the passing of the frontier-第7章

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All　the　camps　were　very　much　alike。　A　straggling　row　of　log　cabins　or　huts　of　motley　construction；　a　few　stores　so…called；　sometimes　of　logs；　or；　if　a　saw…mill　was　at　hand；　of　rude　sawn　boards；　a　number　of　saloons；　each　of　which　customarily　also　supported　a　dance…hall；　a　series　of　cabins　or　huts　where　dwelt　individual　men；　each　doing　his　own　cooking　and　washing；　and　outside　these　huts　the　uptorn　earthsuch　were　the　camps　which　dotted　the　trails　of　the　stampedes　across　inhospitable　deserts　and　mountain　ranges。　Church　and　school　were　unknown。　Law　there　was　none；　for　of　organized　society　there　was　none。　The　women　who　lived　there　were　unworthy　of　the　name　of　woman。　The　men　strode　about　in　the　loose　dress　of　the　camp；　sometimes　without　waistcoat；　sometimes　coatless；　shod　with　heavy　boots；　always　armed。

If　we　look　for　causes　contributory　to　the　history　of　the　mining…camp；　we　shall　find　one　which　ordinarily　is　overlookedthe　invention　of　Colt's　revolving　pistol。　At　the　time　of　the　Civil　War；　though　this　weapon　was　not　old；　yet　it　had　attained　very　general　use　throughout　the　frontier。　That　was　before　the　day　of　modern　ammunition。　The　six…shooter　of　the　placer　days　was　of　the　old　cap…and…ball　type；　heavy；　long…barreled；　and　usually　wooden…handled。　It　was　the　general　ownership　of　these　deadly　weapons　which　caused　so　much　bloodshed　in　the　camps。　The　revolver　in　the　hands　of　a　tyro　is　not　especially　serviceable；　but　it　attained　great　deadliness　in　the　hands　of　an　expert　user。　Such　a　man；　naturally　of　quick　nerve　reflexes；　skillful　and　accurate　in　the　use　of　the　weapon　through　long　practice；　became　a　dangerous；　and　for　a　time　an　unconquerable；　antagonist。

It　is　a　curious　fact　that　the　great　Montana　fields　were　doubly　discovered；　in　part　by　men　coming　east　from　California；　and　in　part　by　men　passing　west　in　search　of　new　gold…fields。　The　first　discovery　of　gold　in　Montana　was　made　on　Gold　Creek　by　a　half…breed　trapper　named　Francois；　better　known　as　Be…net…see。　This　was　in　1852；　but　the　news　seems　to　have　lain　dormant　for　a　timenaturally　enough；　for　there　was　small　ingress　or　egress　for　that　wild　and　unknown　country。　In　1857；　however；　a　party　of　miners　who　had　wandered　down　the　Big　Hole　River　on　their　way　back　east　from　California　decided　to　look　into　the　Gold　Creek　discovery；　of　which　they　had　heard。　This　party　was　led　by　James　and　Granville　Stuart；　and　among　others　in　the　party　were　Jake　Meeks；　Robert　Hereford；　Robert　Dempsey；　John　W。　Powell；　John　M。　Jacobs；　Thomas　Adams；　and　some　others。　These　men　did　some　work　on　Gold　Creek　in　1858；　but　seem　not　to　have　struck　it　very　rich；　and　to　have　withdrawn　to　Fort　Bridger　in　Utah　until　the　autumn　of　1860。　Then　a　prospector　by　the　name　of　Tom　Golddigger　turned　up　at　Bridger　with　additional　stories　of　creeks　to　the　north；　so　that　there　was　a　gradual　straggling　back　toward　Gold　Creek　and　other　gulches。　This　prospector　had　been　all　over　the　Alder　Gulch；　which　was　ere　long　to　prove　fabulously　rich。

It　was　not；　however；　until　1863　that　the　Montana　camps　sprang　into　fame。　It　was　not　Gold　Creek　or　Alder　Gulch；　but　Florence　and　other　Idaho　camps；　that；　in　the　summer　and　autumn　of　1862；　brought　into　the　mountains　no　less　than　five　parties　of　gold…seekers；　who　remained　in　Montana　because　they　could　not　penetrate　the　mountain　barrier　which　lay　between　them　and　the　Salmon　River　camps　in　Idaho。

The　first　of　these　parties　arrived　at　Gold　Creek　by　wagon…train　from　Fort　Benton　and　the　second　hailed　from　Salt　Lake。　An　election　was　held　for　the　purpose　of　forming　a　sort　of　community　organization；　the　first　election　ever　known　in　Montana。　The　men　from　the　East　had　brought　with　them　some　idea　of　law　and　organization。　There　were　now　in　the　Montana　fields　many　good　men　such　as　the　Stuart　Brothers；　Samuel　T。　Hauser；　Walter　Dance；　and　others　later　well　known　in　the　State。　These　men　were　prominent　in　the　organization　of　the　first　miners'　court；　which　had　occasion　to　tryand　promptly　to　hangStillman　and　Jernigan；　two　ruffians　who　had　been　in　from　the　Salmon　River　mines　only　about　four　days　when　they　thus　met　retribution　for　their　early　crimes。　An　associate　of　theirs；　Arnett；　had　been　killed　while　resisting　arrest。　The　reputation　of　Florence　for　lawlessness　and　bloodshed　was　well　known；　and；　as　the　outrages　of　the　well…organized　band　of　desperadoes　operating　in　Idaho　might　be　expected　to　begin　at　any　time　in　Montana；　a　certain　uneasiness　existed　among　the　newcomers　from　the　States。

Two　more　parties；　likewise　bound　for　Idaho　and　likewise　baffled　by　the　Salmon　River　range；　arrived　at　the　Montana　camps　in　the　same　summer。　Both　these　were　from　the　Pike's　Peak　country　in　Colorado。　And　in　the　autumn　came　a　fifththis　one　under　military　protection；　Captain　James　L。　Fisk　commanding；　and　having　in　the　party　a　number　of　settlers　bound　for　Oregon　as　well　as　miners　for　Idaho。　This　expedition　arrived　in　the　Prickly　Pear　Valley　in　Montana　on　September　21；　1862；　having　left　St。　Paul　on　the　16th　of　June；　traveling　by　steamboat　and　wagon…train。　While　Captain　Fisk　and　his　expedition　pushed　on　to　Walla　Walla；　nearly　half　of　the　immigrants　stayed　to　try　their　luck　at　placer…mining。　But　the　yield　was　not　great　and　the　distant　Salmon　River　mines；　their　original　destination；　still　awaited　them。　Winter　was　approaching。　It　was　now　too　late　in　the　season　to　reach　the　Salmon　River　mines；　five　hundred　miles　across　the　mountains；　and　it　was　four　hundred　miles　to　Salt　Lake；　the　nearest　supply　post；　therefore；　most　of　the　men　joined　this　little　army　of　prospectors　in　Montana。　Some　of　them　drifted　to　the　Grasshopper　diggings；　soon　to　be　known　under　the　name　of　Bannackone　of　the　wildest　mining…camps　of　its　day。

These　different　origins　of　the　population　of　the　first　Montana　camps　are　interesting　because　of　the　fact　that　they　indicate　a　difference　in　the　two　currents　of　population　which　now　met　here　in　the　new　placer　fields。　In　general　the　wildest　and　most　desperate　of　the　old…time　adventurers；　those　coming　from　the　West；　had　located　in　the　Idaho　camps；　and　might　be　expected　in　Montana　at　any　time。　In　contrast　to　these；　the　men　lately　out　from　the　States　were　of　a　different　type；　many　of　them　sober；　most　of　them　law…abiding；　men　who　had　come　out　to　better　their　fortunes　and　not　merely　to　drop　into　the　wild　and　licentious　life　of　a　placercamp。　Law　and　order　always　did　prevail　eventually　in　any　mining　community。　In　the　case　of　Montana；　law　and　order　arrived　almost　synchronously　with　lawlessness　and　desperadoism。

Law　and　order　had　not　long　to　wait　before　the　arrival　of　the　notorious　Henry　Plummer　and　his　band　from　Florence。　Plummer　was　already　known　as　a　bad　man；　but　was　not　yet　recognized　as　the　leader　of　that　secret　association　of　robbers　and　murderers　which　had　terrorized　the　Idaho　camps。　He　celebrated　his　arrival　in　Bannack　by　killing　a　man　named　Cleveland。　He　was　acquitted　in　the　miners'　court　that　tried　him；　on　the　usual　plea　of　self…defense。　He　was　a　man　of　considerable　personal　address。

The　same　tribunal　soon　assembled　once　more　to　try　three　other　murderers；　Moore；　Reeves；　and　Mitchell；　with　the　agreement　that　the　men　should　have　a　jury　and　should　be　provided　with　counsel。　They　were　all　practically　freed；　and　after　that　the　roughs　grew　bolder　than　ever。　The　Plummer　band　swore　to　kill　every　man　who　had　served　in　that　court；　whether　as　juryman　or　officer。　So　well　did　they　make　good　their　threat　that　out　of　the　twenty…seven　men　thus　engaged　all　but　seven　were　either　killed　or　driven　out　of　the　country；　nine　being　murdered　outright。　The　man　who　had　acted　as　sheriff　of　this　miners'　court；　Hank　Crawford；　was　unceasingly　hounded　by　Plummer；　who　sought　time　and　again　to　fix　a　quarrel　on　him。　Plummer　was　the　best　shot　in　the　mountains　at　that　time；　and　he　thought　it　would　be　easy　for　him　to　kill　his　man　and　enter　the　usual　plea　of　self…defense。　By　good　fortune；　however；　Crawford　caught　Plummer　off　his　guard　and　fired　upon　him　with　a　rifle；　breaking　his　right　arm。　Plummer's　friends　called　in　Dr。　Glick；　the　best　physician　in　Bannack；　to　treat　the　wounded　man；　warning　him　that　if　he　told　anything　about　the　visit　he　would　be　shot　down。　Glick　held　his　peace；　and　later　was　obliged　to　attend　many　of　the　wounded　outlaws；　who　were　always　engaged　in　affairs　with　firearms。

Of　all　these　wild　affrays；　of　the　savage　life　which　they　denoted；　and　of　the　stern　ways　in　which　retribution　overtook　the　desperadoes　of　the　mines；　there　is　no　better　historian　than　Nathaniel　P。　Langford；　a　prominent　citizen　of　the　West；　who　accompanied　the　overland　expedition　of　1862　and　took　part　in　the　earliest　life　of　Montana。　His　work；　〃Vigilante　Days　and　Ways；〃　is　an　invaluable　contemporary　record。

It　is　mentally　difficult　for　us　now　fully　to　restore　these　scenes；　although　the　events　occurred　no　earlier　than　the　Civil　War。　〃Life　in　Bannack　at　this　time；〃　says　Langford；　〃was　perfect　isolation　from　the　rest　of　the　world。　Napoleon　was　not　more　of　an　exile　on　St。　Helena　than　a　newly　arrived　immigrant　from　the　States　in　this　region　of　lakes　and　mountains。　All　the　great　battles　of　the　season　of　1862Antietam；　Fredericksburg；　Second　Bull　Runall　the　exciting　debates　of　Congress；　and　the　more　exciting　combats　at　sea；　first　became　known　to　us　on　the　arrival　of　newspapers　and　letters　in　the　spring　of　1863。

The　Territory　of　Idaho；　which　included　Montana　and　nearly　all　Wyoming；　was　organized　March　3；　1863。　Previous　to　that　time　western　Montana　and　Idaho　formed　a　part　of　Washington　Territory；　of　which　Olympia　was　the　capital；　and　Montana；　east　of　the　mountains；　belonged　to　the　Territory　of　Dakota；　of　which　the　capital　was　Yankton；　on　the　Missouri。　Langford　makes　clear　the　political　uncertainties　of　the　time；　the　difficulty　of　enforcing　the　laws；　and　narrates　the　circumstances　which　led　to　the　erection　in　1864　of　the　new　Territory　of　Montana；　comprising　the　limits　of　the　present　State。*

*　The　Acts　of　Congress　organizing　Territories　and　admitting　States　are　milestones　in　the　occupation　of　this　last　West。　On　the　eve　of　the　Civil　War；　Kansas　was　admitted　into　the　Union；　during　the　war；　the　Territories　of　Colorado；　Nevada；　Dakota；　Arizona；　Idaho；　and　Montana　were　organized；　and　Nevada　was　admitted　as　a　State。　Immediately　after　the　war；　Nebraska　was　admitted　and　Wyoming　was　organized　as　a　Territory。　In　the　Centennial　Year　（1876）　Colorado　became　a　State。　In　1889　and　1890　North　and　South　Dakota；　Montana；　Washington；　Idaho；　and　Wyoming　were　admitted　as　States。　In　the　latter　year　Oklahoma　was　carved　out　of　the　Indian　Territory。　Utah　with　its　Mormon　population　was　kept　waiting　at　the　doors　of　the　Union　until　1896。　Oklahoma　became　a　State　in　1907；　Arizona　and　New　Mexico　were　admitted　in　1912。


In　Montana　as　elsewhere　in　these　days　of　great　sectional　bitterness；　there　was　much　political　strife；　and　this　no　doubt　accounts　for　an　astonishing　political　event　that　now　took　place。　Henry　Plummer；　the　most　active　outlaw　of　his　day；　was　elected　sheriff　and　entrusted　with　the　enforcement　of　the　laws！　He　made　indeed　a　great　show　of　enforcing　the　laws。　He　married；　settled　down；　and　for　a　time　was　thought　by　some　of　the　ill…advised　to　have　reformed　his　ways；　although　in　truth　he　could　not　have　reformed。

By　June；　1863；　the　extraordinarily　rich　strike　in　Alder　Gulch　had　been　made。　The　news　of　this　spread　like　wildfire　t