercantile 
business  with   some   associates,   and   in   1890  the  interests   of 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  289 

his  associates  were  purchased  by  his  twin  brother,  Robert  J. 
Morris,  and  half-brother,  E.  A.  Slack,  the  firm  being  incor- 
porated as  the  Morris  Mercantile  Company,  doing  a  general 
business.  The  following  year  a  new  building  was  erected, 
and  in  1896  the  Morris  State  Bank  was  incorporated. 

On  August  31,  1881,  Edward  Morris  was  joined  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Bertie  Chambers,  daughter  of  Jim  Chambers 
of  Miner's  Delight,  Fremont  County. 

Mr.  Morris  passed  away  at  Green  River,  Wyoming,  on 
September  5  or  6,  1902,  and  funeral  services  were  held  at 
Cheyenne  on  September  9.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
Order  and  of  the  Episcopal  church. 

This  delegate  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  was  re- 
ferred to  by  Wyoming  Historian,  I.  S.  Bartlett,  as  being  one 
of  a  group  of  men  of  Green  River  who  "played  important 
parts  in  the  public  affairs  of  Wyoming  during  the  Territorial 
days  and  in  the  early  days  of  Statehood." 

Uinta  County* 

Clarence  D.  Clark,  born  at  Sandy  Creek,  New  York,  on 
April  16,  1851,  came  to  Wyoming  in  1881  from  Manchester, 
Iowa,  where  he  had  practiced  law  for  seven  years,  and  settled 
at  Evanston.  He  passed  away  on  November  18,  1930,  in  that 
city,  which  closed  a  career  of  nearly  half  a  century  of  valuable 
public  service  to  his  adopted  state. 

Mr.  Clark  was  Wyoming's  first  representative  in  the 
United  States  Congress  after  statehood  was  conferred,  and 
served  until  March,  1893.  From  1895  to  1917,  twenty-two 
years,  he  served  as  United  States  Senator,  being  the  senior 
senator  from  Wyoming.  In  July,  1919,  he  was  appointed  by 
President  Woodrow  Wilson  on  the  Canadian-American  Inter- 
national Joint  Boundary  Commission,  and  relinquished  his 
duties  in  May,  1929. 

For  four  years  he  was  prosecuting  attorney  of  Uinta 
county,  was  influential  in  obtaining  a  Carnegie  Library  and 
Federal  Building  for  Evanston ;  was  offered  appointment  as 
Associate  Justice  of  Wyoming ,  in  1890,  but  declined.  He 
was  a  delegate  to  the  Republican  National  Conventions  of 
1888,  1900,  1904  and  1908. 

This  delegate  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  took 
prominent  part  in  the  deliberations  of  that  assemblage,  accord- 
ing to  the  records,  and  was  a  member  of  the  committee  of  ten 

*Six  Constitutional  delegates  were  elected  from  Uinta  County,  all  of 
whom  signed  the  Constitution  for  the  proposed  new  State. 

John  L.  Eussell  also  was  a  member  from  Uinta  County,  but  bio- 
graphical data  and  photograph  have  not  been  located,  though  extensive 
research   was  made. 


290  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

which  presented  the  final  memorial  to  Congress  praying  for 
admission  of  Wyoming  as  a  State.  He  delivered  an  oration 
a1  Wyoming's  famed  statehood  celebration  in  Cheyenne  on 
July  23,  1890.  It  was  referred  to  by  the  press  as  "a  master- 
p:?ce  of  eloquence." 

Senator  Clark  was  a  graduate  of  Iowa  State  University, 
admitted  to  the  bar  of  that  state  in  1874,  and  on  August  6  of 
the  same  year  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Alice  C. 
Downs,  climax  to  a  public  school  romance  of  early  youth  in 
Belvidere,  Illinois,  where  both  had  been  pupils. 

In  announcing  his  death,  newspaper  headlines  proclaimed 
Senator  Clark,  "Best  Loved  Citizen  of  Wyoming.  .  .  . 
Eminent  Statesman  and  Exemplar  of  American  Patriotism, 
Kind  Neighbor  and  Wonderful  Friend,  Leaves  Record  of  His 
Life  Written  on  Hearts  of  Men." 

Mrs.  Clark  passed  away  suddenly  on  January  22,  1925, 
while  on  a  cruise  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea  in  company  with 
her  husband.  In  observance  of  their  Golden  Wedding  Anni- 
versary, they  were  making  an  extensive  tour,  which  came  to 
its  tragic  end  within  an  hour's  sail  from  Naples,  Italy,  from 
where  they  had  just  departed.  Her  body  also  lies  in  the 
Evanston   cemetery. 

Frank  M.  Foote,  born  on  May  26,  1847,  at  South  Bend, 
Indiana,  received  his  higher  education  at  the  Northern  Indiana 
College  and  the  Indiana  Normal  School  at  Valparaiso. 

With  a  backgound  of  business  experience  as  manager  of 
a  lumber  company  in  his  home  town  for  a  time,  followed  by 
a  bookkeeping  position  in  Rochester,  Minnesota,  Mr.  Foote 
came  to  Wyoming  in  the  spring  of  1871,  and  located  at 
Bryan,  where  he  w^as  employed  as  a  clerk  for  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad.  In  August  of  1872,  he  moved  to  Evanston,  Wyo- 
ming, as  agent  for  the  same  company,  and  held  that  position 
17  or  18  years. 

Evanston  was  his  home  until  summoned  by  death,  on 
November  13,  1914,  and  burial  took  place  at  that  city. 

Throughout  Mr.  Foote 's  lifetime  his  activities  were  numer- 
ous and  varied :  political,  fraternal,  military  and  general 
business. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Wyoming  Territorial  Legisla- 
ture, 1875-1876 ;  probate  judge  and  treasurer,  Uinta  County. 
AVyoming,  1877-1880;  under-sheriff,  1880-1881;  member  of 
AA^yoming  Territorial  Penitentiary  commission,  1884-1888 ; 
Uinta  county  assessor,  1895-1896 ;  Mayor  of  Evanston,  1889- 
1890;  Receiver  of  public  moneys,  Evanston,  1890-1904,  1897- 
1898,  and  1899-1914.     In  1912,  Mr.  Foote  assisted  in  organiz- 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  291 

ing  the  Carbon  Steel  Manufacturing  and  Mining  Company, 
and  Avas  its  first  president. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  appointed  by 
the  Governor  under  the  act  of  February  16,  1895,  and  em- 
powered, with  ex-officio  members,  to  establisli  the  AVyoming 
Historical  Society  (later  and  now  conducted  as  the  Wyoming 
Historical  Department). 

In  military  activities,  he  was  the  Colonel  commanding 
the  First  Regiment,  Wyoming  National  Guard,  1893-1897,  and 
Major  commanding  First  Battalion,  Wyoming  Volunteers,  in 
the  Philippines  during  the  Spanish-American  war  and  the 
Philippine  insurrection.  "He  served  with  gallantry  in  the 
battle  at  the  taking  of  Manila  on  August  13,  1898,  as  well  as 
many  other  battles,  engagements  and  skirmishes.  .  .  .  His 
military  record,  though  brief,  is  full  of  fruitful  activity.  His 
political  record  is  both  long  and  strong." 

Mr.  Foote  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  in  which 
he  had  received  the  thirty-third  degree,  and  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  held  high  offices  in  both.  He  was 
a  life  member  of  Salt  Lake  City  Lodge  No.  85,  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  was  a  Republican  in  politics. 

In  1873,  Mr.  Foote  and  Miss  Ida  L.  Deuel  were  married, 
at  Waterloo,  New  York.  Two  sons  and  two  daughters  Avere 
born  to  the  couple. 

Chael.es  W.  Holden  was  born  on  January  4,  1838,  at 
Hennepin,  Bureau  County,  Ohio,  and  at  seventeen  began  his 
career  as  a  farm  hand  at  wages  of  $14.00  per  month. 

He  chose  blacksmithing  for  an  early  profession,  but  in 
the  meantime  studied  law  and  began  practicing,  first  at 
Marion,  Illinois,  and  later  at  Clinton,  until  June,  1861,  Avhen 
he  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Forty-first  Illinois  Infantry  and 
served  in  the  Union  Army  of  the  Civil  War  until  he  Avas 
mustered  out,  in  August,  1864.  He  took  part  in  some  fierce 
engagements  though  he  received  only  slight  injuries. 

Mr.  Holden  brought  his  family  to  Green  River,  Wyoming, 
from  Veedersburg,  Indiana,  on  February  22,  1877,  opened  a 
law  office  and  founded  the  Daily  Evening  Press,  but  business 
was  not  lucrative.  The  folloAving  year  he  began  homesteading 
on  Fontenelle  Creek,  Avhere  the  family  eA'entually  acquired 
large  acreage  holdings  and  stock  interests. 

Known  as  "Judge"  from  having  been  a  justice  of  the 
peace,  Mr.  Holden  served  as  U.  S.  Land  Commissioner  for 
twenty  j^ears.  "Entry  for  the  majority  of  homes  in  Green 
River  valley,  Avas  made  before  him."  He  served  as  post- 
master and  Avas  a  member  of  the  school  board  of  trustees  for 


292  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

twenty-three  years.  Mr.  Holden  was  instrumental  in  securing 
a  telephone  line  for  the  valley,  between  Opal  and  Green  River, 
65  miles,  and  a  mail  route.  He  was  a  member  of  the  first 
state  board  of  control  and  assisted  in  the  formation  of  rules 
governing  its  action ;  he  also  took  a  leading  part  in  the  forma- 
tion of  the  districts  for  LaBarge  and  Fontenelle. 

This  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  was  a 
member  of  Committee  No.  7,  Agriculture,  Irrigation  and  Water 
Rights,  and  the  index'  to  the  Journals  and  Debates  discloses 
that  he  was  a  frequent  speaker  on  the  convention  floor. 

He  was  a  Republican  in  politics. 

In  1911,  Mr.  Holden  sold  his  ranch  to  a  son,  Howard,  and 
accompanied  his  daughters,  Minnie  and  Ella  Holden,  to  River- 
side, California,  where  he  passed  away  on  December  20,  1913. 
The  body  was  brought  back  to  the  Valley  of  the  Fontenelle 
and  buried  by  the  side  of  his  wife,  on  the  old  home  ranch. 

Jonathan  Jones  was  born  in  1852,  at  Greansyor,  Wales, 
and  in  1885  came  from  the  British  Isles  to  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah,  followed  by  his  wife  and  their  five  children  a  year  later. 

Having  been  a  miner  in  his  native  land,  he  again  engaged 
in  mining  and  development  work  as  an  engineer  during  his 
first  years  of  residence  in  Utah.  Later  he  filed  on  a  homestead 
near  Evanston,  Wyoming,  and  proceeded  to  farm  and  raise 
cattle.  Afterward  the  family  moved  to  Evanston,  and  in 
1900,  Mr.  Jones  was  elected  sheriff  of  Uinta  county,  serving 
until  1912.  Search  for  desperate  criminals  in  the  Jackson 
Hole  country,  then  a  part  of  Uinta  County,  was  among  his 
official  duties  on  several  occasions.  After  completing  his 
terms  as  sheriff,  Mr.  Jones  was  city  marshal  of  Evanston  for 
a  few  years.  Later  he  sold  his  ranch  and  moved  to  Ogden, 
Utah,  in  1915. 

In  1920  he  was  appointed  chief  of  police  at  Ogden  and 
served  two  terms.  He  also  was  acting  United  States  deputv 
marshal  in  1924-1925. 

Mr.  Jones  was  a  member  of  the  -Congregational  church. 

This  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  presented 
File  No.  85  entitled,  "Concerning  Labor,"  which  limited  a 
working  day  to  "eight  hours  for  all  mines  and  for  all  state 
and  municipal  works."  It  was  adopted  as  a  part  of  the 
Constitution,  after  general  discussion  and  debate,  during 
which  Mr.  Jones  spoke  several  times  in  the  interest  of  the 
miners. 

Mr.  Jones  passed  away  at  his  home  in  Ogden,  Utah,  on 
Sunday,  July  14,  1929,  following  a  paralytic  stroke  two  days 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  293 

previously,    and   was   buried   in   Mountain   View   cemetery   of 
that  city,  on  July  17th. 

His  widow,  three  daughters,  one  son  and  other  relatives 
survived  him. 

Jesse  Knight  was  born  on  July  5,  1850,  in  Oneida 
County,  New  York,  and  after  receiving  his  elementary  educa- 
tion he  gained  his  higher  learning  at  Falley  Seminary  in 
Fulton,  New  York. 

At  the  age  of  seventeen,  home  ties  were  severed  and  he 
proceeded  to  St.  Peter,  Minnesota,  made  his  home  with  an 
uncle,  and  then  journeyed  west  to  Omaha,  Nebraska,  where 
he  obtained  a  clerical  position  in  a  mercantile  house.  In  1871, 
he  moved  to  South  Pass,  Wyoming,  and  accepted  employment 
from  Sydney  Ticknor  for  a  year,  when  he  was  appointed  Clerk 
of  the  Court  for  the  Third  Judicial  District,  and  also  was 
appointed  postmaster  for  South  Pass.  In  1874  the  district 
was  re-organized.  This  necessitated  Mr.  Knight's  moving 
to  Evanston,  Wyoming,  where  he  continued  as  Clerk  of  the 
District  Court  for  ten  years  longer. 

In  the  meantime  he  had  been  studying  law  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1877. 

In  1888,  he  was  elected  county  attorney  and  served  until 
1890.  He  was  elected  as  district  judge  in  1890,  and  after 
seven  years  of  service,  he  was  appointed,  in  1897,  to  fill 
the  unexpired  term  of  Judge  Asbury  B.  Conaway  as  Associate 
Justice  of  the  Wyoming  Supreme  Court.  In  1898  Judge 
Knight  was  elected  his  own  successor  for  a  full  term  of  eight 
years,  and  upon  retirement  of  Chief  Justice  S.  T.  Corn  in 
1904,  Judge  Knight  was  elevated  to  that  position,  which  he 
held  at  the  time  of  his  death,  April  9,  1905,  at  Cheyenne, 
Wyoming. 

As  has  been  true  of  many  delegates  to  the  Constitutional 
Convention  in  1889,  Judge  Knight  was  destined  to  become 
regarded  as  one  of  Wyoming's  most  noble  characters.  "He 
was,  in  a  measure,  self-made.  He  pushed  forward  slowly,  but 
successfully,  through  varying"  stages  of  pioneer  life  to  judicial 
eminence. ' ' 

In  politics  Judge  Knight  was  a  Republican,  and  his 
fraternal  organizations  included  the  Benevolent  and  Protec- 
tive Order  of  Elks,  Cheyenne  chapter ;  the  Masonic  Order, 
thirty-third  degree ;  the  Ancient  Order  of  Uiiited  Workmen, 
and  the  Maccabees. 

He  was  survived  by  three  daughters  and  two  sons.  His 
wife,  Mary  L.  Hezlep,  of  Ohio,  with  whom  he  was  married  on 
February  14,  1876,  had  passed  away  several  years  pre\aously. 


294  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Bibliography  of  Material  Used  in 

Compiling  Above  Biographies  of  Delegates  from  Carbon,  Converse, 

Crook,   Sheridan,   Sweetwater,   and  Uinta  Counties. 

Progressive  Men  of  Wyoming. 

History  of  Wyoming,  by  Beard,  Vol.  I. 

Cheyenne  Sun  Supplement,  January,  1890. 

Coutant's  Notes. 

Dr.  L.  C.  Hunt's  Notes. 

The  Wyoming  Industrial  Journal,  Vol.  I,  1889-1900. 

Mokler's  History  of  Natrona  County. 

Journals  and  Debates  of  the  Constitutional  Convention,  Wyoming. 

History  of  Wyoming,  by  Bartlett,  Vols.  I  and  III. 

Wyoming  Historical  Society  Miscellanies,  1919. 

Wyoming  State  Tribune,  April  10,  190.5  and  January  9,  1940. 

Coutant's  Notebooks,  No.  31  and  38,  Miscellaneous. 

Coutant's  History  of  Wyoming,  Vol.  I. 

Coutant's  Notes,  Uinta  County. 

Men  of  Wyoming,  compiled  and  published  by  C.  S.  Peterson,  Denver, 
Colorado. 

Wyoming  Leader,  Cheyenne,  September  27,  1917. 

Herringshaw's  Encyclopaedia  of  American  Biography. 

Uinta  County  History — Stone. 

Eock  Springs  Eocket,  August  12,  1921. 

National  Encyclopaedia  of  American  Biography. 

Women  of  Wyoming,  by  Beach,  Vol.  I. 

Wyoming  Times   (Evanston)  November  19,  1914. 

Wyoming  Press,  July  17,  1929. 

Annals   of  Wyoming,  Vol.   5,   October,   1927,  to   January,   1928.  Nos. 
2  and  3.  , 

Bancroft's  Works,  Vol.  25. 

(Conclusion) 

ERRATA 

William  E.  Chaplin,  of  Van  Nuys,  California,  calls  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  John  W.  Hoyt  was  appointed  third 
Territorial  Governor  of  Wyoming  by  President  Hayes,  instead 
of  President  Grant,  as  stated  on  page  171  of  the  July  issue 
of  the  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING.  The  information  was  ob- 
tained from  one  of  the  accepted  histories  of  Wyoming,  but 
the  matter  has  been  checked  again,  and  Mr.  Chaplin's  state- 
ment is  found  to  be  correct. 

R.  H.  Hall,  of  Lander,  a  Wyoming  pioneer,  calls  attention 
of  the  Wyoming  Historical  Department  to  the  biographical 
sketch  of  H.  G.  Nickerson  on  page  175  of  the  July,  1940.  issue 
of  the  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING,  in  which  it  is  stated  that 
Mr.  Nickerson  was  chairman  of  the  first  board  of  county 
commissioners  of  Fremont  County.  Mr.  Hall,  a  member  of 
that  board,  advises  that  H.  E.  Blinn  was  chairman. 

The  source  of  the  original  information  is  "Progressive 
Men  of  the  State  of  Wyoming,"  pg.  115. 

It  is  the  desire  of  the  Wyoming  Historical  Department 
that  facts  presented  in  the  ANNALS  shall  be  accurate,  and 
corrections  from  readers  are  appreciated. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


295 


THERESE  A.  PARKINSON  JENKINS 

A  Prominent  Wyoming  Feminist 
By  Agnes  Jenkins  Metcalf 

Wyoming's  observance  this  year  of  its  fiftieth  anniversary 
of  admission  to  statehood,  has  brought  to  memory  the  many 
loyal  and  untiring  women  of  the  Territory  of  Wyoming, 
through  whose  efforts  was  brought  about  this  privilege  of 
franchise — which  we  of  the  later  generation  have  learned  to 
accept  as  a  matter  of  course. 

As  a  daughter  of  one  of  these  pioneer  women  and  one 
whose  unswerving  loyalty  to  the  cause  of  woman  suffrage 
did  its  part  in  bringing  about  this  privilege  of  franchise,  I 
feel  that  I  have  just  cause  to  be  proud,  and  it  gives  me  much 
pleasure  to  set  forth  a  few  of  the  outstanding  facts  concerning 
her  life,  which  may  perpetuate  her  memory  in  the  annals  of 
the  state  which  was  her  home  and  which  she  loved  for  more 
than  a  half  centurv. 


Therese    Alberta    Parkinson    was    born    ]\lay    1,    18o3,    in 
Fayette,  Lafayette  County,  Wisconsin,  the  daughter  of  Peter 


296  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

and  Cleantha  Storms  "Welch  Parkinson.  Her  father  was  a 
pioneer  of  Wisconsin,  having  gone  there  from  his  home  in 
Tennessee  while  that  state  was  yet  a  part  of  the  Northwest 
Territory.  His  family,  for  several  generations,  had  been 
owners  of  large  estates  in  Virginia  and  Tennessee  and  had 
been  slave-holders,  but  when  he  and  his  father  moved  to 
Yv^isconsin  they  freed  their  slaves  and  took  them  with  them 
to  their  new  home.  Benton  Parkinson,  a  brother  of  Mrs. 
Jenkins  was  killed  in  the  Union  Army  during  the  Civil  War. 

"Tessie,"  as  she  was  familiarly  called,  was  reared  in  a 
home  of  such  comforts  and  luxuries  and  refinement  as  were 
known  in  those  days,  and  was  educated  in  both  the  Normal 
Training  School  at  Platteville,  and  the  University  of  Wiscon- 
sin at  Madison.  She  was  a  teacher  in  the  schools  in  Madison 
prior  to  coming  to  Cheyenne  to  marry  James  F.  Jenkins,  who 
vfas  at  the  time  in  government  employ  at  Camp  Carlin,  the 
site  of  which  was  adjacent  to  the  present  Fort  Francis  E. 
Warren.  He  later  went  into  business  for  himself  and  was 
in  the  shoe  business  for  45  years  prior  to  his  death  in  1928. 
They  were  married  in  Cheyenne  on  December  20,  1877. 

To  a  young  woman  coming  from  such  a  community  as 
Madison,  Cheyenne  must  have  seemed  to  be  the  jumping-off 
place,  with  its  barren  prairie,  with  but  fifteen  trees  in  the 
town  and  these  kept  alive  with  water  carried  out  in  buckets 
after  the  washing  had  been  done,  and  women  of  ill-repute 
very  much  in  the  majority.  And  so,  with  the  firm  conviction 
that  if  Cheyenne  was  to  become  a  place  where  she  and  the 
other  good  women  could  raise  their  families  and  make  homes 
to  be  proud  of,  the  better  element  of  women  must  build  on 
everything  for  the  uplift  of  women  and  children,  she  began 
fitting  herself  into  the  civil  and  social  life  of  the  community, 
affiliating  herself  immediately  with  the  Presbyterian  Church 
and  was  a  charter  member  of  its  Missionary  Society,  and  in 
1883,  when  Frances  E.  Willard  and  Anna  Gordon  came  to 
Cheyenne,  on  their  nation-wide  tour  organizing  the  Temper- 
ance Union,  she  became  a  charter  member  of  the  Cheyenne 
Temperance  Union  and  an  ardent  worker  for  its  cause.  With 
the  idea  in  mind  that  with  the  right  to  vote,  women  held  the 
"key"  to  happier  homes,  better  schools  and  a  higher  plane 
for  their  children,  she  threw  herself  whole-heartedly  into 
the  work  of  suffrage,  and  through  it,  temperance. 

Quoting  from  "A  Woman  of  the  Century,"  edited  and 
published  by  Fh^ances  Willard  and  Mary  Livermore,  it  is  said: 
"She  has  labored  to  secure  equal  rights  and  justice  for  all 
citizens. — She  has  done  much  journalistic  work.  In  April 
1889,    Mrs.    Jenkins    contributed    to    the    'Popular    Science 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  297 

Monthly'  a  striking  paper  entitled,  'The  Mental  Force  of 
Woman,'  in  reply  to  a  Professor  Cope's  article  on  'The  Rela- 
tion of  the  Sexes  to  the  Government,'  in  a  jDreceding  issue  of 
the  magazine.  She  has  contributed  a  number  of  graceful 
poems  to  the  Denver  Times  and  other  journals;  she  is  now 
the  regular  Wyoming  correspondent  of  the  Omaha  'Central 
West,'  'Women's  Tribune'  and  the  'Union  Signal.'  Her  life 
is  a  busy  one  and  she  is  a  recognized  power  in  Wyoming 
among  those  who  are  interested  in  purifying  and  elevating 
society,  and  in  bringing  about  the  absolute  recognition  of  the 
equality  of  the  sexes  before  the  law." 

Mrs.  Jenkins  also  wrote  regularly  for  many  years  for  the 
local    newspapers. 

In  the  life  of  Mrs.  Jenkins,  in  "Women  of  Wyoming," 
by  Mrs.  Beach,  it  says:  "Her  address  (at  Laramie  in  1883) 
entitled  'Keys,'  printed  in  the  Laramie  Sentinel  was  the  first 
address  on  Prohibition  ever  delivered  in  the  territory.  It 
received  much  favorable  comment  at  the  time.  In  connection 
with  her  work  for  the  Prohibition  cause,  she  secured  the 
introduction  and  passage  of  the  law  making  compulsory  the 
teaching  of  the  effects  of  alcohol  and  narcotics  on  the  human 
system  in  the  public  schools.  This  bill  became  a  law  with  but 
one  dissenting  vote,  and  in  reply  to  a  letter  of  congratulation 
from  Miss  Willard  upon  the  signal  victory  for  the  cause  of 
temperance,  Mrs.  Jenkins  said:  'It  never  even  cost  a  postage 
stamp'." 

In  1889,  when  the  Constitutional  Convention  was  called 
to  adopt  a  constitution  under  the  Enabling  Act,  a  vital  issue 
was  the  constitutional  clause  "The  right  to  vote  and  hold 
office  shall  not  be  abridged  on  account  of  sex."  This  clause 
had  caused  much  debate  in  Congress  and  Mrs.  Jenkins  took 
an  active  part  in  helping  to  retain  the  clause  in  our  consti- 
tution and  influencing  members  of  Congress  from  the  south 
and  particularly  from  her  native  state  of  Wisconsin  in  favor 
of  the  same.  After  the  adoption  of  the  constitution  and  its 
approval,  on  July  10,  1890,  a  huge  celebration  was  planned  at 
the  Capitol  and  the  women  of  the  state  presented  a  flag  to 
the  Governor  upon  which  was  inscribed,  "To  W^yoming  from 
her  women  in  honor  of  the  State  Constitution."  Mrs.  Jenkins 
was  chosen,  in  recognition  of  the  part  she  had  played  the 
September  previously,  to  make  the  statehood  speech,  and  the 
following  is  an  excerpt  from  the  record  of  Robert  Morris, 
(son  of  Esther  Morris)  Secretary  of  the  State  Historical 
Society : 

"When  the  people  of  Wyoming  met  at  Cheyenne  on  July 
23,    to    celebrate    their   statehood,    by    Governor    Francis    E, 


298  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Warren  sat  Mrs.  Amalia  Post,  president  of  the  Woman 
Suffrage  Association.  The  first  and  principal  oration  of  the 
day  was  made  by  Mrs.  Therese  A.  Jenkins,  of  which  the 
History  of  Wyoming  says : 

"  'Proceeding  to  the  front  of  the  platform,  Mrs.  Jenkins, 
in  clear,  forceful  tones  which  penetrated  to  the  very  outskirts 
of  the  crowd  of  ten  thousand,  delivered  without  manuscript 
or  notes  an  address,  which  in  ability,  logic  and  eloquence  has 
rarely,  if  ever,  been  equaled  by  any  woman  of  the  land.  She 
was  grandly  equal  to  the  occasion.  At  the  conclusion  of  her 
address,  Mrs.  Jenkins  received  a  wonderful  ovation,  and  was 
presented  with  a  magnificent  basket  of  flowers'." 

Mrs.  Jenkins'  address  was  copied  in  innumerable  Woman 
Suffrage  papers  and  in  Temperance  magazines  and  was  even 
translated  into  many  foreign  languages.  She  had  a  copy 
printed  in  the  French  language  in  one  of  the  French  news- 
papers of  the  day. 

The  general  election  in  Colorado  was  in  1893  and  suffrage 
for  women  was  the  great  issue  of  the  campaign.  Mrs.  Jenkins 
was  selected  by  Mrs.  Carrie  Chapman  Catt,  upon  invitation 
from  the  Suffrage  Clubs  of  Colorado,  to  make  a  speaking 
tour  of  the  state.  She  spoke  thirteen  times  in  the  city  of 
Denver,  and  in  practically  every  city  and  town  in  the  state. 
Victory  at  the  polls  made  Colorado  the  second  state  in  the 
Union  to  have  suffrage  for  its  women.  She  was  then  called 
upon  to  go  to  Kansas.  She  spoke  sixty  times  in  the  sixty 
northern  counties  of  that  state,  beginning  with  a  mass  meet- 
ing at  Kansas  City,  Kansas.  The  cause  in  Kansas  was  lost  by 
but  one  vote  when  the  Legislature  met. 

In  1895,  Miss  Susan  B.  Anthony,  president  of  the  National 
Woman's  Suffrage  Association,  carried  out  a  long-cherished 
desire  to  visit  Wyoming.  She  was  on  her  way  to  take  part 
in  the  Woman's  Congress  at  San  Francisco,  accompanied  by 
the  Rev.  Anna  Howard  Shaw,  vice  president  at  large,  and 
they  stopped  at  Cheyenne,  where  they  were  the  guests  of 
Senator  and  Mrs.  Joseph  M.  Carey.  Following  a  dinner 
party  at  the  Carey  home,  a  meeting  was  held  in  the  Baptist 
Church,  at  which  Mrs.  Jenkins  presided. 

In  1911  Mrs.  Jenkins  was  made  National  Superintendent 
of  Franchise  in  the  W.C.T.U.  and  attended  the  World's  Conven- 
tion at  Boston.  She  was  asked  by  Miss  Willard  to  present  a 
flag  to  that  convention  typical  of  Wyoming.  She  made  this 
presentation  in  old  Faneuil  Hall.  The  flag  was  of  pure  white 
silk  with  a  blue  field  in  which  there  was  one  star  marked 
WYOMING.     In  her  address  she  said:   "Ere  a   decade  shall 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  299 

have  passed  away  other  stars  shall  encircle  this  star. ' '     In 
ten  years  her  prediction  came  true. 

Mrs.  Jenkins  spoke  in  twelve  states  for  suffrage  and  in 
as  many  for  prohibition. 

In  1892,  she  was  elected  to  attend  the  Republican 
National  Convention  at  Minneapolis,  and  was  the  first  woman 
ever  so  honored  in  the  state,  and  of  course  the  first  in  the 
nation.  Her  fellow-members  at  this  convention  were  Frank 
W.  Mondell  and  Judge  C.  N.  Potter. 

In  1919  she  attended  the  national  convention  of  the 
National  Suffrage  Society,  at  St.  Louis,  and  was  asked  by 
Mrs.  Carrie  Chapman  Catt  to  present  the  matter  to  Governor 
Robert  D.  Carey,  of  calling  a  special  session  of  the  legislature 
to  ratify  the  19th  Amendment  to  the  Constitution.  Governor 
Carey  called  the  special  session  and  Wyoming  was  one  of  the 
first  states  to  ratify  the  amendment. 

The  18th  amendment  was  the  one  for  Prohibition  and 
thus  two  of  her  cherished  hopes  came  to  pass,  and  although 
she  often  said  that  prohibition  had  failed  because  the  women 
themselves  had  failed  in  supporting  those  who  tried  to  uphold 
the  law  and  order,  she  was  ever  of  the  firm  belief  that  the 
purpose  of  the  amendment  was  right.  She  was  never  radical 
nor  bigotted  in  her  temperance  beliefs  and  when  Repeal  came 
she  often  said  when  asked  if  she  was  disappointed  in  the 
returns,  "No,  for  if  that  is  what  the  people  want  and  the 
way  they  voted  for  it,  that  is  what  the  rest  of  us  must  accept 
and  like,  for  that  is  what  I  have  spent  most  of  my  life  trying 
to  accomplish  and  that  is  to  give  everyone  the  right  to  express 
their  wish  through  franchise. ' ' 

In  1920  Mrs.  Jenkins  was  chosen  to  represent  the  Rocky 
Mountain  region  at  the  World's  Convention  of  the  Women's 
Christian  Temperance  Union  and  went  to  London  to  the 
convention.  She  spent  three  months  in  England,  Scotland, 
Belgium,  Prance  and  Switzerland,  and  although  67  years  old 
at  the  time  thoroughly  enjoyed  every  minute  of  the  trip  and 
returned  full  of  energy  and  vigor. 

Socially  Mrs.  Jenkins  took  an  active  part  in  various 
organizations  of  her  church,  she  was  also  a  member  of  the 
I>.  A.  R.,  and  was  a  Past  Department  President  of  the  Women's 
Relief  Corps  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  the  Auxiliary  of  the  United 
Spanish  War  Veterans,  the  Woodmen  Circle,  the  Pioneer 
Club,  and  other  charitable  and  benevolent  organizations  in 
Cheyenne. 

It  was  these  memories  and  the  ,ioy  of  recounting  them 
that  helped  her  to  spend  the  last  twelve  years  of  her  life  in 
a  wheel  chair,  joyfully  and  patiently,  but  perhaps  one  of  the 


300  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

greatest  honors  conferred  upon  her  during  her  latter  years 
was  when  she  was  named  by  Mrs.  Carrie  Chapman  Catt  for 
a  place  of  honor  in  the  State  Rolls  of  Honor  which  hang  in 
the  National  Headquarters  of  the  National  League  of  Women 
Voters  in  Washington,  D.  C,  honoring  the  women  pioneers 
of  the  suffrage  movement.  Seventy-two  names  appear  on 
these  rolls  of  honor,  the  two  from  Wyoming  being  Mrs. 
Jenkins  and  Dr.  Grace  Raymond  Hebard.  Mrs.  Jenkins  died 
on  February  28,  1936,  at  the  age  of  83. 

Even  though  Mrs.  Jenkins  was  continually  engaged  in 
outstanding  civic  and  social  activities  for  the  improved  growth 
of  Wyoming  and  the  Nation,  she  did  not  neglect  her  home 
and  family.  She  was  the  mother  of  three  children,  and  the 
welcome  and  gracious  hospitality  of  her  home  was  enjoyed 
by  her  multitude  of  friends. 

The  children,  who  are  all  living,  are :  Mrs.  Robert  Gr. 
(Elsie  C.)  Jerpe,  of  Roseville,  California;  Horace  M.  Jenkins, 
of  Cheyenne,  and  Mrs.  J.  Carl  (Agnes  Wyoming)  Metcalf, 
also  of  Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 

Mrs.  Jenkins'  great  grandfather  served  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War ;  her  grandfather  was  Colonel  Daniel  Morgan 
Parkinson,  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812 ;  her  father  was  a 
lieutenant  in  the  war  with  Mexico  and  in  the  Black  Hawk 
Indian  War,  from  Wisconsin ;  and  her  husband,  James  F. 
Jenkins  was  a  Captain  in  the  Spanish-American  War.  Her 
son,  Horace  M.  Jenkins  also  served  in  the  Spanish-American 
War. 

"WOMAN'S  CORNER"* 
Mrs.  Therese  A.  Jenkins,  Editor 

(From  The  Wyoming  Commonwealth,  Cheyenne,  Wyo.,  December,  1891) 

"The  coming  woman"  will  have  a  world  of  responsibility 
on  her  shoulders,  for  she  will  be  charged  with  all  the  require- 
ments of  citizenship,  and  will  be  a  co-worker  with  man  in 
nearly  all  the  duties  of  life.  She  will  wage  an  eternal  war 
on  intoxicants,  vice,  and  all  kinds  of  crime.  She  Avill  point 
to  the  better  way  and  men  will  follow  it,  not  because  woman 
says  so,  but  because  it  is  right.  The  coming  woman  will  be  a 
helpmate  to  her  husband  and  will  hold  an  influence  over  him 
not  because  of  her  good  looks  or  her  pretty  ways,  but  because 
of  her  wisdom.  She  will  lift  her  own  sex  up  to  a  high  standard, 
and  the  world  will  be  made  better,  directly  through  her  efforts. 


*Excerpts  from  a  column  in  "The  Wyoming  Commonwealth,"  with 
above  heading,  edited  by  Therese  A.  Jenkins  (Mrs.  J.  F.). 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  301 


WYOMING 


Hail  to  Wyoming's  lone  star  of  the  mountain, 

Tingling  with  light  all  the  radiant  West. 
Brooding  and  pointing  o'er  liberty's  fountain, 

Untainted,  unstinted,  where  all  can  be  blest! 
Where  woman,  the  slumberer,  the  oppressed  of  the  ages. 

Stands  freed  of  the  burden  that  fettered  her  powers, 
And  upright  and  brave  writes  on  history's  pages 

The  lesson  of  promise  for  oncoming  hours. 
Hark,  the  voice  of  Wyoming  her  deaf  ear  engages ! 

'Tis  the  clarion  protest  that  none  can  recall, 
And  woman,  slow  rising,  marches  on  to  the  ages 

When  justice  beneficent  reigns  over  all. 

— Louise  Young  Stevens. 


The  Carnesville  (Ga.)  Tribune,  edited  by  Ellen  J.  Dortch, 
speaks  in  this  azerous  style : 

"The  question  of  female  evangelists  was  brought  up  at 
a  session  of  the  Methodist  ecumenical  council  in  Washington 
city  last  week. 

A  woman  with  brains  in  the  upper  story,  and  her  heart 
in  the  right  place,  will  somehow  or  other  find  her  sphere  in 
the  highest  and  widest  field  she  is  fitted  to  Avork  in. 

It  is  useless  for  any  human  being  to  prescribe  a  woman's 
work  or  a  woman's  walk.  She  will  walk  in  the  ways  that 
are  highest,  and  follow  the  impulses  that  are  noblest,  holding 
herself  accountable  only  to  the  Supreme  Being  that  gave  them. 

Woman  is  slowly  rising,  and  when  she  comes  to  stand 
beside  man  as  his  gentle  comrade  and  faithful  helpmate  in 
all  the  works  and  walks  of  life,  then  will  the  world  have 
reached  its  highest  phase  of  civilization. 


To  instill  reverential  pride  of  a  people  in  a  State's  past  is 
to  create  unwavering  confidence  in  its  future. 


302  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

WYOMING'S  FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY  AS  A  STATE 

By  William  A.  Riner* 
Chief  Justice,  Wyoming  Supreme  Court 

The  following  address  was  delivered  at  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  on 
July  25,  1940,  as  a  feature  of  the  program  in  connection  with  a  state- 
wide celebration  of  the  Golden  Anniversary  of  Wyoming's  admission 
into  the   Union. — Ed. 

This  day  belongs  not  alone  to  Wyoming  but  to  the  entire 
nation.  The  results  of  the  event  it  commemorates  are  the 
heritage  not  only  of  the  people  of  this  commonwealth  and 
America,  but  also  of  those  who  live  beyond  the  seas.  On  this 
day  we  celebrate  not  only  the  birth  of  Wyoming  as  a  sovereign 
State,  but  also  the  birth  in  its  fundamental  charter  of  the 
legal  concept  that  citizens  of  a  State  should  enjoy  civil  and 
political  rights  regardless  of  sex.  The  now  present  colorful 
scenes  of  "Frontier  Days,"  likewise  commemorate  for  us, 
and  for  all  who  have  come  here  to  see  them,  that  romantic 
era  which  culminated  in  Wyoming's  Statehood — an  era  filled 
to  overflowing  with  the  lofty  courage,  with  the  stern  duties 

*BIOGEAPHICAL  SKETCH— The  Honorable  William  A.  Einer, 
Chief  Justice  of  the  Wyoming  Supreme  Court,  was  born  on  June  26, 
1878,  at  Greene,  Iowa.  He  received  his  bachelor  of  arts  degree 
from  the  University  of  Southern  California  in  1899,  and  his  law 
degree  from  the  University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor,  in  1902.  He  was 
admitted  to  practice  in  the  courts  of  Michigan  the  year  of  his  gradua- 
tion, and  later  the  same  year  he  moved  to  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  where 
his  career  has  been  marked  with  the  highest  degree  of  success.  At 
this  time  he  is  recognized  throughout  the  country  as  one  of  the 
outstanding  jurists. 

Judge  Einer 's  public  service  began  in  1908,  when  he  was  elected 
city  attorney  of  Cheyenne,  and  served  until  1911 ;  he  then  became 
Assistant  United  States  Attorney,  District  of  Wyoming,  and  served 
until  1912.  In  1922"  he  was  appointed  by  Governor  Eobert  D.  Carey  as 
judge  of  the  first  judicial  district  of  Wyoming,  then  including  Laramie, 
Niobrara,  Goshen  and  Platte  counties.  Subsequently,  he  was  elected  to 
the  same  office  for  the  term,  1922-1928.  In  1928,  he  as  appointed  an 
associate  justice  of  the  Wyoming  Supreme  Court  by  Governor  Frank  C. 
Emerson;  later  he  was  elected  to  the  same  office  for  the  term,  1928-1934, 
was  re-elected  for  the  term  1935-1942,  and  became  Chief  Justice  of  that 
court  on  January  2,  1939. 

Judge  Einer  is  a  thirty-third  degree  Mason  and  a  member  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  fraternity,  and 
of  the   Congregational  church.     In  politics  he  is  a  Eepublican. 

He  and  Miss  Fannie  Borst,  of  Denver,  Colorado,  were  married  in 
1907,  and  they  reside  at  114  West  Twenty-seventh  Street,  Cheyenne, 
Wyoming. 

Judge  Einer  is  a  nephew  of  Judge  John  A.  Einer,  a  delegate  from 
Laramie  County  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  at  Cheyenne,  Wyoming, 
in  1889,  and  United  States  District  Judge  for  the  District  of  Wyoming, 
from  1890  until  his  death  in  1923. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  303 

and  with  the  wise  foresight  of  the  pioneer  spirit  of  the  West. 
It  has  been  truly  said  that  "Men  make  a  nation"  and  "States 
are  not  great,  except  as  men  may  make  them  so." 

On  the  tenth  day  of  this  month,  fifty  years  ago,  President 
Harrison  approved  the  Act  of  Congress  which  admitted  Wyo- 
ming into  the  Union.  When  the  news  of  the  passage  of  the 
Act  of  Admission  reached  this  city,  the  successful  conclusion 
of  the  efforts  of  the  people  of  Wyoming  to  attain  statehood 
v/as  joyously  observed,  July  23,  1890.  Every  portion  of  the 
Territory  was  invited  to  join  in  the  demonstration.  Military, 
civic  and  musical  organizations  united  in  a  parade  to  start 
the  celebration.  One  of  its  features,  both  novel  and  instruc- 
tive, was  a  large  float,  beautifully  decorated ;  on  it  were  forty- 
two  young  women,  emblematical  of  the  forty-two  states  of  the 
Union.  Immediately  following  this  came  a  diminutive  carriage 
drawn  by  two  small  Shetland  ponies.  In  this  conveyance  rode 
three  little  girls — Grace  Cowhick,  impersonating  the  Goddess 
of  Liberty,  Frances  Warren,  representing  the  State  of  Wyo- 
ming, and  a  little  Miss  Elliott,  representing  the  State  of 
Idaho.  Both  states,  though  recognized  then  by  Congress,  had 
not  yet  attained  the  full  dignity  of  membership  in  the  Federal 
Union.  As  suggested  by  one  of  the  newspapers  of  that  day, 
the  tableau  seemed  to  say  for  the  little  folks  in  the  carriage 
to  those  on  the  large  float  in  front :  ' '  You  may  look  down  on 
us  now,  but  we'll  be  on  the  big  wagon  by  and  by."  The 
chief  address  for  the  occasion  was  delivered  by  the  Honorable 
Clarence  D.  Clark  of  Evanston,  who  subsequently  occupied 
a  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate,  for  many  years  representing 
Wyoming  there. 

On  the  30th  day  of  September,  1889,  the  members  of  the 
Constitutional  Convention  affixed  their  signatures  to  the  instru- 
ment they  had  framed.  Their  work  was  confirmed  and 
adopted  by  the  people  of  the  Territory  the  following  fifth 
day  of  November  by  a  five-sixths  vote  of  the  citizens.  The 
boundaries  of  the  commonwealth  thus  established,  though  not 
exceptionally  large,  embrace  an  area  as  great  as  the  six  states 
of  New  England  and  Indiana  combined.  Indiana  alone  is  about 
the  size  of  the  country  of  Portugal  and  is  larger  than  Ireland. 
The  name  "Wyoming"  was  borrowed  from  that  of  tlie  his- 
toric valley  in  western  Pennsylvania,  whose  sad  tragedy  the 
gifted  pen  of  the  Scottish  poet,  Thomas  Campbell,  related  to 
the  world.  The  name's  soft  sounding  syllables  had  their 
origin  in  a  Delaware  Indian  word  meaning  "plains  land" 
or  "great  plains."  While  appropriate  to  its  broad  expanse 
of  prairies,  green-hued  in  Spring  and  early  Summer,  tawny 
under  the  Fall  and  wintry  skies,  we  know  that  in  Wyoming's 


304  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

surface  of  365  miles  of  length  and  275  miles  of  width,  many 
far-flung  mountain  ranges  rise  in  majesty — some  like  the 
cloud-haunted  Tetons — -rivaling  in  beauty  and  grandeur  the 
proudest  peaks  of  the  Swiss  Alps.  Noble  river-threaded 
valleys,  fertile  as  the  soil  of  ancient  Eden,  lie  cradled  in  their 
supporting  flanks. 

The  spread  of  civilization  to  a  new  land  is  often  fraught 
with  deepest  human  interest.  As  a  milestone  in  the  progress 
of  humanity  to  possess  the  world  it  draws  to  the  forefront 
the  best  and  the  worst  in  human  character.  The  conquest  of 
difficulties  and  hardships  ever  present  in  such  circumstances 
automatically  produces  this  result.  It  is  natural  that  prose 
and  poetry  alike  should  each  do  their  best  to  preserve  the 
picture  for  posterity.  Let  me  tell  then,  but  briefly,  of  this 
region,  almost  the  last  of  the  West  to  be  penetrated  by  the 
westward  trend  of-  our  national  life.  It  is  a  history  worthy 
to  minister  to  the  imagination  and  idealism  of  the  best  talent 
our  nation  shall  ever  produce.  In  thrilling  and  picturesque 
phrase,  Wister's  "Virginian"  has  demonstrated  its  possi- 
bilities. But  the  end  is  not  yet.  The  great  treasure  still 
remains,  and  there  is  only  left  to  be  found  the  genius  whose 
ability  can  unlock  the  overflowing  storehouse. 

The  migrating  hordes  of  game  whose  trails  criss-crossed 
those  made  by  the  moccasined  feet  of  the  savage  first  beheld 
that  lonely  land  known  as  Wyoming.  Then  came  the  buck- 
skin clad  fur  trappers  and  traders  under  Colter,  Hunt,  Sub- 
lette and  Bridger  in  the  early  eighteen  hundreds,  the  real 
advance-g'uard  of  civilization.  After  them  came  missionaries 
and  the  adventurous  home-seekers  in  western  lands.  Their 
canvas-covered  wagons  creaked  and  tossed  along  the  deep 
ruts  of  the  Overland  and  Oregon  trails.  Generations  may  pass 
and  the  origin  of  these  trails  become  a  legend,  but  the  scars 
they  left  will  still  be  there  to  amaze  the  wondering  eyes  of 
decades  still  to  come.  Even  we  marvel  to  see  them  abraded  as 
they  were  by  the  tread  of  thousands  upon  thousands  of  men 
and  women,  the  hoofs  of  millions  of  animals  and  the  wheels  of 
untold  numbers  of  vehicles.  On  the  solid  rocks  ruts  can  be 
found  worn  a  foot  deep. 

During  the  first  quarter  of  the  last  century  very  little 
was  known  of  the  country  west  of  the  Missouri.  In  1843 
the  Edinburgh  Review  declared  that  the  region  between  the 
western  border  of  Missouri  and  the  Rocky  Mountains  was 
"incapable,  probably  forever  of  fixed  settlement,"  while  west 
of  that  range  "only  a  very  small  portion  of  the  land  is 
susceptible  of  cultivation."  Even  so  brilliant  a  mind  as  that 
of  Daniel  Webster  inquired  in  the  United  States  Senate  con- 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  305 

cerning  this  region :  ' '  What  do  we  want  with  the  vast  worth- 
less area,  this  region  of  savages  and  wild  beasts,  of  deserts, 
of  shifting  sands  and  whirlwinds  of  dust,  of  cactus  and 
prairie  dogs?"  He  vehemently  then  declared — "Mr.  Presi- 
dent, I  will  never  vote  one  cent  from  the  public  treasury  to 
place  the  Pacific  coast  one  inch  nearer  to  Boston  than  it  is 
now. ' '  But  these  erroneous  ideas  did  not  long  prevail.  Men 
of  all  classes  foresook  their  customary  vocations  and  joined 
the  hegira  to  the  new  western  lands,  forgetful  or  careless  of 
the  pathless  expanses,  the  unavoidable  hardships  and  the 
inevitable  perils  of  the  wilderness. 

We  look  and  we  behold  through  the  misty  curtains  let 
fall  by  time  as  through  the  lofty  archways  of  some  grand 
structure  the  long  procession  passes,  as  silent  and  like  as  a 
dream,  columns  of  blue-clad  troops,  saber  rattling  cavalry 
and  plodding  infantry  under  Miles,  Terry,  Custer  and  Crook ; 
huge  herds  of  half  wild  Texas  cattle,  cowpunchers,  horse 
wranglers  and  chuck  wagons ;  lurching  dust-covered  stage- 
coaches and  freighters  with  bull  teams  and  Conestoga  wagons. 

Again  we  look  and  again  we  see  dimly  limned  through 
those  same  magic  curtains  the  cowboys  of  picture  and  story 
as  they  rode  through  the  brilliant  days  of  the  old  cattle 
industry.  At  first  they  had  come  from  Texas,  but  in  the 
zenith  of  their  romantic  glory  they  came  from  everywhere 
and  from  every  class.  They  included  young  Englishmen  from 
Oxford  and  Cambridge,  college  graduates  from  the  East, — 
well  born  Americans ;  indeed,  all  sorts  who  did  not  ' '  strike 
luck"  at  anything  else  and  who  were  full  of  the  ardour  of 
youth  and  its  love  of  adventure.  They  were  satisfied  with 
forty  dollars  a  month  as  pay  and  good  keep  during  the 
greater  part  of  each  year.  They  rode  good  horses,  high- 
spirited  as  the  "boys"  themselves.  They  bought  hand  stamped 
Cheyenne  saddles  and  California  bits  that  were  ornate  as 
jewelry;  they  stuck  their  feet  in  grand  tapaderos  or  hooded 
stirrups  richly  ornamented  and  padded  with  lambs  wool. 
Their  spurs  were  fit  for  the  knights  of  old;  their  "ropes" 
or  lariats  were  selected  with  more  care  than  a  circus  tight- 
rope; and  their  big,  broad  felt  sombreros  cost  more  than  the 
Prince  of  Wales  ever  paid  for  a  "topper." 

Parting  the  curtains  once  more  for  another  backward 
glance  through  the  enshrouding  haze  of  time,  we  see  the  tragic 
close  of  the  "good,  old  days,"  the  conclusion  of  the  primitive, 
unwieldy  and  devil-may-care  cattle  business  of  the  wide  open 
ranges.  Prices  fell,  fences  began  to  cut  up  the  broad  reaches 
of  the  prairie  grasses ;  water  was  no  longer  available  every- 
where, winter  losses  became  heavier  and  heavier.     The  sheep 


306  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

industry  came  and  came  to  stay,  despite  the  fierce  opposition 
it  had  at  first  to  meet.  The  last  free-roving  herds  vanished. 
In  their  stead  were  substituted  small  bunches  of  cattle,  fre- 
quently held  in  connection  with  agriculture.  Their  owners 
found  that  thus  better  grades  of  stock  could  be  bred,  better 
meat  produced,  risks  reduced  to  a  minimum  and  the  expense 
of  handling  the  animals  cut  to  a  tithe  of  that  required  under 
the  wasteful  plan  in  vogue  before. 

Wyoming  had  progressed  under  Territorial  government 
for  some  twenty  years  when  the  steps  were  taken  leading  to 
her  recognition  in  the  sisterhood  of  States.  Mention  of  some 
of  these  steps  has  already  been  made.  The  delegates  to  the 
Constitutional  Convention,  fifty-five  in  number,  chosen  in 
July,  1889,  met  in  Cheyenne  on  the  second  day  of  September 
of  that  year.  Forty-five  of  these  affixed  their  signatures  to 
the  completed  instrument,  remarkable  not  only  for  its  declara- 
tion of  equality  of  the  sexes  in  political  rights,  but  also  for 
its  clarity  and  wise  provisions  for  the  guidance  of  the  new 
government  for  the  days  that  were  to  come.  Comparatively 
few  amendments  to  the  original  framework  have  in  conse- 
quence been  required  to  meet  the  ever-shifting  demands  of 
fifty  years  of  statehood. 

It  is  not  surprising  that  this  result  was  wrought.  In  that 
convention  sat  many  men  who  subsequently  held  high  office 
in  the  proposed  new  state.  They  were  able,  they  were  prac- 
tical, they  had  been  trained  and  schooled  by  the  difficulties 
and  problems  necessarily  arising  in  a  new  land  and  they  were 
endowed  with  far-sighted  vision  for  the  future.  Many  were 
descendants  of  men  who  long  ago  had  left  the  quiet  lanes  and 
hedgerows  of  old  England  for  homes  beyond  the  sea ;  who 
had  played  their  part  in  severing  the  ties  that  bound  the 
colonies  to  the  out-worn  ideas  and  fettering  political  notions 
of  the  old  world ;  descendants  of  those  Avho  had  brought 
order  out  of  the  chaos  immediately  following  the  Revolution. 
Some  had  gloriously  upheld  the  hands  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
in  maintaining  the  integrity  of  the  Union  in  the  then  compara- 
tively recent  strife  between  the  states. 

Let  me  recall  for  you  briefly  just  a  few  of  the  significant 
and  outstanding  concepts,  other  than  that  regarding  the  suf- 
frage which  they  wrought  into  that  remarkable  instrument 
fashioned  in  the  month  of  September  so  long  ago.  Our  state's 
constitution  forbids  imprisonment  for  debt  except  in  cases  of 
fraud ;  it  guarantees  liberty  of  conscience,  but  forbids  such 
liberty  to  "be  so  construed  as  to  excuse  acts  of  licentiousness 
01  justify  practices  inconsistent  with  the  peace  or  safety  of  the 
State."     It  forbids   either  the   appropriation   or   the   gift   of 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  307 

state  money  "to  any  denominational  or  sectarian  institution 
or  association."  That  strange  legal  maxim  "the  greater  the 
truth,  the  greater  the  libel"  is  discarded  by  the  constitutional 
language — "Every  person  may  freely  speak,  write  or  publish 
on  all  subjects,  being  responsible  for  the  abuse  of  that  right ; 
and  in  all  trials  for  libel  both  civil  and  criminal,  the  truth 
when  published  with  good  intent  and  for  justifiable  ends 
shall  be  a  sufficient  defense,  the  jury  having  the  rights  to 
determine  the  facts  and  the  law  under  direction  of  the  court." 

Truly  modern  is  this  clause — "The  rights  of  labor  shall 
have  just  protection  through  laws  calculated  to  secure  to  the 
laborer  proper  rewards  for  his  service  and  to  promote  the 
industrial  welfare  of  the  state."  So  also  is  the  language, — 
"Perpetuities  and  monopolies  are  contrary  to  the  genius  of  a 
free  state  and  shall  not  be  allowed.  Corporations  being  crea- 
tures of  the  state  endowed  for  the  public  good  with  a  portion 
of  its  sovereign  powers  must  be  subject  to  its  control."  "The 
water  of  all  natural  streams,  springs,  lakes  or  other  collections 
of  still  water  within  the  boundaries  of  the  state"  is  declared 
to  be  state  property,  under  state  control,  to  equally  guard 
all  the  various  interests  involved  and  under  the  great  and 
vital  principle  "Priority  of  appropriation  for  beneficial  use 
shall  give  the  better  right.  No  appropriation  shall  be  denied 
except  when  such  denial  is  demanded  by  the  public  interest." 

Wyoming's  Constitution  forbids,  too,  "sectarian  instruc- 
tion, qualification  or  tests"  to  be  "imposed,  exacted,  applied 
or  in  any  manner  tolerated  in  the  schools  of  any  grade  or 
cliaracter  controlled  by  the  state."  It  insists  also  that  "as 
the  health  and  morality  of  the  people  are  essential  to  their 
well  being  and  to  the  peace  and  permanence  of  the  state,  it 
shall  be  the  duty  of  the  legislature  to  protect  and  promote 
these  vital  interests  by  such  measures  for  the  encouragement 
of  temperance  and  virtue  and  such  restrictions  upon  vice  and 
immorality  of  every  sort  as  are  deemed  necessary  for  the 
public  welfare."  In  these  anxious  days  of  strife  between 
opinions  and  doctrines  of  every  sort,  when  at  times  it  seems 
as  if  the  foundations  of  what  is  good  and  true,  what  is  upright 
and  just  are  about  to  be  uprooted,  let  us  never  forget  tlie 
solemn  declaration  proclaimed  by  Wyoming's  fundamental 
charter  that — -"Absolute,  arbitrary  power  over  the  lives, 
liberty  and  property  of  freemen  exists  nowhere  i)i  a  repulilic, 
not  even  in  the  largest  majority." 

Looking  into  the  past  through  the  lapse  of  decades,  may 
we  not  say  regarding  the  finished  product  of  the  Constitu- 
tional Convention  as  did  Benjamin  Franklin,  when  he  urged 
the   signing   of   that    other   instrument   designed   for   a    more 


308  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

majestic  purpose,  the  Federal  Constitution:  "I  agree  to  this 
Constitution  with  all  of  its  faults — if  they  are  such — because 
I  think  a  general  government  necessary  for  us  and  there  is 
no  form  of  government  but  what  may  be  a  blessing  to  the 
people  if  well  administered ;  and  I  believe,  further,  that  this 
is  likely  to  be  well  administered  for  a  course  of  years  and 
can  only  end  in  despotism,  as  other  forms  have  done  before  it 
when  the  people  shall  be  so  corrupted  as  to  need  despotic 
government,  being  incapable  of  any  other;  *  *  *  j^  as- 
tonishes me,  sir,  to  find  this  system  approaching  as  near  to 
perfection  as  it  does." 

This  day  will  soon  end.  All  that  constitutes  this  cele- 
bration will  soon  cease  to  be  seen  or  heard.  Not  until  another 
fifty  years  shall  have  elapsed  can  these  ceremonies  again  be 
performed.  But  of  one  indubitable  and  changeless  fact  we 
may  feel  assured,  and  it  is  that  when  in  that  distant,  future 
day,  others  shall  gather  to  again  commemorate  the  hundredth 
anniversary  of  our  State,  in  contemplating  the  record  that 
Time  shall  have  then  unrolled  they  will  find  high  incentive 
to  glory  in  and  emulate  that  record. 

For,  in  paraphrase  of  what  another  has  so  beautifully 
said,  may  we  not  think  that  every  human  action  gains  in 
honor,  in  grace,  in  all  true  magnificence  by  its  regard  to 
things  that  are  to  come.  It  is  the  far  sight,  the  quick  and 
confident  patience,  that,  above  all  other  attributes,  separate 
man  from  man,  and  near  him  to  his  Maker ;  and  there  is  no 
action,  nor  art,  nor  deed  whose  majesty  we  may  not  measure 
by  this  test.  Therefore,  as  we  the  people  of  Wyoming  admin- 
ister the  government  those  who  have  gone  before  have  be- 
cjueathed  to  us,  let  us  never,  never  forget  that  we  do  this  for 
the  future.  Let  it  not  be  for  present  delight,  nor  for  present 
use  alone ;  let  it  be  such  work  as  our  descendants  will  thank 
us  for.  Let  us  conceive  as  we  use  this  government  with  lofty 
purpose  and  with  ever  higher  objectives,  the  time  will  surely 
come  when  what  has  thus  been  done  will  be  held  honored 
because  our  hands  have  touched  the  work. 

Let  us  believe  that  men  will  then  say,  as  they  look  upon 
the  fruition  of  our  labors  and  the  wrought  substance  of  them, 
as  we  do  now  for  those  who  have  passed  beyond  the  glorious 
sunset  glow  of  the  golden  West — ' '  See !  this  our  fathers  did 
for  us." 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  309 


THAT'S  WYOMING! 

Words  and  Music  by 
Jack  Bryant 

Golden  Anniversary  Theme  Song 

There  's  a  state  we  all  hold  dear, 
And  we  love  her,  never  fear, 
Where  the  skies  are  bright  and  clear. 

That's  Wyoming! 
With  her  cattle  ranges  wide, 

And  her  mountains  side  by  side, 
Where  good  fellowship  abides. 

That's  Wyoming! 
Though  you  wander  o  'er  the  earth. 

Far  from  home  or  place  of  birth. 
You're  still  taken  at  your  worth. 

In  Wyoming! 
In   her  friendly  atmosphere. 

There's  contentment  and  good  cheer; 
You  are  always  welcome  here, 
In  Wyoming! 

CHOEUS 
Then  we  '11  stand  and  sing  the  praise 

Of  this  land  where  wild  life  plays, 
Where  the  saddle  horse  and  dogie 

Still  range  free. 
'Neath  her  mellow  western  skies. 

There's  no  pretense  or  disguise; 
Every  man  is  his  own  size 
In  Wyoming! 

Copyright   1940,  Wyoming  Department  of  Commerce  and  Industry 
Scored  by  E.  C.  Ekdall 


310  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

STATE-WIDE  CELEBRATION  OF  GOLDEN 

ANNIVERSARY  IS  COLORFUL 

EVENT  IN  CHEYENNE 

In  a  manner  most  befitting  the  dignity  of  such  an  occa- 
sion, Cheyenne  assumed  the  position  of  a  royal  hostess  on 
July  25,  1940,  when  thousands  of  visitors  from  throughout 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  State  were  welcomed  in  cele- 
bration of  Wyoming's  Golden  Anniversary  of  Statehood. 

Before  a  great  assemblage  of  spectators  who  gathered  to 
pay  tribute  to  the  pioneers  of  those  early  days,  an  impressive 
and  appropriate  program  was  given  at  ten  o'clock  from  a 
speaker's  platform  located  at  the  southern  entrance  of  the 
Capitol,  and  on  the  site  where  a  similar  event  took  place 
fifty  years  previously  in  celebration  of  the  news  that  Wyoming 
was  to  be  the  forty-fourth  star  in  the  field  of  blue  of  the 
American  flag. 

An  hour  preceding  the  program,  these  same  throngs  had 
watched  a  colorful  and  spectacular  pageant-parade,  called  the 
"Parade  of  the  Governors,"  wind  its  mile-and-a-half  length 
along  the  tree-bordered  streets  of  the  "Magic  City  of  the 
Plains,"  while  gleaming  in  the  July  sun,  the  golden  dome  of 
the  Capitol  towered  above  the  scene. 

The  pageant  was  a  vivid  portrayal  of  Wyoming's  roman- 
tic past,  and  its  success  was  credited  largely  to  Mr.  Arthur 
Black,  of  Cheyenne,  who  had  charge  of  this  important  cele- 
bration feature. 

Immediately  after  the  parade,  the  following  speaking  and 
musical  program  was  given,  at  which  former  Wyoming  Gov- 
ernors and  those  pioneers  who  could  claim  fifty  years  con- 
tinuous residence  in  the  State,  were  honored  guests : 

Mrs.  Gladys  F.  Riley,  State  Librarian  and  Historian,  in 
charge  of  program  arrangements,  introduced  the  presiding 
chairman,  Mr.  C.  D.  Williamson,  of  Hanna,  Wyoming,  as 
follows : 

"It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  introduce  to  you  the  pre- 
siding chairman,  a  former  State  Legislator  from  Carbon 
County  and  a  man  who  has,  for  many  years,  been  closely  con- 
nected with  the  history  of  our  State  by  taking  an  active  part 
in  the  development  of  its  banking  and  various  industrial 
activities. 

"He  has  given  freely  of  his  time  and  energy  in  furthering 
the  interests  of  Wyoming,  and  the  committee  appreciates  his 
accepting  its  invitation  to  assist  in  this  Golden  Anniversary 
observance." 

Mr.  Williamson,  in  his  brief  introductory  remarks,  said, 
in  part: 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  311 

"We  have  gathered  here  to  rejoice  at  the  completion  of 
fifty  years  of  sovereign  membership  in  that  great  unity  of 
states,  which,  as  a  nation — if  we  use  our  heritage  wisely — 
will  stem  and  reverse  the  tide  of  encroachment  on  individual 
freedom  and  the  democratic  way  of  life  which  is  at  present 
so  rampant. 

"In  the  life  of  nations,  fifty  years  seems  but  a  brief 
interval,  but  when  one  surveys  the  changes  brought  about 
in  that  space  of  time  in  this  New  World  of  ours  and  notes 
the  advancement  in  industry,  science,  the  arts,  the  develop- 
ment of  natural  resources,  the  progress  in  social  relationships, 
we  cannot  fail  to  be  impressed  with  our  obligation  to  dili- 
gently apply  ourselves  to  building  well  that  portion  of  the 
superstructure  of  corporate  life  alloted  to  our  generation, 
whose  foundations  have  been  so  wisely  laid  by  those  who  have 
gone  before  us. 

"As  we  assemble  here  today  to  celebrate  our  State's 
Golden  Anniversary,  we  are  happy  to  acknowledge  and  pay 
tribute  to  those  who  in  years  past  have  done  so  much  to  make 
that  progress  possible.  We  have  in  mind  those  courageous, 
hardy  pioneers  who  first  established  trails  through,  and  homes 
in,  what  Ave  now  know  as  Wyoming.  We  think  of  those  who 
gave  their  lives  to  maintain  the  outposts  of  our  people 
against  a  hostile  and  savage  race.  We  think  of  the  pony 
exjDress  riders  and  the  railroad  builders ;  of  those  who  first 
recognized  the  value  of  the  wild  meadows  and  mountain 
ranges  for  the  production  of  livestock — soon  to  become  so 
necessary  to  a  fast-growing  nation.  We  think  of  those  who 
sought  out  and  began  the  development  of  our  vast  resources 
of  coal  and  other  minerals.  And  we  think  of  those  men  and 
women  who  gave  unstinting  service  to  the  upbuilding  of  an 
orderly  government  in  this  vast  area.  To  all  of  these  we  are 
humbly  grateful  and  to  them  we  accord  appreciative  recog- 
nition, and  we  honor  their  memory." 

Flag'-raising'  Is  Impressive  Moment 

One  of  the  impressive  moments  of  the  program  occurred 
when  a  fifteen-foot  American  flag  was  raised  on  a  newly 
installed  pole  a  few  feet  west  of  the  speakers'  stand.  The 
flag  slowly  arose  and  unfurled  in  the  breeze  while  the  National 
Guard  Band  played  the  inspiring  strains  of  "The  Star- 
Spangled  Banner,"  after  which  ]\liss  Prances  INIaraldo  sang, 
"God  Bless  America."     The  "Banner"  was  the  same  which 


312  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

had  unfurled  from  the  top  of  the  Capitol  at  the  Statehood 
celebration  fifty  years  previously.* 

Governor  Smith  Greets  Former  Governors  and  Pioneers 

The  present  Governor,  the  Honorable  Nels  H.  Smith, 
introduced  former  Governors,  the  Honorable  Bryant  B.  Brooks, 
and  Mrs.  Brooks,  of  Casper,  Wyoming;  the  Honorable  Leslie 
A.  Miller,  and  Mrs.  Miller,  of  Cheyenne ;  the  Honorable  Feni- 
more  Chatterton,  Arvada,  Colorado;  and  the  Honorable  Alonzo 
M.  Clark,  of  Cheyenne. 

Governor  Smith  extended  cordial  greetings  and  expressed 
regret  at  the  absence  of  four  other  former  Governors  who 
are  still  living,  but  were  unable  to  be  present,  namely:  Honor- 
able John  E.  Osborne,  Honorable  Frank  L.  Houx,  Honorable 
Frank  E.  Lucas  and  Mrs.  Nellie  Tayloe  Ross. 

Li  his  greeting,  Governor  Smith  addressed  the  audience 
as  follows : 

"I  am  grateful,  indeed,  that  it  is  my  happy  privilege  as 
Governor,  to  extend  to  you  the  official  welcome  and  greetings 
of  the  Government  of  the  State  of  Wyoming  on  this  occasion, 
commemorating  the  Fiftieth  anniversary  of  Wyoming's  state- 
hood. To  you  who  have  come  here  from  outside  points,  far 
and  near — we  hope  your  visit  with  us  will  be  so  pleasant  and 
interesting  that  you  will  come  again — and  often.  To  all,  we 
hope  that  this  occasion  will  be  of  such  inspiration  that  we 
may  all  cooperate,  more  actively  than  ever  before,  to  the 
continued  upbuilding,  development  and  progress  of  this  great 
State  and  Nation. 

"It  is,  indeed,  gratifying  to  have  with  us  today  so  many 
old-timers — men  and  women  who  have  endured  the  hardships 
of  pioneer  times  and  have  had  such  an  active  part  in  making 
life  here  easier  for  those  who  follow.  I  wish  it  were  possible 
to  have  each  and  every  one  of  you  come  up  to  the  platform 
and  be  introduced,  so  that  we  might  all  know  you  better,  but 
time  forbids.  No  less  happy  are  we  to  welcome  you  of  the 
younger  generation,  for  it  is  upon  you  and  your  efiforts  that 
the  present  and  future  welfare  of  our  great  State  depends. 
God  grant  that  the  combined  efforts  of  all,  young  as  well  as 
old,  may  permit  us  to  look  forward  confidently  to  the  con- 
tinuation of  peace,  happiness  and  progress  in  that  democratic 


*0n  display  in  the  speakers'  stand  was  another  historic  American 
flag — a  silk  one  which  had  been  presented  to  the  State  by  the  women 
of  Wyoming  at  the  Statehood  celebration  of  1890.  Both  banners  are 
the  property  of  the  Wyoming  Historical  Department. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  313 

way  of  life  which  is  being  destroyed  in  other  parts  of  the 
world. 

"We  are  fortunate,  again,  to  have  with  us  today  several 
former  Governors  of  the  State  of  Wyoming.  We  are  happy 
they  have  found  it  possible  to  take  part  with  us  in  this  cele- 
bration. Each,  in  his  own  time  and  way,  has  served  our 
people  ably,  constructively  and  effectively.  We  are  proud 
to  honor  them  on  this  occasion.     .     .     ." 

Several  introductions  were  made  by  ISlr.  AVilliamson, 
including  Mrs.  Nels  H.  Smith,  the  present  "First  Lady,"  and 
Mrs.  Jean  Emerson  Grothe,  formerly  Mrs.  Frank  C.  Emerson, 
who  before  her  subsequent  marriage  to  Mr.  Grothe,  was  the 
widow  of  Governor  Emerson.  He  died  in  office  on  Februarv 
18,  1931. 

Greeting's  Brought  by  Convention  Stenographer 

Interest  then  centered  on  Miss  Louise  S.  Smith,  of  Chey- 
enne, when  she  brought  a  message  and  greeting  as  a  lone 
representative  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  held  at  Chey- 
enne in  September,  1889. 

"Little  did  I  think  when  a  young  stenographer  reporting 
the  proceedings  of  the  Wyoming  Constitutional  Convention, 
that  of  all  of  those  who  had  a  part  in  that  Convention,  T 
alone  would  be  here  today  to  celebrate  with  you,  'Wyoming's 
Golden  Anniversary',''  said  Miss  Smith. 

"My  joy  in  being  at  this  birthday  party  is  mingled  with 
sorrow  and  regret  when  I  remember  that  all  but  two  of  the 
fine  and  forthright  men  who  framed  our  Constitution,  have 
passed  away.    Their  ride  on  the  range  is  over.     .     .     . 

"The  years  pass  swiftly  by.  Many  of  you  who  are  here 
today  will  be  present  when  there  will  be  one  hundred  candles 
on  Wyoming's  birthday  cake.  God  grant  she  may  then,  as 
now,  be  part  of  a  free  America, 

'  The  land  of  youth  and  freedom 

beyond  the  ocean  bars ; 
Where  the  air  is  full  of  sunlight, 
and  the  flag  is  full  of  stars '. ' ' 

The  two  living  delegates  of  the  Convention  mentioned  by 
Miss  Smith,  and  from  whom  she  read  messages  to  the  audience, 
were:  Mr.  Henry  S.  Elliott,  of  Seattle,  Washington,  and  Mr. 
William  E.  Chaplin,  of  Van  Nuys,  California. 

Pennsylvania  Sends  Greetings — Scroll  and  Gift 
An  incident  befitting  the  program  was  the  presentation 
of  a  scroll  and  a  44-star  American  flag  from  Wyoming  Valley, 
Pennsylvania,  though  Mr.  Marshall  S.  Reynolds,  of  Cheyenne, 


314  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Wyoming,  a  native  son  of  the  former  State,  Avho  made  the 
following  remarks : 

"At  this  our  observance  of  the  Golden  Jubilee  of  the 
admission  of  the  State  of  Wyoming  to  the  Union  July  10, 
1890,  we  find  it  of  particular  interest  to  the  people  of  the 
State  of  Pennsylvania,  and  especially  of  Wyoming  Valley,  as 
evidenced  by  the  beautiful  scroll  on  parchment  presented  by 
the  Wyoming  Valley  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Wilkes-Barre, 
Pennsylvania  in  the  name  of  the  people  of  Wyoming  Valley. 

"Wyoming  was  organized  as  a  Territory  July  25,  1868, 
from  what  was  a  portion  of  Dakota,  Utah  and.  Idaho,  and  it 
was  then  that  the  name  was  selected.  A  large  number  of 
Pennsylvania  pioneers  were  in  the  state,  and,  while  it  is 
•unknown  who  first  suggested  the  name,  it  is  fairly  well 
established  that  it  was  given  to  the  state  at  that  time. 

"The  name  'Wyoming'  is  a  corruption  of  the  word 
'Waugh-Wau-Wa-Me"  of  the  Delaware  Indians,  and,  while 
to  many  of  us  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  the  meaning  of 
the  word  was  "Mountains  and  Valleys  Alternating,"  it  has 
been  frequently  explained  that  the  meaning  of  the  word  is 
'Upon  the   Great  Plain.' 

"Under  date  of  July  23,  1890,  Mr.  Wesley  Johnson, 
Secretary  of  the  Wyoming  Commemorative  Association,  wrote 
to  the  Hon.  Francis  Warren,  Governor  of  Wyoming  at  the 
time  of  its  admission,  'As  the  new  Wyoming  has  now  ad- 
vanced to  the  dignity  of  statehood,  I  have  taken  the  liberty, 
as  Secretary  of  the  Wyoming  Commemorative  Association,  of 
forwarding  to  you,  the  Governor  of  the  44th  Commonwealth, 
a  copy  of  our  Memorial  Volume  containing  a  correct  report 
of  the  100th  year  commemorative  observance  of  the  battle 
and  massacre  of  Wyoming  July  3,  1778-1878. 

"  'Old  Wyoming  feels  justly  proud  of  the  honor  of  having 
given  her  name  to  a  member  of  the  great  sisterhood  of  states. 
May  the  child  namesake  emulate  the  example  of  the  mother, 
Wyoming,  of  bloody  memory,  and  in  all  things  show  it  is 
worthy  of  bearing  the  name  of  the  beautiful  and  classic  valley 
here  in  Pennsylvania,  so  rich  in  patriotic  memories  and 
immortalized  by  the  poetry  of  Campbell,  as  portrayed  in  the 
life  of  his  ideal  Gertrude,  endeared  to  our  people  of  the  Brd 
of  July  massacre,  and  the  sad  story  of  Frances  Slocum  and 
her  life  long  captivity  among  the  savages  and  withal,  bearing 
within  its  ample  bosom,  untold  wealth  of  anthracite  not 
second  in  importance  to  the  commerce  of  the  world  to  the 
rich  gold  fields  of  the  Black  Hills  and  your  own  Rocky 
Mountain  State.' 

"To  which.  Governor  Warren  replied  in  part,  'The  44th, 
and   the   youngest   state   in   the   Union,   sends   you   greetings. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  315 

and  confident  assurance  that  the  child  and  namesake  will 
ever  emulate  the  virtues  and  patriotism  of  the  mother — the 
Wyoming  of  that  historic  Valley  of  bloody  memory. ' 

"At  the  request  of  Hon.  Edward  J.  Quinn,  President, 
Hon.  William  N.  Reynolds,  Jr.,  Vice-President,  J.  Arthur 
Bolender,  Secretary  of  the  Wyoming  Valley  Chamber  of 
Commerce  of  Wilkes-Barre,  Pennsylvania,  I  have  the  honor 
of  presenting  to  you  this  scroll  and  flag  commemorative  of 
those  sturdy  pioneers  of  the  AVyoming  Valley  from  which  the 
Wj^oming  Territory  received  its  name.  The  people  of  that 
Valley  are  justly  proud  in  having  contributed  AVyoming  to 
the  State  and  the  United  States  and  for  the  additional  fact 
that  Wyoming  Statehood  has  kept  the  faith. 

"It  is  with  pleasure  that  I  say,  that  as  early  as  1635,  my 
ancestors  settled  in  and  near  what  is  now  known  as  the  Wyo- 
ming Valley  in  Pennsylvania  and  have  continued  to  reside 
there  through  these  many  years  and  that  the  people  of  that 
locality  where  I  was  born,  educated  and  first  practiced  law, 
with  my  Uncle  William  N.  Reynolds  and  William  N.  Reynolds, 
Jr.,  were  so  thoughtful  as  to  request  me  to  become  the  agent 
in  presenting  this  beautiful  scroll  and  flag  to  this  State  with 
their  good  wishes  that  in  the  next  50  years  there  will  come 
a  deepening,  widening  and  strengthening  of  the  foundations 
laid  so  splendidly  by  those  hardy  pioneers  who  left  one  Wj'o- 
ming  wrested  from  the  eastern  wilderness,  to  make  a  greater 
one  amoijig  the  western  mountains." 

To  which  Governor  Nels  H.  Smith  replied  in  part:  "The 
history  of  the  Empire  Builders  tells  us  of  the  hardy  pioneers 
who  left  the  great  Wyoming  Valley  to  establish  a  greater 
Wyoming  in  the  Rocky  JMountains.  This  State  since  its  ad- 
mission has  made  tremendous  strides  forward  in  the  past 
sixty  years,  and  we  believe  that  its  future  is  assured  for  even 
a  greater  place  among  the  several  states  of  the  Union.  The 
people  of  our  great  Commonwealth  are  deeply  appreciative 
of  the  continued  good  will  of  those  loyal  citizens  in  the  com- 
munity from  which  we  obtained  the  name  Wyoming,  and 
especially  so  to  the  Wilkes-Barre  Wyoming  Valley  Chamber 
of  Commerce. 

"It  is  especially  gratifying  that  you  should  be  requested 
to  present  this  beautiful  scroll  and  flag  since  your  ancestors 
lived  in  Wyoming  Valley  in  Colonial  times  and  up  to  1842 
when  Wyoming  County  was  set  aside  as  a  separate  county 
and  carved  out  of  Luzerne  County. 

"I  accept  this  scroll  and  flag  of  forty-four  stars  in  the 
name  of  the  People  of  the  State  of  Wyoming. 


316  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

"Please  convey  in  behalf  of  our  people  my  every  good 
wish  to  President  Edward  J.  Quinn,  William  N.  Reynolds,  Jr., 
Vice-President,  J.  Arthur  Bolender,  Secretary,  and  all  mem- 
bers of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  invite  them  to  visit 
our  state  at  their  convenience." 

Chief  Justice  Riner  Delivers  Scholarly  Oration 

A  highlight  of  the  occasion  was  the  Golden  Anniversary 
address  by  the  Honorable  William  A.  Riner,  Chief  Justice  of 
the  Wyoming  Supreme  Court,  Cheyenne,  whose  scholarly  ora- 
tion appears  elsewhere  in  this  issue  of  the  ANNALS. 

Several  musical  numbers  were  interspersed  throughout 
the  program,  including  the  Golden  Anniversary  theme  song. 
"That's  Wyoming,"  written  by  Mr.  Jack  Bryant  and  sung 
by  Mr.  Norman  Stark.  There  were  two  numbers  by  the 
Philomelians,  Cheyenne  men's  chorus,  wdth  piano  accompani- 
ment by  Mrs.  Eva  Viox',  whose  "Anvil  Chorus"  from  II  Trova- 
tore,  by  Verdi,  was  also  a  reminder  of  the  first  celebration 
fifty  years  ago,  when  the  same  selection  was  sung  to  anvil 
accompaniment. 

Bishop  Patrick  A.  McGovern,  of  Cheyenne,  gave  the  invo- 
cation and  the  Rev.  Walter  Dodds,  of  Laramie,  AVyoming, 
pronounced   the  benediction. 

Activities  for  the  day  were  sponsored  jointly  by  the  Wyo- 
ming Golden  Anniversary  Committee,  the  Laramie  County 
Committee,  Frontier  Days  Committee  and  the  Cheyenne  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce. 

Members  of  the  Wyoming  Golden  Anniversary  committee 
were  Governor  Nels  H.  Smith,  Mr.  George  0.  Houser,  Secre- 
tary of  the  Department  of  Commerce  and  Industry;  Miss 
Esther  Anderson,  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction ;  Mrs. 
Gladys  F.  Riley,  State  Librarian  and  Historian;  and  Mr.  John 
Charles  Thompson,   of  the  Historical  Landmark   Commission. 

Members  of  the  Laramie  County  Golden  Anniversary 
Committee  were  Mr.  Frank  Clark  and  Mrs.  Katharine  A. 
Morton. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


317 


MARY  G.  BELLAMY 

Wyoming's  First  Woman  Legislator 
By  Eva  Floy  Wheeler* 


In  1910,  forty-one  years  after  Wyoming  women  had  been 
granted  the  rights  of  equal  suffrage,  Mrs.  Mary  G.  Bellamy 
received  the  honor  of  being  elected  the  first  woman  in  Wyo- 
ming to  sit  as  a  duly  elected  and  qualified  member  of  the 
State  Legislature.  The  Wyoming  Tribune  of  Cheyenne,  Janu- 
ary 10,  1911,  states,  "The  committee  on  credentials  is  as 
follows:  Mary  G.  Bellamy  of  Albany,"  and  lists  twelve  other 
members.  In  the  column,  "Legislative  Notes"  of  the  follow- 
ing day  appears  this  paragraph : 

"Mrs.  Mary  Bellamy,  the  only  woman  representative  who 


*BIOGEAPHICAL  SKETCH 

Eva  Floy  Wheeler  was  born  near  Cestos,  Oklahoma.  May  12.  1900, 
and  taught  school  in  Kansas  prior  to  moving  to  Colorado  vrith  her  family 
in  1919.  She  holds  a  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science  from  the  Colorado 
Agricultural  College  at  Fort  Collins,  and  a  degree  of  Master  of  Arts 
from  the  University  of  Wyoming.  At  Fort  Collins,  in  June,  1922,  she 
was  chosen  the  first  Homo  Demonstration  agent  and  Girls'  Club  leader 
for  Larimer  County,  and  was  serving  as  Colorado  State  Nutrition  Special- 
ist  at  the   time   of  her  marriage   in   1925   to   Sherman   S.   Wheeler,   now 


318  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

ever  sat  in  a  Wyoming  legislative  body,  was  paid  a  nice  com- 
pliment by  being  elected  as  chairman  of  the  committee  on 
credentials.  Mrs.  Bellamy  comes  from  a  family  of  fighting 
Democrats,  and  possesses  a  very  independent  spirit,  which 
has  distinguished  her  many  times  in  her  life." 

On  January  11,  when  the  House  convened,  slips  of  paper 
containing  the  name  of  each  county,  were  put  into  a  hat  to 
be  drawn  for  the  choice  of  seats.  The  Wyoming  Tribune 
remarks,  "The  House  is  very  gallant  and  assigned  the  honor 
of  drawing  the  slips  to  Mary  G.  Bellamy."  Mrs.  Bellamy  was 
chosen  for  several  committees,  but  she  elected  only  two 
according  to  the  Wyoming  Tribune  of  January  12,  "The 
Public  Buildings  and  Institutions  Committee  and  The  Educa- 
tion and  Public  Libraries  Committee. ' ' 

Mrs.  Bellamy's  interest  in  women  and  children  had  led 
her  into  an  intensive  study  of  the  laws  for  their  welfare. 
Since  the  constitution  of  Wyoming  in  1890  was  based  on  the 
laws  of  California  which  had  the  Community  Property 
Law  and  on  other  laws  which  were  adopted  from  states  based 
on  the  Common  Law  of  England,  the  women  of  Wyoming 
were  governed  by  conflicting  laws.  They  had  neither  the 
dower  right  nor  the  partnership  law  so  could  exercise  almost 
no  property  claims.  Mrs.  Bellamy  introduced,  in  her  own 
name,  a  bill  which  would  permit  a  judge  to  appoint  a  married 
Avoman  as  an  administrator  of  an  estate.  She  Avas  instru- 
mental, through  the  cooperation  of  other  legislators  from  her 
county  and  her  colleagues  in  the  legislature,  in  securing  the 
introduction  and  passage  of  several  bills  Avhich  improved  the 
situation  of  Avomen  and  children  and  protected  their  rights. 

The  food  laAVS  of  Wyoming  Avere  so  lax  that  goods  of 
inferior  quality  Avere  being  dumped  onto  the  merchants  of 
Wyoming.  Mrs.  Bellamy  Avas  successful  in  promoting  laAVs 
AAdiich  helped  to  correct  this  condition.  Under  her  leadership, 
a  measure  was  passed  to  transfer  women  prisoners  from  the 
Wyoming  State  Penitentiary  to  other  states  haAdng  separate 
quarters  for  Avomen  prisoners,  and  for  an  institution  for 
boys    convicted    of    crime,    the    Boys'   Industrial    School   near 


Associate  Professor  of  Animal  Production  at  the  University  of  Wyo- 
ming, Laramie. 

Mrs.  Wheeler  was  a  member  of  Phi  Zeta  Chi  (social  sorority),  and 
is  a  member  of  Alphi  Phi  Epsilon,  (national  literary),  Pi  Kappa  Delta, 
(national  debating),  Omicron  Nu,  (national  home  economics  honor  so- 
ciety) and  is  a  pledge  to  Epsilom  Sigma  Omicron  Sorority.  She  is  a 
member  of  the  Laramie  branch  of  the  American  Association  of  Uni- 
versity Women,  the  Federated  Women's  clubs,  the  Agricultural  Experi- 
ment Station  Women's  club,  the  Phi  Delta  Wives  and  Mothers  club, 
and  the  Women's  Faculty  club  of  the  University  of  Wyoming. 

Professor  and  Mrs.  Wheeler  have  a  daughter  and  three  sons. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  319 

Worland.  Indicative  of  the  success  of  the  bill  for  funds  for 
the  University  of  Wyoming  which  was  piloted  safely  through 
the  legislature  by  Mrs.  Bellamy's  efforts  are  the  Agricultural 
Plall  and  the  home  of  the  President  of  the  University. 

The  Woman's  Club  of  Laramie  appointed  Mrs.  Bellamy 
to  interview  legislators  and  others  and  secure  the  addition  of 
a  Home  Economics  Department  to  the  University.  In  Chey- 
enne she  enlisted  the  able  assistance  of  Mrs.  Gibson  Clark, 
Mrs.  William  C.  Deniing,  and  Mrs.  Frank  N.  Sheik  of  Wheat- 
land. These  women  succeeded  in  creating  enough  favorable 
public  opinion  and  promises  of  favor  from  legislators  for  the 
bill  that  when  it  was  presented  with  its  accompanying  bill 
for  appropriation  the  measures  were  both  accepted.  In 
making  a  motion  for  a  "call  of  the  House,"  she  was  able  to 
defeat  a  bill  which  was  introduced  to  repeal  a  statute  which 
prohibited  the  sale  of  liquor  in  unincorporated  towns. 

Mrs.  Bellamy  became  the  leader  of  the  minority  because 
her  name  came  first  alphabetically  on  the  roll  call  and  there 
were  always  some  who  follow  the  leader  in  the  matter  of 
voting.  She  accepted  the  responsibility  with  all  seriousness 
and  was  present  at  every  roll  call  except  one  afternoon  when 
she  was  the  guest  of  honor  of  the  Commandant  and  his  wife 
of  Fort  D.  A.  RusselP  at  a  reception  and  a  review  of  troops 
planned  in  her  honor.  Her  keenness  to  grasp  a  situation, 
her  ability  to  work  with  people  and  organize  them  into 
powerful  groups,  her  intelligent  straight-forward  way  of 
thinking,  her  gift  as  a  public  speaker,  made  her  an  outstanding 
member  of  the  legislature  and  helped  her  to  secure  the 
passage  of  many  laws  which  she  felt  necessary  at  that  time. 
"She  was  held  in  high  esteem  by  her  colleagues  and  her  desk 
was  frequently  decked  with  beautiful  flowers,  the  gift  of 
fellow    members,    friends,    and    admirers    of    her   activities.  ""- 

Mrs.  Bellamy  was  born  in  Richwood,  JMissouri,  Friday, 
December  13,  1861,  the  daughter  of  Catherine  Horine  whose 
parents  were  Virginians  of  Hugenot  ancestry  and  Charles 
Godat  whose  family  were  manufacturers  of  jewelry  in  Switz- 
erland. She  was  named  Marie,  and  Lake  Marie  in  the  Snowy 
Range  west  of  Laramie  was  named  in  her  honor.  She  is 
affectionately  known  to  her  girlhood  friends  as  "Molly,"  but 
when  she  entered  public  work  she  used  the  name.  "]\Iary. " 
Her  father  died  when  she  was  a  baby.  Later  when  an  older 
sister  died,  leaving  a  baby  son,  Mrs.  Godat  and  Mary  moved 
to  Laramie  to  care  for  the  baby.     They  arrived  in  Laramie  in 

1  Name  changed  to  Fort  Francis  E.  Warren. 

2  ' '  Women  of  Wyoming, ' '  by  Cora  Beach.  Casper,  S.  E.  Boyer,  1927- 
1929.     2  Volumes.     A  history  of  outstanding  women  in  Wyoming. 


320  ANNALS  OP  WYOMING 

1873,  five  years  after  the  frontier  town  had  been  the  "end  of 
track"  for  the  Union  Pacific  railroad.  It  took  them  four 
days  to  reach  Laramie  by  train  from  Galena,  Illinois.  Mary 
prepared  herself  for  teaching  and  followed  this  profession 
for  several  years,  teaching  in  Nevada,  Laramie,  and  Johnson 
County,  Wyoming.  When  she  taught  in  Johnson  County  it 
usually  took  from  seven  to  ten  days  to  make  the  trip  from 
her  school  to  Laramie. 

Mrs.  Bellamy  describes  the  social  affairs  at  Fort  Sanders, 
and  remembers  vividly  the  appearance  in  Laramie  of  the 
personal  band  of  Emperor  William  of  Germany  Avhich  toured 
the  United  States  during  the  Centennial  celebration  in  1876. 
The  concert  also  included  the  Fort  Sanders  Band  which  was 
given  the  second  highest  rating  in  the  United  States  according 
to  Army  reports. 

In  1886,  Marie  Godat  married  Charles  Bellamy  of  Boston, 
Massachusetts,  a  civil  engineer,  who  died  in  1934.  Their 
sons,  Benjamin  C.  and  Fulton  D.  are  civil  engineers  living  in 
Wyoming.  Freeman  G.,  the  twin  brother  of  Fulton  D.,  died 
in  infancy. 

Mrs.  Bellamy  was  among  the  eight  women  who  met  in  the 
Laramie  County  Library,  located  in  the  old  Central  School 
Building  in  Cheyenne,  in  October,  1894  for  the  purpose  of 
organizing  a  woman's  club.  The  Woman's  Club  of  Cheyenne 
was  organized  and  in  1896,  this  club  affiliated  with  the  General 
Federation  of  AVomen's  Clubs.  This  was  the  first  club  in 
Wyoming  to  seek  membership  in  the  national  federation.  Mrs. 
Bellamy  is  one  of  the  six  honorary  members  of  the  Cheyenne 
club.  In  1898  Mrs.  Bellamy  returned  to  Laramie  and  her 
zeal  and  enthusiasm  were  instrumental  in  organizing  the 
Woman's  Club  of  Laramie,  combining  all  the  study  groups 
active  at  that  time.  This  club  also  affiliated  with  the  General 
I'ederation.  On  November  10,  1903  Mrs.  Bellamy  suggested 
to  the  Laramie  club  the  possibility  of  a  state  federation  and 
was  appointed  chairman  of  the  committee  to  suggest  the 
formation  of  such  an  organization  to  other  clubs  in  the  state. 
The  ensuing  correspondence  resulted  in  a  meeting  in  Chey- 
enne, January  19-21,  1904  at  which  time  the  Wyoming  State 
Federation  of  Women's  Clubs  was  organized.  Mrs.  Bellamy 
was  the  official  delegate  from  Laramie,  and  has  the  distinc- 
tion of  being  a  charter  member  of  the  Woman's  Club  of 
Cheyenne,  the  Woman's  Club  of  Laramie,  and  the  Wyoming 
State  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs.  For  forty-six  years 
she  has  maintained  her  active  participation  in  this  organiza- 
tion, working  faithfully  and  'untiringly  for  the  cause  of 
woman   and  her  betterment.     She  was  elected  one   of  three 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  321 

directors  at  the  organization  of  the  Laramie  club  and  filled 
that  office  until  1939  when  she  was  named  to  a  permanent 
position  on  the  Board  of  Directors  of  that  organization.  In 
addition  she  has  served  as  president,  official  delegate  and 
member  of  committees  too  many  times  to  enumerate  here. 
She  was  made  a  delegate  for  life  to  the  conventions  of  the 
AVyoming  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs.  Her  keen  intellect 
and  abundant  energy  made  her  a  leader  in  suggesting  work 
to  be  done  and  in  helping  to  fulfill  many  plans  for  entertaining 
the  community,  raising  money  for  worthy  causes,  and  further- 
ing the  aims  of  the  General  Federation.  On  March  29,  1940,  she 
was  chosen  by  the  Woman's  Club  of  Laramie  as  the  pioneer 
club  woman  who  has  had  the  longest  and  most  outstanding 
continuous  record  of  leadership  in  the  local  club.  At  the  State 
Convention  of  the  Federated  Women's  Clubs  of  Wyoming,  at 
Riverton,  September  23-25,  1940,  Mrs.  Bellamy  was  chosen  as 
the  Wyoming  woman  having  the  longest,  most  outstanding  rec- 
ord of  leadership  in  the  Federated  Women's  Clubs  of  Wyoming. 
She  has  represented  Wyoming  at  the  council  of  the  General 
Federation  in  Portland,  Oregon,  the  National  Biennial  Conven- 
tion in  Denver,  Colorado,  the  National  Headquarters  in  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  the  conventions  of  the  Western  Federations  at  Los 
Angeles,  California,  and  the  State  Federation  Conventions  in 
Massachusetts,  Colorado,  Utah,  and  California. 

In  1902,  Mrs.  Bellamy  was  elected  County  Superintendent 
of  Schools  of  Albany  County.  She  re-arranged  the  school 
districts  to  provide  a  more  equitable  distribution  of  reA'enue. 
She  was  responsible  for  placing  a  dictionary  and  a  copy  of 
lUrds  of  Wyoming  by  W.  C.  Knight,  illustrated  by  Frank 
Bond,  in  every  rural  school  in  the  county.  In  the  larger 
schools  more  reference  books  were  added  to  the  libraries. 
She  initiated  through  the  State  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs 
the  first  prizes  for  essays  in  High  Schools  on  patriotic  sub- 
jects and  for  prizes  among  club  women  for  a  State  Federation 
song.  Her  theme,  "Know  Wyoming,"  interested  several 
people  in  studying  Wyoming  and  the  talks  and  lectures  they 
prepared  started  them  on  the  way  to  national  fame  in  the 
field  chosen  first  as  a  hobby. 

During  the  World  War,  Mrs.  Bellamy  was  active  in  Red 
Cross  work,  being  appointed  Albany  County  chairman  of  the 
Woman's  Division  of  the  Liberty  Loan  drives  and  Laramie 
City  chairman  in  charge  of  parades,  programs  for  selling 
Ijberty  Bonds,  and  maintaining  interest  in  the  support  of  a 
French  orphan  adopted  by  the  Laramie  Woman's  Club.  She 
spared  no  effort  in  drawing  the  entire  county  together  to 
work  for  a  common  cause. 

The  Council  of  Women  Voters  won  the  attention  of  this 
alert  leader.  She  attended  the  meetings  of  the  National 
Council   in   San   Francisco   in  1914.   served   as   vice-president 


322  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

for  the  National  Council,  and  promoted  harmony  among  the 
various  factions  of  the  council  until  she  won  the  title  of 
"peace  envoy  of  the  conference."  She  was  awarded  the 
honor  of  extending  to  the  conference  the  invitation  of  Gov- 
ernor Kendrick  of  "Wyoming  to  hold  the  next  conference  in 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  the  first  state  in  the  United  States  to 
grant  free  and  equal  suffrage  to  women.  Mrs.  Bellamy  was 
sent  by  Wyoming  as  an  envoy  to  the  last  great  rally  for 
women  suffrage  which  was  held  in  Washington,  D.  C,  in  1917. 
Her  influence  was  sought  in  securing  the  votes  of  congress- 
men definitely  opposed  to  suffrage.  The  practical  suggestions 
by  the  Wyoming  envoy  won  the  approval  of  Mrs.  Grace 
Wilbur  Trout,  a  foremost  leader  from  Chicago,  other  envoys 
to  the  rally,  and  the  congressmen.  She  was  elected  a  delegate 
to  the  Democratic  National  Convention  and  was  named  on 
the  committee  to  notify  President  Wilson  of  his  renomination. 

In  honor  of  Mrs.  Bellamy's  efforts  to  collect  a  historical 
museum  in  Laramie  illustrating  the  work  of  women  in  the 
home  and  in  public  life,  the  Woman's  Club  of  Laramie  voted, 
on  January  26,  1935,  to  name  the  collection,  "The  Mary 
Bellamy  Collection.  "^ 

Mrs.  Bellamy  is  a  gifted  speaker  and  was  honored  with 
the  request  to  introduce  Vice-President  Marshall  to  a  Chey- 
enne audience  of  five  thousand.  December  10,  1939,  she  gave 
the  principal  address  at  a  celebration  in  Cheyenne  to  com- 
memorate the  seventieth  anniversary  of  the  granting  of  equal 
suffrage  to  the  women  of  Wyoming.  She  has  taken  a  leading 
part  in  the  programs  of  the  women's  clubs  in  the  western 
states  too  many  times  to  mention  in  this  summary. 

Not  only  will  Mary  G.  Bellamy's  name  remain  in  history 
because  she  was  the  first  woman  to  be  elected  to  the  Wyoming 
Legislature,  but  it  will  become  more  prominent  in  its  annals 
as  the  full  value  of  her  outstanding  personality  and  accom- 
plishments becomes  known  to  its  citizens.  She  has  devoted 
her  life  to  the  betterment  of  womanhood  and  her  influence 
has  been  felt  in  every  state  where  the  women  have  secured 
the  franchise  through  her  efforts.  Unselfish  with  her  time, 
her  efforts,  and  her  money,  Mary  G.  Bellamy  has  contributed 
to  other  women  a  broader  vision  of  endeavor  and  an  inspira- 
tion to  extend  their  activities  and  interests  for  the  benefit  of 
mankind. 


3  Minutes   of   the   Woman 's   Club   of   Laramie. 

BIBLIOGEAPHY: 

"Women    of    Wyoming,"    by    Cora    Beach.      Casper,    S.    E.    Boyer, 

1927-1929. 
Minutes  of  the  Woman's  Club  of  Laramie. 
"Mary  Godat  Bellamy,"  by  Mrs.  Fulton  Bellamy,  1940. 
Personal  interviews  with  Mrs.  Bellamy  by  the  author. 
Wyoming  State  Tribune,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  323 

HISTORY  OF  WYOMING,  WRITTEN  BY  C.  G.  COUTANT, 

PIONEER  HISTORIAN,  AND  HERETOFORE 

UNPUBLISHED 

Chapter  VHI 

Laramie  County 

Post  OflBce  Established  at  Cheyenne — First  City  Election,  Sep- 
tember 1,  1867— Pat  Mullaly  and  "Limber  Jim"  Killed. 

Affairs  in  Cheyenne  at  this  period  were  in  a  very  un- 
settled condition.  There  was  no  form  or  semblance  of  gov- 
ernment of  any  kind — life  and  property  were  in  jeopardy 
day  and  night,  and  the  respectable  class  of  people  did  not 
feel  safe  even  in  their  own  homes.  Robberies  and  lesser  crimes 
M^ere  committed  daily  and  nightly  and  there  was  no  authority 
as  yet  vested  in  anybody  to  prevent  it.  Every  man  was  his 
own  ruler  and  a  large  portion  of  them  desired  to  be  rulers 
of  their  neighbors,  also.  To  add  to  the  general  unsettled  state  of 
affairs,  there  was  no  way  of  obtaining  mail  except  by  express 
and  this  was  a  very  unsatisfactory  medium  of  communicating 
with  the  outer  world.  As  this  state  of  affairs  was  almost  intol- 
erable, some  of  the  leading  spirits  in  Cheyenne  began  to  cast 
about  to  see  whether  some  remedy  could  not  be  applied  and  as 
the  result  of  their  efforts  a  post  office  was  established  in  Chey- 
enne on  the  9th  day  of  September,  1867,  with  Thos.  E.  jMcLeland 
as  postmaster.  After  moving  from  "pillar  to  post"  for 
some  time,  the  post  office  was  finally  established  on  the  first  floor 
of  a  two-story  frame  building  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Seven- 
teenth and  Ferguson  Streets,  where  at  the  present  time  (1886) 
stands  the  magnificent  brick  block  occupied  in  part  as  a  banking 
house  by  Morton  E.  Post  &  Company. 

The  next  step  toward  bringing  order  out  of  cliaos  after 
taking  the  preliminary  steps  which  resulted  in  the  establishment 
of  a  post  office,  was  to  organize  some  sort  of  a  government  under 
which  life  and  property  might  be  afforded  some  degree  of  pro- 
tection at  least.  For  this  purpose  a  meeting  was  called  and  met 
at  the  large  store  of  A.  C.  Beckwith,  August  9,  1867,  which  re- 
sulted in  the  appointment  of  a  committee,  of  which  Judge  J.  R. 
Whitehead  was  chairman,  to  prepare  and  present  the  draft  of  a 
charter.  In  due  time  another  meeting  was  held  and  a  charter 
adopted  by  the  almost  unanimous  vote  of  the  respectable  people 
of  the  city.  Under  this  charter  an  election  was  held  Septemher 
71  h,  which  resulted  in  the  election  of  H.  ]\I.  Hook,  mavor; 
A.  C.  Beckwith,  W.  11.  Harlow,  S.  ]\I.  Preshaw,  R.  E.  Ta^ny. 
J.  B.  Thompson  and  J.  C.  Willis  for  councilmen.    J.  R.  White- 


324  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

head,  city  attorney ;  Thomas  E.  McLeland,  city  clerk ;  N.  H. 
Meldrum,  treasurer;  and  Edward  Melanger,  city  marshal. 
The  Whitehead  Block,  which  was  at  that  time  not  only  nearly 
finished  but  the  only  suitable  place,  was  selected  as  the  head- 
quarters of  the  new  city  government  and  it  was  here  that  the 
first  meeting  of  the  provisional  city  council  was  held.  The 
new  city  government  had  many  difficulties  to  contend  with 
but  it  struggled  on  manfully  and  with  good  results.  Under 
the  power  conferred  by  the  charter,  J.  M.  Slaughter  was 
appointed  City  Justice  and  later  on  under  the  provisional 
county  government  Wm.  H.  Miller  was  appointed  and  offici- 
ated as  "Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court."  All  of  these  precau- 
tions, however,  did  not  result  in  impressing  the  laAvless  char- 
acters in  the  city  so  as  to  put  a  stop  to  the  lawlessness  which 
largely  prevailed.  To  uphold  and  sustain  the  city  authorities 
in  their  efforts  to  maintain  law  and  order,  fifty-eight  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  the  city  volunteered  to  act  when  called  upon  as 
special  officers.  Among  this  number  were  Judge  Kuykenda-l, 
Henry  Houseman,  T.  W.  Rutledge,  J.  R.  Whitehead.  J.  H. 
Gildersleeve  and  other  prominent  citizens.  The  members  of 
this  volunteer  organization  (or  part  of  them  at  least)  would 
sleep  every  night  at  the  Whitehead  Block  in  the  court  room 
in  order  to  be  ready  for  any  emergency,  and  it  was  well  that 
they  did  so  for  night  after  night  there  were  such  riotous  and 
diabolical  proceedings  in  various  parts  of  the  city  that  had 
it  not  been  for  the  assistance  rendered  by  these  brave  and 
fearless  men,  Cheyenne  would  probably  have  burned  to  the 
ground  ere  it  had  seen  its  first  anniversary. 

On  the  night  of  September  16,  1867  an  event  occurred  in  the 
northwestern  portion  of  the  city,  then  more  populous  than  at 
present,  which  will  always  be  remembered  by  all  of  the  "Old 
Timers"  who  were  residents  of  "The  Magic  City  of  the  Plains" 
at  that  time.  The  event  referred  to  was  the  killing  of  Pat  Mul- 
laly  and  "Limber  Jim."  Of  the  latter  but  little  was  known  at 
the  time,  for  he  was  a  comparatively  new  comer  in  the  city. 
Pat  Mullaly,  who  was  at  the  time  of  his  death  one  of  the 
members  of  the  special  police  force  of  fifty-eight,  had  been 
iti  Cheyenne  from  the  very  first  and  had  many  friends  among 
the  people  of  the  city.  "Pat"  in  these  days  had  a  hay  ranch 
over  on  the  Box  Elder  and  was  also  in  business  in  Cheyenne. 
Shortly  after  the  town  was  started,  Mullaly  built  the  two- 
story  frame  buildings  on  the  corner  of  Thomes  and  Sixteenth 
streets,  which  at  the  present  time  (1886)  is  owned  by  L.  R. 
Bresnahen.  In  this  building  Pat  opened  a  saloon  and  for 
some  time  did  a  thriving  business.  Eventually,  however,  some 
very  bad  characters  among  whom  was   "Limber  Jim" — who 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  325 

if  he  had  any  other  name  did  not  see  fit  to  announce  it— 
began  to  flock  around  him  and  he  became  somewhat  demor- 
alized. 

As  the  result  of  his  various  sayings  and  doings,  IMuUaly 
got  into  a  quarrel  with  a  woman  who  went  by  the  name  of 
''Lead  Beader"  and  who  kept  a  saloon  and  place  of  resort  in 
the  northwestern  portion  of  the  city  not  far  from  where  at  this 
date  the  old  Dodge  House  stands.  Certain  parties  who  fre- 
quented the  place  alluded  to  became  involved  in  the  quarrel 
also,  but  at  leng-th  an  understanding  was  reached — as  Pat  in- 
ferred— and  on  the  evening  of  September  16th,  Pat  ]Mullaly. 
Limber  Jim  and  two  females  went  up  to  the  saloon  of  "Lead 
Beader"  for  the  purpose,  as  Mullaly  expressed  it,  of  "setting 
up  the  wine."  The  door  was  closed  but  it  was  at  length  forced 
open  by  Mullaly,  who  with  ' '  Limber  Jim, ' '  close  behind,  entered 
the  house.  As  he  did  so,  a  shot  fired  by  some  party  from  under 
a  bed  in  an  adjoining  room,  the  door  of  which  was  open,  took 
effect  in  Mullaly 's  side  or  breast  and  killed  him  almost  in- 
stantly. "Limber  Jim"  turned  to  retreat  and  as  he  did  so  he 
was  shot  in  the  back  by  someone  in  the  building,  but  not  before 
he  had  fired  one  shot  from  a  revolver  wounding  ' '  Lead  Beader, ' ' 
the  woman  who  kept  the  house,  in  the  right  arm.  He  ran  about 
fifty  yards  from  the  house  when  he  dropped  dead  in  a  pile  of 
lumber.  Several  shots  were  fired  in  all  and  inside  of  five  min- 
utes after  the  first  one  was  heard  there  were  as  many  as  twelve 
hundred  people  around  the  place  where  the  shooting  had  oc- 
curred. Judge  Kuykendall,  who  as  before  stated,  was  one  of  the 
special  officers  and  slept  that  night  at  the  city  headquarters  in 
the  Whitehead  Block,  was  one  of  the  first  on  the  ground  and 
arrived  in  time  to  see  Mullaly  breathe  his  last.  As  soon  as  it 
became  known  who  it  was  that  had  been  killed  the  crowd  resolved 
itself  into  a  mob,  and  not  only  the  building  in  which  the  shooting 
took  place,  but  others  adjoining,  were  burned  to  the  ground, 
the  flames  lighting  up  the  entire  city.  The  city  witnessed  a 
reign  of  terror  for  the  balance  of  the  night  and  in  some  places 
where  people  were  fortunate  enough  to  have  cellars,  they 
resorted  to  them  as  shots  were  being  fired  in  all  directions. 
Among  those  who  were  driven  below  that  eventful  night 
were  W.  S.  Hurlbut  and  Frank  Hurlbut  at  their  drug  store, 
which  had  been  opened  on  Eddy  Street  in  the  building  now 
owned  and  occupied  by  S.  L.  Moyer.  Among  the  most  dan- 
gerous characters  on  the  "warpath"  that  night  was  a  fellow 
named  Wall,  who  was  finally  seized  and  locked  up  in  an  old 
building  not  far  from  where  the  Cheyenne  Gas  Company 
works  have  since  been  built.  The  mob  set  out  to  break  in 
the   building,    but   were   beaten   back   by   the   special   police. 


326  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Some  three  miles  east  of  the  city  were  camped  about  400 
graders  and  word  was  sent  to  them  by  the  mob  to  come  up 
and  help  them  burn  the  town.  As  soon  as  this  was  known 
word  was  sent  to  the  military  authorities  at  Fort  Russell  of 
what  was  in  prospect  and  asking  for  assistance.  In  reply  to 
this  call  three  companies  of  infantry  came  down  on  the 
"double  jump,"  and  were  soon  followed  by  the  companies 
of  cavalry.  The  arrival  of  the  troops  put  an  end  to  all  further 
rioting  for  that  night.  The  graders  who  had  but  little  dispo- 
sition to  join  the  mob  remained  at  their  camp  and  toward 
morning  the  mob,  which  had  made  the  city  hideous  for  most 
of  the  night,  dispersed  to  their  various  homes  and  resorts. 
From  the  fact  that  all  "old  timers"  in  Cheyenne  regard  the 
"night  when  Pat  Mullaly  was  killed"  as  one  of  the  most 
eventful  nights  in  the  early  history  of  the  city,  a  more  ex- 
tended mention  of  it  has  been  made  than  there  otherwise 
would  have  been. 

Chapter  IX 

Laramie  County 

First  Newspaper  in  Cheyenne — First  Territorial  County  Elec- 
tion, October  8,  1867 — Lot  Jumping — Murder  of  Mead 
and  Hazlett. 

Up  to  this  period  in  the  then  short  history  of  Cheyenne, 
the  town  had  been  without  a  newspaper  of  any  kind,  but  on 
the  19th  day  of  September,  1867,  "The  Cheyenne  Daily 
I^eader"  made  its  first  appearance,  N.  A.  Baker  being  its 
first  editor  and  proprietor.  It  was  of  course  warmly  greeted, 
its  reception  being  such  that  two  other  newspapers  were 
started  shortly  afterwards:  "The  Daily  Argus,"  L.  L.  Bedell, 
editor,  October  25th,  and  the  "Rocky  Mountain  Star,"  0.  F. 
Williams,  editor,  December  8,  1867.  Of  these  papers  and  of 
others  which  made  their  appearance  later,  something  will  be 
said  farther  along. 

What  is  now  Laramie  County  was  then  nothing  but  an  out- 
lying portion  of  Dakota  and  so  far  away  from  the  "mother 
territory"  that  but  little  was  known  as  to  what  was  being  done 
there  and  most  of  the  people  cared  less  than  they  knew.  It  was 
felt,  however,  that  a  provisional  county  organization  would 
greatly  aid  the  law  abiding  citizens  in  preserving  order  and 
protecting  life  and  property.  With  this  end  in  view,  a  meeting 
was  called  and  held  in  the  Whitehead  Block,  September  27th, 
n.  M.  Hook,  mayor  of  the  city  presiding  with  Judge  Whitehead 
officiating  as  secretary.  The  result  of  the  meeting  was  that  J.  R. 
Whitehead,  T.  J.  Street  and  L.  L.  Bedell  were  appointed  com- 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  327 

missioners  to  parcel  out  the  imaginary  county  into  districts 
which  was  done,  and  an  election  held  October  8th  for  "all  the 
territorial  county  and  township  officers,  provided  for  by  the  laws 
of  Dakota"  and  at  which  election  about  everybody  who  had  been 
in  the  country  ten  days  or  more  were  allowed  to  vote  if  they 
so  desired.  The  number  of  votes  polled  at  this  election  was 
1,924  nearly  all  of  them  for  the  only  ticket  in  the  field.  The 
following  were  elected:  J.  H.  Casement  (voted  for)  as  dele- 
gate in  Congress ;  J.  R.  Whitehead,  member  of  the  legislature ; 
M.  L.  Hinman,  C.  L.  Howell  and  "W.  L.  Hopkins,  county 
commissioners.  W.  L.  Kuykendall,  Judge  of  Probate ;  T.  J. 
Street,  County  Attorney;  J.  H.  Creighton,  Register  of  Deeds; 
D.  J.  Sweeney,  Sheriif ;  L.  L.  Bedell,  Treasurer;  James  Irwin, 
Coroner;  J.  H.  Gildersleeve,  Superintendent  of  Schools,  and 
Frank  Landberg,  Surveyor. 

The  idea  in  voting  for  Casement  as  delegate  in  Congress 
was,  that  as  there  would  be  two  or  more  candidates  for  delegate 
over  in  the  "mother  territory."  ]\Ir.  Casement  might,  if  every- 
body voted  for  him,  have  a  plurality,  and  thereby  Cheyenne 
(virtually)  have  a  delegate  at  Washington  of  its  own  choosing. 
Like  the  provisional  city  government,  the  county  organization 
was  based  solely  upon  the  will  and  consent  of  the  people,  and  had 
no  authority  outside  of  that  in  a  strict  legal  sense.  This  step, 
however,  proved  to  have  been  one  taken  in  the  right  direction  for 
the  county  authorities  greatly  aided  those  of  the  city  in  main- 
taining law  and  order  from  that  time  forward,  until  a  perma- 
nent local  government  was  established.  Shortly  after  this 
step  was  taken,  another  large  installment  of  respectable  citi- 
zens came  forward  and  volunteered  their  services  as  special 
officers  when  called  upon.  It  was  well  that  these  precaution- 
ary steps  were  taken  in  time,  for  shortly  after  a  systematic 
Xjrocess  of  lot  jumping  was  inaugurated  by  a  group  of  "hood- 
lums" who  came  up  from  the  vicinity  of  Julesburg  and  else- 
where, and  these  men  in  conjunction  with  a  respectable — in 
numbers  only — hoodlum  element  in  the  city,  undertook  once 
more  to  "run  the  city"  as  they  termed  it,  and  ex'ceedingly 
lively  times  followed  during  the  continuance  of  which  many 
shooting  affairs  took  place  among  which  were  two  or  three 
downright  murders.  One  of  this  character — and  a  double 
murder  at  that — occurred  late  in  November.  Four  men  named 
Mead,  Ilazlett,  Shepherd  and  Cullen,  prior  to  that  time,  had 
been  living  in  a  "dugout"  across  Crow  Creek  and  just  north 
of  the  U.  P.  railroad  bridge,  when  one  morning,  early,  Cullen 
started  out  earlier  than  the  rest,  taking  his  gun  and  those  of 
the  others  along  with  him.  He  then  opened  fire  upon  his 
companions  left  behind.     Mead  was  shot  and  instantly  killed; 


328  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Hazlett  mortally  and  Shepherd  dangerously  wounded.  Haz- 
lett  died  the  next  day,  but  Shepherd  eventually  recovered. 
Cullen  attempted  to  escape,  but  was  captured  before  he  could 
be  tried,  escaped  again  and  has  never  been  heard  of  since. 
This  incident  and  many  others  of  a  similar  character  which 
occurred  about  that  time  fully  illustrate  the  situation  so  far 
as  security  to  life  and  property  were  concerned  at  the  close 
of  the  year  1867. 

(To  be  continued) 


EARLY-DAY  LIFE  TRACED  BY  COLLECTION 
OF  MOTHER  AND  DAUGHTER 

An  interesting  collection  of  nearly  100  items  received  by 
the  Historical  Department  and  placed  on  display  in  the  State 
Museum  during  the  past  quarter  is  from  Miss  Gertrude  Wyoming 
Dobbins,  of  Los  Angeles,  California.  The  gift  is  a  lifetime  col- 
lection by  Miss  Dobbins  and  her  late  mother,  and  is  to  be  known 
as  the  "Emma  Jane  and  Gertrude  Wyoming  Dobbins  Collec- 
tion." 

Miss  Dobbins  was  born  in  Wyoming,  as  her  middle  name 
would  indicate,  and  her  father,  Asa  C.  Dobbins,  was  the  first 
U.  S.  Weather  observer  in  Wyoming,  located  at  Cheyenne,  in 
1870.    He  passed  away  about  fifty  years  ago. 

One  of  the  most  unique  items  is  a  small  brass  kerosene 
lamp  with  glass  chimney,  which  was  a  part  of  his  office  equip- 
ment furnished  by  the  U.  S.  Government. 

A  lovely  French  doll,  of  1880,  with  silken  hair  and  attired 
in  the  mode  of  that  day,  is  an  attractive  item,  and  is  one  of  the 
prized  possessions  of  Miss  Dobbins'  childhood  days. 

The  family  loved  travel,  and  in  the  collection  are  souvenirs 
from  the  World's  Fairs  of  the  past  nearly  fiity  years,  beginning 
with  the  Chicago,  or  Columbian  Exposition,  in  1893,  in  which 
Wyoming  provided  a  building  and  an  exhibit.  There  is  an 
assortment  of  badges  from  Cheyenne  Frontier  Days,  beginning 
with  the  first  one  in  1897,  and  the  Pioneers'  Reunion  at  Chey- 
enne, in  1917,  together  with  more  than  100  other  badges  from 
political  and  fraternal  activities  over  the  State  and  Nation. 

In  other  words,  the  display  may  be  regarded  as  a  cross- 
section  of  the  history  of  Wyoming  recorded  throughout  the  life- 
time of  this  one  family  by  the  gathering  and  preservation  of 
emblems  and  mementos  from  various  activities  of  community, 
state  and  nation. 

It  also  tells  the  story  of  hundreds  of  other  early-day  Wyo- 
ming families  who  took  part  in  and  contributed  to  the  building 
of  WONDERFUL  WYOMING,  and  who,  with  these  pioneer 
women  can  with  propriety  claim,  in  the  words  of  Aeneas, 
"All  of  which  I  saw,  and  part  of  which  I  was." 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  329 

NEW  FACTS  ABOUT  FORT  PHILIP  KEARNY 
By  Thomas  Kearny,  Kearny,  N.  J. 

rOEEWORD 

The  following  article  Avas  sent  to  the  Wyoming  Historical  De- 
partment, for  publication  in  the  ANNALS,  by  Mr.  Thomas  Kearny,  of 
Kearny,  N.  J.,  author  of  the  book,  ' '  General  Philip  Kearny,  Battle 
Soldier  of  Five  Wars, ' '  published  by  G.  P.  Putnam 's  Sons,  and  is  printed 
verbatim  in  this  issue  of  the  ANNALS  in  courtesy  to  the  author. 

Mr.  Kearny  states  two  "fascinating  new  facts"  Avhich  were 
omitted  from  the  book  are  set  forth  in  the  article. — Ed. 

During  the  research  for  the  biography  of  Major  Generals 
Philip  and  Stephen  Watts  Kearny,  the  ruthless  editing  of  the 
publishers  deleted  two  fascinating  "new"  facts,  which  make 
the  Massacre  at  the  Fort,  popularly  called  Fort  Phil  Kearney, 
distinctive  in  the  annals  of  the  world;  actually,  the  biograph- 
ical records  of  which  it  has  been  said,  rightly  or  wrongly,  has 
not  been  written  into  American  history. 

President  Woodrow  Wilson,  in  unveiling  the  equestrian 
statue  of  Phil  Kearny  at  the  National  Cemetery  in  Arlington, 
used  the  following  sentences :  ' '  My  State  has  written  into  this 
marble  Major  General  Philip  Kearny's  Biography;  'Fought 
with  the  French  in  Algiers ;  and  with  the  French  and  Italians 
at  Solf erino  in  the  war  of  Italian  Liberation  in  1859 ;  New 
Jersey  honors  her  most  distinguished  soldier';  yet  the  true 
biography  to  my  country  is  simply  'Phil.  Kearny'."  Thi'ough- 
out  his  Address,  the  President  used  the  word  "Phil,"  when 
referring  to  Kearny  in  the  report  of  it,  the  period  is  used 
after  Phil.  Facts  which  witness  to  the  true  spelling  of  the 
name  of  the  Fort.  (See,  Infra.)  In  "Lincoln,"  Sandburg,  in 
his  twenty  references,  always  so  calls  Kearny. 

On  page  442  of  General  Philip  Kearny,  Secretary  of  War, 
the  Honorable  James  W.  Good's  letter  to  Thomas  Kearny — 
the  author — is  qvioted  as  follows:  "A  letter  from  Mr.  Good 
dated  April  25tli,  1925  (see  Archives  of  his  office),  states  that 
the  Fort  in  Wyoming  was  named  "Fort  Philip  Kearny,"  and 
that  Fort  Kearny,  Nebraska,  was  so  named  for  Stephen  Watts 
Kearny,  Philip  Kearny's  uncle,  and  both  names  in  the  original 
orders  were  so  spelled, — never  abbreviated  such  as  'Phil' 
without  a  period  which  indicates  that  the  name  was  actually 
spelled  "Philip."  Thus  it  is  that  the  towns  of  Kearny, 
Wyoming,  and  Nebraska  misspell  their  names,  at  least  as 
historical!}'  viewed — which,  however,  does  not  apply  to  the 
Nebraska  Historical  Society,  which  at  the  time  of  the  acqui- 
sition by  Nebraska  of  the  site  of  the  Old  Fort  Kearny  Parade 
Grounds,    caused    the    Legislature    to    name    Park    Kearny — 


330  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Fort  KEARNY  Park ;  also  California,  Kansas,  and  New  Jersey, 
Phil's  home; — so  write  the  name  geographically. 

On  page  120  of  General  Philip  Kearny,  it  is  written: 
'"The  overwhelming  opinions  of  the  cartographers  make  the 
territory,  as  far  East  as  the  Headwaters  of  the  Gila  river,— 
and  the  Rockies — a  part  of  Alta  California  in  1846,  when 
Stephen  Watts  Kearny  occupied  it  for  the  United  States;" 
to  which  the  author  adds  that  all  the  historians  of  the  "West, 
nearly,  California,  Arizona,  Colorado,  Nevada,  et  al.,  make 
this  terrain  part  of  Nuevo  Mejico.  Then  Mr.  Kearny  adds : 
"Kearny  was  governor  of  this  terrain,  including  in  whole  or 
part,  Nevada,  Arizona,  Utah,  Colorado,  New  Mexico,  and 
WYOMING  (the  extreme  and  small  area  in  the  southeast), 
by  reason  of  the  Law  of  Nations,  (I  speak  as  lawyer)  which 
holds  the  conqueror  Military  Governor."  This,  we  believe, 
is  a  new  fact  in  Wyoming  written  history;  as  it  IS  a  new  fact 
in  the  history  of  the  other  named  States. 

Now  for  the  two  new  factors  which  are  referred  to  in  the 
first  paragraph : 

In  the  Minutes  of  the  56th  Congress,  Second  Session, 
(House  of  Representatives  Report  No.  2683),  occurs  the  follow- 
ing minute:  "Mr.  Mondell  for  the  Committee  of  Military 
Affairs,  submitted  the  following  report :  '  The  Bill  now  before 
Congress  provides  for  an  appropriation  of  eight  hundred  dol- 
lars for  the  erection  of  a  monument  to  mark  the  site  of  the 
battlefield  known  as  Massacre  Hill,  near  Sheridan,  Wyoming, 
near  the  site  of  Old  Fort  Phil.  Kearny.  The  battle  has  the 
distinction  of  being  one  of  the  two  battles  in  all  recorded 
history,  in  which  there  were  no  survivors  left  among  the 
vanquished;  the  entire  force  of  eighty-five  (sic.  ed.)  engaged, 
being  all  killed.  Secondly,  the  battle  in  which  'Repeating 
Arms'  were  used  for  the  first  time  in  any  general  engage- 
ment'." The  fact  concerning  the  survivors,  or  lack  of  them, 
has  been  recorded  on  the  monument,  but  not — we  believe — 
that  it  was  the  second  one  "in  recorded  history."  This  fact 
about  repeating  arms,  it  is  believed,  has  never  before  been 
recorded  as  history.  It  may  be  remarked  that  the  original 
bill  carried  an  appropriation  of  five  hundred,  whereas  this 
bill  by  which  the  monument  now  at  the  Site  was  erected, 
carried  eight  hundred  dollars. 

In  General  Philip  Kearny,  two  new  interpretations  affect- 
ing Wyoming  are  given,  namely:  "The  first  manoeuvre  of  the 
Mexican  War,  was  the  KEARNY  EXPEDITION  of  1845 
to  the  South  Pass,"  which  was  also  a  "Threat  Against  the 
Oregon  Country,"  annexed  the  next  year  to  the  United  States, 
as  the  extreme  southeastern  sector  of  Wyoming   (see  above) 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  331 

— as  well  as  the  'terrain  of  ten  States" — was  conquered  the 
same  year  by  S.  W.  Kearny.  Captain  Philip  Kearny,  who 
accompanied  his  uncle's  "First  Mexican  War  Manoeuvre"  and 
the  "threat  against  Oregon,"  drew  from  the  headwaters  of 
the  Columbia  River,  some  water  which  he  used  to  baptize  his 
son  to  become  General  John  Watts  Kearny,  in  Calvary  Episco- 
pal Church,  New  York  City,  where  Phil's  father  was  senior 
warden ! 

It  may  not  be  amiss,  nor  uninteresting,  to  note  that  just 
as  this  is  written,  Miss  Mary  Kearny,  Kearny,  N.  J.,  a  grand- 
daughter of  ' '  General  Philip  Kearny  of  the  Fort, ' '  has  received 
a  letter  from  President  Roosevelt,  asking  her  to  sponsor  the 
Destroyer,  KEARNY,  named  for  her  first  cousin.  Commodore 
Lav/rence  Kearny,  who  as  Tyler  Dennett,  in  his  "Americans 
in  Eastern  Asia  Write,"  helped  Warren  Delano,  Franklin 
Delano  Roosevelt's  grandfather  establish  the  'open  door 
policj^'  in  China,  1842.  The  launching  to  take  place  on 
March  9th,  1940,  at  the  Federal  Shipbuilding  Co.  at  Kearny, 
N.  J.,  a  town  named  for  the  Fort's  sponsor!  In  "General 
Philip  Kearny, ' '  a  note  of  this  exploit  is  given,  and  the  biogra- 
phy of  Lawrence  Kearny,  by  Professor  Carrol  Storrs  Alden, 
of  the  Naval  Academy,  gives  a  full  account. 


332  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

ACCESSIONS 

July  1,  1940,  to  September  30,  1940 

Pictures — Gifts 

Fowler,  Mrs.  Benjamin  F.,  707  East  18th  Street,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming. 
Old  photograph  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Orlando  King;  photograph  of  Chero- 
kee Bob,  famous  western  scout.  (4"x6i/^")  (Eobert  Waldron,  born 
in  Loudon  County,  Virginia,  October  8,  1836.) 

Hunt,  Dr.  Lester  C,  Secretary  of  State,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming. — Photo- 
graph of  Wm.  E.  Chaplin,  Secretary  of  State  of  Wyoming,  1919-1923, 
signer  of  the  State  Constitution,  posed  with  the  Constitution,  on 
July  10,  1940,  at  Cheyenne. 

Leffler,  Mrs.  Leo,  517  W.  23rd  Street,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming. — Photo- 
graph 13i/^"xl6"  Co.  "H"  Girl  Guards  at  celebration  of  Statehood 
in  1890. 

Pictures — Purchased. 

Edwards,  Elsa  Spear,  Sheridan,  Wyoming.  24  tinted  photographic  views, 
Wyoming   scenes. 

Books — Gifts 

Spring,  Agnes  Wright,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming — A  Family  Trek  to  the 
Yellowstone,  by  Mrs.  N.  E.  Corthell.  1928. 

Books — Purchased 

Burt,   M.   Struthers— Powder  Eiver,   Let    'er  Buck.   1938. 

Books  in  Department  Prior  to  April  1,  1939,  Recently  Accessioned 

Coffeen,  Herbert— The  Teepee  Book,  Vols.  1  and  2,  1915,  1916. 
Triggs,  J.  H. — History  of  Cheyenne  and  Northern  Wyoming,  1876. 
Triggs,  J.  H. — History  and  Directory  of  Laramie  City,  1875. 

Manuscripts 

Orr,  E.  S. — Agricultural  Education  in  Public  Schools  of  Wyoming. 
Hoyt,  J.  W.-T— Life  of  John  W.  Hoyt,  carbon  copy  of  typewritten  manu- 
script, 758  pp. 


MUSEUM 

Collections 
The  Emma  Jane  and  Gertrude  Wyoming  Dobbins  Collection 

Dobbins,   Gertrude  Wyoming,  Fremont  Hotel,  Fourth  and  Olive  Streets, 
Los  Angeles,  California. — 
Small  brass  lamp  used  by  Asa  C.  Dobbins  in  first  weather  bureau 

or     station    in     Cheyenne,    October,     1870;     furnished    by    the 

Government. 
Brown  Betty  tea  pot  in  Dobbins  family  200  years; 
Small  book,  printed  in  1752,  and   calendar,  April,  1761; 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  333 


Two  beaded  reticules,  150  to  200  years  old; 

French  bisque  headed  doll  belonging  to  Gertrude  in  1880; 

Set  of  doll  dishes,  caster,  etc.,  1880; 

Collection  of  political  buttons,  medals  and  ribbon  badges,  including 

Cheyenne    First    Frontier    Days,    1897,    1898,    1899,    1900,    1902, 

1903,    1909; 
Indian  beaded  blanket  belt  and  money  pouch; 
Papoose  moccasins; 
Rare  Indian  breast  plate; 
Money  bag; 
Mexican  money  bag; 

Two  Dobbins  old  family  albums — many  Wyoming  pioneers; 
Three  abalone  shells; 
Three  old  sea  shells; 

14  Indian  and  other  baskets; 
Old   Mexican   plaque; 

Round  liead  piece  used  by  women  of  India  when  carrying  loads  on 

their  heads; 
Two  books  pressed  flowers; 

Statuette  of  Commander  Dewey,  of  Spanish  American  War; 
Mirror  and  brush  given  to  Gertrude,  Christmas,  1889; 
Eskimo  doll; 
Old  Mexico  doll; 
Souvenir  cotton  boll; 
Chinese  sword  holder; 

Chinese  woman's  shoe  from  old  Chinatown,  San  Francisco,  1897; 
Seed  hand  bag  from  Samoa; 

Small  cube  Kansas  salt  from  Columbia  Exposition,  1893; 
Tiny  China  marble,  100  years  old; 

Souvenir  invitation  to  the  Alert  Fire  Company  "Calico  Ball,"  1880; 
McKinley's  presidential  campaign  souvenir,  small  ladder; 

15  pieces  of  Indian  pottery; 

Collection  of  souvenir   china  pieces:      24  plates,   some   Wedgewood; 

five  souvenir  cups  and  saucers;  souvenir  tea  pot  from  Columbian 

Exposition;    cream   pitcher;    pickle    dish;    salt    and    pepper    set 

(Utah);  three  small  souvenir  glasses; 
Cup,  saucer  and  plate  set  of  hand  blown  blue  glass  from  Old  Mexico; 
Napkin   ring,   childhood   gift   of   Frances   Warren,   who   became   the 

wife   of   General  Pershing; 
Plate  from  Fort  D.  A.  Russell,  Spanish  American  War,  1898; 
Package   of   documents,  letters,  etc.; 
Warranty  Deed,  Union  Pacific   to  Asa   C.   Dobbins,   1877,  to   lot   on 

East  17th  Street,  where  weather  bureau  was  located  for  many 

years ; 
Autographed  letter,  Theodore  Roosevelt  to  Gertrude  Wyoming; 
Invitation   to   Dobbins   family   to   wedding  of   Frances   Warren   and 

General  John  Pershing; 
Invitation  to  Gertrude  Wyoming  to  reception  of  President  McKinley 

at  White   House; 
Invitation  to  Governor  W.  A.  Richard's  Inauguration  and  Ball,  1S95; 
Old  Cheyenne  school  photograph; 

Photograph  of  last  stagecoach  to  leave  for  Deadwood  from  Cheyenne; 
Album    containing    foreign    post    cards    of    the    world    before    1914 

World  War; 
Autographed  volume  of  Judge  Wesley  P.  Carroll's  poems; 
Photograph  of  Judge  Wesley  P.  Carroll. 


334  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

The  Cliarles  Anda  Collection 

One  of  the  most  important  collections  offered  to  the  Wyoming 
Historical  Department  in  recent  years  is  that  of  the  late  Charles  Anda, 
of   Casper,  Wyoming. 

Several  months  prior  to  Mr.  Anda's  death  on  May  26,  1940,  he 
offered  his  valuable  collection  of  122  firearms,  swords  and  Indian 
relics,  all  catalogued,  to  the  Historical  Department,  in  consideration 
that  the  State  provide  suitable  glass  cases  for  exhibit  of  the  items  in 
the   Museum. 

There  being  no  funds  to  finance  the  purchase  of  show  cases,  the 
State  Legislature,  1941,  will  be  asked  to  make  an  appropriation  for 
this  purpose. 

In  the  meantime,  Mrs.  Anda  delivered  her  husband 's  collection  to 
the  Historical  Department,  where  it  is  being  held  in  storage  until  such 
time  as  the  State  may  be  in  position  to  fulfill  its  part  of  the  contract 
in  providing  display  cases. 

Miscellaneous  Gifts 

Jeffrey,  Henry  B.,  1011  Lincoln  Street,  Denver,  Colorado. — Gold  pen 
used  by  the  Constitutional  Convention  delegates  to  sign  the  Con- 
stitution, September  30,  1889,  at  Cheyenne,  and  presented  by  the 
Convention  delegates  to  donor 's  father,  John  K.  Jeffrey,  Secretary 
of   the   Convention. 

Burdick,  William  A.  (World  War  Veteran)  Tort  Meyer,  Florida,  formerly 
of  Cheyenne. — Four  pieces  of  paper  foreign  money:  10  pesos  (Mexi- 
can); 50  centimes  (2)  (French);  1  franc  (Belgian);  1  peso  (Chile) 
(silver). 

Wyoming  Valley  Chamber  of  Commerce,  Wilkes-Barre,  Pennsylvania, 
through  Governor  Nels  H.  Smith — A  handsome  scroll,  inscribed  with 
a  message  of  greeting  and  congratulation  to  the  people  of  the  State 
of  Wyoming  on  the  50th  Anniversary  of  Statehood.  The  scroll, 
17"x22"  is  hand  lettered  and  ornamented  with  an  artistic  border 
design  in  water  colors.     Also  an  American  Flag  with  44  stars,  6'x9'. 

Adamsky,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ealph,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming. — Album  of  the 
Union   Pacific    Eailway    (small   book); 

Homemade  rolling  pin  by  Felix  Eobidoux  at  Ft.  Bridger,  Wyoming, 
1850 's;    son   of   Joseph   Eobidoux,  founder   of   St.   Joseph,  Mo.; 
American  flag  4'9"x27";  45  stars; 
Two   badges   from   the   celebration   of   statehood;    one   3"x5",   dated 

July  23,  1890;  one  2y2"x6",  dated  July  26,  1890,  44th  star. 
Printed  program  of  Statehood  celebration,  1890. 

Chenery,  J.  A.  L.,  Eiverton,  Wyoming — Wyoming  Statehood  celebration 
badge  of  1890;  ticket  of  admission  to  inaugural  ball  at  Cheyenne 
in  1889;  printed  program  of  statehood  celebration  held  on  July  23, 
1890. 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 


335 


Dedication  of  Idaho-Wyoming  momunent  on  July  5,  1940,  at  joint  Golden 
Anniversary  Celebration,  in  which  Governors  of  the  two  States  and 
members  of  the  Wyoming  Landmark  Commission  took  part:  (Left  to 
right)  Mr.  Warren  Richardson,  Commission  chairman;  Mr.  John  Charles 
Thompson,  treasurer;  Governor  C.  A.  Bottolfsen,  of  Idaho;  Governor 
Nels  H.  Smith,  of  Wyoming;  Mr.  Joseph  Weppner,  Commission  secretary. 


ACTIVITIES  OF 

WYOMING  HISTORICAL  LANDMARK 

COMMISSION 


TWO    DEDICATORIAL    TOURS    ARE    CONDUCTED 
BY   THE    COMMISSION 

The  Wyoming  Historical  Landmark  Commission,  com- 
posed of  Mr.  Warren  Richardson,  Chairman.  Mr.  J.  S.  Wepp- 
ner, Secretary,  and  Mr.  J.  C.  Thompson,  Treasurer,  sponsored 
two  dedicatory  tonrs  dnrinw  the  past  snmmer  of  19-10.  The  first 
tonr  took  place  July  3rd  to  7th,  and  marked  the  formal  begin- 
ning of  the  observance  of  Wyoming's  Golden  Anniversary  of 
Statehood.  The  dedication  of  the  monument  at  Border,  Wyo- 
ming, erected  in  honor  of  Idaho's  and  Wyoming's  fiftieth 
anniversary  of  Statehood  was  one  of  the  important  features 


336  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

of  this  first  tour.  Following  this  program  in  rapid  succession 
many  anniversary  celebrations  were  held  in  the  various  coun- 
ties of  the  State  throughout  the  summer  months. 

The  second  tour  started  on  August  15,  at  Fort  Laramie, 
and  concluded  at  Jackson,  Wyoming,  on  August  18. 

July  Tour 

On  Wednesday,  July  3rd,  1940,  at  11 :30  a.  m.  the  Historical 
Landmark  Commission  and  party  arrived  at  the  site  of  Old 
Fort  Supply  near  Robertson,  Wyoming.  The  program  which 
was  arranged  by  the  local  community  began  immediately  with 
the  singing  of  "America"  and  other  appropriate  songs,  by 
the  choir  of  the  local  Mormon  ward.  The  bishop  of  the  ward 
gave  the  invocation  and  acted  as  chairman  of  the  program. 
He  first  introduced  President  Tom  Brough  of  the  Lyman 
stake  who  gave  a  very  interesting  address  on  old  Fort  Supply 
telling  how  it  was  one  of  the  first  out-posts  established  by 
Brigham  Young.  Following  this  Mr.  Weppner  was  introduced 
by  the  chairman  and  carried  on  the  program  in  behalf  of  the 
Historical  Landmark  Commission  calling  first  on  Mr.  Warren 
Richardson,  chairman  of  the  Commission,  who  made  a  short 
talk.  Governor  Nels  H.  Smith  followed  with  a  brief  address. 
Mr.  Weppner  then  introduced  all  the  members  of  the  party, 
some  twenty  state  officials  and  their  wives.  The  program 
came  to  a  close  with  everyone  joining  in  the  singing  of 
"God  Bless  America." 

The  dedicatorial  party  then  journeyed  to  Mountain  View^ 
where  at  12 :30  p.  m.  they  were  treated  to  a  barbecue  lunch 
after  which  they  attended  the  local  rodeo  there.  Leaving  at 
3 :30  p.  m.  they  continued  on  to  Rock  Springs  where  they 
spent  the  night. 

The  next  morning,  July  4th,  at  7  :00  a.  m.  the  party  left 
for  Daniel,  Wyoming,  where  they  attended  the  dedication  of 
the  DeSmet  Centennial  celebration  of  a  pontifical  high  mass 
said  by  Reverend  Bishop  P.  A.  McGovern  assisted  by  twenty 
priests  from  throughout  the  State.  The  dedicatorial  sermon 
which  concluded  the  service  was  given  by  Reverend  Bishop 
D.  A.  Hunt  of  Salt  Lake  City.  This  service  was  attended 
by  five  or  six  thousand  people  and  included  Mr.  Frank 
Matthews  of  Omaha,  Supreme  Knight  of  the  Knights  of 
Columbus;  U.  S.  Senator  Joseph  C.  O'Mahoney  of  Wyoming; 
Governor  Nels  H.  Smith  and  Mrs.  Smith,  and  most  of  the 
Wyoming  state  officials. 

Journeying  on  to  the  Green  River  Rendezvous  on  the 
nearby  Vigo  Miller  ranch,  the  entire  crowd  Avere  the  guests 
at  a  big  picnic  lunch  given  by  the  Knights  of  Columbus  of 
Wyoming.    At  1 :00  p.  m.  a  very  appropriate  speaking  program 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  337 

was  carried  out  which  opened  with  an  address  of  welcome  by 
Governor  Smith  followed  by  a  talk  from  U.  S.  Senator  Joseph 
O'Mahoney.  The  principal  address  was  given  by  Mr.  Frank 
Matthews  of  Omaha,  Supreme  head  of  the  Knights  of  Colum- 
bus. After  the  program  the  dedicatorial  party  and  most  of 
the  crowd  drove  on  to  Pinedale,  Wyoming,  where  they  en- 
joyed a  rodeo  in  progress  there.  Following  this  they  were 
entertained  at  the  summer  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ted  Crippa 
on  Fremont  Lake  to  an  excellent  lunch  and  a  boat  trip  on 
beautiful  Lake  Fremont.  The  night  was  spent  in  Pinedale. 
On  the  morning  of  July  5th  at  7  :30  a.  m.  the  party  left 
Pinedale  arriving  at  Names'  Hill  at  10:00  o'clock  where  the 
Commission  dedicated  a  marker  which  had  been  erected  some 
years  before.  Mr.  Weppner  acted  as  chairman  and  the  pro- 
gram was  opened  with  an  address  by  Grovernor  Smith  followed 
by  John  Charles  Thompson  who  gave  a  very  interesting  ac- 
count of  the  history  of  Names'  Hill.  Mr.  Weppner  then 
introduced  Mrs.  P.  J.  Quealy  of  Kemmerer  whose  late  husband 
had  made  a  gift  to  the  State  of  the  site  of  Names'  Hill.  After 
this  program  the  party  journeyed  to  Kemmerer  where  at 
12:00  noon  they  were  entertained  by  the  Lion's  Club  to  a 
fine  trout  dinner. 

Leaving  Kemmerer  at  2 :30  p.  m.  the  party  arrived  at 
the  border  of  Idaho  on  north  highway  30.  12  miles  north  of 
Cokeville,  where  they  met  Governor  Bottolfsen  and  many  of 
the  Idaho  state  officials  to  join  with  them  in  the  dedic-ition 
of  a  monument  on  the  border  line  of  Wyoming  and  Idaho. 
This  monument  was  erected  half  on  the  Wyoming  side  and 
half  on  the  Idaho  side  and  commemorated  the  50th  anniver- 
sary of  statehood  of  these  two  states.  Mr.  J.  D.  Noblitt  of 
Cokeville  acted  as  Master  of  Ceremonies.  The  program  was 
opened  with  a  selection  by  the  Montpelier  High  School  b-ind 
and  the  invocation  by  President  Silas  L.  Wright  of  the  Bear 
Lake  stake.  An  address,  "The  Old  Oregon  Trail,""  was  given 
by  Mr.  Thomas  P.  Wilson  of  Pueblo,  Colorado.  Then  followed 
the  presentation  of  the  monument  by  Governor  Nels  H.  Smith 
of  Wj'omiug  and  Governor  C.  A.  Bottolfsen  of  Idaho,  both 
of  whose  talks  were  enjoyed  by  the  crowd  of  some  three  or 
four  thousand  people  who  received  their  talks  with  much 
applause.  The  unveiling  ceremony  was  in  charge  of  Mrs. 
Herman  Teichert  of  Cokeville  and  Mrs.  Ed.  C.  Kich  of  ]Mont- 
pelier.  The  acceptance  of  the  monument  Avas  made  in  very 
inspiring  responses  by  ]\Irs.  M.  B.  Nash,  Idaho  State  Historian, 
and  Mr.  Warren  Richardson,  chairman  of  the  Wyoming  His- 
torical Landmark  Commission.  The  benediction  was  given 
by    Mr.    Reed    Dayton    of    Cokeville    and    the    program    was 


338  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

brought  to  a  close  by  the  singing  of  "America"  led  by  the 
Montpelier  High  School  band.  The  commission  and  party 
left  immediately  after  this  program  and  spent  the  night  at 
Jackson,  Wyoming. 

Saturday,  July  6th,  was  spent  traveling  to  Lander  by 
the  way  of  Togwotee  Pass.  At  6 :30  p.  m.  that  evening  all 
vv^ere  entertained  at  a  very  fine  dinner  at  the  Wyoming  State 
Training  School  at  Lander  after  which  the  Governor  and 
the  members  of  the  State  Board  of  Charities  and  Reform  and 
others  in  the  party  made  a  complete  inspection  of  the 
institution. 

Sunday,  July  7th,  at  10 :00  a.  m.  the  party  continued  on 
to  the  Penitentiary  State  Farm  at  Riverton  and  at  noon  were 
served  a  delicious  dinner  of  articles  of  food  which  were 
rciised  on  the  Farm.  At  2:30  p.  m.  they  left  for  the  Big  and 
Little  Wind  River  Rendezvous  where  a  monument  was  dedi- 
cated marking  the  place  which  commemorated  the  memory 
of  the  many  pioneers  who  had  camped  at  that  spot.  The 
program  was  in  charge  of  the  Chairman,  Mr.  J.  J.  Jewett, 
and  the  address  of  welcome  was  given  by  Mr.  A.  B.  Conant, 
mayor  of  Riverton,  and  was  followed  by  an  address  from 
Governor  Smith.  Mr.  Weppner,  on  behalf  of  the  Historical 
liandmark  Commission,  accepted  the  gift  of  the  monument 
to  the  State  of  Wyoming.  The  program  was  brought  to  a 
close  by  the  singing  of  "America."  This  being  the  last  dedi- 
cation the  party  then  dispersed  and  left  for  their  homes. 

August  Tour 

August  15th  the  party  arrived  at  Fort  Laramie  at  9 :45 
a.  m.,  all  members  of  the  Commission  present.  Mr.  Weppner 
acted  as  chairman  of  the  dedicatorial  program  which  was  held 
on  the  front  porch  of  old  Bedlam.  He  first  called  upon  Mr. 
Warren  Richardson  who  made  the  speech  dedicating  the 
"Portugee"  Phillips  monument.  This  was  enjoyed  by  all 
present  as  Mr.  Richardson,  when  a  boy,  had  known  "Portu- 
gee"  Phillips  and  his  family.  He  related  many  incidents 
which  occurred  during  his  contact  with  them.  Mrs.  Ruth 
Joy  Hopkins  of  Casper  was  called  upon  next  and  gave  an 
interesting  talk  on  her  oil  paintings  of  old  pioneers  which 
was  on  exhibition  at  Fort  Laramie.  Mr.  Canfield,  Director 
of  the  Rocky  Mountain  National  Parks,  including  Fort  Lara- 
mie, made  a  very  good  talk  on  the  rehabilitation  of  Fort 
Laramie.  He,  like  all  others,  expressed  the  hope  that  the 
government  would  completely  restore  it.  The  chairman  then 
called  on  Mr.  Robert  Ellison  of  Tulsa,  Oklahoma,  and  Mr. 
B.  B.  Brooks  of  Casper,  both  former  members  of  the  Com- 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  339 

mission,  who  responded  with  interesting  reminiscences  of 
their  early  days  at  old  Fort  Laramie.  Among  those  present 
at  the  dedication  who  were  introduced  to  the  audience  was 
a  nephew  of  "Portugee"  Phillips,  Mr.  Gomez  and  his  wife. 
Mr.  Howard  R.  Driggs,  President  of  the  Oregon  Trail  Associa- 
tion, was  called  upon  and  spoke  in  behalf  of  the  many  mem- 
bers of  the  Association  who  had  arrived  in  a  caravan  of 
automobiles  from  the  East  to  be  present  at  the  dedication. 
The  Commission  extended  an  invitation  to  the  Association 
to  join  them  and  continue  with  the  dedicatorial  tour. 

The  party  then  left  for  Lusk  where  they  arrived  at  1 :00 
p.  m.  and  were  entertained  at  luncheon  by  the  Lions  Club. 
After  luncheon  all  attended  the  dedication  of  the  Texas  Trail 
monument,  some  three  miles  east  of  Lusk  on  highway  20. 
This  monument  was  sponsored  by  the  Lions  Club  of  Lusk. 
Mr.  Hans  Gatchshi  acted  as  chairman  and  called  on  many  of 
the  old  timers  who  had  followed  cattle  up  the  Trail.  All  made 
interesting  talks.  Mr.  John  Charles  Thompson  gave  a  fine 
address  in  which  he  told  of  the  many  cattle  outfits  who  were 
pioneers  in  the  cattle  industry  in  Wyoming.  Mr.  Richardson 
accepted  the  monument  in  behalf  of  the  Historical  Landmark 
Commission  of  Wyoming. 

Immediately  after  this  dedication  the  party  drove  one 
mile  west  of  Lusk  where  Mr.  James  Grifiith,  who  sponsored 
the  erection  of  the  Lathrop  monument,  gave  a  fine  eulogy 
to  Mr.  Lathrop,  one  of  the  outstanding  stage  drivers  of  the 
old  Deadwood-Cheyenne  line.  Mr.  Griffith,  on  behalf  of  the 
contributors  of  this  monument,  presented  it  to  the  State. 
That  evening  at  7 :00  p.  m.  the  party  was  entertained  at  a 
nearby  river  park  to  a  real  western  barbecue  picnic,  spon- 
sored by  the  Lions  Club.  This,  of  course,  was  a  special  treat 
to  the  members  of  the  Oregon  Trail  Association  from  the  East. 

The  next  morning  the  Commission  and  party,  some  40 
or  50  in  number,  left  Lusk  at  7:00  a.  m.  August  16tli  and 
traveled  to  Buffalo  where  at  2  :00  p.  m.  they  attended  a  diMli- 
cation  of  the  DeSmet  monument  on  the  shore  of  Lake  DeSmet. 
This  monument  was  sponsored  by  a  committee  from  Sheridan 
and  Johnson  counties  composed  of  W.  H.  Edelman.  Sheridan 
chairman,  Dr.  Frackelton  of  Sheridan,  and  T.  J.  Gatchell, 
Bert  Griggs  and  Jesse  Keitli,  all  of  Buffalo.  ]\Ir.  George 
liayman,  one  of  Sheridan's  prominent  attorneys,  acted  as 
chairman.  The  program  was  opened  with  a  prayer  by  Father 
Short  of  Sheridan  and  the  singing  of  "America,"  led  by  Mr. 
Flynn  and  a  chorus.  ]\Ir.  Layman  introduced  Father  Br:ulv. 
pastor  of  Buffalo,  who  gave  an  inspiring  address  in  wliicli 
he  told  of  the  good  work  of  Father  DeSmet  not  only  as  a 


340  ANNALS  OF  WYOMING 

Catholic  missionary  but  as  a  government  agent,  having  made 
many  important  treaties  with  the  Indians  for  the  government. 
Mr.  Layman  presented  the  monument  which  was  accepted 
by  Mr.  Weppner  in  behalf  of  the  Historical  Landmark  Com- 
mission of  Wyoming.  Mr.  Bert  Griggs  and  Mr.  Howard 
Driggs  were  called  upon  and  both  gave  fine  talks. 

The  Commission  and  party  left  at  3 :00  p.  m.  and  drove 
up  the  highway  to  the  "Portugee"  Phillips  marker  near  old 
Fort  Kearny  where  a  second  program  was  carried  out.  This 
marker  commemorated  the  start  of  the  famous  ride  of  "Portu- 
gee" Phillips  to  Fort  Laramie.  Mr.  George  Layman  also 
acted  as  Chairman  for  this  program,  introducing  first  Mr. 
Robert  Ellison  of  Tulsa,  former  member  of  the  Commission, 
vvho  gave  a  very  authentic  and  interesting  account  of  the 
ride  of  "Portugee"  Phillips  and  the  massacre  of  Fetterman 
and  his  soldiers  and  the  beleaguered  Fort  Kearny.  Mr.  Rich- 
ardson made  a  short  talk  and  the  chairman  introduced  many 
of  the  old  timers  who  were  present. 

The  party  then  continued  to  Ranchester  to  the  Connor 
Battlefield  monument  where  at  7 :00  p.  m.  a  program  dedi- 
cating this  monument  was  carried  out.  Mr.  Weppner  acted 
as  chairman  introducing  first  Mr.  John  C.  Thompson  who  gave 
the  history  of  the  battlefield.  Mr.  Robert  Ellison  added  an 
historical  bit  on  Major  Connor  and  his  achievement  at  the 
time  of  the  battle.  After  this  dedication  the  party  journeyed 
on  to  Dayton  where  they  spent  the  night. 

The  journey  took  up  again  the  next  morning,  August 
the  17th,  and  included  a  trip  over  the  Big  Horn  mountains 
through  the  beautiful  Shell  Canyon  and  on  into  Cody,  arriving 
there  at  12  :00  noon.  Immediately  upon  arrival  a  dedication 
followed  of  the  new  road  leading  from  the  edge  of  the  town 
to  the  Buffalo  Bill  monument.  This  dedication  was  spon- 
sored by  many  civic  organizations  of  Cody  and  the  Montana- 
Wyoming  Oldtime  Cowboys  Association  who  were  holding 
their  convention  in  Cody  at  that  time.  The  party  had  lunch 
in  Cody  after  which  they  drove  to  Dead  Indian  Hill,  some  32 
miles  north  of  town  in  the  Sunlight  Valley,  to  attend  the 
dedication  of  a  monument  erected  by  the  Forest  Rangers  and 
Mr.  W.  A.  Rollinson,  an  old  pioneer  ranger  and  cattleman. 
This  monument  commemorated  the  old  Indian  trail  over  the 
pass  into  the  great  hunting  ground.  This  pass  was  also  a 
later  cattle  trail  into  that  country.  A  brief  but  appropriate 
program  was  carried  out,  Mr.  Rollinson  recalling  incidents 
of  his  boyhood  days  and  presenting  the  monument  to  the 
State  of  Wyoming.  Mr.  Richardson,  on  behalf  of  the  Com- 
mission, accepted.     That  evening  at  7 :00  p.  m.  the  National 


ANNALS  OF  WYOMING  341 

Oregon  Trail  Association,  the  Historical  Landmark  Commis- 
sion, the  Montana-Wyoming  Cowboy  Association  and  the 
Gertrude  Vanderbilt  Whitney  Association  Avere  entertained 
at  a  banquet  at  the  Cody  Inn.  There  were  300  present.  Mr. 
Paul  Greever  acted  as  master  of  ceremonies  and  introduced 
many  fine  speakers  from  the  members  of  the  four  different 
organizations  present.  Everyone  had  a  most  enjoyable  evening 
and  the  banquet  did  uot  conclude  until  11 :30  p.  m. 

Sunday  morning,  August  18th,  at  7:00  a.  m.  the  His- 
torical Landmark  Commission  and  the  Oregon  Trail  caravan 
and  other  interested  parties  left  Cody  by  way  of  the  Shoshone 
Canyon  and  dam  and  entered  Yellowstone  Park  at  the  East 
entrance,  going  out  the  South  entrance  and  arriving  at  the 
Berolzheimers  ranch  at  1 :00  p.  m.  where  they  were  entertained 
at  a  Dutch  lunch.  Immediately  after  lunch  the  party  moved 
on  to  Leek's  place  where  at  1:30  p.  m.  a  monument  marking 
the  old  Trappers  Trail  was  dedicated.  This  monument  was 
erected  and  given  to  the  State  by  many  persons  interested  in 
the  history  of  the  Jackson  Hole  country.  Mr.  William  Leek, 
81  years  old,  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  Jackson  Hole  Countrj'' 
gave  a  most  interesting  talk  of  his  boyhood  days  when  he 
had  arrived  in  Jackson  60  j^ears  ago.  W.  H.  Jackson,  97 
years  old,  who  was  the  official  photographer  of  the  Hayden 
Expedition  in  Jackson  Hole  in  1870,  also  told  of  his  experi- 
ences ill  those  early  days.  The  Commission  and  ]iarty  then 
journeyed  to  Turpin  MeadoAV  Lodge  where  at  2:00  p.  m.  a 
monument  erected  in  memory  of  Dick  Turpin,  one  of  the 
colorful  old  pioneers,  was  dedicated.  Dick  Turpin  had  left 
$300.00  in  his  will  for  the  erection  of  a  marker  and  monument. 
Mr.  William  Simpson,  chairman  of  the  executive  committee, 
gave  an  interesting  talk  covering  the  life  of  Dick  Turpin  and 
presented  the  monument  to  the  State  in  behalf  of  the  com- 
mittee. Mr.  Richardson,  chairman  of  the  Commission,  re- 
sponded and  accepted  for  tlie  State. 

The  Commission  then  adjourned  to  the  Jackson  Lake 
Lodge  where  they  were  the  guests  of  the  National  Trail 
Association  at  a  ban(|uet  which  opened  the  convention  of 
that  organization.  IMajor  Proctor  of  New  York,  Secretary 
of  the  Association,  acted  as  toastmaster.  The  dinner  and 
program  was  considered  a  great  success  and  the  guests  did 
not  depart  until  11  :00  p.  m.  This  marked  the  close  of  tiiis 
dedicatorial    tour.