THE STORY OF A J AX 
 
 AL NOYES
 
 ROBERT ERNEST COWA"^
 
 UJ 
 
 Z 
 
 <
 
 THE 
 
 STORY OF AJAX 
 
 LIFE IN THE 
 BIG HOLE BASIN 
 
 BY 
 
 ALVA J. NOYES 
 
 
 STATE PUBLISHING COMPANY 
 
 HELENA. MONTANA 
 
 1914
 
 COPYRIGHTED 1914 
 
 BY 
 
 ALVA J. NOYES 
 
 • • 9- • t W,' ^ 
 

 
 (X 
 
 F 
 
 T- 5 N 8 
 
 HEDICA TION. 
 
 •2 
 
 TO MY WIFE. HATTIE M. NOYES. WHO, 
 ^ FROM CHILDHOOD TO AGE, THROUGH 
 
 SUNSHINE AND STORM. PROSPERITY 
 ^ AND ADVERSITY, WAS AS DEPENDABLE 
 
 ^ AS THE "ROCK OF AGES." 1 DEDICATE 
 
 ^ THIS LITTLE STORY OF THE RANCH 
 
 2 AND MINE. 
 
 o 
 
 Jl. J. Noyes. 
 
 25G6{i7
 
 FOREWORD 
 
 Cj his is a little story of the life of an ordinary man. 
 It is not a story of success from a financial standpoint, 
 nor, may it be considered a success from an^ stand- 
 point. Whatever it may be to others I shall not 
 conjecture. To my children and friends, for whom it 
 was written, it Toill portray the deep feeling of affection 
 of a sensitive nature. 
 
 \jihis little story gives some of the history of the beautiful 
 Big Hole Basin and will, no doubt, be of interest to 
 those who may — in fifty or one hundred })ears — call the 
 place their home. When it was begun I did not k.now 
 that it vias to have been the first autobiography ever 
 published in Montana. For that reason, if for no 
 other, it will have a distinct historic value. 
 
 ^^nyone who places himself before the public is laying 
 himself open to criticism. I shall not mal^e any special 
 plea to the reader to be kind as that would be folly. 
 
 JJJAX.
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 14 
 
 Ajax Mine, Frontispiece 
 
 W. A. C. Ryan, 4 
 
 A. J. Fisk at 14 years of age 5 
 
 G. R. Noyes, 
 
 Amy L. Noyes, 
 
 Stage Coach, 32 
 
 First House in Wisdom, 62 
 
 Wisdom, 80 
 
 Hattie M. Noyes, Founder of Wisdom, 81 
 
 Whiteface, 145 
 
 Sunny Slope, 1 47 
 
 H. S. Armitage's Plow Outfit, 150 
 
 A. J. Noyes, (Ajax) 153 
 
 ERRATA 
 
 Page 13. Une 14 Bear Gulch 
 
 " 14. ■' 25 me for I 
 
 '• 16. '• 15 me for 1 
 
 •• 21. ;; 42 Nesler 
 
 29, " 36 came for come 
 
 " 33. " 23 Ramsdell and me 
 
 ■' 57, ;■ 40 Hem 
 
 71, " 42 Lon for Loo
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX." 
 
 Being one of those who came to Montana in the '60s, I am expected, 
 as a member of the "Pioneer Society," to write something. Just what 
 there is in my life that can or will be of interest to any one, unless it is 
 to my children and theirs, I am not wise enough, at this time, to say. Yet, 
 after all, one can hardly live in a new country like Montana for nearly 
 fifty years without being, in some way, a maker of history. I was born 
 in St. Anthony, Minnesota, December 2nd, 1855. Probably some time 
 in the year I 859 my father moved to a small farm nine miles from the city 
 of Minneapolis. Here, Annie, my baby sister, died with scarlet fever 
 when two and one-half years of age. Here, too, my other sister Maud, 
 now the wife of Will A. Armitage, of Briston, Montana, was born. 
 
 Father took the "gold fever," and was one of the men who crossed 
 the plains with Capt. James L. Fisk, in 1 862. A German, who had 
 worked for us on the farm, went with him. This man, whose name was 
 John Kritz, was killed while working in a drift in some gulch near Helena. 
 Father did not stay in Montana, or what is now called Montana, but 
 went to Boise Basin. He stayed in the West for several years without 
 being able to accumulate much money, coming back to see us in 1 864. 
 He did not stay long on his visit, soon returning to Montana via Kansas 
 City, Denver and Salt Lake. Arriving in Montana, he went to Black- 
 foot City, where he built a cabin for a party who could not pay him. Not 
 caring to tarry longer in a place like that, though having no money with 
 which to buy provisions, he started, with a hook and line as a means of 
 livelihood, for the mines at Bannack City. The fishing was good in those 
 days, in the Deer Lodge and Big Hole, so he did not suffer much from 
 hunger. Arriving at Argenta one afternoon quite early, he asked for some- 
 thing to eat. The party to whom he addressed himself was very grouchy 
 and answered him as follows: "There's the grub and stove and if you 
 can cook, you can eat." Father was a splendid cook, and though he had 
 been living on a fish diet for several days, he made up his mind he would 
 get up a "square meal," as a good meal was called in those days — plenty 
 for both of them — before he would eat anything himself. When every- 
 thing was on the table, he told the proprietor to sit up and have a bite. 
 The look on the man's face was changed materially as he gazed on the 
 
 i
 
 2 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 first good meal he had had for a long rime. "Say! young fellow, you can 
 stay here as long as you wish!" he remarked. It appears that he had the 
 charge of a smelter, as care-taker, and that very soon after he resigned 
 in favor of father, who for some rime after was in this way occupied. 
 About this rime. Col. McLean was sent as a delegate to Congress. 
 Father sent several hundred dollars by the Colonel to mother, which she 
 received some time after, as it was forwarded from Washington. In the 
 Spring of '66 father went to Bannack, fifteen miles from Argenta, and 
 entered a co-partnership in the blacksmith business with Major Watson. 
 
 My earliest recollecrion was when I was less than three years of 
 age — very dim, I must admit. My uncle, John Stanchfield, had taken 
 the California "gold fever," and went to that far-off place. I can yet 
 see, in my mmd's eye, a stage coach drive to the door, into which uncle 
 entered. He went around "The Horn." Tho he stayed in California 
 some time, he did not succeed in making anything, but went to Florence, 
 Idaho, where he did make over $30,000.00 in the mines. He made a 
 visit to his old home in Minnesota, then returned to the mountains and 
 died at La Grande, Oregon in 1865. This man was tall, dark hair, 
 black eyes and perfectly fearless. On his second trip to the West he 
 guided a small party of emigrants through a country infested with Indians, 
 and against the direct commands of the Colonel at a post in Wyoming, 
 who was supposed to stop all emigrants until the party was strong enough 
 to go in safety. Will, his brother, was with him on this trip. In connec- 
 tion with this slight mention of my uncle, I want to say that before he 
 went to California the first time my grandmother tried to get him to stay, 
 and with her take up a homestead in what is now the center of the city of 
 Minneapolis. "Distance lends enchantment to the view." 
 
 I can also recall a day and night on the above mentioned farm dur- 
 ing the Sioux War. Mother desiring to see about something on the 
 place, got my uncle. Will, to go with her from St. Anthony, where we 
 were living. Just how they came to take me I do not now recall. 
 On our way out we met many men, women and children, who were 
 fleeing to the city from the "back-woods." Many of them had their all 
 in small bundles on their backs. All that night people appeared to be 
 roaming the woods, making more or less noise; for what reason I never could 
 conjecture. This Indian War in Minnesota was a mighty bloody affair. 
 There came a day, however, when Little Crow, the head chief, was cap- 
 tured and taken as a prisoner to Ft. Snelling. That was a "gala day" in St. 
 Anthony, as the proud Indian Chieftain was to be conveyed through the 
 city on his way to the fort. Thousands gathered to watch the procession. 
 At last came the wagon in which the chief was sitring, two soldiers stood 
 behind him, and once in a while ,they would violently remove his blanket, 
 that covered a shaven poll. Hate of the fiercest kind was depicted on his 
 face at this outrage. My feelings toward that man are not now as they 
 were then. He had much to contend with and had only attempted to pay 
 in kind what his people had suffered through the advent of the Whites.
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 3 
 
 In the Spring of I 866 Capt. Fisk was to take his last train across 
 the plains. We were to go with him and join father at Bannack. It took 
 some time to make preparations for this long trip. Various things must 
 be gotten together. Oxen and cows were used to pull the wagon — the cows 
 only on a hard day. A tent was bought, which did not appear to be of the 
 best quality, or else it was an old one, because at the Wild Rice river the 
 rain came through as though there was nothing to stop it, and some kind- 
 hearted bachelor traded with us for the time being. Our party consisted 
 of Mrs. Mary Jane Lee, my mother's sister, mother, sister Maud, aged 
 five; Joe Dodge, Geo. Fibbitts and myself, 10 years of age. As it 
 would be some time before enough people could be gotten together for a 
 train, we were to meet at Ft. Abercrombie, on the Red River of the North. 
 We were in no particular hurry in going from St. Anthony to the place 
 of rendezvous. There came a day, when, in the opinion of Capt. Fisk, we 
 were strong enough in numbers to make the start without fear of trouble 
 from Indians. Two hundred and fifty men, 50 women and children, 120 
 wagons, composed Fisk's last train for Montana. One hundred of these men 
 were known as the "$1 00.00 men," as they had given the Captain $1 00.00 
 each to conduct them to Montana. We pulled only five miles the first 
 day, and camped on the west bank of the Wild Rice. A violent storm 
 of wind and rain cam.e up just before supper and it was at that time we 
 were convinced of the poorness of our tent as a means of protection against 
 rain. I can remember a few things that happened during our journey. The 
 first buffalo was killed by a man named Jack Hicks. I guess that the 
 division was such that every one had fresh meat for supper. On the 5 th 
 day of July we were compielled to stop the train and keep the numerous 
 herd of buffaloes from stampeding us. For more than two hours we had 
 to stay and shoot at the herd, in order to deflect it. Ninety-eight were 
 killed. It was probably a useless slaughter, but at the time it did not 
 appear so. 
 
 Our train generally traveled three wagons abreast. Our division was on 
 the south ; the buffalo were coming from the north. I crossed to the up- 
 per division and got on a wagon to watch the grand sight. Old plains- 
 men, who were with us, said they had never seen a more wonderful herd 
 than this. As far as the eye could see was dark with hairy hides, and 
 that on a dead level plain. It was very exciting for all concerned, as 
 we could not tell when our cattle might become frightened and run away. 
 One old buffalo cow, when shot, dropped with her head almost against 
 the wheel of the wagon on which I was standing. 
 
 We did not always have good water, as much of it was alkaline. 
 Before the stock was turned loose we generally laid in a supply for the 
 night. Buffalo chips were very often used for fuel. Speaking of water, 
 calls to my mind that in digging for water we found ice at a depth of two 
 or three feet under some black muck and excellent water also. One day 
 we came to some mounds out on the plains. These mounds were prob- 
 ably fifty feet high. Near these were two deep, clear springs of
 
 4 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 cold water, more like wells, as they must have been ten feet deep and that 
 much in diameter. I have wondered since what connection there could have 
 been between these objects. Could the Indians or some prehistoric people 
 have uplifted the mounds as land marks? 
 
 We did not get into the "Indian country," until about the time we ar- 
 rived at the Missouri river. Here we saw many of our red brothers. One 
 night, soon after, we were startled by the cry of "Indians! Indians!" 
 The people got up in a hurry and made preparations to resist an at- 
 tack. Mother called me and I got up, dressed and proceeded to in- 
 vestigate. The wagon next ahead of ours was owned by three men; their 
 names I do not now recall. In passing it, on my way around the corral, I 
 heard one of them in the wagon looking for ammunition and uistmctly 
 remember his language: "Just my damned luck; never could find any- 
 thing when I needed it." I proceeded around the corral and made up my 
 mind there were no Indians near us. Telling mother so, I at once went back 
 to bed and slumber. It seems that it was only a false alarm, just to find 
 out in what shape the men would be in a real attack. It may have been a 
 useful lesson to some, probably was. 
 
 It was about this time a Swede, who had lagged behind, came to the 
 conclusion to camp at least two miles away from the main encampment. 
 A young man, W. A. C. Ryan, generally called "Whack" Ryan, got 
 several others to go with him for the express purpose of giving the Swede 
 a scare. They had purchased several articles of the Indians, and dressing 
 themselves in Indian costume went to the Swede's camp and made an at- 
 tack on it. The result of this carelessness and thoughtlessness almost cost the 
 life of the Swedish lady, who was in a delicate condition. She went 
 from one swoon into another, until it was generally supposed she would 
 die. The men got Ryan and raising a wagon tongue on end for a scaf- 
 fold, told him his time had come if the woman died. Luckily for him 
 she recovered. It was also a good lesson for her husband, who was 
 never known to lag behind again. Ryan did not remain long in Montana. 
 He returned East and was one of the men who was shot for filibustering 
 at Santiago de Cuba. I want to say that "Whack" Ryan was no coward 
 — he never knew the meaning, so far as he was personally concerned, of 
 "white feather." He might have died in a more glorious cause, but 
 when he faced his executioners, he fell as a brave, though reckless man, 
 should. One little personal experience with Ryan made me dislike him, prob- 
 ably because I could not see the joke. The younger brothers of the 
 Fisk family conducted a sutler's store, where one could purchase quite a 
 variety of things. What attracted me toward their tent was candy. One 
 evening soon after we had gotten into the section of country infested with 
 prickly pear, I, barefoot as usual, went to Fisk's tent for candy. Jack 
 Fisk and "Whack" were standing in front of the tent, and as 
 a joke, one on either side, got me by an arm and would hold me over 
 a bunch of pears, lowering me so that I had to make quite a struggle to 
 keep my little feet from coming in contact with the thorns. I called them
 
 W. A. C. RYAN
 
 A. J. FISK 
 AT 14 YEARS OF AGE
 
 ,i 
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 5 
 
 everything a boy would who was some scared and a whole lot mad. I 
 threatened them with dire vengeance — when size and age should be mine. 
 
 Poor "Whack," as above mentioned, was killed years before I 
 grew up and I never took it out of Jack's hide because I did not meet him 
 until forty years after — at the "Old Timers' Meeting" in Anaconda. 
 
 I saw his name on the register at The Montana, and asked some one 
 to point him out to me. The party did so, and behold, here was a 
 man who must have weighed 200 pounds and in excellent health, while 
 I did not "tip the beam" at more than 135. I introduced myself and 
 told him what I had intended to do that summer of '66 if I ever should 
 be so fortunate as to run across him. But, under the circumstances, as it 
 had been many moons ago and that, in fact, I had slept on it quite a 
 while and not feeling like marring the pleasures of such an occasion — espec- 
 ially after having noticed the size to which he had grown — I would for- 
 give him and be friends if he would adjourn to the bar and take some- 
 thing with me. Jack explained that he did not think it the correct thing 
 to harbor ill feelings for something which had happened, as a joke, so 
 long ago that he had forgotten it, and if I felt sore and that a drink 
 would help to heal the wound, he would take anything, or the whole bar. 
 We took something — probably water — and renewed a broken friendship, 
 not again to be broken, as Jack has gone "over the divide." 
 
 i think that we must have had, on the whole, quite an enjoyable trip. 
 Game was plenty and Indians were not troublesome. We forded several 
 small streams. Once the Little Muddy caused us quite a lot of bother. One 
 outfit unloaded their goods and made a bridge of the wagons, over which 
 they carried their stuff safely to the other bank. We, after a while, 
 forded. Dan Cameron, a man with whom we were acquainted in Minne- 
 apolis, had a pony and insisted that he should carry Maud over on it. 
 When about midway of the stream the pony stumbled, owing to the mud, 
 and all went out of sight. Only for an instant, however, as the horse 
 righted himself and all were landed safely on the bank with no harm other 
 than a little muddy water. I believe we forded the Milk river seven 
 times. I can remember that our longest day's journey was 28 miles. That 
 night we camped at the Bear Paw mountains. The day we arrived at 
 Fort Benton two tons of gold were loaded on the boat by two Germans, 
 who had taken it out of Confederate Gulch. One of whom was made 
 crazy over his sudden wealth. 
 
 Arriving at Sun River, some of our party found a man who had 
 been murdered and thrown into the stream. He was light complexioned, 
 answering to a description of my uncle. Will Stanchfield, who was ex- 
 pected to return from Idaho to Minnesota. Mother and Aunt Jane 
 thought it would be a good idea to remove him from his newly made 
 grave to see if they could identify him. George Babbage and William 
 O'Brien, for a long time the noted foreman of the Homestakc Mine of 
 Deadwood, old friends of uncle's, came up while the discussion was going 
 on. They had seen the body, so told the folks it was not Will.
 
 6 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 Here on the banks of the beautiful river had occurred a tragedy of 
 the "wild west." Cards were scattered all over the ground, the only 
 indication of the cause of death. The body was naked, lying in a deep, 
 clear pool of water. The clothing had, no doubt, been removed and 
 destroyed for reasons best known to the murderers. Here, on the banks 
 of the Sun River is a nameless grave. For years loving hearts have been 
 waiting for some word from a dear one who can never return; whose 
 body was interred by strangers who discovered it through accident. How 
 many mothers, wives and sweethearts were in this manner deprived of their 
 loved ones no one will ever know. 
 
 We continued our journey the next morning, and arrived at Helena, 
 I believe, on the 9th of September. This place was at that time quite 
 a mining camp. The one thing in particular that attracted my attention 
 was the "Old Dead Tree," on which they assisted the "undesirable citi- 
 zen" to "pass over the range." We did not have much business to de- 
 tain us at that place, so we made our way over a spur of the mountains 
 to Boulder valley, thence to the Jefferson, up which valley we travelled 
 for a few days; thence across the Beaverhead to the Rattlesnake Creek, 
 our last camping place before reaching the end of our trip. 
 
 Only 11 miles to Bannack! Had there been a telephone in those 
 days, I suppose father would have been at the Rattlesnake to meet us, but 
 as there was no way of communicating, we had to make the full journey 
 before we would be able to see him. In those days we went over the 
 Rocky hill, past Road Agents' Rock, down a very steep hill, just below the 
 scaffold on which Ray, Plummer and Stinson were hanged, into Hang- 
 man's Gulch and the city of Bannack. Father had rented a house, so we 
 could, for the first time in four months, take such shelter. On arriving in 
 the Gulch several little boys came up and introduced themselves by say- 
 ing: "I guess you are George Noyes' boy?" To tell the truth, I did not 
 know, as I had never heard him spoken of as other than Raymond or 
 Rayme — did not know that his first name was George. I do not recall 
 all of the boys. Billy Mcintosh, Billy (Dustan) Johnson, Rufe Ferster, 
 and two brothers named Fuller, cousins of Rufe, I think. The Fuller 
 people left Bannack that fall. Rufe Ferster, Billy Mcintosh, Billy 
 Johnson and I became fast friends. Billy Johnson left Bannack in '68. 
 I have never heard of him since. 
 
 Quite a number of things happened that winter of '66 and 7. I 
 met quite a number of men with whom I have had an extensive ac- 
 quaintance since. Smith and Graeter were in the mercantile business. 
 Phil Lovell, a butcher shop; Bill Goodrich, hotel; "Old Man" Falls, a 
 bakery; a restaurant by Thos. H. Hamilton; boarding house and hotel 
 by mother and Aunt Jane. We also had a feed stable or corral. I must 
 not forget Rockefellow & Co., who were keeping a store. My first pur- 
 chase was five cents worth of apples of them. It took some time to find my 
 fruit, not that they didn't have plenty, but they were looking for quality. 
 A half rotten apple was my portion. I went home and showed my apple.
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 7 
 
 and father said: "You are lucky to get anything for five cents, as apples 
 are worth 50 cents per pound." Looking at it from that standpoint, I 
 was probably treated liberally. In view of the fact that 25 and 50 cent 
 pieces were considered of no particular value, unless many of them were 
 possessed by the same person, one would soon learn of the no-accountness 
 of a nickle. 
 
 Just across the street from our place was a house called the "Long 
 Cabin" — since used as a store building by F. L. Graves. 1 his was the 
 home that winter, or part of it at least, of "Old Bill" Fairweather and 
 his brother, Tom. My folks had been acquainted with Bill for many 
 years. If I had ever seen him before, I do not recall it. When we 
 came to Bannack I became well known to them and would consider it a 
 treat to go and eat — also stay and make "three in a bed." Tom, who 
 was a big jolly fellow, was very much of a joker and hence made my 
 first night one that I will always remember. The blankets were thrown 
 down in the middle of the room, on the floor; no springs in those days; the 
 bedding was soon unrolled and bed was made. A short time after we 
 retired Tom said: "I forgot to tell you, Allie, that I have been known 
 to eat little boys in my sleep; if you hear me grit my teeth in the night, 
 wake up, or it will be all off with you. It must have been about the hour 
 of midnight when I was awakened by something and found that Tom 
 was gritting his teeth. I let a big yell that immediately awakened the 
 Fairweather brothers out of a sound sleep. They enquired the reason for 
 such a disturbance. My reply was that "Tom was going to eat me and 
 I wanted to go home." It took considerable talk on their part to satisfy 
 me that Tom was a joker. 
 
 "Old Bill" Fairweather! To him should actually be given the credit 
 of the discovery of Alder Gulch. Tho Bill was called old, he was only 
 39 years of age when he "passed over the range." Can anyone say 
 what the unlocking of such a "treasure house" meant to the world? 
 When that gold was deposited from whence it came, no man knows. 
 Since the world began it may have lain hidden from the sight of man, 
 to be called into use by an All Wise Creator at a time when it would 
 do the most good. That little band of hungry prospectors which had, so 
 short a time before, been captured by the Indians on the Yellowstone, no 
 doubt owed their lives to Bill Fairweather, owing to the fact that he was not 
 afraid of a rattlesnake, had even picked one up in their presence and 
 fondled it as a mother would a child. Seeing this the interpreter told 
 them that Bill was a big medicine man, one whom it would be very unwise 
 to injure. They were, no doubt, convinced that what he said was true, 
 as it is known that they were liberated after the Indians had taken all 
 their horses, except Bill's, and most of their provisions; giving them in 
 return some worn-out ponies. 
 
 Can you picture to yourself the scene? These six men were gold 
 hunters who would attempt any journey for Gold. Fhcy had been 
 released a few days before by the Indians. They had followed up the
 
 8 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 Madison river to Wigwam Creek, up which stream they started, to find 
 that the mountains at its head were almost impassable. They turned 
 to the right and crossed a low divide to find themselves on this stream, 
 Alder. In going to the Yellowstone, they had passed quite near this 
 place. Here was a small, clear mountain stream which had its source in 
 the snow-covered peak called "Old Baldy." The grassy hillsides fur- 
 nished grazing for the wild things, especially antelope. The prospectors 
 had gone into camp for the night in good season, no doubt, for the reason 
 that the ponies were in no condition to go farther. All except Barney 
 Hughes were hunting, as they had but little provisions. In a conver- 
 sation with Barney years after, he told me the following: I was left at 
 camp to get supper. We had a little flour in the bottom of the sack, 
 from which I had made some bread, which was almost ready for the 
 frying pan, when Bill Fairweather and Henry Edgar came to camp. 'Say, 
 Barney,' said Bill, 'how long before I can have that pan? I believe 
 I have found a place that will "pan'." 'You can have it right now,' 
 I said; so I put the dough back into the sack and Bill and Henry struck 
 out. Bill filled the pan and Henry eagerly grabbed it and did the pan- 
 ning which showed the first gold of "Old Alder." This was the manner 
 in which the discovery was made, as told to me one night at the Ajax 
 ranch, long years after. 
 
 In passing, I want to say a few words about Barney Hughes. He 
 was an Irishman by birth, coming in the early fifties to the United States. 
 He had prospected all over California, Idaho and Montana. Had found 
 rich diggings in several places, but was never able to get any real good from 
 his discoveries. The money that he got in Alder Gulch — forty thousand 
 dollars — he invested in San Francisco in property that had an insecure title, 
 hence he lost what he invested. His idea was an excellent one had the 
 title been good, and he did not doubt but what it was; he would have 
 been a very rich man. He was gettmg his pack horse ready, one day at 
 the Ajax ranch, for a trip to the mountains. I remarked that he under- 
 stood the diamond hitch pretty well. "I ought to, my boy, I have thrown 
 it for 56 years, and I wish I had never seen it." 
 
 As long as Montana is Montana, these men will be remembered. 
 They were brave and fearless. They wandered over the mountains and 
 plains with an idea that gold could be found almost any place. While 
 they did not secure much from the wealth they were the means of un- 
 covering, many others did, and the world at large will be using the gold 
 of Alder Gulch for centuries to come. Barney Hughes lies in the little 
 cemetery near Wisdom, in the valley of the Big Hole, near the mountains 
 he worked in and loved. The find was of such a character that they 
 were wild with excitement. They went to Bannack for provisions and 
 were followed — as most prospectors were in those days — by many of the 
 men from Bannack. The history of Alder is the history of a state. These 
 things may appear to be digressions, but they are part of the things I
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 9 
 
 learned of these men, who did so much by uncovering the wealth of the 
 richest gulch in the world. 
 
 There was nothing of an exciting nature occurring in Bannack that 
 winter. There was, I believe, a stampede to Loon Creek or some place 
 in Idaho, and severel men were frozen. Billy Yearian taught a private 
 school, and most of us attended. I enjoyed myself, as we had many 
 horses to feed at our corral, some of them I could ride to water. Then 
 father bought a small grey pony for me, which was a wonder in a way, 
 as she could run 200 or 300 yards very fast. Many a person, in the three 
 years Kitty was in my possession, would fetch their horses to try them with 
 her, to find out whether they could run or not. Many horses that could 
 not outrun her made much money in various places in the territory after- 
 wards. 
 
 All who have read the "Vigilante Days and Ways" will recall a 
 horse that the road agents wanted on Horse Prairie. Joseph Shineberger 
 and Martin Barrett had a ranch at the crossing of the above named stream, 
 about eleven miles from Bannack. They had a saddle horse known 
 for his gameness, beauty, etc., no other in the country was his equal. I 
 can remember him well. A magnificent grey; he was often at our place, 
 ridden either by Shineberger or Barrett. This is the one that figures in the 
 early Montana story. Wm. Roe purchased him in Salt Lake and brought 
 him to the Territory. My people called Joe Shineberger "Butterball," as 
 he used to furnish us with a nice grade of butter at $L25 per pound. I 
 recall a trip made with Joe Dodge to the S. & B. ranch very late in the 
 fall of '66 for hay. We had two two-ox teams. We did not go very well 
 prepared for a camp on a cold night; had taken only one blanket with us, 
 as Dodge supposed we would be invited into the house for the night. We 
 had a lunch with us. Arriving at the ranch, we were shown the hay stack 
 from which we were to load. We went over and proceeded to load that 
 evening, in order to get an early start for home the next morning. When 
 the loads were on, we looked for an invitation over to the house. We 
 did not get it, however, so we got out our blanket and lots of hay, into 
 w'hich we burrowed. We managed to pass the night. Joe "cuddled me 
 up close" or I would actually have suffered with the cold. We were 
 to blame in this matter, not having been in the mountains long enough 
 to understand the conditions. Every one was expected to take his bed 
 in those days. I have known Mr. and Mrs. Barrett for many years. I re- 
 call many cordial welcomes that have been extended me at their beautiful 
 home since that November night in '66. (Mr. Barrett was not then 
 married.) 
 
 In the spring of '67 my father and Joe Dodge took a contract to 
 get out logs for Mr. Sturgis, a man who owned a small saw mill at 
 the Saw Mill Point, seven miles northwest of Bannack. We moved to 
 the "Point" for the summer. That was the year Smith and Gracter 
 were digging the big ditch from Painter Creek to Bannack, and father 
 was hired by them to do the blacksmithing. He also took a contract for
 
 10 THE STORY OF "AJAX' 
 
 several rods of ditch along a side hill. To pass away the time I spent 
 two weeks with him, while he was at work on this contract, going from 
 Bannack to the ditch with Pat Dempsey, then a driver for Smith & 
 Graeter, but who, not many years after, became quite a factor as a busi- 
 ness man in Beaverhead county. I can recall a few little things that hap- 
 pened that spring on the Grasshopper. One thing, these little pests wer« 
 thick and ate almost everything in sight. Another was Johnny Stone, sup- 
 posed to have been one of the best horseback riders ever in the West, had 
 a herd of horses that he often corralled at our place in order to catch 
 some of them to break to the saddle. I saw him when he made his great 
 ride from Argenta to Bannack and back — 32 miles — in less than two 
 hours. I also remember two trades that took place that summer. James 
 Gordon, one of the Gordon Bros., who had a store in Bannack; he was 
 also sheriff of Beaverhead county. Dodge and I were riding the range 
 one day when we met Gordon and some one else. Dodge was riding a 
 very fine looking mare, but which, owing to a misfortune, would not 
 breed, and Dodge knew it. Gordon had a very nice gelding, not large, but 
 good. Looking at the mare, he bantered Dodge for a trade, saying: "I 
 want to get something to breed, Joe, and you can certainly get as much 
 satisfaction riding this horse, which is a much better saddle animal than 
 yours." They did not stop to parley very long, exchanging saddles, they 
 were soon going to their respective destinations, one to Bannack the other 
 to the Point. Jim was not long in finding that "low Yankee" had beaten 
 him in the trade. On his arrival at the store he explained matters to his 
 brother and remarked that he would get even on "that Yankee yet." 
 When winter came Dodge had an ox which he desired to sell and 
 which he did sell to Gordon. Gordon also bought two tons of hay with 
 which to feed the ox through the winter. For some reason the ox did 
 not appear to thrive, so Gordon called Dodge in, as an expert, to find 
 out what would be the best thing to do. Joe looked him over for a 
 moment and said he "guessed bran mash should be given" — something 
 that could not be procured — "because 'You see, Jim, he hain't got any 
 teeth'." In this way Gordon got even with the Yankee. 
 
 Some time during that summer father bought an interest in a port- 
 able saw mill. Al Graeter and Dave Sinclair were the others interested. 
 This mill was on Taylor Creek, almost up to the head, near "Old Baldy." 
 We were to move up there, mother was to do the cooknig. It was about 
 this time that my Aunt Jane married Thos. H. Hamilton. It 
 fell to my lot to herd the cows, and as this was to be done on 
 foot, it was no great pleasure, because, for some reason, those cows 
 wanted to go back to the valley, seven or eight miles distant. When 
 the weather was decent I would get Maud to go with me. When I think 
 of those days it almost gives me an indigo feeling; I was eleven and Maud 
 six. We had to drive the cows for a mile or more through thick lodge-pole 
 pines, along an old Indian trail, then down into and across a deep gulch 
 to the top of a long grassy slope, on which large boulders were scattered.
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 11 
 
 the only means of shelter from wind or storm, between the two branches of 
 Dice Creek. AH day long we herded those pesky cows. When the 
 wind was too cold we had a place between some rocks, into which we 
 would go, pulling an old shawl over our heads, being careful to look 
 out every once in a while to see that our charge was safe. At last the 
 weather got to be exceedingly disagreeable, as it was getting late in the 
 season. Yet one morning I coaxed Maud to go. We had only been 
 gone a short time when it began to snow. She began to suffer with the cold, 
 and as we did not have any overshoes, her little shoes became wet through. 
 She began to cry. I had a large bandana which I at once tore up and 
 wrapped about her feet, turning our faces homeward and for the first 
 time in six weeks allowing our cows to go free. It is needless to say 
 that some man had to go for them that night. 
 
 It could not have been long after this when they made up their minds 
 to close the mill for the winter, and move to Bannack, twelve miles away. 
 I remember I let James Carrick, a cousin, ride my pony and I walked to 
 town. Father built a two-room shack for us to live in that winter, also 
 quite a large stable to be used for feed business. For some reason there 
 was nothing going on in Bannack, and it was hard getting 
 along. We milked a few cows, which contributed a little. Father had 
 gone to a new quartz camp. Silver Star. Joe Dodge hauled ore or wood — 
 doing general teaming. The Hamiltons built a small restaurant, but there 
 was no business to justify it. Everything was high, sugar was $1.00 per 
 pound, coal oil $10.00 per gal. Many a time aunt would give me 50 
 cents with which to go to the store and buy sugar. In the light of later 
 events, I think they would get me to go, as they were "poor but proud." 
 
 That winter a man named Douglass taught a private school, making 
 probably enough to live on. If he did nothing more, he kept the children 
 out of the street. A young man, Robert or Bob McConnell, batched in 
 a cabin next door to the one used as a school house. Bob was an ex- 
 ceedingly bright young fellow and took great interest in all of us. He 
 would help us with our lessons, and as he was splendid in mathematics, 
 he often got us to propound questions of a catch nature to Douglass. Bob 
 was one of the men who discovered the mines at Hecla, selling his share 
 for several thousand dollars. Years after he came to my ranch in the 
 Big Hole and made his home with us, until he died. He himself was 
 the only enemy he had. 
 
 At last spring arrived and we were again to hit the trail. We had 
 just as well have been born in the Redman's camp — with long hair and 
 nomadic blood — so far as having any particular habitation was con- 
 cerned. We had gathered several cows and horses, besides our work oxen, 
 so had some little property. Father had written for us to come to Silver Star: 
 our stock had wintered on the Rattlesnake, 1 6 miles from Bannack and 
 if I am not mistaken Jimmie Kirkpatrick had them in charge. To a per- 
 son not acquainted with Montana conditions, it would appear strange that 
 stock could be turned on the range for the winter, and come out fat in
 
 12 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 the spring, and this only 1 6 miles from Bannack, where there was good 
 sleighing in winter, 
 
 I remember that Mr. Philip H. Poindexter, of the firm of Poindex- 
 ter & Orr, told me that he and Mr. Orr brought 1 ,000 steers from 
 California, turned them out on the Blacktail Deer Creek, where they fat- 
 tened on the bunch grass during the winter, and the next spring they were 
 offered $125.00 per head for them. 
 
 We said "good bye" to Bannack and those who for a part of two 
 years had been our friends. Uncle "Ham" and Aunt Jane went to Jeff 
 Davis Gulch on Horse Prairie and we headed for Jefferson Valley. There 
 happened to be a young Irishman who wanted to go to Silver Star, so he 
 was furnished with a saddle horse with which to help me drive the stock. 
 I am sorry that I do not remember his name. We crossed the bench land, 
 afterward made into a productive farm under the management of Justin 
 E. Morse, to the Hogback; thence down the east side of it to the Big 
 Hole river, where we expected to ford. The river was so high that it 
 was considered dangerous to attempt to cross it. The man with me and 
 I could take the cattle and horses down a trail near the bank of the river, 
 but the wagon had to go pretty near the Point of Rocks on the Beaver- 
 head and take a road down that valley to Laurin Bridge on the Big 
 Hole. We passed some hot springs, since known as Ziegler and ar- 
 rived at the bridge before the team. We spent the night here and arrived 
 at Silver Star the next day. One-half mile south of where the town is 
 now was the store in those days. I do not remember how many houses 
 there were, but I do remember that Joseph Barkell had one. He was 
 a married man and had two boys, James and Richard, particular friends 
 of mine until this time. These boys never got far from old Silver Star. 
 They have succeeded in bringing up two nice families and have had 
 enough of this world's goods to make them independent. 
 
 There was an arastra, which was run by the water from Cherry 
 Creek. The men who owned the Green Campbell mine were getting ready 
 to build a quartz mill. Father at once got material for and built the 
 Silver Star Hotel, an old land mark of that place. A store and saloon 
 building was soon erected for George Baker. Smith & Graeter of Ban- 
 nack had sent a young man with a stock of goods. Charles Blivens, after- 
 wards killed in Dillon, and Wm. Gilbert built and conducted a saloon. 
 All this time they were getting things in shape to build the mill. For 
 some reason my time seemed to pass more pleasantly than the fall of the 
 year before. True, I had to get the cows and oxen, but as I had my 
 pony, it was not disagreeable work. Then, there was Jim and Dick. 
 The town became quite a place, the mines were good and the mill was 
 turning out gold in great shape. Chas. Everett, the manager, and wife 
 had the best room in the hotel. Many a time have I seen gold pan after 
 gold pan filled with amalgam under their bed. 
 
 Father and Dodge had a wood contract. Father did the black- 
 smithing for the mill, and with the hotel and feed stable, also conducted
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 13 
 
 by them, they appeared to be making some money. Mother had con- 
 tracted a severe cold at a dance in Bannack Christmas night, 1866. 
 For some reason it became deep-seated, her health becoming very poor, 
 later it turned into consumption. She had any amount of work to do, 
 and her health not improving, she sent to Minneapolis for my grandmother, 
 Mary A. Stanchfield. She and her son Charles came up the Missouri 
 river on the steamer Leni Leoti. I heard her tell of having seen X. 
 Beidler, who hailed the boat one day as a refugee from Indians that had 
 been chasing him and came near enough to shoot holes in his hat. Grand- 
 ma also thought that X did the shooting himself. Grandmother was a 
 remarkable woman. She knew how to do things, and went ahead and 
 took full charge of the hotel. All were busy in the little town in those 
 days. All living in hopes of future good luck. Mines were being opened 
 all over the county. Up in Bear Bulch Prof. Kanabe built a lead Smelter. 
 Rochester was booming. Butte was doing something in a placer line. 
 Alder was producing "dust." Silver Star did not support children enough 
 for a school while I lived there. 
 
 The Jefferson valley was then one of the best stock sections avail- 
 able. Cattle needed no feed, other than the wild grass which they could 
 get any place to carry them through winter in good condition. In fact we 
 killed cattle for beef that had ranged all winter. I can recall the names 
 of quite a number of people who called the little place home in those days. 
 Charles Hineman, quite a character as a mining man then and years 
 after; Dave Sinclair, sawmill; Mr. Weingart, the contractor who hauled 
 ore for the Green-Cambpell Co. for years after, and now a successful 
 stockman and farmer; Fred Hutchinson, Perry Westfall, who had a small 
 ranch near town, now a successful stockman of the Judith Basin ; Beall 
 Bros., their mother, the Widow Hubbard, afterward my stepmother; 
 Macindays Hotel, otherwise "French Mac"; Joe and Frank Gouther and 
 little Alex Dupee, these men later of Grasshopper and Bannack; Geo. 
 Blackman and family; Taylor Blivens, Alex Carmichael, the Rogans, 
 Geo. Sparrell and family; King and Slaven had a ranch near town. Some 
 of these people are living in that vicinity yet; many of them sleep on the 
 little hill behind the town. 
 
 I recall one little incident concerning a Chinaman, who helped in 
 the hotel. Grandmother requested him to do something one day to which 
 he replied: "Me no savey." Grandmother went to the wood box. se- 
 lected a good sized piece of wood and said: "John, a Chinaman who 
 can't savey is no good, so I am going to kill you." John took it for granted 
 that she meant what she said and quickly remarked: "Me heap savey." 
 He never again claimed ignorance of the English tongue. Mother's health 
 not improving, Mr. and Mrs. Thos. H. Hamilton of Horse Plains came 
 to take charge of the hotel. They came some time in the fall, after the 
 placer mines closed down on Jeff Davis, and stayed all winter, with the 
 exception of one trip back to the Gulch some time in the middle of win- 
 ter. I made this trip with them. We stayed one night at Argenta
 
 14 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 with A. M. Esler, a very prominent mining man. Here we needs 
 must change from wagon to sleigh for the balance of the journey. As we 
 were going down a hill, just after having crossed the Argenta divide, 
 over went the sleigh. Aunt Jane was wrapped in such a manner she could 
 not help herself, so had to be assisted by Uncle Ham out of a very 
 disagreeable position; she had gone into a snow drift head first. That 
 night we camped with Mr. and Mrs. Martin Barrett. I remember that 
 Mrs. Barrett had ginger cake for supper, something for which I had a 
 great liking. I suppose you would like to know why I can remember what 
 particular thing I had to eat in the early winter of '69, forty-five years 
 ago. It was because I was corrected by my aunt for the manner in which 
 I had asked Mrs. Barrett for the gmger cake. My mother had been too 
 busy, probably, to note my language at the table, as she seldom ate when 
 I did. Next day we pulled out for the gulch, where we remamed long 
 enough for uncle and aunt to arrange their belongings for the winter ere 
 they return to Silver Star. Our trip back was uneventful. We arrived to 
 find mother growing much weaker each day. Joe Dodge was at this 
 time working at Rochester, to which place I was sent to him one after- 
 noon with a letter from father. I arrived there after dark. Joe read the 
 letter and we started at once for Silver Star. 
 
 On the 22nd day of March, I 869, mother died. She was taken to 
 a little knoll just back of town and laid to rest, being the first person to 
 be buried at Silver Star. She had chosen this place herself. This was 
 a sad day for my little sister and I. We had lost a kind mother and 
 must go through this life without her loving protection. Mother had ar- 
 ranged with grandmother to take us back to St. Anthony and put us in 
 school. She had told father to place ten head of good dairy cows on 
 shares with Mrs. Hamilton, these cows and their increase to become our 
 property. This was done, and was, in fact, the foundation of the Ham- 
 ilton fortune. 
 
 When spring opened up we made arrangements to go to Fort Benton 
 and go down to Sioux City on the first boat. Our trip from Silver Star 
 to Benton was full of interest to me, as I had been over the same ground 
 three years before. We arrived in Helena soon after the big fire, but 
 little of the business portion was intact. After leaving Helena, a freighter 
 named Sherrill, who came from the Bitter Root, overtook us and travelled 
 in our company to Benton. He had two boys with him, Scott and Bunch, 
 who afterwards took part in the Battle of the Big Hole. We had an ex- 
 ceedingly enjoyable trip after they came to us. (It was years after before 
 we met again. Scott was then a prominent ranchman in Ross Hole. 
 Bunch had not been fortunate in this world's goods.) On our arrival 
 at Benton, we found the steamer Deer Lodge. We took passage on this 
 boat for Sioux City. We went down the river to Camp Cook, where we 
 took on board quite a number of soldiers. A Mrs. Campbell and 
 daughter, one of the sweetest little children I ever saw, were with them. 
 She was the wife of the doctor at the post. The evenings were spent by

 
 GEORGE R. NOYES 
 MY FATHER
 
 AMY L. NOYES 
 MY MOTHER 

 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 15 
 
 the older ones with cards and music. The children had plenty of new 
 sights and scenes to make life enjoyable to them. This was in early 
 spring, when the Missouri is supposed to have enough water for naviga- 
 tion. We were often on sand bars or were compelled to tie up for the 
 night on account of changes in the channel. 
 
 We had nothing of a startling nature excepting at the mouth of the 
 Musselshell. At this place there was a wood camp, which only a few 
 days before we arrived, had been attacked by Indians. It must have 
 been about 9 a. m. when we landed at the camp to take on wood. The 
 first thing to attract our attention was several poles nailed to the stockade, 
 each one holding the skull of an Indian. I am under the impression that 
 there were thirteen poles, as that many Indians had been killed in the 
 fight. The men in charge exhibited a short pole on which were thirteen 
 scalps, the crowning feature was one consisting of the full scalp, war- 
 bonnet and all. This was indeed a grewsome sight. At this place there 
 was only one woman. She had a bandage about her head, as the Indians 
 scalped her, believing her dead. We asked to be allowed a sight of the 
 wound, a request not granted. She did not appear to care much for the 
 loss of part of her hair, as she remarked: "I would give my scalp any 
 time for the scalps of thirteen Indians." I have met this person since 
 many times; have talked with her about the battle, but she never men- 
 tioned the fact that she ever met with the trouble above recorded. This 
 woman afterward became Mrs. James Tucker, for years a resident of the 
 Big Hole Basin, who died in October, 1910. She, in fact, said she had 
 never been scalped, but the lady who "laid her out" found the mark. 
 This was the only thing of an exciting nature during the trip to Sioux 
 City. At Sioux City we left the boat to take the cars for Dubuque, 
 Iowa., from which place we would take another boat for St. Paul. I had 
 seen cars before, on their arrival in St. Anthony, but had never had the 
 pleasure of a ride. Trains did not make the time they do now, so we 
 had quite a nice time passing across the state of Iowa. 
 
 Our boat up the Mississippi was the War Eagle, since sunk or 
 burnt. Arriving at St. Paul, we hired a carriage for St. Anthony, ten 
 miles distant. Here that Sunday morning in 1869 was the old house in 
 which I first saw the light of day. From here, three years before, we 
 had ventured out across the Great Plains to the shining mountains with 
 mother. Here we returned, orphans, to fight our life's battles as best 
 we could with grandmother's assistance. The public schools would not 
 commence until fall. I needed eome help before that time, and as a 
 young lady was to conduct a private school in the Old Black School 
 House, a building endeared to many of the prominent men in Minneapolis, 
 it was decided that I should attend. I can see the face of that little 
 teacher yet, but can not recall her name. She "brushed" me up so I 
 could enter the fifth grade at the regular session that fall in the old stone 
 school house on University Avenue, opposite the old Winslow Hotel. My 
 teacher was a Miss Heath. Prof. Harvey was the principal, a man fully
 
 16 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 able to conduct a school along right lines. Grandmother rented some 
 rooms in the Winslow Hotel, in the basement floor. This old building 
 had been quite a prominent place in antebellum days, as many Southern 
 people came North to spend the summer. After the war broke out the 
 place was used for different purposes, water-cure establishment, etc., and 
 by Rev. Edward Neill as a school known as "Jesus College." Years 
 since the old building was razed and the Exposition Building was erected 
 on the site. We lived a short time in these rooms and went to the old Jack 
 Tidd house, from which place we moved to Fifth street, securing rooms 
 with Alex Lawrence. In the meantime Uncle Will had returned to the 
 mountains. He was in Silver Bow for a season. He bought the old Milot 
 place, afterward called "The Hump," and grandmother made up her 
 mind to go once more to Montana and take charge of the cattle which 
 would soon be ready to be turned over by the Hamiltons, who had leased 
 them for three years. This left Maud and I without a home. I began 
 to board with a Mrs. Edmunds, Maud with my aunt, Mrs. Broughton, 
 where she made her home for several years, or until she again came to 
 Montana. I want to say that, according to the manner in which we were 
 treated we had some splendid aunts, both on mother's and father's side; 
 a mother could hardly be better to us than Aunt Almira Broughton, my 
 mother's sister, and Aunt Sarah Jinks, my father's youngest sister. 
 I always spent my vacation at the Jinks farm at Clear Water, 
 Minnesota. I also boarded for a while with Mrs. Watts. There came a 
 time when Aunty Broughton thought it would be better for me to get a 
 room and board myself. I soon found a room-mate, Edwin Prebble. 
 We were at that time attending the University of Minnesota, I as a prep, 
 and owing to ill health that was as far as I was able to get; Ed was con- 
 sidered by all odds the brightest fellow in school. He graduated not 
 many years after, but did not arrive at any particular post of distinction; 
 is a lawyer, some place, if living. 
 
 We had many enjoyable days together. Ed did not like to drill and 
 for that reason came mighty near being expelled. A Lieutenant Huggins 
 of the U. S. Army was stationed at the University as an instructor in the 
 Manual of Arms. There were several companies, one of which v/as 
 called the "Awkward Squad," this was composed of the higher class 
 men, hence Prebble. One morning the order was given, "Fall in line." 
 Ed did not move, but stood looking on. "Prebble, fall in line," came the 
 command from Huggins. "I am afraid those awkward fellows will tramp on 
 my corns. Lieutenant," was his reply. Going home that noon Ed asked me 
 what I thought of his refusal to drill. My reply was that he had no right 
 to disobey Huggins, as he was placed there to see that people obeyed, and 
 being a "West Pointer" he would not allow anything of this kind to 
 go without punishment, probably expulsion. Louis Gillette, since one of 
 the big iron men of Minneapolis, and Dick Rose roomed in the same block 
 that we did; they were standing at their gate as we were going by. Ed 
 stopped and said: "Al has been trying to make me think that I am apt to
 
 THE STORY OF 'AJAX" 17 
 
 get into trouble for refusing to drill this morning. What do you fellows 
 think? They b>oth told him that he had better go down and tell the Lieu- 
 tenant he was soiry. He did not think so, so went along for a day or 
 tu-o, when he made up his mind he had better see Huggins, as he did not 
 wish to be expelled, as his father had been to a considerable expense in 
 sending him to school. Walking into the Lieutenant's room, he said: 
 "Lieutenant Huggins, I came to see you about my action on the campus 
 the other morning." To which Huggins replied: "It is too late; why 
 didn't you come before? Your expulsion papers are already made out 
 to be handed in this morning." 
 
 "Say, Lieutenant, would you have a fellow come to you and tell 
 you he was sorry before he felt so?" 
 JNo. 
 
 "Well, sir, I want to say to you that I am just beginning to feel 
 sorry for having disobeyed your orders. Good morning," saying which 
 he left the room. 
 
 The Lieutenant was a very nice man, and accepted the apology (?). 
 
 I recall many happy faces of those days. Wm. W. Folwell, a 
 mighty good man, was president then. The buildmg was only a wing of 
 some plan that at some future day might be carried out. Not even that 
 much of it stands today on the campus. All these five years spent in Min- 
 neapolis did not wean me from a desire to go again to Montana. It 
 seemed to me that the sun was shining brighter there than in Minnesota; 
 that many more chances would be open for a young man. I missed my 
 pony and the free and easy life of the men whom I had met there. Money 
 was not plentiful with me, nor, as far as that was concerned, with many 
 with whom I was acquainted. 
 
 My father, in the meantime, had married the Widow Hubbard. 
 She had one child by her first husband, Geo. Hubbard, named Jennie. 
 By this union there were three children, G. W. Noyes, Laura and Ernest. 
 Father and a Mr. Parsons, the man who built the old bridge across the 
 Jefferson, seven miles below Silver Star, had entered into a partnership 
 and made some money trailing cattle from Denver, Col., in 1872. 
 Being, as is generally the case, over-anxious to get rich, they attempted 
 the second drive the same season. This brought them into the Green River 
 country late in the fall, with saddle horses in poor condition. They had 
 1 200 head of steers. One night a big snow storm came up, which 
 caused the cattle to stampede, 700 getting away, not all of them to be 
 found again. Some of these steers were found several hundred miles 
 from that camp the next spring, not enough, however, to pay for rounding 
 them up. This mishap was very discouraging, leaving the men several 
 thousand dollars in debt. Father turned all he and his wife had over to 
 the Snyder Bros, of Denver to pay, or help to pay, the indebtedness. 
 
 This was one of the reasons why I left school and returned to Mon- 
 tana in the spring of I 874. Grandmother sent money for my faro. In 
 those days it was considered better to take the train for Montana than
 
 18 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 to go by boat up the Missouri river. We went from Minneapolis to 
 Sioux City, thence to Omaha, where we took the U. P. for Corinne, Utah. 
 I can remember one or two httle things which happened going to 
 Sioux City. One old farmer-looking fellow wanted to know when we 
 would get to Si Oaks City. As it did not appear on the time card, it 
 took some time to find out he meant Sioux City. There was also a 
 young fellow on the train who was going West. When we arrived at 
 Sioux City, the hotel and hack men made a rush for him, two or three 
 grabbing his grip at the same time, each declaring his particular house 
 the best. The fellow did not know what to do. The last thing I 
 heard him say was, with tears running down his cheeks: "Where in h — 1 
 am I going, anyway?" There has been a radical change since those 
 days; runners are not allowed on the platform now. Arriving at Omaha, 
 we found hurry and bustle enough to drive one wild. I, however, did 
 not have cause for fretting, as on account of my greenness, I guess, I 
 was placed in charge of a man who kindly gave me the required in- 
 formation concerning the trip; helped me get my ticket, lunch, etc., and 
 in every way made it agreeable for one traveling without experience. 
 We did not wait long for the train, which was a freight and passen- 
 ger mixed. All the seats were taken, two people in a seat, so when you 
 took the lunch baskets, etc., into consideration we did not have much 
 room in which to turn. I have forgotten the number of days and nights 
 it took for this journey, several, any way. The cars did not attempt to 
 go much faster than an ox team. Many a time, in going up grade, people 
 would get out and walk, gathering flowers and specimens of rock, and 
 get on again ere it hit the down grade. 
 
 All things, at last, come to an end, and so did this trip. I landed 
 safely at Corinne; went to a hotel and waited the arrival of my uncles. 
 Will and Charles, who had, early in the spring, started to Corinne for 
 freight. It was several daj's before they came, but things being new to 
 me, I enjoyed myself all right. When the boys landed at the railroad they 
 could not get freight. It did not take them long to make up their minds 
 what to do. The Utah Northern was running then into Cache Valley as 
 far as Franklin. Uncle Charles was to take an 8, and I a 4-horse team, 
 go to that place for a load. Uncle Will was to load with stuff which he 
 could buy there and sell again when in Montana at a good price, such as 
 canned goods, lemons, oranges, etc. (Oranges and lemons were three 
 dollars per dozen in Montana.) In order to become first served in get- 
 ting freight in those days, you must pull some kind of a "string." The 
 men who did the forwarding were not there for their health. They were 
 there for what was in it. I remember that my uncle had to buy a wagon 
 in order to get freight, but as they needed it, that was no particular hard- 
 ship. It began to rain that spring and the weather man lost all control, 
 so it did not know when to quit. We left Corinne late one afternoon to 
 camp on the Bear river for the night. It got very dark before we arrived 
 at our camping place. When we did get there, a fellow had a small sage
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 19 
 
 brush fire. Charlie asked him how far it was to water, meaning the 
 river, of course, as water was standing in puddles and was still coming 
 down. 
 
 "Oh! just a little ways over there," pointing over his shoulder. 
 
 Charlie said: "Si. you go and get some water, while I attend to 
 the horses." 
 
 The other fellow thought it would be a good time for him to get 
 water, so he politely (?) requested me to take his coffeepot and fetch 
 some for his breakfast. Say ! Did you ever strike out in the dark in a new 
 and unknown place for water, that you didn't know, except in a general 
 way, where you were going? Well, I knew that the Bear was "right 
 over there," for hadn't this guy said so? I took my pail and coffeepot and 
 started. Very soon reached the edge of the high bank above the stream. 
 People who have been to Corinne know that the soil has much 
 clay in it. You know that when clay is wet it is mighty un- 
 stable, especially when it is standing on edge. It did not take 
 long to get to the bank, and once over it, took a much shorter 
 time to "shoot the chutes," for that was what happened to me. I did 
 not go into the river, as there was a friendly patch of grassy land that 
 saved me. I filled my dishes with muddy water, and began what I 
 think was one of the hardest trips in my life — and since then I have been 
 in many places. As soon as my feet struck that incline it seemed almost 
 impossible to make headway. My feet would slip and down I would go; 
 more or less water would be spilled at each mishap. After what appeared 
 to be an interminable time, I did arrive at the top of that one-hundred 
 foot bank. Too tired to eat, I went to bed. 
 
 The next morning it was just as muddy underfoot, but much brighter 
 overhead. This day we pulled to Cache Valley, which seemed to me 
 to be one of the prettiest I had ever seen. It was just as the sun was 
 casting his last rays over the valley and river, gilding the distant moun- 
 tam range with a glorious hue, that we pulled to the top of the divide on 
 its eastern side. Near a little hamlet at the foot of the hill we encamped 
 for the night. The next day we arrived at Franklin. Soon we got a chance to 
 load, but the place where the depot was located was an alkali flat, our 
 wagons loaded, an attempt was made to pull them to camp, one-half mile 
 distant. Before we got the length of a wagon it would be down to the 
 axle in mud; then the struggle to get it out! It took us nine and a half 
 days to get those three wagons one-half mile. Once out of that bottom, 
 we made fairly good time. For some reason. Uncle Will had not left 
 as soon as he expected, as he overtook us near the Port Neuf river. He 
 had a white man, Geo. May, and three Chinnmen, as passengers, and was 
 also trailing three buggies for Hank Valiton of Deer Lodge. 
 
 Fvery day rain! rain! rain! 1 he day we arrived at the Snake 
 river Uncle Will and I were ahead, Charlie back some place with all the 
 grub and bedding. He must have been stuck in the mud, as he did 
 
 not arrive that night. We had an ax, as it happened, and going down on
 
 20 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 the river bottom, we built a good big fire in some thick willows. It con- 
 tinued to rain all night. We were cold, wet and hungry. One of the 
 Chinamen had a blanket, which he insisted I should take, as my health 
 was not good. I shouldn't say "insisted," as I hastily accepted his kind 
 offer. I have always had a kindly feeling in my heart for those people 
 ever since. This man was unselfish, a humble follower of Confucius. 
 He robbed himself that I might be more comfortable that disagreeable 
 night. The valley of the Snake, in those days, had but few settlers. The 
 land was covered with large sage brush and generally considered a desert. 
 It is today ditched and irrigated; city after city has sprung up along that 
 freight road and thousands of happy and contented people now call it 
 home. No better land can be found any place. 
 
 At last we arrived within the confines of Montana, on the Red 
 Rock river, near what is now Dell. The roads continuing bad. Uncle 
 Will came to the conclusion to unload my wagon, place part of his load 
 in it, and leave me to watch my freight, which consisted of such stuff as 
 gum boots, not perishable. He would let Geo. May take my team, and 
 they would go for a few days, or until they found good roads. 
 Piling my stuff out on the banks of the river, they left me to a 
 solitude as great, it seemed to me, as Robinson Cruso enjoyed(?) on 
 Juan Fernandes. Charlie, who was generally behind, came along and 
 camped with me one night. I remained at this camp something like ten 
 days before May came back. I was lonesome, but not alone. I had 
 company, any amount of it, or them, which had stuck closer than a 
 brother ever since we had camped among the Indians at Pocatello. A 
 change of underwear was the only way of freeing myself from this ex- 
 ceedingly lively company; and my trunk was way down in the bottom of 
 a freight wagon, hence not attainable. The longest night must come to 
 a close, so did my stay on the lonely banks of the Red Rock. May came, 
 we loaded and pulled for Silver Bow, five miles from the Hump, where 
 we arrived 40 days after having left Corinne. This was the wettest spring 
 I can remember, hence the reason for being so long on the road. Arriving 
 at the ranch there was plenty to do to keep one busy ; no chance for ennui ; 
 19 cows to milk, chores to do for two families, wood to get from the hills 
 nearby and water to pull from a 60-foot well. Those things did not 
 matter. I was young, full of hope and courage. 
 
 My uncles continued to freight. They were out all that winter of 
 '74 and '75, and say! that was a winter! We lost over one-half of 
 our cattle. Old Lizzie, one of the cows we brought across the plains that 
 had helped to pull the wagon when the road was bad, that had furnished 
 us milk when most needed, was one among this number. We did not 
 have any hay, depending too much on the range. We had cows 
 enough for a fair-sized dairy the next spring, and though we milked 
 almost 20 I wanted to do something else. If I could pass an 
 examination, I could get a school at Silver Bow. People did not 
 need much of an education to teach in those days, it is needless to say, so
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX' 21 
 
 I managed to get a certificate; $50.00 per month and board yourself 
 were the wages. There were but two scholars, unless I took Willie 
 Stanchfield with me on the horse, which I did for a short time, Johnnie 
 and Mickey Herman. Grandmother told me to be very careful and not 
 lose my temper, as she understood that Herman would not allow any 
 one to whip his boys, and as they were the only ones to attend school 
 their loss would be the occasion of stoppage of pay. The school room 
 was the one next to the house occupied by Herman, the partition not 
 so thick but what much could be heard by an occupant of either room. 
 The boys began to spit on the floor. I requested them not to do so, 
 explaining that it was very ungentlemanly as well as unhealthy. One 
 of these little fellows looked at the other and said: "We'll spit this 
 room so full he'll have to have gum boots tomorrow." This was cer- 
 tainly encouraging. Here were two saucy little kids who could make 
 life almost unbearable for me. I needed that $50.00, so I hardly knew 
 what to do. The next morning, on leaving home, I remarked to grandmother 
 that school would close that day, as I intended to go up and kill those 
 two boys and thus end my school teaching. When I arrived at Silver 
 Bow I rode up to Mr. Herman, told him how the boys conducted them- 
 selves the day before, and also told him that I understood he did not 
 allow any one to whip them. His reply was "You go in and run that 
 school; if you can't whip them enough, I will." I "called school" and 
 the first request was answered by Johnnie in a saucy and insulting man- 
 ner. I did not reach him before the door was jerked open and Mr. 
 Herman had that boy down on the floor giving him a severe drubbing. 
 In fact, I had to insist that he quit. After that there was no need of my 
 lifting a hand against them, though I taught five months. I had not 
 been teaching long before some one came to the ranch and borrowed my 
 saddle. This left me on foot, adding somewhat to my work, as I had 
 eleven miles to walk, besides milking my string of 19 cows, going for 
 them also on foot. I became a rapid walker, as it only required one 
 hour to go from the Hump to Silver Bow, five and a half miles. 
 
 The old town of Silver Bow did not have many people in those days. 
 Tommy Low and Cris Weibold had stores. Ike Dean was saloon keeper. 
 Justice of the Peace, postmaster, etc. and a member of the legislature — a 
 mighty good fellow. I remember a young man, a minor, from Deer 
 Lodge Valley, who wanted a drink of whisky. He was refused by Ike. 
 who said: "You can't have it, Billy. I helped pass the law not to sell 
 whisky to minors and I will not be one of the first to break it." Billy 
 got one of the men to one side and asked him to find out if Ike would 
 sell to a ranchman. Cris Nelson was making beer in those days and peddling 
 it out in the different mining camps, such as Butte, German. French Gulch, 
 etc. "Old Man" Bowers ran the hotel ; Jake Herman, blacksmith shop. A 
 little placer mining was going on along Silver Bow Creek; no oxcitemont 
 any place. Quartz mining was not very attractive, owing to the fact that 
 under the old mining law 200 feet along the vein was all that was al-
 
 22 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 lowed. A new law had been passed taking effect, I think, on the tenth 
 day of May, 1872, by which one was allowed 1500 feet in length 
 and 600 feet in width along the vein. A 200-foot claim would not, 
 generally, be rich enough to justify one in the expenditure of much money. 
 
 In Butte there lived a man at that time who has never received full 
 credit for what he has done toward the upbuilding of that place and 
 the state of Montana. He was a man who did not possess v/ealth, very 
 unassuming in appearance. One who believed in the future of Butte as a 
 mining camp. He assayed and had assayed ore in quantities large enough 
 ,to make assurance doubly sure. He had waited until the new law came 
 into effect and on January 1 st had located several claims, among them 
 the "Travonia." This man, Wm. Farlin, was not a visionary, but was 
 so considered because he did not "make good" financially. He could 
 see, as tho the veil had been brushed from the face of the Future, the many 
 and exceedmgly bright spots of what was to be and now is. 
 
 While living at the Hump I made a trip to Deer Lodge. I was 
 the guest of Chas. S. Warren, then the sheriff of Deer Lodge county. 
 Mrs. V/arren had been a playmate of mine in Minnesota. Warren was 
 a young man of much promise and I think the "General" has made 
 good, as he has been a figurehead in territory and state ever since. On 
 that occasion I met Mace and Earl, brothers of C. S. Warren, also Wesley 
 Jones, one of the finest gentlemen in Montana. Cooking at the Warren 
 home was Charles Porter, a colored man, who afterwards became the 
 celebrated "Blue Dick" who, they claim, buncoed Thos. H. Carter 
 and many others in mining deals. John Noyes gave Blue Dick the corner 
 on Main and Broadway, opposite W. A. Clark and Bros.' Bank, pro- 
 viding Dick would build a barber shop. The logs were hauled, but Dick 
 was too tired to do much hard work, so Noyes got the lot back. These 
 things only go to prove that some people are born "lucky." John Noyes 
 was one of these. He, through the lack of ambition on the part of Blue 
 Dick, got back a piece of property which vvas afterwards worth thousands, 
 that he had been willing to give away to help improve Butte. Blue 
 Dick is a part of the story of Butte and Montana, hence notice of him 
 here. 
 
 As I mentioned above, I got acquainted with Mace Warren. Mace, 
 in those days, was somewhat celebrated on account of having captured a 
 prisoner who had escaped from the Deer Lodge county jail. The fellow 
 would not stop until Mace had put some lead into him, causing a wound 
 which soon got well. This act made a lion of the young man and he 
 could get almost anything he requested in the town. Years afterward Ed. 
 S. Larabie, the Deer Lodge banker, told me the following story: 
 "Mace came into the bank one day and requested the loan of one 
 hundred dollars. *I suppose you know. Mace, that in getting money 
 from a bank you must have some one sign a note with you? Who can 
 you get?' 'No,' he replied, *I did not know that it was necessary for one 
 to have some one sign for him in order to get the money from a bank, so
 
 THE STORY OF "'AJAX" 23 
 
 I guess that lets me out, as there is no one whom I know who would 
 probably care to do that.' I saw his look of disappointment and told him 
 I would go on his note, which I did and gave him the money. He was 
 about I 7 at that time. Meeting him years after, in Butte, I said: 'Mace, do 
 you remember that you got $100.00 of me once, which is now past due?' 
 He looked at me a moment and remarked : 'Yes, Ed, I remember it, but I 
 can't pay it now, but if you want a better endorser, I will try and find one'." 
 
 One afternoon about 4 o'clock, a gentleman came to our place and 
 asked grandmother if she could get him an early supper. She said she 
 would, introducing me to W. A. Clark. He was on his way from Butte 
 to Deer Lodge. If I could have realized the import of that conversation with 
 a man who was one day to become a great factor in the money world, as 
 well as United States senator from Montana, I would have become exceed- 
 ingly wealthy. Butte was just then becoming the "talk." So I asked Mr. 
 Clark what he thought of the place and its possibilities. It is 
 going to be a great camp, as there is any amount of ore that can be made 
 to pay. I would advise a young man to go there and get a foot- 
 hold." He was at this time one of the firm of Donnell, Clark & Larabie, 
 bankers at Deer Lodge. It was his money that started the wheels going 
 in the old Dexter mill, which proved the richness of Butte ore, and Wm. 
 Farlin's claim. This was before the days of Marcus Daly. 
 
 My first visit to Butte was July 4th, 1875. The occasion was a 
 dance given by the Hauswirth Brothers, Simon and John; at the old 
 Hotel De' Mineral, which consisted of two log buildings, on the site of 
 W. A. Clark & Bros.'s bank. I rode to Butte on horseback and picketed 
 my horse near where the Catholic church now stands, in bunch grass 
 knee high. There were but few ladies, young or old, in Butte at that time. I 
 recall Mrs. Wm. Owsley, Mrs. John Noyes, Hauswirth family. Miss 
 Alice Humphrey, an exceedingly nice young lady, who died, I think, the 
 next winter. That night I became acquainted with John Wampler, afterward 
 to become my brother-in-law. When the dance was over I went with him 
 to his cabin, which was standing the summer, 1910, on lower Montana 
 street, near the Shonbar mine. John was as neat as could be, his windows 
 had white curtains, also a variety of plants, making it very attractive. 
 
 Some time during the summer of 1875 Allen Pierse, a nephew of 
 Ed Cobbin, the manager for Gilmer and Salisbury stage line, who had 
 been driving mail cart from Forrest's to Deer Lodge, made arrangements 
 to buy the Milot Station from Uncle Will. His mother, brother and 
 two sisters, Mollie, now Mrs. Mell Lowery, and Annie were coming. It 
 was not long before these people came from Buffalo. N. Y. The stage 
 station was then moved from Silver Bow to this ranch. Mollie and Annie 
 were very bright and attractive girls, so the old place became the mecca 
 for many of the young fellows of Butfc. As the station was on the side 
 hill, just before you crossed the divide into Deer la»dgc Valley, and as 
 the young ladies were, as I have said from Buffalo, the place soon became 
 known as the "Buffalo 1 lump," or "1 he 1 lump." Allen is now a prom-
 
 24 THE STORY OF "AJAX • 
 
 inent citizen of Great Fails. Steve died in Mexico, and "Mother" Pierse 
 has been dead these many years, and the old place is no more what it was 
 in those early days. While I lived at the "Hump" I rode the range for 
 stock a good deal, mostly in the Deer Lodge Valley. Many a time have I 
 chased horses where now is the city of Anaconda, then a stock range. Dur- 
 ing these rides I got acquainted with the Hensleys, Evans, Nortons, Thomas, 
 Gregsons, etc., and especially with Senator B. D. Phillips, now the big 
 sheepman of Blaine county, and a successful mining man in the Little 
 Rockies. While at this ranch, father came and made me a visit. This was 
 the first time I had seen him in over five years. He had been engaged 
 in ranching, also blacksmithing, and was getting on fairly well. 
 
 The Hamiltons came in the fall, as they had butter to sell, the pro- 
 duct of the season, which found a market that year at Philipsburg with 
 Caplice & Smith. From this one can get an idea what the dairy business 
 was in those days. The drudgery of making the long distance to travel 
 before finding a sale. In this particular instance it was over 1 70 miles. 
 Late in the fall of '75, having prospected near the head of German 
 Gulch for a while, we went to Butte and located claims ]ust north of the 
 Big Butte. Geo. Tibbitts, the man who crossed the plans with us, was 
 one of our partners in four claims. As we had sold our home, we came 
 to the conclusion to go to Butte and live. Uncle Will and I took a team 
 and camp outfit and went to Travonia, southwest of Butte, and located 
 town lots. We had to sleep in Frank Allen's blacksmith shop (he 
 was the man who built the first gold mill in Montana). The only place 
 comfortable enough to sit down in was the saloon run by the Hauswirths. 
 To this place we generally went for the evening, going down one mile to 
 bed about 1 1 o'clock. 
 
 It would, no doubt, be of interest to the people of Butte to know that 
 we only had 16 scholars, 12 years of age up to 20, that 27th of February, 
 1876, to-wit: Neson Tarkelson, 20; Al Noyes, 20; Henry Rundel, 16; 
 Joe Belcher, 1 6 ; Rolla Butcher, 1 2 ; Thomas Orr, 1 3 ; James Orr, I 2 ; 
 Charles Girton, 1 z7"Cash Thompson, 19; Dora Beal (Mrs. Frank Bate- 
 man), 18; Ella Beal (Mrs. Geo. Newkirk), 17; Ray McDaniels (Mrs. 
 Chas. Wilson), 16; Alice Farlin, 17; Lucy Farlin, 17; Bertha Haus- 
 wirth (Mrs. John Rowan), 14; Mary Beebe (Mrs. Hank Valiton), 13. 
 
 A note says that school will commence October 30th, 1876. Patrick 
 Tallent, teacher, and under that, school opened October 30th with 54 
 scholars and Miss Lizzie E. Self (afterward Mrs. Clint Freyschlag) in 
 charge of primary department. 
 
 The town was by this time on the boom, as John How was also 
 building a mill for the reduction of ore. I remember that Bill McDermott, 
 who afterwards built the McDermott, or Finlen, worked on this mill. 
 We soon got up a fairly good cabin, so we could move the folks 
 to town. There was but little one could do to earn money in Butte that 
 winter. It cost $80.00 per ton to get ore milled, and not many people 
 could afford to pay such a price. Some ore was rich enough to ship to
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 25 
 
 Salt Lake by team and from there across the Atlantic for treatment. 
 As there did not appear to be anything for me to do, I made up 
 my mind to go to school. Joe Saville taught that winter. 
 
 The next spring I rode the roundup in the Jefferson Valley, coming 
 back to Butte for the summer and the cows. The 4th of July, '76, I took 
 part in the celebration — Whittier's Centennial Hymn. I also made up my 
 mind to make a few dollars that day. I rented the building afterward 
 occupied by the First National Bank of Jake Poznansky. I sold ice cream 
 during the day and oysters during the evening, taking in over $125.00. I 
 also rode Drigg's sorrel mare in a race, beating the aforesaid "Blue Dick" 
 out of all he possessed. Certainly a very busy 24 hours. 
 
 The Forbis family had come from Helena. Will was running a 
 candy shop in a small building near the Centennial hotel. In the same 
 building was a small room used as a cobbler shop; John Forbis had his 
 law office with the cobbler. John may have had a book or two, he cer- 
 tainly did not have any furniture, not even a chair, using a goods box for 
 that purpose. He was to become one of the greatest of mining lawyers. 
 There were three boys in this family, William, John and James. Will 
 used to be a fright to sleep with, would get up and walk in his sleep, etc, 
 and either John or Jim would sleep with him, and then kick about loss 
 of sleep the next day. Tom Wampler got off a pretty good thing on the 
 boys one day. He said: "Those Forbis boys are the darndest fools I ever 
 saw; there are only three of them and Bill is a terror to sleep with, and the 
 other two have not got sense enough to sleep together and let Bill sleep 
 alone, but one or the other will sleep with him and kick all the next day." 
 
 Everything was wide open in those days and the fellow who did not 
 play cards was an exception. Fred Lober built a hall, in which all the 
 entertainments were held. At a club dance one night I remarked to a man 
 named McCall that it would be a good t.hing to start a Sunday School. 
 He immediately fell into the scheme and stopping the music announced 
 that those interested in Sunday School work would meet at the I. O. G. T. 
 hall Sunday afternoon (this was Friday evening), when we would pro- 
 ceed to establish Sunday School work. This was all, the music started 
 and the dance went on. Sunday afternoon many people met, and what I 
 believe to have been the first Sunday School in Butte was then begun. 
 McCall was elected superintendent. Miss Lizzie Self, treasurer, and I, 
 secretary. This was known for years as the Union Sunday School. 
 
 Property was cheai) in those days, but as no one knew what the fu- 
 ture would bring forth, many of the old timers did not get it. I think, 
 and in fact, know, that the people who had experience in quartz mining 
 considered it dangerous. The cry was that ore did not generally "go 
 down," etc., etc. I remember that while I was leaciiinj^ school in Silver Bow 
 in the summer of '74, a miner, Harry Gasscrt, told me thai if ever he made 
 a raise and I wanted money with which to enter any little business, he 
 would let me have it. Not long after Jake Reding and Gassert did make 
 quite a lot of money in the mines. I had not ready cash, but did have some
 
 26 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 cattle. One day Tom Wampler came to me and said he could buy the 
 corner on Main and Granite, opposite the Hennessy building, for $500, of 
 Big Bill McNamara; that he had made arrangements with Jerre Roach 
 for lumber, etc., and that I had better go and see Gassert. I went out 
 to Burlington, saw him and told him I could get the lot for $500.00, 
 and would like to get the money. He said: "Al, you can 
 have the money for a certain length of time, but as I intend to erect a 
 mill, I will need all I have and will expect it when due. Before letting 
 you have it, I want to tell you what I think. From my experience in 
 quartz camps, it won't be long before you will see cows eating grass in 
 the streets of Butte." It was only $500, but I did not want to get in 
 debt. Under the circumstances, we did not buy. Six weeks after Mc- 
 Namara sold to James Matthews for $ 1 ,000. No cow has ever gotten 
 very fat on green grass in the streets of Butte. I walked into Chastine 
 Humphrey's blacksmith shop one day, then a little building on the present 
 site of the First National Bank. Looking out to the west and across the 
 gulch back of the shop, he called my attention to several hundred feet 
 he owned along what is now Broadway, and said: "Al, my boy, let 
 me sell you that land. You can have it for $200 — and pay for it when 
 you can." Here was a man who had been identified with the city of Butte 
 since its early placer days, having been one of the firm of Allison & 
 Humphrey that had brought in one of the big ditches, wanting to give 
 me, almost, one of the most valuable pieces of property or real estate in 
 the place. This same man did give to Philip Poacher 3,000 pounds of 
 beef and a lot in the center of that same block if he would start a butcher 
 shop in Butte. It is no wonder then, that a boy, having such advice as 
 Gassert's and Humphrey's, did not get all the real estate he could. Over 
 thirty years after, in a conversation with Wint Raymond of Sheridan, 
 Montana, he told me that we could have gotten rich in Butte if it 
 hadn't been for lack of confidence. Such men as Geo. Newkirk, Valentine 
 Kropf, Dave Upton, Humphrey Bros., Reece Wampler, who sold al- 
 most one-half block on Main — same block which is now the site of the 
 Hennessy building — for $600; Forbis Bros., and others too numerous to 
 mention could not see. 
 
 A story was once told me by Mrs. Owsley, matron of State Normal 
 College, concerning Bill Owsley, her husband's brother. It seemed that 
 Bill and a partner owned a whole lot of real estate on lower Main. They 
 also had $ 1 00 in cash. They each desired to wipe the dust of Butte 
 from his feet, but having property not salable, and not wanting to leave 
 it altogether, one proposed they play a game of seven-up, the winner to take 
 the money. Bill lost the $100, and won the site of the Owsley Block. 
 He felt so bad he actually cried. 
 
 A young man, Milton Barnhart, and I located the claim which is 
 now Foster and Leggett's addition to Butte. We did not have confidence. 
 The Tramway mine, since so famous in the litigation in Butte, 
 was once mine under some other name, now forgotten by me. The exceed-
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 27 
 
 ingly rich Comanche, the property of Geo. Tibbitts and \V. B. Stanch- 
 field — they called it the "Lizzie Ellen," for Stanchfield's wife. They 
 sunk a shaft 40 feet deep and let it go. Thirty-eight million dollars have 
 been taken out of it since. What is the use in drawing more 
 upon such disagreeable subjects, as lost chances. They come to people 
 all through life. It seems that he who is successful becomes so as much 
 through chance as foresight. John F. Forbis once said to me: "There 
 is a money sense, Al, that so many do not have. Take, for 
 instance, so and so; you knew them; they had no education; they 
 were not considered bright in any way; yet their estates showed almost 
 $500,000 each. You have got to have money sense or you can't make 
 money." Dunng those years I lived in Butte I got acquainted with Mantle, 
 J. R. Clark, who started a branch of the Donnell, Clark & Larabie bank 
 in Butte, in the corner of a grocery store run by the Cohen Bros., Dave 
 and Alex; J. R. Russel, M. J. Connell, Alex and Sam Johnson, D. J. 
 Hennessy, John Gillie, Dave Upton, John Noyes, Judge Caleb Irvin, 
 Geo. W. Irvin II., Dr. Ford, the old postmaster, Mell Lovvery, Jim 
 Talbot, Orton Bros., in fact, almost every one in the place. 
 
 In the early spring of '77 I made a visit to Argenta, Bannack and 
 Horse Prairie. There was a young lady living on the Prairie with whom 
 I had corresponded for some time before her advent in Montana, so it 
 was probably as much on her account as any other that I made that 
 trip. In going over to Horse Prairie I stopped at Argenta to see the French 
 family that had been residents of Bannack years before, and whom I 
 had not seen for years. Also met my old friends, Billy Mcintosh, Rufe 
 Ferster, the Nays, Blairs, Geo. Dart, Pat Dempsey, Bill Goodrich, 
 Ameda Bessette, F. L. Graves, in Bannack. Arriving at Hamilton's 
 I proceeded to enjoy myself. We became acquainted with several of the 
 neighboring ranchmen, particularly with the Winters and Montague, 
 who owned the ranch now possessed by J. C. Brenner. We also 
 made a visit to Red Rock, at the home of Joe Shineberger. Misses 
 Lizzie and Maggie (now Mrs. Wm. Roe) were then living with their 
 brother. We had a most enjoyable time there for a week. From there we 
 went to M. Barrett's and spent several memorable days. Also visiting 
 the Watsons in Bannack. These were happy days. All clouds had silver 
 linings. Youth and optimism or un-wisdom, filled life full. No misgiv- 
 ings of an unknown future clouded our vision. 
 
 In due time I returned to Butte, securing a position with a Mr. Sigsby. 
 who was then operating a brick yard. (This man Sigsby was one of the 
 men in Walker's filibustering expedition in Central America, having put 
 the sum of $14,000 into it). My work consisted in off -bearing the 
 brick. It was mighty hard for a person of my size, but my nerve would 
 not allow me to quit, without a very good excuse. It came pretty soon 
 in the following way: Atwood Lawrence, afterward the superintendent at 
 the Vulcan and Goldsmith mines, a cousin of mine, a "six-footer," and Joe 
 Campbell, later a marshal in the Coeur d'Alencs, also a good husky
 
 2S THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 fellow, came to the conclusion the work was too hard for them, so asked 
 for their time. This was my cue. I went up town that evening. Billy 
 Wilson wanted to know if I would take a job making "soda pop." I 
 consented to this and began the manufacturing of pop. This was the 
 first place of the kind started in Butte. As I was not required to be 
 busy any great length of time each day for Billy, he told me I could get 
 something on the side. "Big Bill" McNamara owned the building where 
 we were making pop, and also had some vacant ground west of it. At 
 my request he built a frame building and rented it to me for an "Ice 
 Cream Parlor." I opened this place, having for a partner Nat P. Evans. 
 We did exceedingly well in this business, considering the times. Our 
 receipts were $3.50 to $42.50 per day. Henry McMurphy, Nat's 
 brother-in-law, advised us to put our money into town lots, but being 
 young we were too wise to accept the advice, so spent our money as we 
 made it. 
 
 Early that summer Chief Joseph of the Nez Perces began to have 
 some trouble with the whites, which a little later drove him on the war- 
 path. While this was in the territory of Idaho, it might be possible that 
 he would head for Montana, and in that event the trouble would be brought 
 home to us. It was not long until it developed that he v/ould come our 
 way, and soon people of Missoula began calling for help. Sev- 
 eral of the boys answered the first call. Billy Woodward, 
 Charlie Whitford and several more. They wanted me to go also. Under 
 the circumstances I did not believe it necessary, especially as I was the 
 only one to take care of my grandmother, who was a very old lady. The 
 boys even went so far as to intimate that I was afraid to go. I did not 
 pay any attention to this, other than to say that when the Indians got to 
 Montana I would be glad to do all I could. In the meantime I was get- 
 ting along nicely. 
 
 There came a day, July 28th, only a short time after, when, return- 
 ing one afternoon from Meaderville, I saw a crowd on Main street, be- 
 tween Broadway and Granite. Some one was on a dry goods box making 
 a speech. On getting nearer, I saw that it was W. A. Clark. He had 
 ]ust arrived from Deer Lodge, having made the trip from that place to 
 Butte — 42 miles — in three and a half hours, without change of horse. 
 His talk was fiery and enthusing. He would, if they wished, lead 
 them against Chief Joseph and his tribe. This was no time to hesitate, 
 the call had come from Missoula for help. Who would go? 
 
 The following were the Butte Volunteers, July 28th, 1877. Co. A: 
 Captain, W. A. Clark; First Lieut., C. S. Warren; Second Lieut., 
 James A. Talbot; First Sergeant, C. A. B. Halverson; Simon Hauswirth, 
 C. E. Humphreys, L. A. Flint, J. K. Bradley, Sam P. Alexander, Dan 
 Yager, B. T. Porter, Jas. Widner, John F. Forbis, John McGregor, Thos. 
 Bradley, Chas. Freeman, J. G. Keith, J. F. Prouse, W. G. Pfouts, Geo. 
 Maney, Peter McDermott, Sam M. Johnson, Wm. B. Elliott, B. C, 
 Benson, J. W. Ryan, G. O. Humphreys, Wm. Joy, Jas. Boyd, W. L.
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX*' 29 
 
 Kinnear, M. E. Gilmore, J. T. Argyle, Pat Tallent, \Vm. Whitman, A. 
 L. Johnson, Wm. McNamara, J. K. Mallory, S. Simpson, J. T. Cough- 
 yenour, Chas. Behm, Edward Chevalier, Patrick Whalen, J. L. Duff, 
 A. J. Grubb, Timothy Kennedy, J. S. Meliffe, John Casheon, J. K. 
 Clark, J. A. Talbot, Geo. Lavelle, Joseph E. Cooke, J. F. McLin, A. J. 
 Noyes, Morris Terry, Michael Kellett, Martin O'Brien, Dan Magee, 
 Patrick Oart, Jno. Clark, M. T. Kelley, AI. G. Terrell, G. S. Calla- 
 ghan, Lyman Blackvvell, I. C. Burkett, S. B. Cusick, E. Maloney, Alex 
 Johnson, Wm. Haines, H. A. Willard. 
 
 1 here was no such thing as waiting. We must go to Deer Lodge as 
 fast as we could get transportation. I went to my place of business, turned 
 it over to a boy, then went home for gun and saddle. When I told 
 grandmother what I had done, she began to cry and said: "You are 
 just big fool enough to go and get killed." Alex Ralston was running 
 a stage line in those days. It did not take him long to 
 have it ready for a crowd. I happened to be one of the 
 first ready, so went with him. When down near the Centennial Brewery 
 we overtook a fellow who was riding a mule bareback, with only a blind 
 bridle. It was Big Jack McAuliff, a blacksmith at one of the mines on 
 "The Hill." "Where are you going. Jack," I asked. "Deer Lodge," 
 was his reply. I told him to use my saddle, which he was only too glad 
 to do. There must have been some good material in a man who was 
 willing to ride 42 miles, at night, on a work mule without a saddle, to 
 succor some one who had called for assistance down at Missoula, 1 40 
 mile away. "Billy" Clark knew the men of Butte. When he left Deer Lodge 
 for Butte, he ordered men to ride through the Deer Lodge Valley and im- 
 press all saddle horses. These horses were to be at Deer Lodge early the 
 next morning. We rode all night, and just as the sun was coming up 
 we got to the "Little Camp on the Trail to Bear." 
 
 Jim Irwin was a young fellow who mined on the hill. He and I 
 were particular friends. We had agreed to stick together, no matter what 
 happened. Jim, as well as the other boys, was broke, not having had time 
 to call for a check. "What shall we do for something to eat?" he asked 
 me. I had some money, but not enough to feed the crowd, so I told 
 him we had better call on Jas. Mills, secretary of the territory. This we 
 proceeded to do. Mills come to the door in his night robe, and kindly asked 
 us what he could do for us. Irwin was spokesman. "Mr. Secretary, 
 we left Butte in such a hurry that we did not get any money for ex- 
 penses, and as we have been riding all night, we are hungry; so have 
 called on you to see what you would suggest." "Go to the hotel, boys, 
 and get what you want and have it charged to me." "Thank you. 
 Mr. Secretary, but there are over two hundred of us in the same condi- 
 tion. \X''hat about them?" Irwin asked. "It doesn't make any difference 
 how many, it will be all right." We proceeded to get something to eat, 
 spreading the news to the late comers, so they could get in on James H. 
 Mills.
 
 30 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 There was certainly enough going on that morning in Deer Lodge 
 to keep me interested. Ranchmen were coming to town with horses as per 
 request of Clark; who had himself gotten to Deer Lodge early that day. 
 As fast as men could become equipped with saddle and gun, they were 
 furnished a horse. As I had my outfit with me, I soon secured a splen- 
 did brown, the property of Spencer Johnson, a ranchman near 
 Warm Spring Creek. My friend Irwin got a small pony. We had orders 
 to go, as soon as horses were issued to us, to a rendezvous at New Chi- 
 cago. Irwin and I started down the river, and had ridden but a few miles 
 when Jim came to the conclusion that he would trade horses with the first 
 person he met who had something that looked better than the one he 
 was riding. We met two ranchmen shortly after, and Jim made a "big 
 talk" and secured a very nice looking horse in exchange for his pony. We 
 were riding leisurely along, some ten miles north of Deer Lodge, when all 
 at once we saw a man riding towards us fit to kill. It was Sam Alexander, 
 since quite a character in Butte. "What is the matter, Sam?" one of us 
 asked him. He never slacked up, but replied: "I don know; I don know." 
 
 I am not saying that Sam was afraid of anything, but he was going 
 like the wind toward the crowd. As we could not get any satisfaction 
 out of him, we made up our minds to continue on until something of a 
 different nature proved to us that we too should turn back. We rode 
 along for a mile or two, to a high hill that was on the trail, looking down 
 onto a piece of bottom land along the Deer Lodge, we saw quite a 
 number of men coming toward us. We soon met James Prowse and some 
 other man, and from them received the information that a courier from 
 Missoula had just met them with word from there that the Indians had 
 passed up the Bitter Root and that we had better head them off in the 
 Big Hole Basin. We at once turned our heads toward Deer Lodge, 
 where we arrived for dinner and further orders. Clark, now a major, 
 ordered us to Warm Springs Creek for the night. From which place we 
 would start for French Gulch the next morning. Irwin and I started for 
 the Sprmgs not long after dinner. When near Race Track Creek, Major 
 Clark overtook us and rode in our company to the camp. He soon noticed 
 my horse. He was riding a very pretty black mare, good enough with the 
 exception of size. All at once he said : 
 
 "Al, how do you like my horse?" 
 
 "She is a dandy. Major," I replied. 
 
 "How would you like to trade?" he then asked. 
 
 I told him that the one I had suited me very nicely indeed. Not 
 long after he again wanted to make the trade. I replied to this that my 
 horse was all right and that no one could tell when he might need a 
 good one, especially when after Indians. He did not insist, so I retained 
 my mount. I have many times, in the years gone by, thought of this affair. 
 Here was Major Clark, commander of the Volunteers, who wanted a 
 horse, one for which he was responsible to the owner; one that he could 
 have taken had he made up his mind to that effect; yet, because he could
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 31 
 
 not trade fair, he allowed a mere slip of a kid to keep it. We did not 
 pass any too pleasant a time at Warm Springs that night, as it was a litde 
 bit inclined to rain. Irwin and I had made some kind of a shack out 
 of some boards, in which to sleep. In the morning, before we rolled out, I 
 heard Billy Forbis say: "I bet you that your man can't outrun Al 
 Noyes sixty yards." Billy came to us and asked if I would run a foot 
 race. "Of course I would." To make a long story short, I went up 
 against a professional and didn't get there soon enough to save my 
 backer's money. As we were up early we soon pulled for French Gulch 
 in a rain storm, where we were to spend the night. 
 
 It was but a straggling band of men that rode from the Springs to 
 French Gulch that day, no attempt to keep order. Captain James Talbot, 
 John Downs and I were at the head of the column and, of course, the 
 first into French Gulch. Talbot and Downs wanted a drink of whisky on 
 account of the cold. Talbot remarked: "It won't do to allow the boys 
 all the whisky they want, so I will order the saloon keeper not to let 
 them have more than one each." This was agreed to by Downs. As 
 soon as we got to town, they got their drink and the Frenchman got his 
 orders. "Do not give more than one drink to any one man. Do you 
 understand?" The boys kept straggling in until dark, each one to get 
 his one drink. No more! I never could tell just what did happen; either 
 those boys got more than one drink, or the poison was intense, as many a 
 one was pretty noisy before midnight. Guards were out with the horses. 
 A beef was killed in the streets, and the men proceeded to get their supper 
 on the end of a sharp stick and cook before a big camp fire. We rolled 
 in any old place, with orders to move at daybreak. When the day did 
 break it was to be one of disappointment. Jake Hootman had arrived 
 about 2 o'clock with word from Gen. Sherman, who was at Fort Ellis, 
 to the effect that the government did not need the Volunteers, and that 
 we were to return home. I have learned since that there was some misun- 
 derstanding about that Sherman message; some misconstruction placed on it. 
 However that may have been, we were to go home. Major Clark ordered 
 Mell Lowery, a lieutenant, with several men, to form a scouting party, go 
 to the Big Hole and look the ground over for Indians. I do not remem- 
 ber the men he chose, nor does he at this date. W. L. Kinnear of Bonner, 
 Idaho, was one of them. As we could go to Butte via German Gulch, 
 several of us went that way. I recall John Noyes and a Mr. Jones, one 
 of the owners of the La Platta Lode, and I were together. Noyes was 
 an old Indian fighter and described several of the fights he was in. He 
 said that no one could tell what was in him until he was actually in 
 battle. 
 
 We arrived in Butte early in the afternoon. It was probably 6 
 o'clock when I met W. A. Clark on the street. He told mc that we 
 were ordered to Deer Lodge valley, to our old camp at Warm Springs 
 Creek, by Governor Potts. "You tell all iho boys you see and start to- 
 night for the Springs. You need not go clear through until morning. You
 
 32 THE STORY OF "'AJAX" 
 
 can camp in the first hay stack you come to," was the Major's order. 
 Will Forbis, Fred Lober, an Irish miner, name now forgotten, and 
 myself left Butte about 7 p. m. The Irishman was a big man, entirely 
 out of his element on horseback. I asked him what he thought of this 
 Indian war, anyway. He replied: "If it does nothing else, it will make 
 damned good riders of all them that is left of us." When we arrived at 
 the Hump we turned our horses into the corral, at once dug a hole in a 
 haystack and went to sleep. I awoke early and looked for my horse, all 
 the others were in sight. The stable door was open, but as it was too 
 dark to see anything without a light, I took it for granted that he was all 
 right. I took another nap. At daylight we were all up ready to saddle 
 and tiit the trail. My horse did not show up. I went into the house and 
 lying down under the stairway soon fell asleep, to be awakened by some 
 one, who proved to be Major Clark, who said: "What are you doing 
 here? I thought I ordered you to Warm Springs?" I soon explained, in 
 language not proper to record here, that some one had stolen my horse. 
 The Major laughed and said: "Put your saddle on the coach when it 
 comes along and we will try and find him for you." When the coach 
 arrived at the Springs, Jim Talbot came up and asked me if I had lost 
 my horse. Wanting a description of it, etc. As he was my captain, he 
 took great interest in my welfare and was very anxious to help me. It 
 was only a short time before Jim came back and told me there was an 
 animal answering the description; to come and see. It proved to be mine. 
 Several years after I met Jim on Main street, Butte. He stopped 
 me and said: "Did you ever find out who stole your horse during the 
 Nez Perce war?" "No," I replied. "Well, AI, if you won't get mad, 
 I will tell you." "It is too late now to feel sore over it, so spit it out," 
 I said. "I did it. My horse got lame, and finding yours in the corral, 
 I rode him down to the Springs," he said. I asked him why he didn't 
 tell me before, to which he replied : "To tell the truth, I was afraid ; 
 you were too mad." WTiat had we been ordered to Warm Springs for? 
 Hadn't Gen. Sherman sent word to head us off and send us home? It 
 was not long before these questions were answered. Governor Potts 
 wanted to thank us for responding so heartily to the call of duty; that he 
 was exceedingly sorry that such a splendid body of men could not go 
 forward and wipe out the Indians, but a higher power had decreed other- 
 wise. "I want to say to you that if Montana ever needs your assistance 
 at any future time, I would consider it a great honor to be your leader." 
 It was for that reason we had ridden in hot haste to the rendezvous — 
 and made a horse thief, for the time being, of Jim Talbot. It was that 
 the brave(?) boys of Butte were to listen to the personal thanks of 
 the territorial governor. Major Clark gave me some dispatch to carry to 
 Butte, so I lode on ahead of the troop, which disbanded soon after its 
 arrival. We went about our work for a few days. Lowery and men 
 were back, reporting "No Indians!"
 
 o 
 
 00 r 
 
 o t^ 
 2o 
 
 <o 
 
 m o 
 
 X
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 33 
 
 Then came the news that Gen. Gibbon had had a fight with Joseph, 
 at the Big Hole. "Come at once; fetch all the doctors and ambulances 
 you can; many killed and wounded." Clark made a call for volunteers. 
 
 Many said: "To h 1 with the war. We went once and were ordered 
 
 back; we won't go again." Only 42 responded to that call, though 
 history mentions 56. The following is the list of those who went to the 
 rescue, August 12th, 1877: 
 
 W. A. Clark, major; J. A. Talbot, Captain; Mell Lowery, lieu- 
 tenant; Peter McDermott, F. H. Ramsdell, Tom Rea. Richard Jones, 
 Jas. Irvin, I. B. Thomas, Geo. W. Mooney, Geo. H. Stoner, Dennis 
 Simpson, "Brick" Van Walter, Wm. Woodward, Chas. B. Finn, A. W. 
 Camp, Sam M. Johnson, J. K. Bradley, David Jones, A. J. Noyes, Jas. 
 B. Prowse, Jno. Dolas, Mason Warren, Peter Sherr, Thos. Mitchell, 
 Jno. G. Keith, Frank Rodgers, Ed Hickey, Simon Hauswirth, Robert 
 Hausvvirth, James Widner, A. J. Grubb, G. S. Harrison, A. W. Barnard, 
 Richard Pue, Ben Venor, Pat boley, W. H. Archer, S. P. Alexander, 
 N. L. Turner, E. W. Sigsbee, James Johnson, Era Alderman, W. L. 
 Kinnear, Pat Tallent, Robt. Simons, Pat Whalen, B. C. Benson, J. C. 
 McUnn, Henry Suprenant, Wm. Sinsill, Addison Smith, C. E. Humph- 
 reys, Jno. C. Belk, Dr. Wheelock, Dr. O. B. Whitford. 
 
 Ed King, who owned a brick yard in those days, in Butte, had a 
 span of horses and concord wagon, which he turned over to Frank 
 Ramsdell and I. This was the same young man who gave the Alice 
 mine to his lady love. Miss Emma Butcher — then failed to get her. 
 That night we were in French Gulch. Up early the next morning, we had 
 an early dinner on the Big Hole, at Shinerock. We met Gen. Gibbon 
 and his wounded at the point of the "hog-back" between the north and 
 south forks of the Big Hole, on land afterward taken up by Geo. Wad- 
 dell. You remember that the general had a slight wound in the thigh, 
 being among the first to receive a bullet in the engagement. He was sit- 
 ting by a bunch of willows when Major Clark and I walked up to see 
 him. Clark introduced himself and said: "You had a hard fight, Gen- 
 eral." "I tell you. Major Clark, that we hadn't been in that fight but a 
 short time when I thought it would be another Custer massacre, and to tell 
 the truth there is only one reason, in my mind, why it was not. When 
 we left Missoula we had trowel bayonets issued to us; these were used, 
 with which to dig holes into which we got for protection. If it hadn't 
 been for them, none of us, in my opinion, would have lived to tell the tale." 
 (I would like to know if Clark remembers these words of Gibbon.) 
 
 Gen. Gibbon and son-in-law were furnished a team and buggy and 
 left at once for Deer Lodge. Capt. Rawn was left in command. 
 WTiile Gibbon and Clark were talking, the wounded men were 
 trailing into the bottom land from the "hog-back." Some were in the 
 wagons belonging to Hugh Kirkendall, who had been with the troops 
 since they began to march. Others were being hauled on travois — poles, 
 one end of which were hitched to a horse, the other dragging on the
 
 34 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 ground. A blanket was fastened between the poles, on which the wounded 
 man lay. This device was one used to a considerable extent when noth- 
 ing better was to be had. It was supposed to be as near comfort as pos- 
 sible, but when you take into consideration that this country had quite a 
 lot of high sage brush which would make the going rough, it was anything 
 but pleasant. The poor fellows in the travois were glad to meet the 
 wagons for their transportation. 
 
 When we left Butte, Gen. C. S. Warren gave his brother. Mace, a 
 bottle of whisky, saying: "Give that to Lieut. Woodruff with my 
 compliments." Mace made enquiry for the gentleman and found him 
 in one of the freight wagons. He introduced himself as a brother of 
 Warren and presented the whisky. The lieutenant looked at the kid and 
 said: "Where are you going, Warren?" "I am going after those 
 Indians," was the reply. "That is all right," replied Woodruff, "but I 
 want to give you a little advice; don't try to sharp-shoot with them, for 
 they are the best shots I ever saw, and I have had some experience, as I 
 can prove to you." With that he unbuttoned his shirt and showed us the 
 scars of three bullet holes received in the rebellion. These three scars 
 could be covered with the palm of the hand. 
 
 This was my first experience with wounded men; 33 of them, more 
 or less injured, some of whom died soon after. We learned that all 
 of Gibbon's soldiers who wanted to, had gone in with Howard. General 
 Howard has been maligned for his inability to catch up with this Indian 
 chief. Many, who have been loudest in denunciation, are wholly ignor- 
 ant of the conditions and would have given up long before and returned 
 to Walla Walla. Howard arrived on the battlefield soon after it was over 
 and was, no doubt, the direct cause of the cessation of hostilities, as the 
 Indians had learned of his proximity. He remained one day at the scene, 
 helping the wounded and burying the dead. He then took up the trail of 
 Joseph, who had gone toward the Horse Prairie. Joseph's first camp 
 was on the Big Lake Creek, on land afterwards partly owned by me. I 
 have seen it many times. 
 
 Major Clark asked for volunteers to go with him and overtake 
 Howard, as Stuart's company from Deer Lodge was going also. It is 
 my opinion that no one who had a horse refused to go. After waiting 
 for a short time to give the wounded a rest, we pulled down the main fork 
 four or five miles to Doolittle Creek, where we went into camp for the 
 night. This was early in the afternoon, as the wounded needed 
 attention. Frank and I had a sergeant, Watson by name, who was 
 shot through the hips, also calf of one leg. The wagon next behind us 
 carried Lieut. Wm. English. (Both of these men died soon after we 
 reached Deer Lodge; the only ones to die after leaving the battleground.) 
 We camped the second night on Seymour Creek; the third on Mill 
 or Brundy. The fourth day, just before noon, the wife of Lieut. English 
 met us. She had not been long a wife. Her's must have been a stout 
 heart, or she had been told to be very cheerful on her husband's account.
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 35 
 
 She climbed into the wagon, saying, in a cheerful voice: "How are 
 you, Willie?" She stayed with him through the balance oi that ride 
 to town. The people of Deer Lodge had improvised a hospital in a vacant 
 building for most of the wounded. Watson and English were taken to the 
 Sisters. After having partaken of a very nice meal, furnished by the 
 ladies, we went to the Ramsdell ranch, 1 miles north of Deer Lodge, 
 as Frank had promised me a saddle horse for further pursuit of Joseph. 
 The one he gave me was small, and somewhat lame, with greased heels. 
 I arrived in Butte the next afternoon; did not take time to go home, 
 but finding a man who was willing to go with me, we started for Divide 
 Creek 20 miles distant. This was John Councilman, a brother-in-law 
 to Cris Nesler. About 1 we picketed our horses and went to sleep. 
 We got up early the next morning, in fact we had no particular 
 reason for staying in bed, as all we had was our saddle blankets, and 
 mine was full of holes, and went to John McKenzie's ranch, where we 
 asked for breakfast. John had just gone to the stable when we got there. 
 I explained that we were not possessed of money, but did have a craving 
 for something to eat. He made a little kick, because so many were 
 coming along with the same excuse, but gave us a good breakfast. After 
 breakfast we again started on our journey. Some three or four miles were 
 gone over when we met the stage. On the seat, with the driver, was W. 
 A. Clark. 
 
 He had the driver stop and said: "Hello, Al, where are you go- 
 ing?" "After Indians." He began to laugh and said: "I guess you had 
 better go home, as the Indian war is over, so far as we are concerned. We 
 overtook Gen. Howard on Horse Prairie, camped one night with him and 
 were pulling out independently the next morning, when he informed us we 
 were under him if we went to the front. I explained that I was independ- 
 ent — under no one. He replied that I must go with him or go back, so 
 we left his command and started for Butte. You will soon meet the boys 
 as they are but a short distance behind." The boys soon came up and 
 we took the trail for Butte, where we arrived about noon. I had 
 ridden 576 miles, had not seen an Indian, dead or alive; had 
 lost a business from which I had been making some money. The 
 experience may have been worth something. Why in the name of 
 common sense I had continued to follow Indians, when they must have 
 been 200 miles away, and on a lame horse, without money, I do not 
 know, unless it was youthful foolishness. None of the Butte boys got in 
 a fight with them. 
 
 I want to go on record, so my children and grandchildren may 
 know, that no bullet of mine struck to earth a Nez Perce. When Lewis 
 and Clark made their memorable trip across the mountains, they found 
 those Indians friendly. All other generations since, until 77, had found 
 them so. The white man, as usual, wanted their land, and had made a treaty 
 with some of them, but not with Joseph's father, who was known as a 
 non-treaty Indian. Ere Columbus had set sail for China or India, these
 
 36 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 people had lived in their beautiful valley by the flowing water. Their 
 dead had been placed in consecrated ground, which had been watered 
 by the tears of loved ones. No other sun ever shone as bright as did this 
 of theirs. They may have been savages, but they were men, as Gibbon 
 found to his cost, as he was whipped on the banks of the Ruby. They 
 were never untrue to their fathers or their traditions, as is evinced by their 
 having taken the war path. No party of men, since the world began, ever 
 put up a more glorious effort for independence than did the red men 
 of the Vale of Willowa. Col. Dodge, who probably knew as much 
 about the American Indian as any one, claims that Joseph was one of 
 the greatest generals of the world. 
 
 General Gibbon said to General Howard on the battlefield: "Who 
 could have believed that those Indians would have rallied after such a 
 surprise, and made such a fight!" Howard said of Joseph: "Few mili- 
 tary commanders, with good troops, could have recovered after so fearful 
 a surprise." Also: "At Camas Meadows, not far from Henry's Lake, 
 Joseph's night march, his surprise of my camp and capture of over a 
 hundred head of animals, and after a slight battle, making a successful 
 escape, showed an ability to plan and execute equal to many a partisan 
 leader whose deeds have entered into classic story. And even at last, 
 the natural resources of his mind did not fail him. Broken in pieces by 
 Miles' furious and unexpected assault, burdened with his women, chil- 
 dren and plunder, suffering the loss of his still numerous though badly 
 crippled herd of ponies, yet he was able to retreat and hold out for 
 several days against twice his numbers, and succeeded in pushing out 
 beyond the white man's pickets a part of his people to join allies in 
 Canada." 
 
 The most beautiful tribute to this man, Indian that he was, is the 
 following from the pen of Judge C. C. Goodwin, Sept. 24th, 1904; 
 
 "Chief Joseph — So Chief Joseph has gone over the range. His 
 translation was instantaneous. One moment he was sitting by his camp- 
 fire dreaming of the kingdom which had been taken away from him, the 
 next he was in the happy hunting grounds on that reservation which the 
 pale faces can never steal or partition. A great old soul was Joseph. He 
 was to his people what Hannibal was to the Carthaginians, he was a 
 born general; he knew how to set his men in array for battle; he had the 
 rare gift of making a fighting retreat which was every day a victory, and 
 which would have been a final success had it been before the day of 
 telegraph and heliograph, those inventions which the untutored savage 
 could not anticipate or prepare a defense against. 
 
 "The retreat of Kuropatkin from Liao Yang will go down in his- 
 tory as a marvelous military achievement. In some respects it does not 
 compare with the retreat made by Chief Joseph, through a pathless waste 
 of rugged mountains, encumbered as he was with his wounded and the 
 women and children of his tribe. For three months the running fight 
 went on which covered 1500 miles, with relays of soldiers hot in the
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 37 
 
 chase until forty companies were in all engaged, and he would have 
 finally triumphed had not, to him, unknown sentinels given his where- 
 abouts away. It was a most masterful achievement, and it gave him a 
 place in history at the side of, if not at the head of those indomitable 
 fighters. King Phillip, Pontiac, Tecumseh and others who one by 
 one, made their stand not only against irresistible forces, but against fate 
 itself. It had to be. The continent could not be left to savagery; the 
 weaker race had to go to the wall, but in the long drawn-out tragedy of 
 300 years there are repeated pictures so tinged with pathos and sorrow 
 that they darken the whole somber history. One of the last of those 
 pictures was that of Chief Joseph. As time grows on, it wili grow in 
 stature as it shines out of the frame in which it is swung in the gallery of 
 ages. It will be an everlasting challenge to the schools to present a braver 
 or more self-contained hero, or one with more native genius or more ten- 
 acity of purpose. 
 
 "If, above, a more careful record is kept, if there all the dross of 
 the earth is eliminated and those sublimated souls meet and greet each 
 other, a great reception was given Joseph on his coming. Those who on 
 earth were the proudest and haughtiest thronged around the entrance 
 gate to receive him and to make obedience to his valorous soul, as to one 
 as brave as the best — ^at once a patriot, a hero, a shepherd of his people, 
 a born king. The Northwest should set up a rude stone on some highland 
 overlooking the Willowa Valley and inscribe his name upon it. Whatever 
 wrongs he committed he and his suffered greater ones. He was never 
 blood-thirsty; he never struck a blow except what he deemed was self- 
 defense and his dauntless soul pleads forgiveness if not justification for 
 every wrong he committed, and no son of the Northwest will ever be braver 
 than he, more true to native land than he; more self-controlled under 
 terrible dangers than was he; more resourceful than he; more calm under 
 final defeat than was he, and not many will have native sagacity super- 
 ior to his. In the great lodge of the happy hunting grounds may he have 
 the softest blankets, the most elaborately carved pipe, and the tallest 
 plume in the wickiup." 
 
 Clark was running the old Dexter mill in those days, and I secured 
 a job on the roasters. It so happened that the people of Pipe Stone wanted 
 some one to teach their school that winter. John Paul, owner of the Pipe 
 Stone Springs, was one of the trustees. He came to Butte and requested me 
 to take the position. I accepted and taught during the winter. I hat old 
 school house was on the side hill near, or in fact, on the site of White- 
 hall, now quite a lively little burg. This school was an old-fashioned "board- 
 around" affair. You got, in that way. to get acquainted with every one 
 of the people who had an interest. Paul had throe boys. George, Charles 
 and James. 7 he Widow Blake two boys, I'.dward and Michaol; two 
 girls, Rosa and L.izzie. Miller three, Martin. Montana, and the 
 younger one not now remembered. A young girl, Violet I-alkner. and 
 a big husky boy, John, who weighed I'K) pounds. We wore
 
 38 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 all young people together, and enjoyed life as we found it. I liked to 
 walk and would generally go up to Parson's Bridge, 1 1 miles, or Silver 
 Star, 1 7 miles, to spend Saturday and Sunday, walking back Sunday 
 evening. There were many young people living in the valley that winter, so 
 a dance was not uncommon. The people of that part of Montana had 
 gotten together and erected quite a large stone building, to be used as a 
 woolen mill — A. J. Davis, the Butte banker, now uses it for a stable. 
 When the building was completed, they gave a dance, to which young 
 people came for miles. The machinery was never installed, and another 
 dream was mere nightmare. 
 
 I had used part of my wages in buying a pinto mare, also a small 
 gelding. My father gave me a nice three-year-old, but as I owed Lyman 
 Kinnear a few dollars, I made a trade with him in the following way. I 
 give him the colt for his account and a silver watch. Dick Trefry, who 
 was running a butcher shop, had use for a watch, and told me he had a 
 nice saddle mare he would trade for it. The mare would not be in evi- 
 dence until the next morning. Next morning I was up in good season, 
 but Dick was up first. He told me that he had been compelled to get 
 a beef in before breakfast, which accounted for the mare being warm. 
 We made the trade. Taking my lead horse by the rope, I pulled out for 
 Horse Prairie, riding the mare. It did not take long to discover why the 
 beef was brought in "before breakfast." The poor old thing would stumble 
 and fall on level road she was so stiff. I had ridden along until about 
 midway between Silver Star and Iron Rod, where I met Bill Hayden, 
 who was riding a small mule. We stopped and passed the time of day. 
 Bill said: "I see you have Dick Trefry's little mare; how would you 
 like to trade for the mule?" I was perfectly willing to make any kind of 
 a trade, at that particular time. We pulled saddles, changed "horses" 
 and were soon going toward our destinations. There is a bridge at Iron 
 Rod across the Jefferson River. Just below this bridge was 
 the old mill of Largey & Dahler, also a store; about two 
 miles back of this store was the mine. When I got to the bridge there 
 was trouble. Just as soon as that mule got her forefeet on the bridge she 
 bolted and ran back to the store. She did this several times. Making up 
 my mind that spurs would persuade her, I went in and bought a pair, 
 in the meantime askmg the man in charge, the distance to Point of Rocks. 
 "Something over 20 miles," he replied. "How long ought it take me 
 to get there?" I asked. "Judging from the way you have been acting 
 for the last hour, you will never get there. That mule isn't a riding mule," 
 he said. "Do you know her?" Know her! Well I guess so; she hasn't 
 done a thing but pack grub from this store to that mine for years. She 
 don't know any other road." Well, here I was with a mule that didn't 
 know anything but "straight up," because it was up a mighty steep hill 
 to the Iron Rod. I must go to Point of Rocks, the mule wouldn't lead and 
 hesitated about crossing the bridge, but the spurs applied at the right time, 
 changed what she had for a mind, so we arrived safely on the other side.
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 39 
 
 I was a few miles south of Twin Bridges when I was overtaken by a man 
 who rode with me to the Point, where we stayed all night. This was a 
 soldier from Fort Ellis. He was looking for a deserter who had a pony 
 and a mule. When he saw me he thought he had found his man, until he 
 rode up close enough to see his mistake. The next morning he found his 
 party, who had encamped a short distance from the Point. 
 
 That night I spent with Geo. French in Argenta. As there was 
 quite a lot of snow on the trail from Argenta to Bannack, George told 
 me I had better leave one of my animals, as it would be troublesome get- 
 ting over with two, so I parted then and there with my mule and rode my 
 split-ear pony to Hamilton's ranch. A year after George 
 wrote to me at Butte and wanted to know what I was 
 going to do with the mule. Said she was killing the colts on the 
 range, and people did not take kindly to such playfulness; said he could 
 trade her for a small mare by paying ten dollars. I wrote to him to make 
 the trade, pay the $10.00 and we would go into the horse business to- 
 gether. This he did and we soon had several head of horses and were in 
 a fair way to become wealthy when a disease got in its deadly work and 
 all died. I have elaborated on this horse and mule trade to show what 
 I got out of a nice horse my father had presented me — nothing. 
 
 The Hamiltons had let a contract to John Everson to build their 
 first fence, and I was soon at the camp helping "trim poles." John v>'as 
 a married man, had a wife much younger than himself. She was a good 
 singer, I also sang some in those days. After all the work was done 
 we would get a hymn book in the evening and sing. I work'ed mighty 
 hard each day, but, for all of that, I did not hold my place but a short 
 time. Years after, my aunt told me John was jealous. I had partly 
 agreed to run the Hamilton dairy that season, but owing to my uncle's 
 temper I did not do so. Living near Hamilton's was a placer mmer, Andy 
 Myers. He and Alex Cooper had been partners. Alex had been killed 
 by the Nez Perces the year before, just above the Hamilton house, and 
 had been buried by Andy, "Old Man" Howard and Slim, a Chinaman, 
 in a coffin made from part of a sluice box. Some time during the spring 
 the people came to the conclusion to disinter his remains and take them 
 to Bannack for burial. We took the remains to Bannack. Andy and 
 I returned to his cabin the next day quite late. We had just sat down to 
 supper when "Mack," the man who was working for Hamilton the year 
 before and was with him when the Indians came, came in and said: 
 "You ought to go down to Ham's at once, as he is having some trouble with 
 Indians, who have a mare in their possession that the Nez Perce stole last 
 fall." We certainly made quick work with the supper, and taking our guns 
 went to Ham's, where we found several Indians in the house, with whom 
 the old man was arguing about the marc. They wanted pay for her. he 
 insisted on taking her. without giving them anything. I soon put a stop 
 to it by telling him to give them 50 pounds of flour. In this way he secured 
 his properly without trouble. Andy and I did some prospecting on Bloody
 
 40 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 Dick Creek, located several claims but never worked them. Shortly after 
 this I came to the conclusion to go to Butte. I returned via Silver Star. 
 
 There was a trail in those days through the hills from Silver Star 
 to Butte. That morning, as I was getting ready to go, some one called 
 my attention to the fact that there was another party going, and that we 
 might go in company. This was agreeable to me. I found the man, who 
 asked me how long it would be before I was ready. He said that he 
 would go on ahead, that I would overtake him as he would ride slow. 1 
 had ridden several miles and had not overtaken him. I did, however, over- 
 take John Paul, who was going to Butte with a load of vegetabres. For 
 some reason I rode along in his company. When about two miles up 
 the gulch we saw a man come out of a bunch of bushes and come 
 toward us. It was the same fellow who had left Silver Star ahead of me. 
 Shortly after he passed us on horseback and I never saw him again. 
 All at once the thought struck me that that fellow had intended to 
 "hold me up," and that was the reason why he did not wait for me at 
 Silver Star, and so start together. I had a good suit of clothes, but not 
 a cent in money, my "all" had gone into the till of the hotel keeper that 
 morning. 
 
 Soon after getting home I rode the range for some unbranded young 
 stock that had gotten away from father the year before. After having 
 done this, father proposed that "Big George" Sample and I should go 
 and develop a quartz claim, belonging to C. X. Larabie, "Little" Bill 
 McNamara and himself. The claim was on Little Pipe Stone. We ac- 
 cepted the proposition and moved to the place and went to work. The 
 shaft was only 40 feet deep, but it did not take long to find that the 
 "air" was bad. George insisted that I go to Butte and get some one to take 
 my place, as he did not consider it safe for me to continue at work. I re- 
 ported the condition to father and they sent a man to take my place. Father 
 suggested that I had better get a team from his ranch — on the Jefferson — 
 and haul vegetables to Butte, and sell them, if I couldn't mine. So I went to 
 the valley and got a team; I had to go back via the mine to get the wagon. 
 I arrived at the camp about noon, and as there was no one there, 
 I proceeded to get something to eat, expecting to go up to the mine and 
 get one of the men to help me put the wagon box on. Just about the 
 time I was through eating I saw George Duwease, a miner who lived 
 down the gulch, coming down the hill, and told him I was glad he came 
 along, as it would save me a trip to the mine. "Where are you going?" 
 he asked . "To Butte," I replied. "Well, I guess not; don't you know 
 that Sample is dead?" Sample dead! He was a big, powerful man, of 
 more than 200 pounds, healthy as could be. Now dead! He had gone into 
 the shaft first that morning and when his partner went down he found 
 George sitting. He complained of feeling very queer. He was advised to go 
 on top, which he attempted to do, and, when within a few feet of the 
 surface, let go and fell head first to the bottom, crushing his skull and dy-
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 41 
 
 ing instantly. We took him at once to Butte for burial. It would, no 
 doubt, have been my fate had George not objected to my staying. 
 
 When the vegetables got large enough, I would go and buy a load, 
 take them to Butte and peddle them. A fellow named Dave Hicks 
 wanted to put a team on with me and go into partnership. I consented 
 to this, which was not at all wise. I had some amusing times during that 
 summer. I remember I went to W. A. Clark's house one day and Mrs. 
 Clark wanted some potatoes. "Have you any good potatoes?" she 
 asked, "the other day a young man sold me some and they were not 
 good. You are not that young man, are you?" I did not have time to 
 answer before I heard the voice of Mrs. Joaquin Abascal, Mr. Clark's 
 sister, say: "I would know that young man again if I saw him." She 
 came to the door. I looked her in the eye and said: "It could not have 
 been me because I never saw you before." She took a good look and 
 decided I was not the person, so I sold her another lot of the same "spuds." 
 I shall not try to excuse myself in this matter. No doubt had Mrs. 
 Abascal kept still I would have told Mrs. Clark that I had sold her some 
 potatoes a few days before and if they had not proven good I would 
 make them good.. 
 
 I had time for many things, and once in a while would write a few 
 lines for some paper or other. When coming from Horse Prairie, earlier in 
 the season, as above mentioned, I met a man who gave me quite a lot of 
 information ( ?) concerning the expectations of the Indians of Lemhi, etc. 
 They were to meet at the "Lone Tree" on Horse Prairie, and from there 
 go on the war path. This stuff came to me in a way that led me to 
 think there was more or less truth in it. If it should prove true, and 
 nothing had been said, I might be to blame for not having imparted the 
 news. Under the circumstances, I wrote the following article to the Helena 
 Herald concerning it: 
 
 Horse Prairie, Mont., April 16. 1878. 
 To the Editor of The Herald: 
 
 Thinking it proper to make the citizens of Montana acquainted 
 with some of the possibilities of danger that may arise this ensuing sum- 
 mer from the "Noble Reds," I take this opportunity, before it may be- 
 come too late, of circulating through your valuable paper what I have 
 seen and heard. All Indians in passing this place are trying to obtain 
 powder. One offered a fine American horse for six or seven cans of it, 
 and another offered three pair of gloves for five cartridges. They are 
 quite anxious to obtain ammunition at any price. They have been passing 
 this place for a long time, but not more than two or three can be seen. 
 On last Wednesday evening there were four Fort Hall bucks and three 
 squaws here. They have with them one of T. H. Hamilton's marcs that 
 had been stolen from him last fall, when Joseph passed through. I hcse 
 braves seem to know more of the workings and machinations of Joseph 
 than they care to tell. I have not the slightest doubt but what they were 
 with that chief. The oldest "lady" of the lodge was at the house and
 
 42 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 was kind enough to inform me that the Fort Hall Indians were "heep 
 good." "Fort Lemhi Indians no good; one month, Lemhi Indians heap cut 
 white man's throat." They told it at all the white cabins in the gulch. 
 You may take it for what it is worth. As near as I can learn there are 
 from 50 to 60 reds camped at what is known as the "Lone Tree," four 
 miles above Martin Barrett's, on Horse (Prairie) Creek. The Indians say 
 they have been from Fort Hall for two moons; where they could have 
 been for that length of time is a question. Is is not possible that they 
 have been getting the wherewith to further their devilish designs? Do 
 you recollect the horrors of Minnesota? How the Sioux spread out over 
 the country, only a few at a place, and how, at a given hour they began 
 their work of murder and destroying? 
 
 Does not the actions and movements of the Bannacks at the present 
 time present a parallel to those of the Sioux in 1862? And, further, it is 
 not among the improbabilities that the Fort Hall Indians may, before 
 another month passes, kill all the settlers on this prairie. If I see or hear 
 of anything I will try and keep the Herald posted. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 H. P. 
 
 This article seemed to be the cause for a considerable scare among 
 the people of Beaverhead county, as women and children were gathered 
 in secure places, for fear of an uprising. Nothing happened, so far as 
 the Indians were concerned. The people, however, were desirous of 
 finding out who wrote the story. I never claimed the honor (?) until 
 Mrs. Hamilton, my aunt, several years after, asked me if I knew any- 
 thing about it, when I told her the particulars. After the 
 vegetable season was over, Jared Chase and I came to the 
 conclusion that there was much money in fishing, as one could get 25 
 cents per pound for them in Butte. Bob Foster was, at that time, run- 
 ning the Race Track House in Deer Lodge Valley. So Chase and I 
 went there to fish. Not being very successful, we came to the conclu- 
 sion we would go to the Big Hole Basin. In going up Mill Creek we 
 noticed a very thick growth of timber. We were talking 
 about it when I remarked to Chase: "It won't be long 
 before all this timber is gone and these hills will be bare." "What 
 are you talking about? You and I will never live to see those trees used; 
 you talk like a fool," he replied. "That's all right," I said, "but Butte 
 will use all this stuff." I must admit that this was a long "guess" on 
 my part, as we were 30 miles from Butte and no railroad. Inside of 
 a few years my assertion became fact, as Anaconda had been built and 
 Caplice and McCune had this very timber cut for wood, 300,000 cords. 
 I remember we camped all night at French, with Johnnie Seymour, 
 an old time miner of that gulch, for whom Seymour Creek is named. We 
 continued up the river and camped on a little creek near the river, since 
 called McVey. We saw many fish, but were not able to catch them. 
 I had been in the valley the year before, had seen the grazing and
 
 THE STORY OF 'AJAX- 43 
 
 meadow lands, which were very attractive to any one with stock. I 
 wondered why it had not been taken up; was told that the snow fell so 
 deep that one could not live in it. Neither of us thought that inside of a 
 few years we would be pioneers of this valley. 
 
 We returned to Butte and began to cut cord wood for the Clipper 
 mill. We worked at this during the fall. There was very little of in- 
 terest going on that winter in Butte. The next spring father and I took 
 up some land in Elk Park, on Nez Perce Creek. Johnnie Beall and I 
 put up a cabin, corral, etc., intending to start a dairy. Why it fell through, 
 I do not know. Early that summer Maud came from Minneapolis. She 
 came up the Missouri river on the steamer Benton. D. J. Hennessy, 
 Judge DeWitt, Lieut. Francis Woodbridge, who participated in the Bat- 
 tle of the Big Hole, were also passengers. I generally, during the sum- 
 mer, milked cows. (I am not sure but I think it was '79 or '80 that I 
 had to pay $42.50 for hay and $80 per ton for bran with which to feed 
 cattle, selling the milk for 50 cents per gallon). During the summer of 
 '78 a family came to Butte from Iowa. They had, for a 
 short time, a small house across the street from father's. The 
 man, C. M. Buck, was a contractor and builder. There were several 
 children in the family; two of them, Minnie and Hattie (13 years old), 
 came over one day to see my step-sister, Jennie Hubbard. I would have 
 been very much surprised had any one intimated that this little girl would 
 one day be my wife. 
 
 The summer and fall of '80 was spent in the Elk Park ranch. Jim 
 Prowse, Lyman Kinnear and I had the place. I remember that 
 Lyman and I got out a whole lot of timber for fencing. After haying I 
 sold my interest to my uncle, W. B. Stanchfield. I was to take the 
 money, go to the University of Iowa and enter the Law Department. (R. 
 B. Hassell had been the principal in the Butte schools and I had attended 
 for some time during the winter). My uncle was to give me $250.00 the 
 first year, the same amount for the second. Before going to Iowa I 
 made up my mind to take a team and make the trip throueh the National 
 Park. My object in so doing was to get data for a lecture, providing 
 my cash should not hold out. I thought that I could deliver a lecture on 
 the wonders of that place and probably make a few dollars, as it was then 
 so little known. I took a team, one of the horses belonged to my step-mother, 
 and began my journey alone. On my arrival at Bozeman I met several of 
 the Butte boys. John Reed, of the Inter-Mountain; Jim Forbis, Tom 
 Wampler, etc., ten of them in all. They liad just been through the park 
 and were on their way home. I could not get any of them to go back 
 with me. I got my dinner that day with Geo. Wakefield, who was then run- 
 ning the Northern Pacific Hotel. Mrs. Wakefield was a schoolmate of 
 mother's. I met a kid. Link Coberly, who had l>een pretty near the Park 
 but had not been in it. I proposed that he go with me. He said: " ." 
 the money I have is five dollars; that won't lake mc very far toward the 
 Park." I informed him that he didn't need any, I would put up. He
 
 44 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 consented to go. We camped out on Bear Creek, 1 miles from Boze- 
 man that night, and the next we were at Bottler Bros., on the Yellow- 
 stone. We picketed our horses a short distance from camp. We were 
 up early the next morning. Requesting Link to get the horses, I proceeded 
 to get breakfast. He had been gone but a short time when he came hurry- 
 ing back with the information that one of the horses was cast, and "his 
 head was as big as a barrel!" On making an examination I found that he 
 had, in some way, gotten one of his hind feet in the rope which was around 
 his neck, and in struggling to get up, had choked himself, more or less, 
 also bruising his head. This was a nice state of affairs. A horse that 
 could not be used; miles from home, and anxious to make the trip. What 
 could I do? I went to Bottler and explained my condition. He said: 
 "I have a horse that you can have as soon as he comes back from the 
 Park, which should be soon now." I had to be contented and wait for 
 "Old Bozeman," as the horse was called, for several days. At last he 
 came and we made a new start. It did not require a long time to go, 
 from this ranch, to Mammoth Springs. On arriving there I met Mrs. 
 Carson (mother of Arthur of the North Butte), also Mrs. Ed Reimel 
 of Walkerville, who invited me to have lunch v^ith them, which was ac- 
 cepted with pleasure and much enjo3'ed. 
 
 When I got back to camp I found a young man, who desired to 
 make one of our company, a Geo. Allen of the Yellowstone. We left 
 the wagon at the Springs and began our trip through the Park. We 
 went via Tower Falls to the Grand Canyon, Great Fall, Sulphur Moun- 
 tain, Mud Volcano, thence to Mary's Lake, to the Lower Geyser Basin. 
 We did not go to Yellowstone Lake. We enjoyed the scenery very 
 much. The weather was delightful. When we arrived at Midway, or 
 "Hell's Half Acre," we crossed the Fire Hole river to investigate the 
 Prismatic Spring and the Caldron, or what was afterward called "Sheri- 
 dan Geyser." This is a large body of boiling water, over 100 feet 
 across, and when not in a state of eruption, is some 1 to more feet below 
 the surface. Steam arises all the time, as from a great kettle of boiling 
 water. Wishing to see more of this wonderful spring, I carefully walked 
 toward it and stopped in awe at the fearful sight that met my gaze when 
 a light breeze wafted the steam from me, as I was at the brink of that 
 hellish hole. One more careless step and — the end. 
 
 When we arrived at the Upper Basin, we found ourselves pretty 
 short of provisions. The boys were successful in getting a nice lot of fool 
 hens, with sticks, but as we had no grease in which to fry them we began 
 to rustle. Link found, in a tree, a can of bacon grease that had been 
 left by the former camper. As this was nice and fresh, we made use of it. 
 
 We returned to the Springs via Norris Geyser Basin. At that place 
 Col. Norris had a party of men at work on the roads. Link got some 
 brown sugar of them, which, under the circumstances, was the nicest ever. 
 The next day we arrived at the Springs, and got as good a meal as 
 McCartney's Hotel could set up. We purchased a few supplies, and
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 45 
 
 started down the river. "When on my way up to the Mammoth Springs 
 I made arrangements with a party to catch some fish for me. When 
 I returned to the place the man had a nice supply, which I hauled to 
 Butte and sold them for 25 cents per lb. When I got back to Bottler's 
 I found that my horse was in no condition to take me home. Wm. Lee 
 had a large number of horses, so I went to his ranch and bought a pony 
 for $40.00, leaving my horse in his care. Link and I arrived in Butte 
 in good season. Owing to the inroads on my cash, I did not have 
 enough to carry me through the first year at Iowa City, so I did not study 
 law. There must have been something of a Providencial nature in this, 
 as we have too many poor lawyers now. If I am not mistaken — I am 
 writing this from memory and may make errors — that fall Mrs. Pierce 
 and Miss Nellie came to Butte from St. Louis. Miss Nellie wanted a 
 school. A teachers' examination was held in Hassell's room; C. K. 
 Hardenbrook was at that time county superintendent of Deer Lodge 
 county. 
 
 I made an application for the school at Travonia; my application 
 met with much opposition by several of the patrons, and it did not appear 
 that it would be possible for me to secure it. I recall that Henry Mc- 
 Murphy and Henry Jacobs were two of the trustees. I had almost given 
 up when Hassell persuaded me to try for the examination anyway. I 
 do not remember all who took the examination at that date, but Nellie 
 Pierce, Addison Dingley and I did. I was successful in passing, so got 
 the school. Dingley taught in old Silver Bow; Miss Pierce in the old 
 Good Templar hall. That winter was an enjoyable one, as many of the 
 boys gathered almost every evening at the Pierce home. We gave 
 "Toodles," which was received by the audience without any great dis- 
 tribution of discarded vegetables or unsalable hen fruit. There was much 
 to keep one busy in Butte in those days. So taken all in all, I can hardly 
 recall a more enjoyable winter. There was a good "bunch" of young 
 people. John, Will, Jim and Miss Belle Forbis, Nellie Pierce, Minnie 
 Wampler, Maud Noyes, Will Armitage, Dave Marks, Charles Pope, Si. 
 Marks, Tom Wampler, Dave Beck, Geo. Duffett, R. B. Hassell, Jas. 
 A. Pack, Micklejohn girls. Miss Fannie Hotchkiss. Morier girls, 
 among those I remember. 
 
 This school was to be the last one I was to teach, as I had made 
 up my mind that a teacher should be belter educated than myself. I 
 did try to impart some information to the young people under my care 
 that winter, and received a very nice compliment from Mr. hi. S. Clark, 
 who had been one of those most bitterly opposed to me in the beginning. 
 It came up in the following way: Mr. Clark had two boys under mc, one 
 of whom had advanced far enough to go to a higher grade, up town, 
 by New Years. I had told him he could go, but Mr. Clark came and 
 asked, as a special favor, if I would allow him to remain with mc, say- 
 ing: "The boys have done better under you than ever before." I most
 
 46 THE STORY OF "AJAX " 
 
 certainly felt flattered at these words, as I knew the man well enough 
 to know that he meant what he said. 
 
 That summer Will Armitage and I ran a dairy. I did, for a while, 
 clerk for Wm. G. Pfouts on Montana Street, in a feed and grocery 
 store. Wm. G. Pfouts was a man of decided opinion. He generally 
 thought himself right and then went ahead. In the fall Will Armi- 
 tage and my sister Maud were married, as were also Jno. Wampler 
 and Minnie Buck. They were to take a trip through the National Park. 
 I had also agreed to take a party there. We would all travel to- 
 gether, but would have two separate messes. 
 
 Speaking of the National Park, I remember a little thing that hap- 
 pened. One day several of us were standing in front of Bill Woodward's 
 place of business, on Broadway. I had been describing what I had seen 
 in the Park the year before. Billy listened for several minutes, and 
 turning to go into the store, said: "You are the biggest liar I ever saw." 
 About one year after Billy, having been to the Park, came to me one 
 day and said: "Al, I believe I owe you an apology. You remember, 
 after having listened to your description of the National Park last year, 
 I called you a liar? Well, I want to take it all back. You haven't 
 got half enough sense to tell anything about it." Some people might not 
 have considered that much of a compliment. I did. Woodward is and 
 was a very intelligent man. My description must have had some merit, 
 or he would not have questioned my veracity. No man can describe this 
 wonderful place in such a way but what much must be lacking. 
 
 On August 15th, !88l, I again pulled for Geyserland with W. S. 
 Park, his son, Frank, Geo. Teasdale and John Rule. Before going, 
 we entered into an agreement as to the work each should do on the 
 trip. I am convinced that this is the only way to make a journey en- 
 joyable. The wedding party, consisting of the above named newly weds, 
 the Misses Tilly Wampler and Nellie Pierce, the Rev. Jno. Garvin of 
 the M. E. church, Butte, and Myron Hall of White Sulphur Springs, 
 I think, started the next morning. The trip was very enjoyable indeed. It 
 would do no good to go into it in detail. We went via Virginia City, 
 up the Madison, back via Yellowstone, Bozeman, etc. I got the horse 
 left on the Yellowstone the year before. We had been out for 35 days 
 by the time we arrived in Butte. 
 
 My health was much improved. Soon after getting home, Geo. H. 
 Tong gave me a position at the Vulcan mine. My first shift was put 
 in on a shaft with Miles Cavenaugh. This man was a very peculiar 
 one indeed. He had quite a serious temper, and it is said few men 
 could work with him. He did not work long enough with me to display 
 any of his crankiness. They tell some funny things in connection 
 with him. A new man was striking the drill, which Cavenaugh 
 was holding. The new man at first did not quite hit the head. The next 
 time he struck too far. He said: "I was too far that time, Mr. Caven-
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 47 
 
 augh, wasn't I?" "No," was the reply, "you wouldn't be too far if 
 you were in New York." 
 
 In the fall I bought some hay in the Big Hole Basin of Chase 
 and Hammer and took my cattle to that place, where I arrived on 
 Thanksgiving Day. E. O. Packard, who had been working for me, had 
 agreed to care for them during the winter. Milt Jones, Jared Chase and 
 Jake Hammer were at the ranch when we arrived, which was some 
 time after dark. Jim Woods and wife were caring for Jim Maxwell's 
 steers. They lived on the main river a short distance below Chase & 
 Hammer's. While Mrs. Woods was not the only woman in the valley 
 that winter, she had no one near enough for neighbors, hence a mighty 
 lonesome place. 
 
 Returning to Butte, I resumed my work at the Vulcan mine, until 
 my grandmother was taken with inflammatory rheumatism, when I was 
 compelled to quit work and care for her. That winter Prof. Speck gave 
 the cantata "Esther," Miss Wallace of Helena taking the leading part. 
 I was keeping company with Hattie Buck, who also had a solo in the 
 play. Mr. Buck did not like the attention I paid his daughter, on account 
 of her youth. In March, Uncle Will Stanchfield and I started for the 
 Big Hole to see how the hay was holding out. We took a span of 
 horses, light buggy and a camp outfit. After leaving Dewey we had to 
 make camp in a "corral in which a stack of hay had been that winter. 
 This was near the mouth of Bear Creek. 
 
 Wheeling was fairly good, although there was, in some places, two 
 feet of snow on the ice. We were traveling on the river. In the early 
 forenoon we arrived at Chalk Bluff. Near this place we met a man 
 riding one horse and leading the other, which had a harness on. We 
 learned afterward that this was Geo. Gronn, quite a character in his way, 
 who was going after an elk he had killed the day before. This was the 
 20th day of March, 1 882. After meeting Gronn we continued on up 
 the river a few miles, when we met "Zeke" Packard and his father near 
 the mouth of Pintler creek. The hay was gone and they had just 
 turned the cattle on the hills, just below Doolittle creek, as some of the 
 ridges were bare. We had to be contented with these conditions as no 
 more hay was to be procured. We turned back and camped that night 
 at a cabin belonging to the Williams Bros, on Squaw creek, next morn- 
 ing starting for Butte. 
 
 As there had been a considerable opposition to my kee])ing company 
 with Hattie, and some talk of her father moving to California, we came 
 to the conclusion to "steal a march" on the old folks and marry. Wo set 
 the 6th day of April for that event. She was attending school, a little 
 slip of a girl in short dresses. We were to go to the home of a mutual 
 friend, get the justice of the peace and marry; no license was needed in 
 those days. The day arrived, and instead of going to school, as her 
 parents thought, she went to the home of W. W. I'ranres, whore she 
 borrowed a dress of Miss Alice, her chum. As Mr. and Mrs. Frances
 
 48 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 were not at home, we requested of Mrs. Jno. Paddock, another daughter 
 who lived next door, the privilege of having the ceremony at her home. 
 She consented and Wm. Packard, a friend of mine, went for the justice 
 of the peace. I have an idea that the J. P. had never before performed 
 a like service. I explained that he could make it as short as possible. 
 He said: "Do you take this man to be your husband?" "Yes." "Do 
 you take this woman to be your wife?" "Yes." "Then I pronounce 
 you man and wife." I reached in my pocket and handed him ten dollars. 
 Upon receiving this fee, he held his hands up and said very impressively: 
 "Oh, yes! Oh, Yes! What God hath joined together let no man put 
 asunder." After we were married I sent a note to Mr. Buck explaining 
 the matter. In the meantime we had gone to the home of my grand- 
 mother. I introduced Hattie to her as my wife. She advised us to go 
 to Uncle Will Stanchfield's, which we did. Shortly after getting to 
 uncles we saw Mr. Buck going by on a white horse. He went to 
 grandmother's supposing we would be there. He was unable to get any 
 information from her. In the evening Mr. Buck and his attorney. Judge 
 DeWitt, again went to grandmother's for information as to our hiding 
 place. Will Armitage told him we were at Stanchfield's. 
 
 It was about 9:30 p. m. when they came. Owing to Hattie's youth, 
 the attorney tried to make me believe the affair illegal. Mrs. Buck had 
 taken the news very seriously, especially as she was in ill health. For that 
 reason Mr. Buck requested Hattie to go home with him. She wanted me 
 to come with them, but as the buggy would only hold three, I must 
 needs walk. Will Armitage and I walked up to Mr. Buck's. I 
 knocked and when the door was opened met with an exceedingly warm 
 reception. I asked if I could come in. His reply was in the negative, 
 at the same time kicking at me, but luckily for me, did not reach any 
 part of my anatomy. We did not have any serious trouble, as Armitage 
 and I went home. In the light of subsequent events, I can not blame 
 any parent for feeling very much hurt over such an affair. 
 
 I did not go up town the next day. When the Miner and Inter- 
 Mountain came out, the most glaring news was the wedding. I received 
 no particular blame from the news gatherers for my part in the matter. . 
 On the 8th I went up to see Jno. Forbis and get his advice as an attor- 
 ney. On entering his office I was greeted by Jim, who was studying 
 law at that time with Knowles and Forbis, with, "Hello, Al. Are you 
 married?" I replied that I did not know; that I had come up to see 
 Jno. and find out how I stood. Soon after, Jno. came in. He took the 
 matter up and agreed that I was married, but "Where is your wife?" 
 he asked. I explained all about that, saying the girl was at home, and 
 that the old folks were keeping a pretty close watch over her, so I could 
 not get to see her. 
 
 "If she is my wife, the old gent will not give her up; how would 
 you go about it to get her?" I asked. "There is only one way; go down 
 to Deer Lodge, go before Judge Galbraith and get out a writ of habeas
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX' 49 
 
 corpus," he replied. After talking for some time with Jno., Jim said he 
 would go to Deer Lodge with me. We had no cars in those days, so I 
 '.vent to Mantle and Cowan's stable and got a team, made the trip, 
 got out the writ and Mr. Buck was cited to appear, with his daughter, 
 at court, Jno. F. Forbis, Will Armitage and I went to Deer Lodge to- 
 gether. Through the advice of Randolph and DeWitt, Mr. Buck's 
 attorneys, he had failed to fetch his daughter. They had fixed up some 
 affidavit, which they had gotten her to sign, stating she was not well 
 and did not wish to come. Forbis came to me and said that under the 
 circumstances he did not know what to do; that we would probably have 
 to wait for a while, etc. 
 
 I was certainly very much interested in the matter and thought that 
 there must be some way out of it. John was feeling blue; Randolph 
 was elated. An idea, in some way, got into my head. I said : "John, 
 I want to get some information. Can't I send Armitage up to Butte, let 
 him go and see Hattie and find out how the land lays. If he should go 
 to the house and as soon as the door was opened, walk in, could they do 
 anything with him?" "No, they could not," he replied. "Well, I am 
 going to send him at once, and then we will know all about the busi- 
 ness. It was not the most agreeable night for a ride, as it was raining 
 and snowing, kind of a sleet. I got a good horse and Will began 
 his 42 mile ride about 9 p. m. That night there was a wedding in the 
 parlor of the McBurney. Amos Buck of Stevensville and some lady 
 late from the East. I could hear the merrymaking and could not help 
 thinking about the difference between that wedding and mine. They 
 would taste the real fruits of love and affection, while I might only realize 
 grief in the actual loss of the girl I loved. I am confident now that I 
 was a little bit envious of Amos' good fortune in having such favorable 
 conditions for the launching of his matrimonial craft. How little do we 
 know of the future, "mother" and I have lived together for over 32 j'ears. 
 
 When Forbis entered the hotel at noon the clerk handed him a tele- 
 gram, from Armitage. "Hattie is well and willing to come. What shall 
 I do about it?" This was shown to Randolph. It is needless to asy that 
 Randolph did not have much appetite for dinner that day, as he found 
 himself outgeneraled. In the afternoon we were called into court. I he 
 affidavits were read by Randolph, and Judge Galbraith remarked that 
 he did not see what could be done, under the circumstances. Forbis 
 called his attention to the telegram. When he heard the contents, he said: 
 "Mr. Buck, you will proceed to Butte and bring your daughter at once." 
 Mr. Buck had to take a night ride. When he arrived, the next day. in 
 Deer Lodpe, we went to the court house. Mr. Buck and Hattie were 
 sitting inside the rail. Jud(.'(' Knowlcs. who was sitting with mc, asked 
 if I had spoken to the girl since they had taken her. "No," I replied. 
 "Well you go and ask Mr. iiuck if you can talk to the girl, and if he 
 says *No' you ask the girl if she wants to I. ilk with you." Court was 
 not yet in session. I walked u]> .md said: "Mr. Buck, can I speak to
 
 50 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 Hattie?" "No, you dirty dog," he replied. I turned and said: "Hattie 
 do you want to talk with me?" No sooner said than Mr. Buck hit 
 me in the face with a large law book he held in his hand — result, a black 
 eye for me. I was about to strike him when the sheriff caught me and 
 jerked me back into a seat. I walked back and sat down with Judge 
 Knowles, who was laughing to beat the band. Soon after court convened 
 and the judge set our hearing for 7:30 that Saturday evening. At 7:30 
 the old court room in Deer Lodge was crowded. Hardly standing room. 
 The fight was on. For a time it looked as though Mr. Buck would win. 
 
 The girl had been told that the marriage was illegal, and this was 
 the impression they wished her to get. If she could be made to decide 
 that she had made a mistake the wedding would be null, so far as she 
 was concerned. After listening to the witnesses, the judge asked her what 
 she wanted to do. "I want to go home," she said. This surely was a 
 peculiar situation for me. The girl could go free, while I would be a 
 married man without a wife. The room was as still as death. All had 
 heard the girl's reply. Forbis arose to his feet and said: "Hattie, I 
 want to talk to you a minute. The court here. Judge Galbraith, is the 
 one who decides this matter. Suppose he says this marriage is legal, what 
 do you want to do?" "If this marriage is not legal I want to go home. 
 If it is I want to go with my husband," she said. That settled the case 
 in my favor. It seemed the people in the room were favorable to the 
 youngsters, for no sooner was she through talking than men began to 
 stamp their feet and shout. Seldom has such a scene been witnessed in a 
 court of justice. The judge did not at once call for order. When he 
 did and quiet was restored he said: "I hardly know what to do with 
 these young people. I hate to lock them up, but when young people get 
 to running away, you can't always tell where to find them." Forbis, 
 with a big smile on his face, said: "I will pledge my word of honor 
 that I will look after my client and see that he is here when you want 
 him." "All right," said the judge. "I will decide this case 9 a. m. 
 Monday morning." 
 
 During the trial Judges Stephen De Wolfe and Alex Mayhew sat 
 behind me. When Hattie got through talking. Judge Mayhew patted 
 me on the back and said: "Stay with her, my boy, she is worth having." 
 John came to me a little later in the evening, and told me that Mr. 
 Buck wished to go home in the morning, as he had several men at work 
 on the school house. John told him that that was up to me. John, how- 
 ever, advised me to let him go, as it would be much more pleasant for 
 Hattie. I got Forbis to go back with the message that Mr. Buck could 
 go, but that as he, John, would send a telegram to Jim Forbis Monday, as 
 soon as the judge had decided. Should the decision be in my favor, he 
 was to turn the girl over to me at once. To this he agreed. All of us 
 returned to Butte that Sunday morning. Monday, I was certainly on 
 the "anxious seat." My telegram did not arrive until 3 p. m.
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 51 
 
 As the judge had decided the legality of the affair in my favor, I 
 sent a note by my cousin, Willie Stanchfield. to Mr. Buck, telling him the 
 contents of the telegram. He replied: "There is no hurry." No. hurrj^! 
 Well, I guess that reply made me pretty mad. I wrote again and told 
 him I would go to Deer Lodge and see what the judge had to say about 
 it. I was going to the stable for a team when I met Will Armitage, to 
 whom I told the result of my message to Mr. Buck, telling him, also, 
 what I intended to do. He took hold of me and said: "You are not 
 going to do anything of the kind; you are going to get something to eat 
 and then go down home and go to bed." As "Bill" was larger than I 
 this was carried out according to his plans. The next morning before I 
 was up, Hattie was sent down to our home at grandmother's. 
 
 I have probably gone into this more in detail than such a matter 
 would require. Yet it was talked and written about at considerable 
 length when it occurred. Senator W. A. Clark told me he read it one 
 morning at breakfast in Paris; Chas. Herman in Los Angeles. While 
 these things do occur, I can not advise in their favor. Parents must 
 use considerable good judgment in dealing with young people, as youth 
 might be talked out of much, driven out of nothing. As my cattle were 
 in the Big Hole, we were to take up our abode there as soon as we 
 could do so. Some time about the middle of May my Uncle Will, his 
 daughter, Fanny, left Butte with Hattie and me for our new home. In 
 order to go to the Big Hole we had to go via Bannack. Our outfit 
 consisted of a two-horse team driven by uncle, a single rig, a small wagon 
 I had used as a milk wagon by myself. We had our worldly possessions 
 in these two rigs. 
 
 We were going to a new land. No woman would be there to wel- 
 come my girl wife. In a valley, forty miles from the nearest neighbor, 
 we were to begin life in a little log cabin, dirt roof and dirt floor, without 
 anything in shape of comfort. The weather proved favorable for our 
 journey. We arrived at the place, now Wisdom, where circumstances 
 "pitched our camp." There was a small cabin, stable, corral, that had 
 been built by Gilmer and Salisbury for a stage station soon after the battle 
 of the Big Hole, as they had gotten a contract to carry mail from Ban- 
 nack to Missoula. We found Jack Hicks, the man who had killed the 
 first buffalo for our train in '66. I had not, to my knowledge, seen 
 him since those days. He was hunting and trapping for a living, was 
 when we arrived, getting ready to go to Jackson's Hole, Wyo. He told 
 me there was plenty of hay for my purposes growing near there, and that 
 he did not believe the stage company would use the place again, so I 
 had better take possession. This was the 28th day of May. 1882. My 
 cattle were down the river I 5 miles. We would go and get them and 
 make our home at the "Oossing." as the place was called. A road to 
 Bitter Root, also to Gibbonsville. crossed the Big Hole at this place. 
 
 Wc proceeded to Doolittic creek that same afternoon. Stocl creek 
 and McVay were swimmmg. as water was high in the valley that season.
 
 52 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 Zeke and his father had a cabin just over the ridge from Jim Callens' 
 place, where they were cutting ties, which were being hauled to the river 
 by Chase & Hammer. These were, later, floated down the river to 
 Divide. We found our cattle and horses in fine condition, and took 
 them back to the "ranch." On June first. Hicks, Stanchfields and Pack- 
 ards left the valley, so Hattie and I were "Monarchs of all we surveyed." 
 It was a lovely day in June, the distant peaks were covered with 
 stainless snow, and framed by the dark colors of the evergreens. The 
 swelling river gladly rushed to mingle waters with others of its kind, to 
 later lose all semblance of itself within the sea. This emerald vale, 
 with many fragrant flowers, was nature's gift to poverty; and he who 
 would, with wisdom turn the sod, and "thus divert from yonder sparkling 
 stream some portion with which to bathe the thirsty land," would reap 
 a sure reward. Our only means of livelihood was by milking the cows 
 and selling, at some future time, our butter in Butte. We proceeded to 
 dig a place in the side hill for a milk cellar. I would get up at 3:30 
 a, m. — thus beating the "Golden Orb of Day" — to get the cows milked 
 in the cool of the morning. I don't desire that you should get the idea 
 that I rustled the live-long day, because I did not. I generally took a 
 nap in the afternoon. It might not be a bad idea to give you a pen picture 
 of our home: 
 
 The cabin was 15x16, with dirt roof, also dirt floor. There was 
 a half window in each end, north and south. A bed was made of poles, 
 in the northeast corner. We had no springs or mattress, a tick full of slough 
 hay answering for the latter. Jack Hicks had a small rocking chair and 
 stove, which I purchased. The other "chairs" were pieces of log, or 
 small goods boxes. No curtains, no need of carpet. A few shelves for 
 the few dishes, completed the picture. 
 
 On July 4th, we took a little ride, going up over the land now 
 owned by Fred Frances, but the mosquitoes being bad, we did not get any- 
 where near as much enjoyment out of it as they did. We were sleeping 
 on the hill just back of the cabin, under a wagon sheet the night of the 
 4th. It was probably near midnight when a fearful thunder storm which 
 had been celebrating over Idaho, came up with quite a high wind. The 
 wagon cover was blown off and we became drenched. We, no doubt 
 needed the bath, but would have much preferred it in some other hour of 
 the day. July 5th, just before noon, a man came along and requested per« 
 mission to build a fire nearby. As we were about to eat dinner we in- 
 vited him in. While eating, we became quite well acquainted, as it is 
 very easy for people to get near to nature when living on the frontier. 
 We learned that his name was Matt Waldherr; that he was an Austrian, 
 who had been in Nebraska and Wyoming, and wanted a piece of land. 
 We gleaned the information that he could milk. As we had no cam 
 in which to pack our butter, I thought it would be a good idea to get •nira 
 to take care of our place while we went to Bannack for them. He agreed 
 to do this, so we left that afternoon for Warm Springs creek, where we
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 53 
 
 were to camp for the night. Lewis and Clark mention these springs, also 
 give a complete description of this valley in their journal. Clark camped 
 there for dinner July 7th, 1806. He said that the water was hot enough 
 to boil a piece of meat "the width of two fingers, in five minutes done 
 enough to eat." When we arrived at the Springs we found several 
 men from Gibbonsville in camp. They suggested that we take a plunge in 
 the pool formed by a small dam a short distance below the spring, after 
 dark. I foolishly consented to this and in we went. I say foolishly and 
 that advisedly, because I did not have a towel with which to dry myself, 
 so stood on the bank, wrapped in the light of a silvery moon and dried 
 by the cool breezes of a high altitude. 
 
 We arrived at Bannack the next day about noon, and went to the 
 home of Wm. Blair, Mrs. Blair being an old playmate (Emma Ferster). 
 I had come with the expectation of getting Geo. W. Dart to make the cans. 
 In this I was not successful, as he was packed up ready to move to Dil- 
 lon, the new town on the railroad. Being disappointed in this, I must 
 go to Butte, 1 30 miles away. So back we went to the ranch and ex- 
 plained matters to Matt, who kindly agreed to stay. We thought the 
 river would be low enough to ford, so made up our minds to try that road. 
 When we came to the "Twin Crossing" I mistook the ford and arrived 
 near the east bank just above a boulder, onto which the high water washed 
 my wagon, filling the bed full. Then "Old Queen," one of my horses, 
 refused to pull ; Hattie had me by one arm, to which she clung with a 
 death grip. That beautiful, gurgling, sparkling stream(?) was now a 
 demon, rushing madly by. How it laughed in devilish glee, thinking to 
 clasp us in its cold embrace, and leave us food for fishes on the rocks 
 below. I did not believe that I could get my wife out of this place in safety, 
 as the water was going so swiftly by that it would carry us off our feet 
 in an instant. An All Wise One knew the outcome. "Old Queen" 
 threw herself and came up blowing mad and pulling to beat anything you 
 ever saw. We were soon on the bank, mighty thankful for the escape. 
 I want to say that Queen never again balked in a stream. We camped 
 that night with Davis and Jones. 
 
 On my arrival in Butte I was taken sick, owing to my hot bath by 
 moonlight, and was in bed for two weeks. You remember I had left 
 Matt in care of the place for a short time. What with sickness, etc, it 
 was four weeks before he could get away for himself. Matt was cx- 
 ceedincrly anxious to get a place. He asked me how much I claimed, and 
 I told him. He went eight miles up the valley and settled. A party came 
 along one day and asked Matt about b's place, what he claimed, et-. 
 The valley extended about forty miles south of his cabin, without a 
 settler. "Shust as far as you can see dat vay (south) and to varc Al 
 Noyes don't claim de oder." ho replied. As I only claimed (?) three 
 miles south. Matt certainly had a dandy claim (in his mind), as it vas 
 45 miles long and from 5 to 1 2 wide. The fact of it is. he did get a 
 nice piece of land, which was made into one of the nicest hay ranches,
 
 54 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 afterward, in Montana. Wm. F. Packard had entered into a partnership 
 with me, as it was up-hill work trying to do anything alone on a ranch. 
 He had come back from Butte with us via French Gulch. A few 
 people had settled soon after we did. A. H. McVey, wife, two boys, 
 Oscar and Earl, Jas. Geery, wife and little girl, Minnie, Geo. Smith, Jas. 
 Innes and Frank Dixon, bachelors. Wm. Fraser and family, near Doo- 
 little creek. They were the next ones to come after us, in fact, Mrs. 
 Noyes being the first woman to settle in the valley. 
 
 My Wife's First Lady Callers. 
 
 We had been but a short time on the ranch. One afternoon I was 
 working some butter on a small table near the back or north window 
 of our cabin. Chancing to look up, I saw about I 00 Indians coming up 
 the valley, only a short distance away. I spoke to Hattie and told her 
 not to show any fear. Soon two young "bucks" got off their ponies and 
 came to the cabin. I heard one say to the other, "Don't speak English." 
 I took my cue from this remark. I knew they intended to scare us, if they 
 could and get us to give them anything they asked for. They hadn't 
 calculated just right, as I knew a little of Indian nature myself. They came 
 to the door and one said, "Water, water." I did not have any water in. 
 A large slough ran by the house, so I told them they could go out and 
 help themselves. "No," they wanted me to get it. Of course, I refused. 
 "You gotta gun?" one asked. "Sure I have a gun," I said. My gun 
 was on old bored out affair for shooting ducks or small game. It was 
 of no particular value. It was leaning up in one corner of the cabin in 
 plain sight. The Indian went and examined it, looking at the other with 
 a smile. I took the gun out of his hands, telling him to leave it alone. 
 Soon another young fellow came in and inquired whether I had a gun 
 or not, also spying it about the same time, he too took it up and looked 
 it over. I walked up and jerked it out of his hands and told him to leave 
 it alone, that the next fellow who fooled with it would get hurt. When 
 they found that v.'e didn't scare "worth a cent," they left the cabin and 
 went to the camping place, about one mile south. The next morning all 
 my horses were gone, except the one on the picket rope. This was not a 
 nice condition in which to be in. What to do I did not know. Hattie was 
 afraid of the Indians. Yet I must hunt the horses. When I was milking, 
 one of the Indians came from camp, on his way down the valley. He 
 stopped for some time on a litle knoll back of the corral, looking at me. 
 Neither of us passed the time of day. After we had been to breakfast, 
 Hattie chanced to look out of the window and saw him coming back. She 
 said: "You better go and ask that Indian if he has seen anything of 
 the horses." I followed this suggestion, went out, met him and said: 
 "How? How?" "Good morning, sir," he replied in good plain English. 
 I was certainly much surprised at this, and it made me feel very cheap 
 that I had not spoken to him before. I asked him if he had seen any horses.
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 55 
 
 He said; "No; maybe white man's horses no like smell of Indians so 
 run away. Me ask young men when me go to camp." This Indian 
 was Louis Vantleburg, a sub-chief noted for his honesty among the 
 people of Bitter Root. Telling Hattie I would go up the river and look 
 for them, for her not to feel afraid, I saddled my pwny and pulled for Steel 
 creek in order to get the willows there between me and the Indians' 
 camp. I went up the valley about eight miles without finding any clue. 
 I then turned for home, and when near the Indian camp I saw two 
 Indians get on their ponies and start for my place as fast as they could 
 go. Vantleburg, seeing me, came out to show me my horses, which were 
 on a hill five or six miles off. Thanking him, I started for the cabin as fast 
 as my horse could go, fearing that Hattie might become scared at the two 
 young fellows above mentioned. Just as I arrived two squaws were 
 getting on their horses, and all four of them pulled for camp. "Were you 
 afraid?" I asked Hattie. "No, I had a real nice visit. That young 
 squaw can speak as good English as we can. She has been attending 
 school at one of the missions below Missoula." So it happened that 
 these Indian women were my wife's first lady callers. They came to 
 grind their knives and because one could speak our language, they 
 made the time pass pleasantly. Owing to the manner in which these young 
 Indians came to our place the night before, and being Indian hunting 
 ground, we did not know what they might do. 
 
 We went to Butte to live that winter of '82 and '83. Will Pack- 
 ard staying with the ranch; his father being with him part of the time. A 
 young man by the name of Edward Shoemaker was living in the cabin 
 belonging to the Horse Prairie Herding Association, about seven miles 
 south of Wisdom. He was hunting and trapping. One day, in trying 
 to cross the river on the ice, he made a test of its strength, using the butt 
 of his gun. The blow forced the gun through to the hammer, causing 
 it to go off and making a wound which resulted in death soon after he 
 got to his cabin, which he made by an heroic struggle. Fred Myers and 
 Cris Wilke happened to be there. Myers went for Mr. Packard and they 
 made a coffin out of a sluice box and buried him near the cabin. Myers 
 and Wilke had come in that fall. 
 
 Geo. Tong had agreed to give me a job on the Vulcan, but owing 
 to some financial trouble, the claim was closed down. So I bought some 
 cows and expected to sell milk for a living. Mrs. Kale Shaw and Geo. 
 Criskey were part of our household. My father was doing the black- 
 smithing for the Dexter mill, which was leased from W. A. Clark by the 
 Anaconda people, under Marcus Daly. They were reducing the silver 
 and gold ore found on the surface of the Anaconda mine. There was 
 some work being done in the shop for outsiders, also ore to bo wi-ighod. 
 books for the shop to be kept, and a helper was needed for the smith. 
 The man who had been keeping tin- Iwoks was requested to help the 
 smith, he tried it for one day. and came to the conclusion he could find 
 something more to his liking. During that day he said to father: "Old
 
 56 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 man, do you know what I would call a man who worked part of his life 
 for nothing, in learning a trade, in order to get a chance to work harder 
 all the rest of his life?" "No," was the answer made by father. **I 
 would call him a darned old fool," he said. As the position did not suit 
 Dick, I got it; the $3.50 per day looked good to me. I want to digress 
 by relating the following, to-wit: During the summer I had learned 
 of the imprisonment of a young man with whom I had worked in Elk 
 Park cutting piling for the mines of Butte. His name was Roy Towsley. 
 After going to Butte that fall, I had a vivid dream, in which I thought 
 he had escaped from Deer Lodge and came to me for succor. One 
 exceedingly cold night in January, I was awakened out of a sound sleep 
 about 2 a. m. by a knock at the door. Something "told" me this was Roy. 
 When I opened the door I saw a man all muffled up to the eyes, who could 
 hardly speak above a whisper. I invited him in. When he got in the 
 house he said: "Give me a drink of water." I took him into the 
 kitchen and handed him some water. After he had taken a little he said: 
 "You don't remember me, do you?" "Yes, you are Roy Towsley," I 
 replied. "You are right. I have just escaped from Deer Lodge ; there 
 is $100.00 reward and you can get it by giving me up, but I want to 
 tell you, Al, I am not guilty," he said. I replied that I did not make 
 money in that way. I started a fire in the sitting room. His shoes were 
 frozen stiff, as he had broken through the ice on Silver Bow creek. On 
 removing them we found his feet ffozen to the instep. I went up the 
 street and awakened my Uncle Will and told him the particulars. He 
 returned home with me and we helped Roy thaw out his feet. I told Roy 
 he could stay with me, but that he must always be in evidence, should 
 any one come to the house. He remained with us until an operation must 
 be performed. I went to Dr. O. B. Whitford and told him and his 
 son, Chas. W., all about the case, keeping nothing back. They had 
 him taken to the hospital for treatment. While they were administering 
 the chloroform, one of the men who was working for them noticed a 
 number on Towsley 's shirt, and at once informed them that the man was. 
 an escaped convict. Dr. Whitford said: "What if he is, he will 
 suffer enough without going back to Deer Lodge. So keep your mouth 
 shut." He did not heed this. There was $100 in it. He sent a telegram 
 and found out that the number was Towsleys. They arrested him and 
 placed a man over him as guard, and this soon after his feet had been 
 cut off to the instep. That night the guard fell asleep. What was the 
 use, he no doubt thought, of keeping close watch over a man in that 
 condition? He did not know the nerve of the man in his care. When 
 he was sound asleep, Roy got up, dressed himself and made his escape 
 to the stable, where he stayed 48 hours in the dead of winter without 
 food. He then gave himself up and was taken to Deer Lodge, from which 
 place he again made his escape, as soon as his feet got well, not again to be 
 caught. The night he came to me he had gone into my stable, taken 
 off all his prison garb with the exception of this tell-tale shirt. It appears
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 57 
 
 that two young fellows stole three horses and saddles. Roy was walking 
 along the road in the Jefferson valley, looking for work, when these 
 people overtook him and asked if he wanted to ride. He accepted their 
 kind(?) invitation and they camped near Twin Bridges that night, to be 
 overtaken by the sheriff of Jefferson county the next morning. Roy was 
 caught in bad company. 
 
 On the 7th day of February, Edna, our first child, was born That 
 was a very cold, disagreeable winter, and on that particular nigh-t, it was 
 hard to keep the house warm. The little one was a great comfort to us. 
 We would go back to the ranch just as soon as the spring opened — when 
 that would be, we did not know. On the night of April 25 th John 
 Wampler came to us with the sad news of Mrs. Buck's death. A little 
 boy was born to be motherless. This was a sad thing indeed. Mrs. Buck 
 was an exceedingly nice, gentle lady. She had been several times to see 
 us during the winter, and while she had not forgotten the manner in 
 which our marriage occurred, had no doubt forgiven us. 
 
 As soon as possible we got ready to go to the ranch. Will Packard, 
 Matt Waldherr and Zeke Packard had come down and we were to go 
 back together. The first night we went to Henry Partridge's place on 
 the Big Hole. We expected to go up the river and did go as far as what 
 is now called the "Dickey Bridge." In those days there were no 
 bridges on the Big Hole above Dewey's. When we arrived at the river 
 we found it too high for us to cross with the little single rig we had. Matt 
 and Zeke crossed with the heavy wagon, and we turned back, to go via 
 Bannack. We were only 37 miles from home by the river road, while 
 by Bannack it would be MS. We returned to Partridges for the night; 
 pulling out the next morning for "home." At Bannack, we were kindly 
 welcomed by the Blairs, and stayed all night. The next morning we got 
 an early start, as we must make the Big Hole Divide. It was so early in 
 the spring that we could not follow the wagon road, so were compelled 
 to go quite a distance around and higher up the hill. We saw the tracks 
 of a party ahead of us and found where they had dug through a big 
 snow drift and gone on. We were very fortunate in having this woik 
 done for us. Just before dark, we found these people camped about 
 four miles south of Warm Springs on Cow creek. They had a 
 little fire and as it was gelling cold we accepted of their invitation and went 
 into camp for the night. My outfit consisted of a little single rig. just 
 large enough for my wife and baby to sleep in. Will and I slept under it 
 We learned that the man's name was Wralon. His party consisted of 
 wife, three daughters. Etta, now Mrs. Jay Hem; Dora, the wife of Fred 
 Frances; Bertha, Mrs. Chas. W. Frances, and brother-in-law. S. D. 
 Vance. Mrs. Chas. and Fred Frances have continued to live in the Big 
 Hole. I hf-y have built up lovely homes and have Iwen workers for 
 the betterment of the people among whom lh<-y have grown up. I his 
 was on the 8th day of May. 1 883. Our baby was three morilhs old. 
 While she did not suffer from cold, she could not have been any too
 
 58 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 comfortable at an altitude of almost 7000 feet. On the ninth we ar- 
 rived at our cabin, to find Mr. S. E. Packard in charge. 
 
 We found that our stock had come through the winter in good shape. 
 Dave Wraton and Dug Vance erected a small cabin on Sheep creek. 
 They moved to a more desirable place on the main river shortly after. The 
 late settlers have often wondered why the people who came early took the 
 river bottom first, when they could have had much better land by re- 
 claiming the benches. The fact is, the river bottom had some natural 
 hay, owing to the flood water in early spring and summer. While the 
 bench lands required quite an expenditure of money and muscle before 
 hay would grow. Muscle the early setder may have had, but no money. 
 For those who may in the years to come want more information concerning 
 this now noted stock feeding center, I will add the following, to-wit : After 
 a part of Lewis and Clark's expedition passed through this valley in July, 
 I 806, no account is given, to my knowledge, of any other person or per- 
 sons having been in it until the gold excitement in I 862 (See Big Hole 
 history). It is almost certain though, that trappers found their way here, as 
 the journal of Lewis and Clark mentions this place as favorable to beaver. 
 Capt. Bonneville may have come here in the early 30s, as he was on the 
 north fork of the Salmon, near where Gibbonville is now, for a time. When 
 the first prospectors came up the north fork of the Salmon, thence up 
 Dallonaga creek, where gold was discovered in paying quantities, to the 
 place since called Pioneer, I do not know. Who they were I never 
 learned. That is a matter, probably, to be found in the Historical So- 
 ciety's records in Helena. That gold was found here before it was 
 found in Bannack is well known. French gulch, at the extreme lower end 
 of the valley, was once a noted mining camp. Mike Steel had found 
 gold on Steel creek, and with others, Ed Boyle, Barney McDonnell, 
 had put in several seasons placer mining. While many had seen 
 this section of the country, it was considered too high, hence too cold 
 and stormy for habitation. I have given this as a part of the story of the 
 Big Hole. 
 
 As above mentioned, we who were the new comers had much with 
 which to contend. There were no fences, no schools, no mail, and, of 
 course, no churches. Our provisions were hauled over no roads from 
 Butte, We also got mail then 80 miles away. Before coming to the 
 valley I had interviewed Ed Barker, who had cut hay with Chase and 
 Hammer on the North Fork in '80, as to the best place to locate. Ed 
 Barker and his brother, Tom, had crossed the plains in our train in '66, 
 their wagon being close behind ours. They, with Geo, fibbitts, had 
 spent a considerable time prospecting and hunting, in the summer and 
 fall of 67 in the Big Hole. He told me that the land near the Warm 
 Springs was good and that that would be a good place to settle. I had 
 made up my mind to take up this particular place and make my home 
 there, as it was only 30 miles from Bannack, then the county seat of 
 Beaverhead county.
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 59 
 
 As before mentioned, we moved to the valley in 1882. We were 
 compelled to come via Bannack, up the Grass Hopper to the Big Hole 
 divide. \X^e crossed the same day the "drag" of the Horse Prairie cattle 
 herd did. May 27th. When we camped that night at Warm Springs 
 there must have been 2000 or more cattle on my(>) meadow. Gee Whiz! 
 What would my little bunch of 40 head look like in that outfit. Soon 
 all the grass would be down the throats of that hungry mob, to make beef 
 for the cattle kings of Horse Prairie. I saw, at once, that I must move 
 before I even began to locate. The reason is plain, then, why I didn't take 
 up the Springs instead of B. O. Fournier. I had a few head of cattle 
 that would need hay that winter, and as there was about 14,000 head 
 of cattle roaming at large through that section of the country, I would 
 get no benefit from that season's grass, and might not be able to get 
 fencing to guard against them the coming spring. Fournier had no cattle, 
 so he could fence before he needed hay. 
 
 With that summer of 83 came more people to settle along the banks 
 of the river. The Horse Prairie people did not take kindly to this, as it 
 would cut in on their summer range. I remember that Mart Barrett, 
 Gus Graeter, Dave Metlen, Tommy Pierce and others, who owned cattle, 
 came to my place one day and entered into a conversation with me as 
 to what I intended to do in such a snowy place. Mart said: "You can't 
 live in a place like this, you will starve. The snow sometimes gets over these 
 willows." I told them that I intended to stay right there and make a living 
 of it. The stockman is always very selfish. It is part of his business to 
 be. These men were making money in raising stock, as the cost was 
 practically nothing. They had all of the Big Hole, in the summer and 
 fall. In winter Horse Prairie and Medicine Lodge. If people were 
 foolish (?) enough to take up the Big Hole, they would lose as fine a 
 free pasture as lay out of doors. So, no wonder they would try to dis- 
 courage the "new comer." 
 
 Some time during the summer O. Willis, the assessor, came in and 
 spent a day and night at our cabin. He was the first assessor ever in the 
 valley. Zeke Packard and Waldherr did not get up to the ranch with 
 the wagon, and on account of the high water it was left across the North 
 Fork below Chase and Hammer's. We brought the first organ ever in 
 the valley on that wagon that trip. During that season a monument was 
 erected at the Battle Field. The day it was placed in position, a young 
 man was sent, via Butte, with dispatches for headquarters. He came to 
 our place and passed the night. While eating supper, he noticed the 
 organ and asked permission to play on it. Say! that fellow could play 
 anything. He told us that many a lime he had been locked up by his 
 parents, on bread and water, if he failed to practice. With all his talent 
 along that line, he did not use it to any advanta}j:c, as the next I heard of 
 him he was playing in a hurdy house in Butte. Some time after the 
 monument had been put up. Gen. W. T. Sherman came to inspect it. He 
 camped on our ranch, jusl across the river from where Wisdom is now.
 
 CO THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 He kindly sent me an invitation to come over and call on him. Owing 
 to diffidence, I did not. I regret very much that I did not go and talk 
 with him. 
 
 There is nothing of particular interest to record so far as we were 
 concerned that summer. We were to stay on the ranch that winter. Mr. 
 Packard, Billy, Zeke and I put up the hay together. That winter the 
 first beef cattle were fed in the valley. Nick Bielenberg of Deer Lodge 
 sent in 98 head of steers purchased near Sheridan, Mont. They landed 
 in the feed lots, or the feed ground, as they did not build feed racks, 
 feeding on the snow, December 25th, generally called Christmas in civilized 
 countries. They were fed until April 25th, then driven to Butte. They 
 ate 2 6-10 tons of hay per head, according to measurment. "Big Foot" 
 Smith lived in the valley that winter, hunting and trapping. He told 
 me of a mine that he believed would, one day, prove valuable. (Of this 
 more anon.) When the Bielenberg steers were taken out there was two 
 feet of snow all over the valley, Geery, McVey, Fraser and I went out 
 with Smith, the man who fed them. Game was plentiful all winter; elk 
 and moose could be had any day, close to the house. Elk were always 
 in sight, as many as 45 or 50 head in a herd. The weather, as a whole, 
 v/as not disagreeable. Few if any blizzards. On the whole, we enjoyed 
 it very much. We had splendid neighbors: McVeys, Geerys, Frasers 
 and Wratons. We went often to see Billy Fraser, as we had known 
 him in Butte. They were mighty good people to visit. The first child 
 born in the valley v/as Gibbon Fraser, afterward killed in the big ex- 
 plosion in Butte. 
 
 As before noted, the beef cattle left April 25th, with two feet of 
 snow on the ground. McVey, Bill and I were going to take out four 
 horses and get a load of provisions. I had a wagon in Butte. When we 
 got ready to start back, we were compelled to go via Bannack, on account 
 of roads. When we arrived at the Big Hole divide, we found that the 
 drifts were such that we could not dig through along the main road, so 
 we went higher up the mountains, where the drift was normal and worked 
 our way over, camping that night on the side hill just east of Bull creek. 
 The valley was nice and green, a rapid change, with two weeks of May 
 sunshine. The next night we made our place. Early in the summer Will 
 Packard and Dave Wraton went hunting. They found a litde baby elk, 
 which they captured without any trouble and brought it home. We called 
 her Minnie. She exhibited some fine qualities. We brought her up with 
 the calves, on skim milk. Before her advent, we always had to make a 
 trip for calves in order to get them to feed. After she became one of the 
 calf family she brought them up to the corral without any trouble to us. 
 She v.ould start, and if they did not follow, she would begin to run 
 around them and get them in a playful mood, then make a bee line for 
 home with all the calves following. When she became a little older 
 she would not allow a strange cow in our herd. I noticed her one day. 
 She had driven a young cow, belonging to the Horse Prairie people, out
 
 THE STORY OF -'AJAX* 61 
 
 of the herd. The cow would persist in returning to our cattle. I 
 rode out to see what was going on and found a young calf that did not 
 belong to us. Minnie probably was partial to calves, but did not want 
 the mother. Often people would come to the house to borrow a gun, 
 "'Cause there is an elk right out there." No fence would hold her and 
 no hay stack, in those days, high enough to keep her from getting on top 
 of it. We sold her one day to Geo. Gronn, who was to take her to 
 some one in Butte. A rope was thrown around her slender neck and 
 tied to a jx)st while George went in to dinner. When we came out we 
 found her dead. 
 
 A man named Mulkey came into the valley that summer with his 
 family. He was hunting for some "lost mine." Not successful in find- 
 ing it, he worked for us during haying season. As the Coeur d'Alene 
 country was then being opened up he came to the conclusion to go there. 
 Billy Packard made up his mind to go with them, as there was a girl 
 in the family, for whom he had developed some considerable affection. 
 He sold his interest in the place to a young man in Butte named Talbert. 
 
 James Geery was the first postmaster. The office was called Wis- 
 dom, the name given to the river in 1 805 by Lewis and Clark. The 
 first voting precinct was at Wisdom postoffice, at Geery's ranch, three 
 miles north of what is now the little town of Wisdom. On Sept. 7th. our 
 first son, Charles Raymond, was born at my father's house in Butte. My 
 father made me a visit that fall of a week, his only visit. Geo. H. Tong, 
 his brother Harry, Atwood and Atwater Lawrence visited me. George 
 told me he was in debt $7,500 and could not eat if he didn't have good 
 friends that owned a grocery store. Said that he had hopes of making 
 some money out of the Goldsmith mine. He was successful in doing this, 
 making $72,000 in six months. Ben Froman and wife came along, 
 from Dillon, while Tongs were there. As I had only one room, I gave 
 it up to Ben, wife and Geo. Tong, we younger fellows made our bed down 
 in a chicken house, which I had just completed. Jack Hicks had given 
 me logs for a cabin 18x18. We had this erected and would live in it in 
 the summer, going to the little house under the hill in winter. There 
 was no other than a dirt floor in either of them. Jerry Fahey and sister, 
 of Gibbonsville, came to our place one night, on their way from Dillon, 
 to stay. Miss Fahey was sitting in a little rocking chair, her hand in 
 some way touched the floor, in which there was about two inches of 
 dust. "Mrs. Noyes, what kind of a carpet have you got," she asked 
 ".Nothing but a dirt floor," was the reply. In the spring of 1884, Mrs. 
 Noye« requested that we do something toward getting a floor in the large 
 cabin. A Mr. Woods, of Gibbonsville, told us he would give us some 
 lumber that was on C'ow creek, twenty-eight miles south of our place. 
 Billy got this, which was not enough, so wt- broke up some of the sluice 
 boxes at Steel's Diggings for the balance. Having such a large(?) 
 house, and that, loo, with a board floor, we concluded to give a dance, 
 the first one in the valley. This was on I hanksgiving night. John
 
 62 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 Paddock had agreed to furnish the music, but owing to sudden illness he 
 could not come. Walt Maloney did the act in a most thorough manner, 
 for which all were grateful. Counting children, there were 45 people 
 gathered at our cabin that night. It was an exceedingly enjoyable affair. 
 One of the cowboys "balanced" so hard the heel of his boot went through 
 the floor. We had a nice basket supper, furnistied by the ladies. It does 
 not make much diffirence to my readers, as to the names of those at this 
 first dance, except in a historical way, but for this last reason I will try 
 and give most of them: 
 
 George Gronn, Wm. Fraser and family, A. H. McVey and family, 
 Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Thompson and Miss Sallie (now Mrs. Jasper Bur- 
 gess) ; Nels Johnson and father, Erick Mussigbrod, Al Smith and John 
 Q)ttrell of Mitchell and Mussigbrod's ranch, Jerry Merrett, Quit Owen, 
 Watt Maloney, Charlie Frances, Mrs. J. C. Paddock and children, 
 Capt. and Mrs. Bentley, Ben Hamby and family, Mr. Irwin, 
 John, Frank and Ed Wright, Matt Waldherr, Goodlove, Wm. Ryan, 
 May Ayers, Allen Merrett, Robt. Geery. Collection $6.75. Many an 
 enjoyable party was given at the old house after this "grand ball." 
 
 Early that winter Mr. and Mrs. Geery lost their only child, Minnie, 
 with scarlet fever. TTiis was the second death in the valley. We were 
 living on our pre-emption one-half mile below Wisdom. Jimmie Buckley, 
 a placer miner, was staying at the old Steel Creek mines, as he had for 
 two or three seasons past. He was very fond of our children, and 
 Edna in particular. One morning about three weeks after the death of 
 Minnie Geery he came to our place. I was feeding the cattle. The first 
 thing he said was : "How is Edna?" "She is all right, Jimmie. Why 
 do you ask?" I replied. "Last night I dreamed she was dead, and I 
 couldn't rest till I came to see, ' he said. The strange thmg about it is 
 she was taken sick that night with scarlet fever and was sick for over 
 two weeks, being constantly nursed by her mother. Jimmie stayed and 
 did my chores for me. There must have been some power that caused 
 that kind-hearted old Irishman to come to us in our need. The sum- 
 mer of '84 we brought a young girl with us from Butte, who desired 
 to get away from her father, who was unkind to her. In the spring of 
 '85 she was married to Jerry Merritt in Bannack by Major Watson, 
 justice of the peace, an old partner of my father's in '66. We went with 
 them. This was our first visit to Dillon. I bought my first spring wagon 
 of B. F. White, a Racine, paying $165; Dan Chapman was the sales- 
 man. Some time in the summer after Mary and Jerry were married, I 
 went to Butte. I was at the home of my brother-in-law, John Wampler, 
 when he came in with a copy of the Miner, which had glowing headlines 
 of the kidnapping of a young girl by Geo. R. and A. J. Noyes. Eugene 
 Sullivan was then sheriff of Silver Bow county. The papers for my arrest 
 had been placed in his hands and he had gone to the Lower Big Hole, in- 
 stead of the upper, so had failed to find me. As soon as I read the article, 
 I went to the court house to find Sullivan. Some one told me that the
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 63 
 
 gentleman driving up the street was the party for whom I was looking. I 
 stopped him and explained to him that my name was Al Noyes; that I 
 could be found at any time when needed. "Are you the son of a gun 
 I have been hunting for all over the Big Hole country?" he asked. 
 "Yes," was my reply. "I guess you are all right, you report at Judge 
 Irvin's court," he said, and drove on up the street. When the hour for 
 the trial came, father and I were on hand, but Nick Ayers did not appear. 
 Wm. Scallon was his attorney, and asked for a postponement of the 
 case until the next day. I had been to see Knowles and Forbis to en- 
 gage their service, if needed. Judge Knowles said: "We will help you 
 if you need us, but you won't. You go down and defend yourself in 
 the preliminary hearing." This I proceeded to do. The court did 
 postp>one the trial until the next day, so Ayers could attend. I happened 
 to be at the court house late in the afternoon when Chas. S. Warren, 
 clerk of the district court, came out of his office and proceeded to in- 
 terview me on the case. "Do you know Judge Pemberton?" he asked. 
 "No," I replied. Pemberton was then prosecuting attorney, he hap- 
 pened to be sitting in front of the court house during our conversation. 
 Warren saw him and said: "Judge, I want to make you acquainted 
 with Al Noyes, a boy I have known for years. You couldn't get him 
 to do a mean trick. We have him arrested for kidnapping a girl; pro- 
 ceed with this trial and it will cost Silver Bow county $500 and nothing 
 will come of it. You had better quash it." Pemberton went into Judge 
 Irvin's office and told him to quash the case of Montana vs. G. R. and 
 A. J. Noyes. "Give me a written order to that effect and I will do so," 
 the judge said. This girl had gone home with us soon after Raymond 
 was born, had lived with us until she was married, and her father had 
 done nothing toward getting her back for almost a year after she left 
 home. 
 
 In 1 885 Geo. H. Tong bought Talbert's interest in the ranch. John 
 Wampler made up his mind he would move to the valley. He came in, 
 built a cabin on a pre-emption claim two miles below Wisdom, took up 
 some desert land on Steel creek, near mine, returning to Butte for his 
 family. Some time in November he left Butte for the Big Hole. He 
 was taken sick on the way in and died with blood poisoning about ten 
 days after he reached my place. We sent for a doctor and the late Dr. 
 Treacy of Helena came. He arrived only a short time before John died. 
 The only good his coming did was the information concerning the cause 
 of death, and the advice to be exceedingly careful in handling the body. 
 Dr. Treacy was the first doctor to be called to attend a resident of the 
 valley. Tom Wampler was with us when John died, and made the 
 coffin for his burial. John was buried near the little lake just north of 
 Wisdom. He was a good citizen. He had been mining for years, 
 during the early days of Butte, and was respected by all. He accumu- 
 lated quite a lot of property. Besides his wife, he left a son, Walter, and 
 one daughter. May. Walter died at Tonopah, Nev., a much loved young
 
 64 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 man. May is married and lives on the old Wampler farm near Vincennes, 
 Indiana. 
 
 Geo. Woodvvorth, wife and son, Fred, V/. W. Frances and wife, 
 and C. W. Frances came to the valley in 1885. When I first came to the 
 Big Hole it was not with the intention of making a permanent home, simply 
 to raise some stock, make a little stake and go to some more pleasant 
 place. Did not expect, in fact, that we would have many neighbors, 
 yet they kept on coming, taking up all the available land. A school 
 house was needed, so one was built near the George Woodworth ranch. 
 A Miss Blodgett was the first teacher, the year 1885. In time 
 schools were built in such number that many teachers found employment. 
 We had the ordinary amusements common to new settled places. A 
 Literary Society flourished for some time, and gave us quite a consider- 
 able amount of enjoyment. Dancing and snowshoe riding were other 
 ways of getting together. We often took our children on toboggans to a 
 neighbor's, the men and women on skiis. Cattle feeding had not been 
 conducted on much of a scale, as there were only the local markets, 
 Butte and Anaconda, to supply. In 1 89 1 , Charles Fry, the big packer 
 of Seattle, came to our place and stayed for a week or more, and had 
 Chas. Frances make a trip up Trail creek to see if it would be possible 
 to break a way to the Northern Pacific railway at Hamilton. He re- 
 ported unfavorably and no cattle were ever shipped that way. Fry is 
 now one of the largest buyers of Big Hole cattle. 
 
 J. D. Fox and son started a small store at Fox. They did not 
 carry much of a line, yet it helped fill in. They were the pioneer merchants 
 of the valley. We had our desert claim fenced by John Cottrell. This 
 was the first land enclosed, as a ranch, in the valley. We took the first 
 ditch out of Steel creek for irrigating, for the desert claim; also first ditch 
 out of the Big Hole river for the same claim. The summer and fall of 
 '85 gold was found on Trail creek, two miles above Gibbon's battle 
 ground, by "Old Man" Lane. Quite a lot of excitement was occasioned 
 by it. A town was laid out, survey made by John Poindexter, called 
 Monumental City, A store was started by some Bitter Root merchant. 
 Several people put the winter in at the place, among whom was Billy 
 Edwards, the man who was in the battle and the one who carried the 
 news to the outside, his wife. Dug Newcomer, Charlie Richardson, Frank 
 Caldwell, Old Man Lane, Dunton Bros., Jim Raisor and several more, 
 whom I do not now recall. I bought a lot and hauled hay for a feed 
 stable. The winter was mild. Very little snow in the valley. Only fed 
 our cattle 1 2 days. As there were great expectations for a stampede 
 the coming spring, I made up my mind a bridge across the Big Hole 
 would be a paying investment. I engaged the services of W. A. Ar- 
 mitage, D. F. Wampler and Watt Maloney to help me build a log 
 bridge over the river, about one-quarter of a mile below the one now on 
 the main road going west from Wisdom. The stampede did not ma- 
 terialize, so the money did not flow in too freely. This was the first
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 65 
 
 bridge across the Big Hole above Dewey's Flat. This bridge lasted 
 that season and part of the next, before being carried out. This puts 
 me in mind of a little incident that occurred, while the bridge was in 
 commission. The postoffice was at Gerry's, four miles north of our 
 place. People on horseback were charged 25 cents toll. A man came 
 along one day and enquired for the postoffice. Mrs. Armitage directed 
 him, also telling him there was a toll bridge fee of 25 cents. "You can't 
 cross the bridge till you come to it, can you," he asked. To which she 
 had to reply "No." He did not make any deposit, but rode on by. 
 When we came in for dinner she told us about it. Soon after, when we 
 were getting the team ready, Maud saw the party coming back and called 
 my attention to the fact. When he was near enough I spoke to him. He 
 did not stop to reply, but put spurs to his horse and went by on a run. 
 This certainly caused me to become very angry. Turning to Will Armi- 
 tage, I said: "Let's catch that fellow." We ]iulled the harness off the 
 leaders and jumping on bareback, we lit out in hot pursuit of Mr. Man, 
 who we did not catch until three miles had been gone over. We made him 
 pay us for our trouble. He asked my name, being angry, I did not 
 inform him. He rode on for a short distance, to where some of my 
 neighbors were at work on the school house and asked them, "What 
 that fellow's name was who had the bridge," saying: "I will see if 
 there is any law in this land." Some of them asked him why he desired 
 to know. "He made me pay for crossing his bridge," he replied. 
 "Uncle Jimmie" Batterton said: "Did he make you cross his bridge?" 
 "No, of course not," he replied. "Well," the old man said, "you had 
 better let him alone. That bridge is his, on his own land. He knows 
 his rights in the case and will protect them." This was the last I ever 
 heard of him, to my knowledge. I do not want anyone to understand 
 that we cared for the fifty cents enough to chase a man that distance. 
 It was because he was trying to cheat us of our just dues. If this man 
 had stopped and explained that he did not have nwjch money, but desired 
 to cross the bridge for his mail, there would have been nothing said 
 on my part other than "Go ahead." 
 
 The town of Gibbonsville, over in Idaho, was supposed to be a good 
 gold camp. There was ore there, no doubt, which only needed the right 
 process to reduce it. In the winter of 1 888 a Mr. McAfee of Denver 
 wanted to get some machinery across the main range of the Rockies, 
 where no team had ever been taken in the winter season. Mr. McAfee 
 came to me and requested my assistance in this undertaking. I was to 
 help break the road on this side to meet the party he had coming from 
 Gibbonsville. It did not look very inviting, but as he claimed he was de- 
 pending on me for help, I could not refuse him. Seneca said: "All 
 men are susceptible to flattery," and as he was a wise man, he must 
 have known. Jack Wright was visiting at my place. He was a good 
 teamster, had a good work horse with him at the time. I went to the 
 stable, where he was at work, and asked him what he thought about the
 
 66 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 matter. He at once said: "It can't be done, impossible." My reply 
 was: "It can, and you are going to help me do it." Told him I 
 would give him five dollars per day and expenses, he to drive a four-horse 
 team, three of mine and his own. He agreed to this. I then went to 
 Will Armitage and made him the same offer, which he accepted without 
 any argument. I was to furnish the hay for the teams then on the road 
 from Dillon, at any place they camped, from the Big Hole to and in 
 Gibbonsville. We got ready at once and broke a trail for the Poleburg 
 cabin, I 6 miles away, through a trackless waste of snow. We made th& 
 cabin O. K. and returned home for hay. When we were out a few 
 miles, the next day, we saw the freight outfit coming. We all pulled into 
 the Poleburg camp that night together. There were six four-horse teams, 
 Nate and Merrett Hobson, Cy Byther and a driver, Millard Kirkpatrick, 
 who had for his assistant Col. L. J. Price. This was the first time I 
 had ever seen him. The Colonel had very large feet, as he was a large 
 man, so when he enquired the next morning if anyone had an extra 
 gunny sack, as he wished to use it in which to wrap his feet, I replied 
 that I had one wagon sheet and probably he could get one from some one 
 else, as they would, no doubt, come nearer fitting than a small grain sack. 
 He did not appear to take kindly to this joke. The next morning the men 
 were to take part of their stuff and break as far as they could, toward the 
 party that was coming from Gibbonsville. I was to take my teams and go 
 to the ranch for hay, and overtake them the next night at Moose Horn 
 creek. We went home, put on two good loads and began our return in 
 good season. When we arrived at the Poleburg cabin we left one load 
 and one span of horses, and started for the camp, which we supposed 
 would be at Moose Horn. As this was the month of February, the days 
 were not long. The beaten track was before us, impossible to get out of 
 it. We had wide hay racks and most of the road was cut through timber 
 years before by some fellow who probably did not believe that any one 
 would be foolish enough to try to haul hay over it. As soon as we got 
 into the timber we began to chop trees. When we arrived at Moose Horn 
 we found no camp. The fellows had found good roads and so had pro- 
 ceeded to get as far as they could that night. Where they 
 were we did not know. What we did know was, they had 
 no hay for their horses and would have none unless we got to 
 camp with it. We were not in the best of humor, you may know, and 
 thought some of stopping for the night. That we did not was on account 
 of the horses that would stand all night in a snow bank, after having 
 worked hard all day, without hay. We had a lantern, so could see 
 to chop a tree, after we had run into one. We kept at this work until 
 1 1 o'clock, when we saw some of the fellows coming to tell us where they 
 were camped. When we arrived there we found that the snow had been 
 dug away, so the horses had a good place to stand, free from wind, on ac- 
 count of the depth of the snow. The weather was clear and cold at 
 night. One of the nights we camped at this same camp, it was 45 below
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 67 
 
 zero. McAfee paid $ 1 00 per ton to have this machinery taken from 
 Dillon to Gibbonsville. My work, including hay, for 1 8 days, gave me 
 $360.00. Pretty good for a ranchman in those days. Taking this trip, 
 as a whole, it was enjoyable. 
 
 As soon as this job was finished, Mrs. Noyes, Roy and I went to 
 Dillon, when Edith, our youngest, was born, March 27th. Our work 
 was the usual ranch work that summer; nothing of interest to note until 
 election time. The "Big 4," Dave Reinhart, Joe Metlen, A. O. Rose 
 and Will Jones, ran for office that fall. They came to our place, 
 when part of the roof was off our one room, so they had to take a 
 field bed in the same room with the whole Noyes family. That same fall 
 the Republican Central Committee sent Judge L. A. Brown and Henri 
 J. Burleigh into the Big Hole to make some speeches. They were to 
 speak at my house, but as the information had not gotten out in very good 
 shaf>e, and the night being cold and stormy, no one but myself was 
 privileged to listen to them. Mrs. Noyes kept the children in the kitchen 
 and the orators of the day, or night I should say, held forth in the living 
 room. First one and then the other would get up and deliver, more or 
 less, of his speech, to be always interrupted by the other before being 
 anywhere near through. I endured this and enjoyed the evening very 
 much indeed. I explained to Judge Brown that the conditions were such, 
 concerning the boundary lines between this county and Deer Lodge 
 that "floaters" could come in at any time and change the political com- 
 plexion of Beaverhead county. I went into the matter in detail, drawing 
 a crude map of the country near F rench Gulch. He said that he would, 
 if elected, take the matter up and get a bill through for a new survey, or 
 in fact, a survey of the county lines of Beaverhead and Deer Lodge. A 
 very peculiar thing happened a little earlier in the fall. Rufe Ferster, 
 my old school friend of the '60s, had been nominated by the Demo- 
 crats for treasurer against Joe Metlen. Soon after the convention adjourned 
 Rufe, Mrs. Blair, his sister, and her children, came to visit us. Rufe 
 and I were sleeping in the hay mow. One morning he awoke and said: 
 "I had a funny dream last night. I thought you and I were playing on 
 the banks of the Grasshopper near the foot bridge, in front of French's 
 place, when we made up our minds to go to the other side of the creek. 
 We started across and both fell in. The peculiar thing about it, we did 
 not get wet." "Let me interpret that for you. You have the nomination 
 for treasurer on the Democratic ticket; I am trying to get the nomination 
 for assessor on the Republican. I will not succeed in getting that, and 
 you will not be elected, and the fact that we did not get wet means 
 that it will not hurt us by losing." My interpretation of Rufe's dream 
 came true. 
 
 That fall the Republicans had placed Thos. H. Carter in nomin- 
 ation against W. A. Clark. As Montana had always been Democratic, 
 with the exception of Wm. H. Claggett, every one thought that Clark 
 would have a sure thing of it. The result, however, proved Thos. H. a
 
 68 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 winner. The reason for this was that Marcus Daly, though a democrat, 
 did not like Clark. Why they were enemies, neither of them pretended to 
 know, so people close to them have told. The fact that they were, 
 was enough to place Carter very much before the people, not alone of 
 Montana, but the United States. I desired to hear this man, who was 
 to lead the Republican party to victory, so I went to Dillon, 80 miles. 
 I was introduced to "Tom" by Judge Brown, as the Republican war- 
 horse of the Big Hole." I suppose the Judge must have thought a fellow 
 was a "war-horse" who could survive the speeches of himself and Henri 
 J. single-handed and alone. I listened to Carter that night, and went 
 with the Dillon delegation the next day to Glendale. At that place we had 
 a large rally, speaking, with a dance afterward at the rink. Finley 
 Cunnard and I walked to Melrose, five miles distant, for a place to sleep. 
 The Republicans won that year in good shape and Judge Brown got the 
 boundary survey bill through. As it provided for a commissioner from each 
 county, to look after the work, with pay at $8.00 per day, he wrote and 
 asked if I would accept the office from Beaverhead. Sheriff A. O. Rose 
 was at my place that night and advised me to accept. I was going for a 
 visit to Minneapolis and other places in Minnesota, over the Great 
 Northern railroad, and went out with Rose to Divide. It had been 
 years since I had been in my native state, and as Jim Hill was offering 
 a rate of $40.00 from Butte to St. Paul and return, it was a temptation. 
 I visited Helena a day going and two or three on my return. My trip 
 east was enjoyable in a way, would have been more so if I could have 
 taken Hattie and the children. I visited my Uncle Ira, father's brother, 
 also his sister, Sarah, at St. Cloud, besides many of my cousins. My 
 cousin, Kate Noyes, went with me to Minneapolis, to see my mother's 
 sister, Almira Broughton. In that city I met many of my old playmates. 
 I went to the University, saw Mrs. Mattie Campbell-Wilkins, my old 
 teacher of years before in the common school. Many changes had taken 
 place. Pres. Folwell was deposed. Dr. Northup had succeeded him. 
 Many new buildings were on the campus. We also went to Farmington, 
 Minnesota, to see my father's sister, Martha, who was the oldest of the 
 family, and last to die; returning to St. Cloud for a few days before com- 
 ing back to Montana. My Uncle James Jenks was then alive. I had 
 usually spent my vacation at his farm near Clear Water, Minnesota. He 
 was a surveyor, a man of more than ordinary ability. I recall that he 
 had an excellent memory. For instance: One could repeat a couplet 
 from Scott's "Lady of the Lake" and uncle would quote the two preceding 
 or two following. As above noted, I stopped off in Helena. Charles 
 Stanchfield, Geo. Bailard, Jay Hern and Bill Collins had taken up a 
 considerable piece of land on Lake creek. Big Hole Basin, some few 
 years before and gone into partnership. Charlies had sent a nice band of 
 dairy cows; the California boys, Bailard and Hern, were not much used 
 to that kind of work, so Charlie made up his mind to buy them out, 
 also buy the interest Geo. Tong had in my ranch. This was the busi-
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 69 
 
 ness that detained me in Helena. Stanchfield did buy the Cahfornia 
 boys. He and I together bought Geo. Tong by giving a mortgage on 
 the ranch and cattle to Tong. When the county commissioners of 
 Beaverhead met in the spring, they appointed me "Commissioner of Bound- 
 ary Line Survey." Stanchfield and I had started a good sized dairy; had 
 a market in Butte for our butter. In July the commissioners for the sur- 
 vey, Capt. Wyman of Silver Bow, Morgan Evans of Deer Lodge, Henry 
 Meyers of Missoula and myself met in Anaconda, to consider the matter 
 and let a contract for the work. Gus Kornberg, a young German en- 
 gineer came with Capt. Wyman, as no other engineer put in a bid he 
 got the contract. I proposed, as we needed pack and saddle horses, to 
 buy them. We could sell, when through with them, for something worth 
 while, and the counties would be ahead by the transaction. This, however, 
 did not meet with the approval of the others. A price of $2.50 for saddle 
 and $2.00 for pack horses per day was agreed on, as this was what the 
 livery men would ask. Myers, Evans and I agreed to furnish two horses 
 each. We adjourned to meet at Gregson's Springs, a short time after, to 
 begin actual work. It was quite a large party that met at Gregson's 
 
 Cook tent, one for the men, another for us. Our first Sunday several 
 ladies and gentlemen of Butte took dinner with us. Sheriff Lloyd and fan- 
 ily, Mr. Chauvin, wife and niece. I can not now recall all of the men who 
 worked that summer on the line. Prof. Geo. Vogle was a guest of 
 Morgan Evans, Kornberg had for his assistant John Heagle. There was 
 a cook, packer, chainmen, rodmen, axe men, etc., making the party 14 
 strong (not to count the packer's feet, which were actually so strong his 
 boots afforded no protection from their off ensiveness ; in fact we were 
 compelled to do without his services, as no one else could occupy the 
 same tent.) 
 
 It would make quite a long story, that one of 1 08 days over almost 
 impassable mountains, through thick timber, in one of the dryest and most 
 smoky years ever seen in Montana. Many days we could not take up 
 the work on account of smoke, yet the expenses were busily eating into 
 county funds. I had to take the boys into the almost inaccessible places, 
 as I was the only one of the commissioners who did not carry a "silver 
 crown." There was much hard work on those side trips, and as I was 
 the cook for those, the boys did not fare any too well. I remember 
 that we were way up at the head of Seymour creek, under the grand old 
 mountain peaks, only to be approached with pack horses. Provisions were 
 getting low, so in order to keep the boys good natured, I told them they 
 should have, at my expense, as good a meal as could be had in Anaconda 
 on our arrival at that city. We continued with our work, planting our 
 flag on the divide of the main Rockies. We must go to the camp near 
 French Gulch, thence to Anaconda and Rock Creek, miles before we could 
 again pick up our work. It was Saturday evening when we arrived at 
 the main camp. Sunday our Chinaman cook would only get two meals. 
 The boys wanted supp>er. Chink said "No!" and rolled into his blankets
 
 70 THE STORY OF "AJAX' 
 
 and would not get up. The boys proposed to hang him. I objected to 
 such a procedure and they did not molest him. We got our own suppers. 
 The next morning they made him walk to Anaconda and carry his 
 blankets. 
 
 On our arrival at Anaconda, the boys reminded me of my promise 
 made at the camp on Seymour. I told them to go ahead and order 
 what they wanted and I would pay for it. There was five of them at 
 $1.50, or $7.50. I desire to record this just as it was, as some one told 
 my Uncle Charles and Geo. Tong, with whom I was doing business, 
 that I "blew in" $500.00 for a supper for the outfit in Anaconda. After 
 leaving Anaconda we went to East Rock creek, picked up the line and 
 run to Moose Lake, on the Middle Fork of Rock. The night we arrived 
 at Moose Lake with the pack outfit, we could not camp there, as a fire 
 had destroyed all the feed, hence compelling us to go about two miles, to 
 the West Fork. The survey party did not see our sign, so they camped 
 on the banks of Moose Lake, without bed or provisions. They were a 
 pretty "sore" bunch when we found them the next morning. We were 
 to go up the Middle Fork to the Main divide, thence down the first 
 stream running in a southerly direction to the Big Hole river. I was sent 
 to "spy out the land." Lou Larson was herding cattle that summer on the 
 "Rocks", so I hired him to go with me. We went up the West Fork 
 to the head, climbed the main range, and were able to see the Big Hole 
 We had our horses, that day, in places I would not have dreamed pos- 
 sible to get. We arrived late at camp that night, near Moose lake. The 
 next morning I started for the Big Hole. Dug Newcomer went as far as 
 the divide with me. From there I went down Pintler creek and got home 
 about 1 p. m. Mrs. Noyes and the children were not at home, being 
 over at the Armitage ranch. My cousin, Mr. A. L. Broughton of Min- 
 neapolis, was there also. When I got ready to start back I invited him to 
 go with me. That day we stopped at Billy Teidt's for dinner, on 
 Pintler creek. Teddy Roosevelt had had his camp there for some 
 time. We did not get to see him, as he had left a short time before. I 
 remarked to Teidt that for some reason, I liked Roosevelt, though I had 
 never seen him, I had read many of his articles in the magazines. Teidt 
 told us of several little things that happened while Teddy camped there. 
 
 One night he was standing by the camp fire, having just come in 
 from the day's hunt. Clothing all in rags, in fact, sans pants. "Just think 
 of it," he said, "I am one of the 400 of New York, if I want to be." 
 It always amused Teidt when he thought of what a figure Teddy would 
 cut in New York's 400 in such an "evening dress." We arrived at 
 our camp on Rock creek in good season that night. For a day or two 
 afterward we had some snow. We continued our work until we came 
 to the sunmiit, at that place the commissioner, Myers of Missoula, would 
 leave us; Wm. Dickerson, who was with him, left also. Morgan Evans 
 and his friend had left the party at Moose lake, as that was as far as 
 Deer Lodge county came west. We erected a monument on the pass
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 71 
 
 between the heads of Rock and Pintler creeks. As only a line between 
 Silver Bow and Beaverhead was to be run, Capt. Wyman and I were 
 left in charge of the work. We got through some time in the latter part 
 of October. I had been out 1 08 days. My saddle horse cost the 
 county $270 for hire. If the commission had accepted of my proposal, and 
 bought horses, much would have been saved. I do not remember of a 
 season more enjoyable than this one. The weather was exceptionally fine, 
 and the boys good natured. Kornberg played the violin exceptionally well, 
 George, a Tyrolese peasant, could get as much music out of a zither as 
 any one to whom I have listened. Gus Kornberg made money in some 
 mine in Butte not many years after, went to San Francisco, where he 
 spent it. He returned to Butte, where he died a few days after his 
 arrival. He was a very bright young man, a graduate of some German 
 university. 
 
 It was along in '89 that F. A. Heinze was coming into the lime- 
 light. Though only a boy, he was successful in beating Jim Murray, who 
 seldom came out on the losing side. The old town of Dewey's Flat was 
 booming those days, as a proof, 1 saloons were running in full blast. 
 Those were the days when silver mining paid a little, but no where near 
 as much as people unacquainted with the matter thought. 
 
 I went to Dillon to settle with the county commissioners. Geo. W. 
 Bailard went with me. We were gone about a week. The summer, as 
 before mentioned, was exceedingly dry. Few people had enough hay that 
 year. Snow came in November, but not deep. One man, who had I 30 
 head of cattle in the upper valley to begin with, came out with six the next 
 spring. I was fairly successful with ours. I kept part of them on the 
 hills until February. Emil Zorn did most of the riding. In the spring 
 Charlie Stanchfield pulled out of the partnership, taking his horses and 
 cattle, leaving me the ranch and indebtedness. Maybe I could have 
 pulled out of this in the long run, but as Tong was behind at the banks, 
 I did not want to continue with such a load. In those days cattle were 
 low and money was not easy to get. I continued to keep the place for a 
 time, as Tong did not seem inclined to take it. Certainly I worked with 
 no hope of bettering my condition. 
 
 The postoffice was at our place, Mrs. Noyes being the second 
 postmaster in the valley. Emil Zorn continued working for us. He 
 had saved some money. Mrs. Noyes had bought, with money taken in as 
 postmistress and selling meals, a few steers in the fall of 1 890, for which 
 she got a fair price in the spring. To give you an idea as to prices in 
 those days. She paid from $12.50 to $18 for good two-year-old stuff, 
 selling for $38.00. I got her to put her money in with Zorn and start 
 a small store at Wisdom, I think in the summer of '91. Loo Pickett 
 had been carrying mail from Dewey's to Wisdom for some time, wishing 
 to dispose of it, Zorn and I became the owners of a stage line. The 
 mail was only carried twice a week in those days, and either Zorn or I 
 did the driving. The little stock of goods helped to pay expenses. Being
 
 72 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 small, little could be expected of it. In the winter of 1891 Billy 
 Packard wrote to me from Murray, Idaho, that he wanted to come and 
 work for me on the ranch. Didn't care what the position was, only wanted 
 work of any kind. In relation to this letter of Billy's: Some time before 
 I got his letter I had a dream about as follows: I thought that Billy 
 Packard wrote to me that he wanted work, would like to take charge of 
 the dairy, but would do anything I had for him. I wrote foi him to 
 come. He came and took charge of the dairy and that we got an ex- 
 ceedingly rich lead together. Shortly after this I did get his letter, couched 
 in the very words of the dream. I, of course, wrote him he could come. 
 As the first part of this dream came true in every particular, I thought, to 
 my sorrow, that the part concerning the mine would also. 
 
 As hay was not salable, and cattle feeding not the most profitable 
 industry by any means, I came to the conclusion to let Mr. Tong take 
 the place, and I would attempt something else. One day James Mallory, 
 of the firm of Bielenberg, Walker and Mallory, came to the ranch and I 
 sold him my cattle, 100 head for $2,000, check made payable to Geo. 
 H. Tong. Mrs. Noyes had some cattle and a few horses. She and Emil 
 Zorn bought the horses that belonged to the Noyes and Tong ranch from 
 Tong. I had had an idea in my head for some time that I would like to 
 become the assessor of Beaverhead county. Yet, as I was down and al- 
 most out, I hardly felt like making the attempt. Mrs. Noyes suggested, 
 before Mallory, that I now get in and try for the nomination the coming 
 fall. Jim encouraged me to a considerable extent, and advised me to take 
 a chance. When the Republican convention met in Dillon I was on 
 hand and received the nomination, having to beat Mikey Henniberry, the 
 then deputy assessor under Dave Reinhardt. Will Armitage and Jas. 
 B. Callen were with me as delegates from Big Hole. After returning 
 home, having nothing in particular to do until the campaign opened. Will 
 Packard, Fred Myers and I went to investigate some new leads that had 
 been discovered, in the upper end of the valley by Ed Englesgjerd and 
 one of the Daniels boys. Frank Brown, an old time prospector, was at 
 my place when we left, and as he was soon going into the mountains 
 again, we agreed to stake each other in if anything was found that fall. 
 Packard, Myers and I camped on a branch of Bloody Dick creek for 
 the night. Soon after we got there a man from Colorado, a prospector 
 also, came and went into camp with us. Some time the summer before a 
 man had fallen from a cliff on Miner's creek. Some of the people 
 thought that there had been foul play, as Wm. Christiansen was with 
 him the day he was lost, and they had discovered what was supposed to be 
 a rich lead. The party that came to our camp was the one who had found 
 the remains a day or so before. The next morning we all started together 
 to find Englesgjerd and Daniels. While walking along through the thick 
 timber, the stranger being just ahead of Myers, Myers saw a very curiously 
 wrought handle on the revolver of the man, which was in a scabbard. 
 Fred's curiosity got the better of his judgment, for he reached for and ex-
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 73 
 
 tracted the gun. As soon as the party felt the hand at his back, he jumped 
 and turned, with his right hand on the hilt of his knife.. Fred was 
 too busy looking at the gun handle to notice the look and action of the 
 stranger, who finding no harm was intended, answered the questions put 
 to him by Fred as to where and when he had become possessed of the 
 treasure. We succeeded in finding the miners and after making some 
 examination we came to the conclusion to go home. Brown was 
 there. I explained to him that we did not find anything worth taking up. 
 He said that he had not found anything new, but he wanted to give me an 
 interest in a claim he already owned. I told him he could give the interest 
 to Mrs. Noyes. This present was our undoing, but of it more later on. 
 It came time for us to be out and doing, for the campaign was on for 
 votes. Thos. F. Hamilton was out for sheriff, J. G. Shannon, treasurer; 
 T. J. Murray, clerk and recorder. We made a party that went all 
 over the county. Campaigning in those days required the expenditure of 
 too much money in saloons. We met the people and awaited the results 
 of election day. Judge Everton J. Conger, the man who captured Booth, 
 was running for county attorney, with Edwin L. Norris, later governor, as 
 opponent. The judge was successful. The Republican party won and 
 I would be assessor on the first day of January, 1 893. As we would 
 move to Dillon, we wanted to sell our interest in the little store. We 
 found a buyer in Alfred J. Turner, who did not have any money, but 
 gave his note with security. The 400 acres of desert land belonging to 
 Mrs. Noyes, on which the town of Wisdom was afterward built, together 
 with the cattle and horses, was leased to Dug Newcomer. Just aftM 
 Thanksgiving we moved to Dillon. Although we were strangers in th" 
 place, we soon found good friends. 
 
 On January 1 st I was sworn into office, and became active in tiying 
 to learn my duties. I can see now how unwise I was in one particular, I 
 talked too much. My reason for so doing, probably, was that being a 
 stranger to the conditions and asking for information along certain lines 
 somewhat different than any one else, some of the fellows, sneeringly, 
 asked if I could do what others had never attempted. My particular 
 enquiry was concernmg the assessment of banks. I was told that you 
 were only allowed to do certain things by the government. As an ex- 
 ample, a bank begins business with a capital of $50,000; as you are to 
 assess this as you do other property, you would put, as was done for 
 years, about 66 per cent as the assessable value. Now, if a man begins 
 stock raising with fifty cows, and continues in that business for a number 
 of years, he certainly increases his capital to a considerable extent. The 
 assessor comes along and instead of assessing the 66 per cent of the 50 
 cows, he no doubt finds that those 50 have become 500. Then, to 
 equalize matters, he assesses 66 per cent of 500. The banker begins, as 
 before stated, on $50,000, and though he continues in a more suc- 
 cessful business, and piles up undivided profits, the ordinary assessor will 
 continue to see the original capital for his consideration. I was given to
 
 74 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 understand that this was right. I did not believe it, so made as much of 
 a study of the matter as I could and did attempt, and finally succeeded 
 in doing those things never tried before by any prior assessor. Many 
 of the men possessed of means were up in arms — result, much excitement 
 among the people as to final outcome. I want to say that I had no 
 desire to cause the wealthy trouble; what I did want was to get as equal 
 an assessment as possible, and in this matter saw no friend or foe. 
 
 The story of my fight for what I considered right, can be found 
 by looking over the records, and also the newspapers of that date. I 
 came before the people in such a way that it made them recognize me 
 and my work. I met many pleasant people, who sided with me, giving 
 good advise and encouragement. No one any more so than Edwin L. 
 Norris, then a young attorney, and Wason M. Oliver, one of the county 
 commissioners. I was not successful the first year, but intended, more 
 than ever, to make a success the next. Norris once said to me: "I ad- 
 mire your pluck, but not your common sense; you can't beat these fellows." 
 I told him that I should continue to try while in office, and so got results. 
 My time being about to close, a new election coming on, people came to me 
 said: "You have been foolish to antagonize these rich men. If you had 
 gone along and allowed things to go as they had before, you could have 
 been re-elected." My reply always was: "The people of Beaverhead 
 county are not fools, they can see who has been working for their interest, 
 and if they want me it does not matter what the rich think or do." Dur- 
 ing this term of office, in the second year, I think, W. F. Packard, J. T. 
 Murray, T. W. Poindexter, afterward state auditor, and I bought the 
 mine known as the Ajax, an interest in which had been given to Mrs. 
 Noyes by Frank Brown two years before. We made up our minds to 
 develop it, in a way. We cut a road through the timber, built a trail 
 to the head of the falls and put up an arastra, which was never used, and 
 quit work for the fall. It was at this time that Tommy Poindexter said: 
 "You get in and run for the office again, the people want you." As he 
 was then on his vv^ay to Dillon, he agreed to "note the lay of the land." 
 
 The day before the convention, Callen, Armitage and I were once 
 more in Dillon. My information was not of the most encouraging na- 
 ture. Tommy came to me and said: "The big fellows intend to down 
 you." This placed me in a position where I was none too sure of myself. 
 For a time I hesitated about allowing my name to go before the conven- 
 tion. Many of the boys, among others, Drs. M. A. Miller and Leason, 
 came to me and asked if I had lost my nerve. They said they would get 
 out and do all they could for me if I would allow my name to go before 
 the convention. At last I consented and the fight was on. Governor 
 White, one of, if not my most bitter opponents, was elected chairman. He 
 did every thing he could to defeat me. In a speech to that convention he 
 remarked that they had "just placed Henry Knippenberg in nomination 
 for the legislature, and that Henry Knippenberg would not run on the 
 same ticket with A. J. Noyes." Armitage arose to his feet and asked
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX- 75 
 
 Mr. Knippenberg if that was so. The gentleman did not reply. The 
 convention adjourned until after supper. I, with Callen and Armitage, 
 was eating in the cafe when Knippenberg came in with some of his lieu- 
 tenants, Mr. Earl being one of them. Mr. Knippenberg was manager 
 and a large owner in the Hecla mines. As soon as Mr. Knippenberg saw 
 me he said: "How is Mr. Noyes feeling tonight?" "Not very well, sir," 
 I replied. "What did I understand you to say?" he asked. "Not very 
 well, sir," and walking over to his table I continued: "Who is Henry 
 Knippenberg that he refuses to run on the same ticket with A. J. Noyes? 
 I want you to understand, sir, that in spite of you and B. F. White, I 
 shall succeed myself; I have taken no particular interest in this fight, but 
 shall do so from now on." I was, no doubt, emphatic in my expressions 
 to him. Mr. Knippenberg simply said: "Be kind enough to be seated 
 and after we are through supper, please talk to Mr. Earl. I can say no 
 more." Of course I waited for them. When they were through, Mr. Earl 
 took me by the arm and we walked up the street toward the court house 
 together. He said: "Noyes, Mr. K. never made such a remark about 
 you ; in fact, he never thought of such a thing. He was taken very much 
 by surprise when he heard Governor White make the announcement. Be- 
 ing, as he is, a partner in the bank, he did not feel like getting up and 
 calling White a liar, but this much I say to you, that speech has lost 
 White the Hecla delegation. They have been voting for you ever since 
 and will continue. You will receive the nomination." I thanked Mr. 
 Earl for his kindness and sent my regrets to Mr. Knippenberg and did 
 not go near the convention hall. The fight was bitter, long drawn out. 
 It must have been 1 p. m. before I received the nomination and the con- 
 vention adjourned. 
 
 J. E. Morse told me, the next morinng, that he was in the back 
 part of the room, that White came to him with a face as white as his 
 name, and with tears in his eyes said: "Morse, that fellow has given me 
 the first beating I ever had in my life." I record this here because I 
 am proud that the people of Beaverhead county stood for me, no doubt 
 believing my work was for them and not for a favored few. So once 
 more my name was before the people, making it possible for me to suc- 
 ceed myself in the assessor's office. I was elected by a good, large ma- 
 jority and proceeded along the same lines. 
 
 C. E. Stanchfield had not been successful in his business affairs, 
 and had given a mortgage to Mr. Ralph Davidson of La Porte, Indiana, 
 on his Big Hole land. I induced J. E. Morse, a prominent merchant of 
 Dillon, to go in with me and buy from Davidson, who had foreclosed, 
 this 2520 acres of land for $5,600. This was my last year in the office. 
 This was the beginning of the end for me in the valley. Horses had be- 
 come a drug on the market, so J. E. and I bought of Mr. and Mrs. 
 T. H. Hamilton, of Horse Prairie, their band of horses, good ones, too, 
 consisting of 220 head, suckh'nes thrown in, at $5.00 per head. I after- 
 ward sold to Morse and Selway 100 head of these at $3.75 per head.
 
 T6 THE STOIIY OF "AJAX" 
 
 During my term of office I met Governor Rickards, at his request, 
 and was introduced to the members of the state board of education as the 
 one assessor in Montana who was not afraid to do his duty. After my 
 work was done, in July, Mrs. Noyes and I moved to the ranch, after- 
 ward known as the Ajax, to make our home. J. T. Armitage and A. J. 
 Turner had put up a corral and some cabins for us the winter before. 
 As before mentioned, my property had gone to G. H. Tong before I 
 was elected the first time, so I did not have any to put into this ranch. 
 Mrs. Noyes had 1 00 head of cattle and other property, horses, etc., 
 amounting in all to about $4,000, besides the 400 acres of land near 
 Wisdom. Although the cabin was not large, in fact, 1 8x24, we did 
 not refuse to entertain any one who came. During the summer the Rev. 
 Walter Hayes, pastor of the Presbyterian church in Dillon, came and 
 received a nice bed in the hay corral, as the night was warm. That was 
 the year 1 896, and of course an election was on. Late in the fall four 
 gentlemen drove up in the afternoon and wanted accommodations for the 
 night. We told them we had lots of room, and could accommodate 
 them. My wife had two beds in the room, on which there was quite a 
 lot of extra bedding. As the time came to retire, the gentlemen asked 
 where they were to sleep. I explained that Mrs. Noyes would attend to 
 that. She proceeded to make a "field-bed" on the floor, the reason for 
 so doing not appearing clear to our guests. I requested them to step out 
 of doors a few minutes and I would tell them where to sleep. This was 
 of course, to give Mrs. Noyes a chance to retire. It is needless to say 
 that we all had to sleep in the same cabin, as it was too cold in the hay 
 corral. These gentlemen were all elected that fall. Since then, J. B. 
 Poindexter, who was one of them, has become district judge, and another, 
 Edwin L. Norris, the governor of the state. 
 
 I have given these incidents to illustrate what a "pioneer woman" 
 could and would do without any apparent trouble to herself. My work 
 was to be the up-building of a large ranch. It is no small job to take 
 several thousand acres of raw land and subdue it so it would produce 
 good crops. That first season we cut something over 500 tons of hay. 
 Mr. Morse bought cattle of John Snooks, who lived on the Salmon 
 river. Cattle were not high that fall, so good beef steers sold the next 
 spring for $38.00 per head. We had borrowed $1,000 of Wm. Roe. 
 Mr. Morse and family spent part of the winter in Los Angeles. Before 
 making the trip he had arranged to borrow from Mr. Roe $4,000 with 
 which to buy cattle the coming spring. When Mr. Morse returned I 
 sent him a check to pay to Mr. Roe the money above mentioned. 
 
 Some time in April Mr. Morse requested me to come to Dillon and 
 go with him to the Ruby valley and look at some stock cattle. We 
 went to Sheridan, thence up the Ruby, where we purchased or contracted 
 for two bands of cattle of Gus Smith and Wm. Maloney, for future de- 
 livery. I returned to the ranch, as the cattle could not be taken over the 
 divide until May. When I went to receive the cattle Mr. Roe made up
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 77 
 
 his mind that he wanted a mortgage on all the stock we had bought, as 
 he felt "sore" toward me for an assessment made of his property. Mr. 
 Morse explained what Mr. Roe wanted. I told him to tell Mr. Roe 
 that we would not need his monej-. Morse said: "You are pretty in- 
 dependent, aren't you?" "Yes," 1 said, "we have 250 head of catde 
 on that ranch and do not owe for them, and I will not borrow money 
 to buy more and give anyone a mortgage." Morse asked if I would 
 accept money from White. I told him I would, if it could be obtained. 
 I had not asked Governor White for money, as he had become so bit- 
 terly opposed to the manner in which I had conducted the assessor's office 
 that he would not speak to me on the streets. Morse, however, explained 
 the matter to White, as to the feeling engendered toward Roe by me 
 and also told him we needed the money to finish paying for cattle for 
 which we had already contracted. White gave us a credit of $5,000, so 
 we took the cattle home. After haying, we made up our minds to buy 
 more, as they "looked good to us." I made a trip over into the Bitter 
 Root and purchased 550 head while over there; Mrs. Noyes and 
 the children made the trip with some of the other Big Hole neighbors. 
 We camped for a while with Mr. and Mrs. Will McCoy and had a nice 
 visit. McCoy is now the oldest, or has served the government as range 
 rider longer than any other man. We bought cattle on Red Rock and 
 other places. A car load of full blood Hereford bulls of Kohrs and 
 Bielenberg of Deer Lodge. We had, before this, purchased of Chas. 
 Deputy two fine Herefords, shipped by him from Illinois. You must 
 remember that we had only gotten a five thousand credit of White, but 
 by fall we owed him $19,000.00, and by spring $27,000.00. That 
 did not make any difference to him, as cattle were going up and we had 
 bought them right. I had not been able to feed all this stuff on the Ajax 
 ranch, and so my outside feed bills amounted to $6,500. The fall of 
 1 898 we had 1 ,200 stock cattle and probably 350 calves. I did not 
 believe that money could be made in running stock cattle at such a high 
 altitude, as too many calves would be apt to perish from cold at birth. 
 I proposed to Mr. Morse that we sell and pay our debts, and then run 
 the place on more conservative lines. We could have sold for $36,000.00, 
 which would have been enough to pay up everything, clearing 2,520 
 acres of land inside of two years from the time I had assumed the man- 
 agement. This would, also, have given Mrs. Noyes and Mr. Morse 
 the original money they invested. 
 
 Mr. Morse said he did not consider that a wise proposition, and 
 he would not consent to it. Not many years after, when we were strug- 
 gling to make both ends meet, he said: "Why in the name of God 
 didn't you take the bull by the horns, and do as you pleased, when you 
 wanted to sell those cattle?" I allowed him to dominate in this case, 
 very much against my judgment, lo my sorrow. I told my wife that I 
 could see the beginning of the end, if one was to run stock cattle in the
 
 78 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 Big Hole. That fall we sold our steers to Martin Sorensen for $30.00 
 per head — yearlings up, 600 of them. 
 
 "Mother" and I made up our minds to take a "wedding trip." 
 We attended the exposition at Omaha and certainly enjoyed ourselves. 
 We were there "McKinley day" and got a glimpse of the president. 
 We had as companions Mrs. Wm. Orr, two sons, Chas. and John, and 
 E. L. Poindexter, now the editor of the Dillon Examiner. After I 
 returned from Omaha we made up our minds to ship some old cows to 
 that place, also try the market for horses some place in Iowa. Chas. 
 Deputy was to ship some steers, Anderson Bros., horses. "Jimmie the 
 Tink" was with Deputy. The experience was new to Deputy and me. 
 When we were about to leave Dillon, a young man came and wanted 
 to go with me. I asked for transportation for him, but did not get it. 
 The young fellow said he had some money, but did not wish to spend 
 it on railroad tickets. When we arrived at Cheyenne he stepped up and 
 shook hands with me. He had succeeded in beating his way, making as 
 good time as we did. Our run from Cheyenne to Omaha was made in 
 28 hours. We disposed of our stock in the morning and in the afternoon 
 I got out on a fast meat train, but was side-tracked at Council Bluffs 
 for several hours. I arrived late Saturday night at Grand Junction, 
 where we were to sell the car of horses. Early in the morning I went 
 to the stock yards and moved my horses to the corral for feed. Leaving 
 instructions with the lively man as to advertising the sale, etc., I went to 
 Des Moines to see Geo. Redhead, then a very successful breeder of 
 Herefords, who had owned the bull "Ancient Britton," to buy some full- 
 blooded cattle. The Thorpe Live Stock company had requested me to 
 get some Shorthorns for them, as had the Centennial Cattle Co., a re- 
 quest for Hereford bulls. Redhead was a very nice, accommodating 
 gentleman. He took me, on Thanksgiving day, to see the shorthorn 
 herd of Martin Flynn, of whom I bought stock for the Thorpe people. 
 I made a trip to Marshalltown to see Governor Packard, a Hereford 
 breeder, and bought some bulls for the Centennial Cattle company. In 
 the meantime, I had attended the horse sale at Grand Junction. It was 
 certainly an off year in Iowa for horses, as after paying car fare and in- 
 cidentals, we only had $4.00 per head left. I found a young man 
 who was willing to take my car load to Montana, providing I could give 
 him a position for the winter, which I did, on the "Highland" ranch. 
 As to this particular ranch: It could not have been much over a year 
 after we had taken over the Ajax when Mr. Morse and I rode over some 
 bench land several miles north of the Ajax, which appeared to us as an 
 exceptionally good place for a large stock ranch. We did not have the 
 money with which to float the scheme. We did make several attempts 
 to secure it, but were not successful for some time. I happened to be in 
 Governor White's bank one day and mentioned the subject to him. I 
 did not talk long until he agreed to finance the affair. Senator Norris 
 later governor, wanted to go into the company, on Morse's description of
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 79 
 
 the conditions. He did not have the money, unless it could be gotten in 
 some way; for instance, like getting it from White. I stepped out of the 
 bank and met Morse and Norris going home to lunch. I soon explained 
 that I had an important business engagement for them at 1 :30 o'clock 
 with the governor. I told them that he had agreed to get behind us on 
 the "Big Bench" matter. We were on time at the bank and talked the 
 affair over, with the result that we incorporated a company known as the 
 "Highland Water Co." When we left the bank Morse and Norris both 
 remarked that they did not see how I happened to be able to talk Governor 
 White mto putting up $20,000 on such a scheme. Morse, in particular, 
 remarked: "Al Noyes, if any one had told me you could talk the 
 governor into this thing, I would have called him crazy." Norris and I 
 walked up the street toward his office, meeting Mr. Roe, who walked 
 back to his bank with us. I supposed he wanted to see Norris, as he 
 was attorney for the bank, so excused myself and started to walk off 
 when Mr. Roe said: "We would like to talk to you a moment in our 
 bank if you have time." This was surprise No. 2 that day. The first 
 was when I could get a man like Governor White to become the backer 
 of an enterprise; a man who had done all he could to defeat me for 
 office a few years before, and who would not speak to me when he 
 met me on the street, and second, Mr. Roe, who had become somewhat 
 embittered on account of one of my assessments, as before mentioned, 
 who had not spoken to me for some time, now requesting me to come into 
 his bank that they might get my opinion and advice as to whom to loan 
 money in the Big Hole. As the Highland enters more or less into my life, 
 mention will be made of it later on. Before I forget it, I will say that 
 Edwin Norris and I agreed to taboo politics from the beginning of that 
 partnership, with what results will be noted later on. 
 
 My friend. Tommy Poindexter, than whom few better men ever 
 lived in Montana, became state auditor. Norris was quite an active 
 figure in the convention when Tom received his nomination. When they 
 returned to Dillon, Tom told me : "That fellow Norris, if he holds 
 his head, will have everything coming that the people can give any one 
 politically." As Morse and I were branching out, we needed, we thought, 
 some pasture land. As the state could select land for rental purposes. 
 Col. L. J. Price and I went to Helena and interviewed the state board 
 of land commissioners, and got their consent to have Mr. Henry NeilK 
 state land agent, to look over the land, and if, in his opinion, he thought 
 proper to select it he could do so. There was no trouble in getting the 
 land; the next thing would be several miles of fence with which to en- 
 close it. A young man, Clarence H. Strowbridge, took the contract to 
 build the fence. Morse and I had bought all the interests held by others 
 in the Ajax mine, had done some representing, nothing more. We leased 
 and bonded it to a party, who never did any work. It was during that 
 time that "Deafy" Thompson killed "Dutch Gus," in one of the cabins 
 near the mine. They had had a little trouble, so Jim made his bed out-
 
 80 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 doors. Gus occupied the cabin. One morning Jim came in before Gus 
 was up and enquired about the coffee. "I'll give you all the coffee you 
 
 want, you ," said Gus, and pulling up his rifle took a shot 
 
 at Jim, which just missed his head and lodged in the side of the cabin — 
 years afterward one of my boys dug out the bullet. Jim started to get 
 out, as Gus was trying to get another shot, with the result he closed the 
 door from the inside and was too much excited to open it, as all this time 
 Gus was trying to get another cartridge into the gun, Jim happened to 
 see on a shelf his six shooter, which he grabbed and put an end to Gus' 
 activities. Jim went to Jackson and gave himself up, telling what he had 
 done. Someone said: "Maybe the man isn't dead, Jim." "Yes he is; 
 
 I looked at hira; he is as dead as h 1," replied Jim. Several men 
 
 accompanied "Deafy" back to the scene of the tragedy. They found 
 everything just as he had told them. At this season of the year there is 
 always snow in the mountains in this vicinity, at that time there was no 
 road up the hill, nothing but a trail, and the snow up to the waist. It 
 was found impossible to carry the corpse, so the only alternative was to 
 drag it. They tied a rope about the feet and began the journey. Hauling 
 a person or body in this way caused too much friction, so said this party, 
 so some one suggested they put the rope around the neck. This was 
 done, and the body moved more freely. In fact, it moved too rapidly, 
 as it slid down the mountain, passmg on one side of a tree while the 
 men went by on the other side. They say that in this way the neck became 
 dislocated, hence much longer than it should have been. In due time 
 Gus was taken to Jackson and interred ; Jim was exonerated. Years after 
 Frank Conway wrote "The Ghost of the Ajax," a story that caused con- 
 siderable comment. 
 
 Wisdom. 
 
 As before stated, when I moved to Dillon, in 1 892, to take the office 
 of county assessor, we sold our interest in the little store to Alf. Turner. 
 Alf did not stay long in the business, as he got a chance to get rid of his 
 share to Frank Housel, who later disposed of his interest to Emil Zorn. 
 Zorn having, in the meantime, gotten married to my wife's old friend, Allie 
 Rutledge, built a new house on a homestead close to the old Noyes 
 place and started a hotel. He also put up a new store building, with 
 a hall for public meetings up stairs. Emil was making money pretty 
 fast with stage, hotel and store, but like many others, wanted to gather in 
 the dollars faster, so began placer mining at the little camp above the 
 battle ground. It did not take him long to go into the hole enough to 
 place his business matters in jeopardy. A drummer, W. A. Frances, 
 had been in the Big Hole and thought he saw a chance for the building 
 up of a future business at the Zorn place, so he got J. P. Lossl of 
 Pioneer to go in with him and purchase the business. Zorn went at any- 
 thing he could get to do for a time, as there was not a lazy bone in his 
 body, always looking for something better, which he found in a piece
 
 < 
 z 
 
 < 
 
 H 
 Z 
 
 O 
 
 o 
 
 Q 
 en
 
 HATTIE M. NOYES 
 FOUNDER ()(•■ WISDOM. MONTANA
 
 
 THE STORY OF -AJAX" 81 
 
 of land in the Bielenberg and Walker lower ranch. He located a desert 
 claim on this and went to work improving it. Shortly after he met with 
 the misfortune of the loss of his wife, leaving two nice Httle girls to his 
 care. Not even daunted by this unkind act of nature, he continued on with 
 his work, paid his indebtedness and made a success. 
 
 While I was in Dillon I had tried to interest the Eliel Bros, in the 
 mercantile business in the Big Hole. They had had a store at Dewey's, 
 also one in Gibbonsville, Idaho, and did not appear to be doing as well 
 as they should. I suggested that they use the two stocks of goods at 
 these places at Wisdom and build up a good trade, as the valley was 
 bound to grow, and the mining camps were bound to die. Mr. Leonard 
 Eliel said that they had never made a successful venture outside of 
 their home place, and guessed that he would not take any chance on the 
 Big Hole. Years after he said that he was sorry that he had not 
 taken my hint in the matter, as the indications were good for a splendid 
 trade. 
 
 While Emil Zorn was in business he hired Owen Ellis to drive team 
 for him, and also gave him the privilege of putting in a little stock of 
 liquor. This business soon became large enough for the undivided atten- 
 tion of Owen, and he opened up a saloon in our old home, to build a cabm 
 for it later on near the store. As the postoffice had been at or near Wis- 
 dom for some time, all the Fourth of July celebrations were held there. 
 One Fourth people came from all over the valley, and some from Gibbons- 
 ville, Idaho. The land belonged to Geo. H. Tong, J. P. Lossl and Mrs. 
 Noyes. A lane was built through Mrs. Noyes' place, according to an 
 old survey, and a bridge was built across the river by Will Armitage 
 for the county. The land in the northeast corner of her tield was high 
 and dry, and of little value. This particular July day Johnnie Mc- 
 Kinzie of Gibbonsville, my old friend that gave me my breakfast that 
 August morning in ^11 on Divide creek when I was hunting Indians, wanted 
 to know how much we would take for a piece of land large enough to 
 build something like a saloon or hall on. I had offered Frances and 
 Lossl the whole 400 acres of land, with $1,600 worth of fencing on it, 
 for $1600, and they would not listen to it, so when McKinzie broached 
 the subject, I made up my mind at once to lay out a townsite on a few 
 acres of that dry ground. Clarence Strowbridge had been running an 
 ice cream and fruit stand that day, and the morning of the fifth, just 
 before I got ready to go to the Ajax ranch, I asked him how he had 
 done the day before. He told me that he had done nicely. I then, jok- 
 ingly, said to him that I was going to lay out a townsite and that I would 
 give him $1,000 and let him start a small business in the new town of 
 Wisdom. I did not think much more of this matter that day, but the 
 next morning before breakfast Strowbridge and George Bailard were at 
 the Ajax ranch. It did not take Strowbridge long to inform me that he 
 came up to see if I were joking about starting him in the little business. 
 I told him that it was said in a joke, but as he had taken the thing so
 
 82 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 much to heart I would try and carry out my part of it, providing I could 
 get the money. I wrote to my old friend Tom Mulaney of Dillon, and 
 told him what I wanted and he said he would let us have $1,000. B. R. 
 Stevenson was told to go ahead and survey a townsite. I then made a 
 trade with the Ponsonby people for the store and saloon building at that 
 place, as the town had gone to the "bow-wows." The buildings would 
 need to be razed and the lumber hauled to Wisdom, Strowbridge to use 
 his teams to do the hauling; Mrs. Noyes was to put up the building, 
 part of which was to be used as a hall, balance store, kitchen, dining 
 room, etc. After the building had been purchased, Mulaney told Strow- 
 bridge that he had changed his mind and could not let me have the 
 money. This was certainly putting us in a very disagreeable position, as 
 we had spent several hundred dollars. I went to Dillon and met Tom, 
 who said. "Say, Al Noyes, did you depend on me for that money?" 
 "I most certainly did, Tom, but that need not make any difference, if 
 you can't let me have it no more will be said about it." "If you de- 
 pended on getting that money from me, you shall have it, if it is the last 
 thing I ever do. You never went back on me, and I am gomg to stay with 
 you." As this money was for Mrs. Noyes, she gave Tom security for it 
 and started Strowbridge in the Wisdom Mercantile company. Bailard 
 and Newcomer bought a lot and wanted to start a saloon, but did not 
 have the money, so I got Mulaney to loan them the money to put up the 
 "Old Glory" building. The particular mistake I made in laying out the 
 Wisdom townsite was that I supposed that my first survey was correct, 
 so told Stevenson to lay it out in that place. After he went to do the work 
 he found that the old corners were wrong and that Tong owned part of 
 the land we had fenced. Not expecting the town property to be of much 
 value, I told him to go ahead and lay out a street on the east on her 
 land, and the lots west of that. This gave to Owen Ellis, who bought the 
 Tong ranch, the whole east side of the Main street in Wisdom and cost 
 us a loss of several thousand dollars. The town continued to grow slowly 
 and is now a good little inland place with three good sized stores, instead 
 of the little one Mrs. Noyes and Zorn started in 1891. I probably had 
 as much faith in the future of Big Hole as any one else, and recall that 
 I had predicted, in some of my articles to the county papers, that it 
 would make good. In building up a new section of country, there is 
 much of an exceedingly pleasant nature that will enter into the work 
 and make you feel that you have undertaken a grand work; not alone 
 for your betterment, but for the good of thousands that will follow you. 
 That June morning in 1 882 that found Mrs. Noyes and myself 
 for the time being almost the only settlers in the valley, found us also full 
 of hope for a successful answer to our day dreams. We looked at the 
 grand old mountains, the flower-decked valley, listened to the murmur 
 of the river on its hurried way to the sea, and thought of the time when 
 we could go again into the world where people lived together in cities 
 and enjoy the blessings made possible by being with the crowd. The
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 83 
 
 little log cabin with a dirt roof and dirt floor was for the time a palace. 
 It -.vould protect us from the heat of suntuner and the cold of an arctic 
 winter. It held two hearts filled with love, or at least with the imagina- 
 tion of love strong enough to hold us a good many years through the ups 
 and downs of an earthly existence together. 
 
 We saw the possibilities, but did not, at first, think that many would, 
 in our life time, come to reap the reward that could be had. We were 
 pleased to see newcomers and always extended the hand of welcome, 
 no matter who came nor how many. To one coming on foot a meal and 
 bed was ready without cost and probably a piece of money, if the person 
 deserved it, ere he left the ranch. For years we kept open house, and did 
 not think of making a charge. To satisfy "Grandma" Frances, we began, 
 one January day to "keep track" of the number of meals given to others 
 for the year. At the end of three months I had gathered statistics 
 enough along that line to satisfy myself and lost interest in my "bookkeep- 
 ing," as the total was 576 meals. I did not regret then nor do I regret 
 now that I had so many friends (?). If they enjoyed it, we certainly did, 
 and that ought to be pay enough for anyone. In those early days the 
 roads to Butte were simply fierce. In fact, we did not have any road 
 up the river, although we did manage to come that way. We could ford 
 at Dewey's or go over the "hill." We generally went over the hill, 
 which was so long and steep that a team was pretty apt to be all in by 
 the effort. I remember that on one trip Dave Nickolson, since of Bitter 
 Root, was along and as I had a large load for my team and he was light, 
 he took part of mine and hauled it two days for me. When he got ready 
 to leave the road to my place, I asked him how much I owed him for 
 the trouble and this was his reply: "Whenever you meet one who is 
 overloaded, take part of his load, as I have done for you, and that will 
 pay me; pass it along." That was Dave, ail right, and I hope that I have 
 so lived that he has been paid in full. Do I make it clear? 
 
 When Sacajawea, the Indian woman with Lewis and Clark's expedi- 
 tion, saw from the bench just above what was to be afterward the battle- 
 ground of Joseph and Gibbon, the glistening dome of Old Baldy, she knew 
 where they were. She could show them the place of their "cache" of 
 the year before, as she had been with her people in this valley on hunt- 
 ing trips. This band of hardy men, under Clark, were certainly given as 
 grand a sight that morning as any they had seen, excepting the Pacific at 
 the mouth of the Columbia. They had endured and done much in the 
 journey they had made through the trackless regions of the northwest. 
 They were, again, over the real rough trail of the mountain lands, ready 
 to set afloat their boats on the placid waters of the Beaverhead and 
 calmly drift to St. l^uis. Probably no seer among them predicted the 
 future up-building of a great nation in this big wide west. They had been 
 two years in making the trip, and could see no reason why man would 
 need these desert (>) wastes when so much good land remamed unclaimed 
 on the other side of the "Father ol Waters." It was, no doubt, a sure
 
 84 THP: story of "AJAX" 
 
 thing in their minds that the beautiful valley they were in would not be 
 settled for years and years to come, and maybe never. They had no 
 vision of Marshall with his little piece of yellow metal at Sutlers mill in 
 California that was to change the whole face of this western continent and 
 make it the mecca of thousands from every land of the big round world. 
 They could not see the miners of Florence, Boise and Idaho City that 
 would try their luck along the many rapid streams tributary to the Sal- 
 mon, and especially the ones who were to come up the Dehlonaga and 
 find the hidden treasures of Ruby, the beautiful little creek at their feet. 
 Nor could they see the reason why millions would yet be taken from Ban- 
 nack, Hecla and French. They had conquered the unknown trail to 
 the Pacific; had seen the land of the Snake and Columbia, and had 
 passed one winter near the latter's mouth. That far land where flowed 
 the "Oregon" could never be much to the United States, being too far 
 away. They would be glad once again to see the people in St. Louis 
 and especially to make their report to the president at Washington. They 
 were only glad to look on the beautiful valley at their feet because it was 
 a place one day nearer the end of the journey. When this party separated, 
 one to go down the Missouri and the other to go to the Yellowstone, they 
 were doing so simply to widen their knowledge of the geography at the 
 head of the Missouri. 
 
 The finding of gold at Sutlers mill changed the whole face of the 
 west, and gave rise to a new class of men — a class that would never 
 again die out until the whole world, known and unknown, was to give up 
 its treasures. They, the prospectors, were to search out the hidden places 
 where gold had lain, uselessly, since the "Beginning," and with trials, 
 struggles, heartburns and their blood itself, would bring it forth to the 
 light of day and make it play its part in the upbuilding of a world of 
 business. Seldom did the prospector retain any of the wealth he found. 
 "Come easy, go easy," was what governed them. The whole west 
 was a treasure house in their minds, and there was no use in saving when 
 you could find an Alder, Confederate or Last Chance any old place in 
 the mountains. That gold is yet doing good and bad, depending much 
 into whose hands it has fallen. It sends the steel rail hither and yon, 
 and builds the floating palace of the deep. It makes the world beautiful 
 by its expenditure in wonderful structures that house the more success- 
 ful. It cuts away the mountain, deepens the sluggish stream, makes 
 islands of continents, entraps the rushing waters that would leave havoc 
 in their wake and compells them to nourish the thirsty soil and leave a 
 rose where drifting sand once made a desert. It enables the student to 
 find out the hidden secrets and use the knowledge for the up-building of a 
 race. The man of science can, with its help, learn how to drive away 
 many of the ills that threaten life and free the fevered brow from pain. 
 What a wonderful thing in the hands of him who knows no thought of 
 evil; who wills that each dollar he spends shall uplift his race and send 
 it ahead in long strides to a plane of decency, greatness and universal
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" . 85 
 
 happiness. Better to be an optimist than a pessimist, better to go through 
 the world with a smile than a frown, better to write of the good that gold 
 can do than to tell of the hellish misery it has wrought. So let us 
 back once more, in this little story, to the time when the prospectors Cris 
 Weaver, his brother, and others, gazed from the main divide on the 
 little basin at the head of Ruby. I do not know how this man Weaver 
 happened to find gold in Ruby, and only know from my old friend Lou 
 Smith of Butte that is was Weaver who was considered the discoverer. 
 
 It would take no great amount of imagination for anyone to go back 
 to that summer in 1 862 and find that mining was already being conducted, 
 on a small scale, on Dahlonaga creek, a branch of the North Fork of 
 Salmon river, just over the divide from Ruby. The prospector of those 
 days did not think anything of a several mile jaunt in his hunt for a place 
 that would "pan." No doubt Weaver took a stroll one Sunday, probably 
 for game, and found gold in Pioneer basin. It took but a short time for 
 the news to go to others and soon a little camp was in full blast, washing 
 the yellow metal for grub stakes. From that day to this more or less 
 gold has been taken out, although it never was a rich section. The Big 
 Hole basin, or valley proper, did in no way appeal to these miners as a 
 place of residence, and most of them left as soon as the "Grasshopp>er 
 Diggings" were discovered, which was only a few days after. I have 
 no facts at hand that tell me as to the lucky man who found pay at Ban- 
 nack. Some say White. Mike Steel said: "John Smith, Pat Maloy and 
 Bill Maloy were the men." Anyway, the late Judge Stapleton of Butte 
 was in early. People that were going to the Idaho mines came to Ban- 
 nack instead, and built the town that was to have the honor of being 
 Montana's first capital. I did not get to Bannack until 1 866, so was 
 too late to witness the lawlessness that held sway there under Henry 
 Plummer and his gang of toughs. The old scaffold on which Plummer, 
 Ray and Stinson were hanged January 1 0th, 1864, was up the gulch 
 a short distance from our house. From Mr. Wm. Roe I gleaned the fol- 
 lowing facts concerning the execution of these men (not before in print, 
 I believe, at least part of it has never been). 
 
 Roe was one appomted to help get these men. One was at a dance 
 on Yankee Flat, and Roe and some one else went for him. As soon as 
 he was told that they wanted him, his wife threw her arms about his neck 
 and held on for dear life. Roe said: "I never had anything as hard to 
 do in my whole life as came to my lot then. That woman standing there 
 with her arms about her husband's neck, sobbing pitifully, tears streaming 
 down her cheeks and begging us not to take him. I had to use force to 
 remove her arms and hold her while the man with me led him away." 
 When these men were gathered that cold night under the scaffold, they 
 made pleas for their lives, but no one as abjectly as Plummer, the ring- 
 leader. Mr. Roe said that he did not blame them in the least; that any- 
 one, almost, would have done as Plummer did, if he thought a talk would 
 have given him his liberty. R. P. Eaton captured Ray and after he was
 
 86 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 hanged, Mrs. Ray came out and asked him where her Ned was. He 
 replied; "Your Ned is ahight." (This man Eaton became the next sheriff 
 of Bannack District, Idaho territory). I will try and give in Mr. Roe's 
 language an account of the hanging of "Dutch John:" Mrs. Ray had 
 been given her husband's body, but Plummer and Stinson had been taken 
 to a small cabin across the street from the hotel. This cabin was not yet 
 completed, as the chinking and dobbing had not been done. There was a 
 work bench on which Plummer was laid, and Stinsen was placed on the 
 floor, and a little way from the work bench. When we made up our 
 minds to hang John, he was taken to this cabin. You must remember that 
 when we hung the others it was very cold, and it was probably on this ac- 
 count that we did not bury them at once, and why their remains had 
 been placed in the cabin. It was a mighty weird sight, the dead high- 
 waymen lying there; the band of stalwart men bent on doing their duty 
 in ridding that section of those who had been so bold in their deviltry, and 
 the tall form of "Dutch John" standing there dimly, in the candle light, 
 on a dry goods box that was to be used as the drop that was to send his 
 soul to his maker. The cabin was full, and when the box yas pulled 
 from beneath John we all surged, the light went out and my heels caught 
 on Stinson's body, and to keep from falling I threw one hand out and it fell 
 on Plummer's frozen face. Jesus! but it was cold! We closed the door 
 and left John hanging there all the next day. It was probably about 8 
 or 9 o'clock the next evening, anyway it was dark, when I chanced to 
 look toward the cabin and I could see every once in a while a light through 
 the chinks. It startled me for a moment, but I made up my mind to 
 investigate. I went over and pushed the door open and found little Davy 
 Morgan scratching matches and looking up at John. 'What are you doing 
 here, Davy?' I asked. 'Say, Bill, I just came over to see the bloody 
 buggar,' was his answer. It is needless to say that Davy was "drunk." 
 Years after this same Davy cut down "Plummers' Scaffold" because 
 some of the fellows, jokingly, told him that if he didn't reform they would 
 hang him on it. I recall that during a political campaign quite a number 
 of us were looking for the location of this scaffold, among us Col. Sanders. 
 I found one of the stumps and from it extracted a bullet, which was given 
 to the colonel, a "souvenir" that he told me afterward he valued very 
 highly. 
 
 This old dead town of Bannack gave life to the territory, and later 
 to the state of Montana. Many of the men who have helped to make 
 the story of Montana were a part of Bannack in those early days. When 
 the first legislature met, there was no fancy structure built of granite, 
 with frescoed walls, polished dome and well kept grounds. The only 
 rooms available were two cabins, one a large sized one, built for theatrical 
 purposes but not finished; the other a small cabin at the other end of the 
 street. (In one of the volumes of the Historical Society is shown a cut 
 of the buildings first used for the purpose, an adobe and a small cabin 
 near it. These are not the buildings, for the ones used were on the north
 
 THE STORY OF '"AJAX" 87 
 
 side of the street and these are on the south side. The "House" is now 
 a stable, three miles from Bannack on Taylor creek, owned by Chas. 
 Retallack). A cut of the home of Governor Edgerton is to be had these 
 days, copyrighted by Tribune Pub. Co., of Dillon. It shows a low log 
 cabin that has been used for years as a stable. It did not matter what 
 kind of a house the men met in, they were there for business and while they 
 may have had their little scraps, they were soon forgotten. "Uncle John" 
 Bishop says: "That Col. Broadwater got on the peck one day and was 
 going to wipe out the whole legislature when he met a freighter named 
 Tom Pitt, who knocked the colonel out in the first round." 
 
 Speaking of that time, "Uncle John" tells of the first loan he ever 
 made in Montana: There was a fellow named Rohbacker who lived 
 at Boulder that came to Bannack that winter to lobby for a charter to build 
 a toll bridge. As the legislators were not as avaricious then as they be- 
 came later under Daly and Clark, it did not require much or any money 
 to get a worthy bill through. Rohbacker needed $50.00, which I gave 
 him without interest. On his return home he sent me the money, in gold, 
 by express, which cost me $2.50. Some time afterwards I had occasion 
 to stay all night with Rohbacker, thinking that my accommodating him 
 would be good for a night's lodging. He turned my horse in the pasture, 
 gave me a bed on the floor and charged me $3.50." I will say to my 
 readers, do not hunt Uncle John up with the expectation that he is still 
 doing business in the old way. He learned his lesson. 
 
 I have told you that we left Bannack in the spring of 1868 for Sil- 
 ver Star, a small town on the Cherry creek, a tributary of the Jefferson 
 river. Green Campbell had been the man who was successful in finding 
 a gold ledge, after\s'ard known by his name. Some Ohio man had pur- 
 chased the claim from him and put Charles Everett in charge. A mill 
 was built and gold was extracted in large quantities. I have stated that 
 I had been in Everett's room in the old "Silver Star" hotel, and had seen 
 gold pan after gold pan of retort. The memory of that wealth has fol- 
 lowed me all the days of my life and made me dream, in day dreams, of 
 the time when I too might be as successful as Green Campbell in discover- 
 ing a paying mine. My experience in the early days of Butte did not 
 dampen my ardor, but rather added to it. Years after, when I had left 
 Butte and gone to ranching, I had learned of claims I had owned that 
 were worth millions instead of the thousands that the Green Campbell 
 produced. I had kept in touch with acquaintances in the old town and 
 found that many of the leads once actually valueless, owing to cost of re- 
 duction and transportation, were paying dividends. Is it any wonder, then, 
 that having such lessons in sight, I would, at some future time, because of a 
 little piece of anglesite, think, with the Count of Monte Cristo, that "The 
 world was mine?" At the head of Steel creek, on the Wise river side of 
 the divide, several of us pooled and began to develop a claim. Ed Brown 
 and Fred Myers, two of the members of the company, did the work, which 
 never brought any returns. While working there Ed found the "Martin
 
 88 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 Mines," Some exceedingly rich ore was found in the Martin; a good 
 many thousands were spent in its development, with no particular suc- 
 cess. Myers and Wilke, near their home ranch, found some very good 
 ore which was only in kidneys, hence of no value from a paying stand- 
 point. I was interested in those finds (?), as I believed that some place 
 good paying mines would be found in the Big Hole. 
 
 Before I enter into the experiences encountered by myself in actual 
 mining, I want, for the few who knew less than I do about the matter, 
 to give some of the stories or romances connected with mines. In them one 
 finds those who had the nerve to undertake great things, some to succeed 
 by sticking to it, while others went broke on account of their faith. A 
 man does not generally go at the mining business as he would others. If 
 you build a house, you plan first and execute after. You would not 
 begin a house with only enough funds to put up the walls, you would see 
 to it that there was enough for a roof. Every nail, lath, shingle and 
 piece of timber would be taken into consideration before one dollar had 
 been expended. That would be the only wise way, wouldn't it? 
 
 It is because of the element of chance that enters into mining that 
 so many men, exceedingly careful in all other business affairs, have fallen 
 down. In the early days of placer mining, the crude rocker and the whip- 
 sawed sluice box was about all that cost money, unless a ditch was to be 
 dug with which to fetch the water to the ground. You could, if you 
 wished, "clean up" at any time and tell just how you stood. When 
 "drifting diggings" were encountered, you could then begin to calculate 
 how much timber you would need for a set and how much energy would 
 be required to raise the water. Your bed-rock flume could only be ap- 
 proximated when you did not know the exact place where your pay came 
 from. The big dredge, that is now used in many places, is a matter of 
 scientific calculation, without such knowledge and the money with which 
 to carry out your ideas, you would not venture. That element of chance, 
 then, is the particular dangerous thing connected with mining, and espec- 
 ially quartz mining.. Luck! Is there no such thing as luck? Some 
 say there is nothing in luck. The South American Indian who acci- 
 dentally found the wonderfully rich silver mines of Peru, from which 
 one thousand millions of silver have been taken, and that in the crudest way 
 known to the miner, was truly a lucky fellow for his employers, if not 
 for himself. The man who had knowledge or curiosity enough to employ 
 one with knowledge to tell him what the heavy black metal was that 
 bothered the gold miner on Mount Davidson was certainly a lucky fellow, 
 not to himself alone, but to the world at large, as the millions in silver 
 that was taken from those veins have been a wonderful factor in the up- 
 building of this nation. The man who picked up a piece of sandstone in 
 southern Utah and sent it to Salt Lake City for an assay was considered 
 more curious than sensible. The assayer knew that sandstone did not 
 contain silver and threw the rock to one side, probably too honest to use- 
 lessly take one's money. The finder wanted to know ; there was something
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 89 
 
 peculiar in the cast of that particular piece of sandstone that had aroused 
 his curiosity. To the man with the blow pipe he said: "Are you an as- 
 sayer? Do you charge for your work? If you are an assayer, I want 
 you to assay, not to guess." Result was that the rich mines of Silver 
 Reef were found. Luck? I remember that I rode over the same ground, 
 as a cowboy, that afterward gave its millions to W. A. Clark & Bros, 
 from the "May Flower." Luck? I rem.ember of hearing Thos, H. 
 Hamilton of Horse Prairie tell of an experience in Australia. In the 
 early days of that country the claims were very small. About 1 feet 
 square. "Ham" said: "I was working for a big fellow who was much 
 of a bully. The next claim to us was bemg worked by a green Swede. 
 We had been at work m our shaft for some time, and the boss, not satis- 
 fied with the 'indications,' said: 'We will go to dinner early and when 
 the Swede goes to his we will jump his hole, or trade holes with him.' We 
 went to dinner and hurried back and took the Swede's tools and put them 
 in our shaft, and when he came back we were working in his. He said: 
 'You fallows, aye tank, got my hole.' To which my boss replied: 'Don't 
 you know your own tools?' Da ban my tools, all right,' the Swede 
 said after having made an examination, and went to work without any more 
 talk. When that fellow struck bed rock he cleaned up $30,000, and we 
 never got a color." In Jeff Davis gulch, the gulch from which Senator 
 W. A. Clark took the money that gave him a start, claims up to 10^ -^ paid 
 and then the streak was lost ; to be found, years after, by Chinamen, who 
 took out $36,000 in six weeks. Certainly chance played a part there. 
 
 Frank Ramsdell made his sweetheart, Emma Butcher, a present of 
 the Alice mine. The Walker Bros, of Salt Lake bought it and sent Marcus 
 Daly to run it. A mill was erected and the day before it was to drop a 
 stamp, W. B. Stanchfield hauled a load of timber for the mine, which 
 Daly assisted him to unload. After the load was off they sat down and 
 lit their pipes and Daly opened his heart to Stanchfield and told him that 
 the successful operating of that mill and mine meant much to him. Told 
 him that he was in debt so far that unless they did succeed then, he could 
 never come out whole. There they sat and smoked, and each one may 
 have had his dream of what the future would mean to him; what it 
 would bring to him. They were about the same age, both men knew 
 what hard work was; both knew the chance that mines held out, as one 
 had been in the mines of California and Idaho, the other in Utah and 
 Nevada. 
 
 Daly could not have dreamed of the great smelters of Anaconda, 
 the beautiful Bitter Root stock farm, with its fast horses that would carry 
 his colors in every great race track in the land. He could not see the 
 great struggle that would come up between him and W. A. Clark, for 
 the political supremacy of a state, the loss of which to him would mean 
 the quickening of his demise. As he went down Main street that night, 
 on his way home, he could not see, even in his mind's eye, the monu- 
 ment that a loving people would yet rear to his memory, the first and only
 
 90 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 one so far erected to any man in Butte. And when he did make a suc- 
 cess of the Alice, and had disposed of his interests in it, had bought for 
 $30,000.00 the Anaconda, he had something that was a white elephant 
 on his hands, until he interested Haggins, Tevis and Hearst, with their 
 wealth, in its development. No use in telling what he became, the world 
 knows. But Stanchfield, he too had his dreams. He could think of a 
 time when some of the mines he had taken up would give him a home for 
 his old age; when he could go again to the home of his boyhood and 
 proudly hold up his head because of his success. He could not see 
 •that he should stick through all kinds of ups and downs to the "Lizzie 
 Ellen;" that the soft and swelling ground that he and Tibbitts encountered 
 could have been held up long enough for sufficient development to give 
 them a patent on what was afterward to become the great Comanche, one 
 of the richest copper mines in Butte, from which $38,000,000 has been 
 taken. No! He could not see! Daly could not see! But chance, that 
 fickle Goddess, gave one a world, the other, almost a nameless grave. 
 Why is it? I don't know. Do you? 
 
 Several years since I wanted to get some information from one of 
 the early day miners and prospectors of Butte. I went down to South Butte, 
 into the old placer diggings, once owned by John Noyes and Dave Upton, 
 and found the old shack that was pointed out to me as the home of "Val" 
 and some of his friends. No structure could have presented a more woe- 
 begone appearance than this. It was not even as good and attractive as the 
 old log cabin of the early days, nor anywhere near as comfortable. It 
 was built (?) from refuse lumber, brought from near and far, and in great 
 contrast with the fine homes and large brick buildings not many blocks 
 away. My knock at the door did not bring a response. In making an 
 examination of the premises, I noticed a man a short distance from the 
 house, working in a cut. I went up to him to make an enquiry as to 
 where I might find my friend. Owing to the noise made by the water 
 in which he was working, he did not at first hear me, so I had a chance to 
 take a good look at him. He was tall, bent and weatherbeaten, unkempt, 
 with hardly enough clothing to cover a decent scarecrow, showing age, 
 apathy, a general demeanor that gave you the impression that hope was a 
 dead and already buried substance so far as he was concerned. When 
 he raised his head, I knew him. I had not seen him for twenty-five 
 years. I had been on a ranch, had played the mining game and had no 
 particularly bright future myself to which to look. I called him by his 
 given name and told him who I was, and asked him what he was doing 
 there. He told me that he was trying to catch some of the copper that 
 was being carried away, in solution, by the water. That this water came 
 from the Gagnon mine, but that the owners, these days, also had a plant 
 above him and that but little escaped for him, in fact, not enough to make 
 it pay. We had quite a long conversation concerning the many changes 
 that had come into our lives since we first met, over thirty years before. He 
 said: "What a fool a fellow is to follow mining all the days of his life.
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX"' 91 
 
 Time was when I could have had my pick of any of the land over in the 
 valley; could have had a good heme for my old age. But now, even that 
 has been taken up and I see no particular hope for the future." "Stop 
 and think, Dave; have you not had some chance, in all the years you 
 have been here to get rich in mining?" I asked. "Well, yes, that is 
 probably so. I did have the Moonlight mine, which Jim Murray jumped 
 and sold for $450,000." $450,000! The mine that Jim Murray 
 jumped ! Jim Murray, already a millionaire, did not need this one, but 
 Dave had probably been careless and Jim always had an eye on the 
 main chance and was willing to take advantage. As an Irishman once 
 said to Jim: "Jim Murray, I knew you when you was a petty larceny 
 thief, and now I know you when you are a grand larceny thief." Old 
 Dave, if alive, may be on the county. Jim is living on the income of his 
 ill-gained wealth. In the early days of Virginia City, Nevada, when 
 John Mackay sunk the shaft to tap the Big Bonanza, it was more the 
 matter of nerve than anything else that kept him going under most dis- 
 couraging conditions. "Just a little more work; just a little farther, and 
 we may find it. I hate to stop now; who knows but what the next round 
 of holes will break into ore," he no doubt said. And the next round! It 
 did break into the most wonderful body of ore and gave to the world 
 $108,000,000 of gold and silver; $58,000,000 being gold. Chances? 
 No, pluck, because there was wealth already known on the Comstock. 
 
 It is said the "Chicken Bill" salted a mine and sold it to H A. W. 
 Tabor for $30,000. It took but a short time to prove the deception, but 
 Tabor told his men to go ahead and sink, as they had nothing else to do, 
 and they found a mine from which millions were taken. About 1 860 
 Abe Lee found gold in California gulch. Tabor and wife moved there and 
 opened a small store. The placer miner was bothered with a black sand 
 that he did not understand, but which proved years after to be lead car- 
 bonates and the cause of Leadville. Fryer was digging on what was 
 called "Fryer's Hill." Tabor outfitted two men to prospect. They went 
 up to "Fryer's Hill" and picked out a place to sink a shaft. When they 
 had the hole down three feet, Fryer came and ordered them off, saying 
 that that was his claim. They asked to be shown his boundaries and as 
 there was an abandoned hole outside of his lines they, wanting to have 
 something to show to Tabor for the day's work, begun in it and after 
 sinking 27 feet found the Little Pittsburg. One sold for $100,000, which 
 he has yet, the other got $30,000, and spent it for fun(?). It made 
 millions for Tabor. If they had continued at the first place they would 
 have gone 1 ,000 feet before they found ore. Any luck in this? 
 
 It is said that Pat Largey tried to sell a mine to Daly for $150,000 
 which Daly turned down, as he thought he had prospected it by a drift 
 from some of the other mines he was working. It proved afterward that 
 he had cut the vein at a blank place. Later the Largeys sold the claim for 
 millions. Cleveland Wallace and Moffit worked the "Orphan Girl" 
 until they were almost discouraged. One day Moffit made up his mind
 
 92 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 to assay the waste dump and found that they had already thrown over 
 $100,000 away. 
 
 Geo, Tong, who owned the Goldsmith mine in Butte, had found 
 some ore which he knew to be good, but it was not "in place." He 
 hunted for a long time without being able to find the vein, when a kid 
 brother, who hardly knew quartz from granite, was put to work, with the 
 result that he soon uncovered a "Bonanza Chute," from v/hich he pro- 
 duced $72,000 in six weeks. That old mine has a peculiar record. Tong 
 made thousands and spent them in helping his friends and in trying to de- 
 velop the state. The body of pay ore "played out," or was lost, and much 
 money was expended in trying to locate it. One night W. B. Stanchfield 
 and Atwater Lawrence after firing some holes in the face of the drift, went 
 back and took a smoke. "Uncle Will" said : "I am going to put a 
 hole into the foot wall, right where we are and take a chance of finding 
 something, before I go back to the face." Atwater was foreman of 
 the mine and did not take kindly to his uncle's intention, and tried to 
 get him to go to the face and go to work. The "old man" was obdurate 
 and would not listen, and taking his hammer, he hit the footwall, which 
 gave out a hollow sound. The sound indicated to them that there was 
 something there, and a hole a foot or so deep showed up another rich 
 body of ore for Tong. Curiosity or luck — suit yourself. Then the devil 
 in her showed out clear and plain. No longer would she allow her riches 
 to be uncovered by him who had not held to them nor bound them to him 
 in links of steel. Try as he would, she said No! Try he did, until she 
 bent him and broke him, as a reed is broken by the winter's blast, to lay 
 him low in the valley near the great mountam he had loved so well. 
 The heritage he left was a heritage of debt — $101,000! Most of it 
 owed to people who did not really need it. Then again she says: "I 
 will save his name, now that he sleeps in the valley and take the stigma 
 of debt from the loved ones he has left." And then she gave to Ellingwood 
 a part of her treasure, which he found in a drift. He worked it from 
 bottom to top, and when the debt was paid she cut him also, for it is 
 almost true to the letter that there was $202,000 in this one chute, one- 
 half of which belonged to the longs or their creditors, to be exact. A 
 peculiar story, isn't it? Yet it is true. It vindicated Geo. Tong. 
 
 Billy Parks sunk the first 1 00-foot shaft in Butte, on the Parks Par- 
 rot, only a short distance from the Anaconda mine. Billy, in those early 
 days, was the big man of Butte. Things were coming his way and no 
 one would have thought that he would ever come to want. Yet, years 
 after, I saw him a poor, lone prospector, still trying to find where nature 
 had hidden a treasure that he might uncover for his old age. It is useless 
 to multiply these stories. I have given them to the reader to allow him to 
 form an idea why I, with this knowledge at my command, might be apt 
 to make the mistakes I did in my mining venture. You say: "You 
 wouldn't do as others have done, and as I did." How do you know, 
 unless placed in exactly the same place and under the exact conditions?
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 93 
 
 When Frank Brown gave Mrs. Noyes the interest in the "Carrie 
 Leonard" or Ajax, he also offered to give us a part of the groupe now 
 owned by the Oreway people, the Jahnke mines. We did not want them. 
 As I have mentioned some other place in this narrative, "Big Foot" Smith 
 had told me of a mine at the head of Big Swamp creek that had some very 
 rich ore and had also said that the lead was a strong one. This was the 
 Ajax. Smith thought that the indications were such that one with money 
 could make it pay. When the interest was given to us, we did not know 
 that we would return to the Big Hole, if I should be fortunate enough to 
 be elected assessor. After going to Dillon, I got an idea that the Ajax 
 was to become valuable, and got Jim Murray, Wm. Packard and Tommy 
 Poindexter to buy the interests held by Brown and his partners. As 
 before stated, I had never seen the mine and only knew, from others, that 
 some place at the head of Big Swamp creek, pretty near the top of the 
 main range of the Rocky mountains, there was a gold lead of good size 
 that assayed mighty well. Tom Buggy of Butte, one of the best assayers 
 in Montana, had been there, from the Idaho side of the range, had taken 
 samples and was satisfied with the lead and ore, but said a fellow would 
 need a flying machine or something not at that time invented, to get to 
 the place, and the Lord alone could tell how one could get the ore out. 
 Tom was not satisfied with the location. As the above named boys, on 
 my say-so, had bought the mine, they became very anxious to see what it 
 looked like, so as soon as they could get there the next summer. Brown, 
 Packard and Poindexter took an outfit and went to investigate. It must 
 have been as late as the middle of June. They could go as far as 
 Stanchfield's ranch with a wagon, from which place one must take saddle 
 and pack horses, for a distance of I 5 miles through the timber and up the 
 canyon of Swamp. Brown knew the whole range of mountains for miles 
 and so it was no trouble for him to guide them to the place. They passed 
 over snow drifts 30 or 40 feet deep, even at that season of the year, before 
 they got to the mine(?). The vein was so located that the part where 
 the work had been done was exposed or free from snow on account of the 
 winds and the hot sun of June. Brown said that the shaft was 80 feet 
 deep, but as there was water almost to the top of it, caused by the 
 melting snow, the boys had to take his word for it. There was some lead 
 ore on the dump that was said to have come in, as a side vein or stringer, 
 a little distance down the shaft. This shaft was at an altitude of 9,750 
 feet, and high enough for one to look over the main range into the Salmon 
 River country. The boys took a sample of the dump and also got some 
 sp>€cimens that showed free gold. The sample showed something over 
 $14.00 per ton in gold, besides the silver and lead. To say that we were 
 pleased would be drawing it mild, because here was a great big lead that 
 could be traced through the country for miles that showed good pay ore 
 in the surface, and could be approached by building a wagon road up the 
 creek. We made up our minds that the world was ours, if we could get 
 a little money with which to do development work and probably put up a
 
 9i THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 small mill. After my work was over for the season, I wanted to go and 
 see the mine, so Tommy and I took a team and "lit out." We took the old 
 Scudder Creek trail and camped for dinner the second day out with Mike 
 Steel and Lou Swanstrum. They were running an arastra on some of the 
 ore that belonged to the Beck claims, near the head of Scudder creek. 
 Mike was a character. He had been in Montana for many years, had been 
 in Bannack and Alder, had discovered Steel creek in 1 869, with Barney 
 McDonnell and Ed Boyle; and later was the man to bring the Elk Horn 
 to the notice of the people. He knew that we had a fair prospect, so 
 gave me the following advice. He said: "Boy, don't get the big head, 
 just because you have something that looks good, or you may come out the 
 way 1 did. After I found the Elk Horn, I got Judge Mead and Con 
 Bray to go in with me and build a mill. You bet that eveyrthing was 
 looking fine; everything was surely coming my way. I needed a hat and 
 went down to Bannack and hold Graves that I came for one, as the old 
 one was too much worn out for a man in my position. He took down every 
 hat he had and they just sat on the top of my head, as though they had 
 been made for little boys. L. F. said: T will be compelled to take your 
 measure and send for one.' He notified me when the hat came and it 
 was just a fit. Well, we went on working and got the mill in operation, 
 and for some cussed reason the thing didn't pan out; times were getting 
 rocky, my hat was old and needed replacing with a new one. I went 
 down and told Graves that I needed a new headpiece and he said: 
 'There she is, Mike, I know this will fit you as I had several made when 
 I took your order.' Well, I put that hat on and it dropped down over my 
 
 ears and eyes. I tried every hat he had and every one was too d big, 
 
 so F. L. got disgusted and said: 'Here is a boy's hat, try it.' Do you 
 know, that kid's hat just fit me." 
 
 Tommy and I left the boys to go to the Big Hole that day and stay 
 at Stanchfield's for the night. The next morning we took saddle horses, 
 with blankets and a lunch and started to find the mine. Tom was not sure 
 where it was, but thought he could find it. We kept too far to the right 
 and was on the north side of the canyon when we saw the mine at a 
 distance of probably three-quarters of a mile. The conditions were a 
 little better this day than they were when the boys had been up earlier 
 in the season. We got some very nice pieces of ore, many of them show- 
 ing free gold. We also made an examination of the water power. Just 
 at the head of the canyon is one of the most beautiful mountain lakes 
 imaginable. A nice stream of water flows a distance of 200 yards and 
 falls for several hundred feet in cascades, making, in high water, a most 
 desirable water power. 
 
 We would harness this, put up an arastra, haul ore down the big 
 snow drift to the head of the lake and then raft it across and begin to take 
 out money with but a slight expenditure. It did not appear to be an un- 
 reasonable conclusion at the time, as the ore was mined and with a down hill 
 pull all the way to the place of reduction. We returned to Dillon and
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 95 
 
 began to make arrangements for the construction of the arastra. It must 
 have been about the first of August, 1 893, that we got back to the Big 
 Hole. Tommy, Lou Swanstrom and Frank Caldwell came from Dillon, 
 Zeke Packard and I joined them at the edge of the timber, above Sam 
 Peterson's ranch. We had our outfit to take up through a section of 
 very rough country. No team had ever been up the creek prior to that 
 time. Mrs. Noyes and Ethel Wampler had come with Zeke and my- 
 self, so they could take our team back to Wisdom. It was a jolly bunch 
 of boys that entered the timber that August afternoon to begin a road over 
 which many dollars were yet to be taken out(?). We were as happy as 
 Jason when he started out to hunt for the Golden Fleece. (It never once 
 entered my mind that I would get fleeced). We made our road along 
 the line of least resistance. We did not cut a stick of timber more than 
 necessary, as we could turn into small parks, though it did make a road 
 that a snake would have broken his back to follow. It was only for the 
 time being that this road was to be used and when there was actual need 
 for a good road, when machinery was to be placed on the mine, then 
 would be plenty of time for such work, useless now. These were the ar- 
 guments we made, or the excuse rather, for not being more particular. 
 
 Two days hard work and we were within a mile of the foot of the 
 falls, another day and we were at the foot, but we wanted to put the arastra 
 up near the head, and there was a mighty steep hill about one-half mile long 
 that no pack horse could climb with a load of lumber, without a trail. 
 Say! You ought to have seen the mosquitoes! They were great big, 
 hearty fellows, hungry enough to tackle a buzz saw. Why, they would 
 even bite me! (One time I was joshing a bibulous friend of mine and 
 said: "A mosquito wouldn't bit you. Bill." Huh! I guess he wouldn't 
 
 if he hadn't bitten you first and wanted to get the d n dirty taste out 
 
 of his mouth," he replied. I hushed). Nothing like a bug of that 
 description could stop us, so at the hillside we went and soon had it in 
 shape to get a pack horse with a few boards on his back to the arastra site. 
 
 I found out that I had been much mistaken as to the ability of 
 those mosquitoes to do me harm. It was only a few days before I was 
 compelled, on account of a sore on the back of my neck which threatened, 
 blood poisoning, to go to the valley. I did not get a chance to go back 
 that fall. The boys completed the arastra, and had everything ready for 
 a run when the snow bank, the only mode of transportation, melted, and 
 we had to pull out without a run. This work cost us about $750 and 
 never was used. Some smart Aleck came along some time in the fall or 
 next spring and turned the water on, "Just to see the wheel go around," 
 and run the thing to pieces. This was the fall of 1894. Jim Murray 
 sold his interest to J. F. Morse the next year, I think, and stood to lose 
 but little. Pretty lucky for Jim! When Morse and I went up in 1895 
 to look over the Stanchfield ranch, with the view of buying from David- 
 son, we came to the conclusion to go up and see the Ajax. We had 
 Dug Newcomer and Jack Thomas do the representing that year, and they
 
 96 THE STORY OF "AJAX"' 
 
 were at work on No. 3 tunnel, living in the old cabin, the first one built 
 on the creek and the one in which "Deafy" Thompson killed "Dutch" Gus. 
 The weather at that season of the year was ideal, and the evening and night 
 we spent there was much enjoyed. It is funny how little incidents long 
 forgotten in a way come back to one. While I am writing this this morn- 
 ing on Puget Sound, where I can look out on the placid waters of 
 Port Orchard bay and see some of the great men of war as they lie at 
 anchor near the new dry docks at Bremerton navy yard, and can also 
 see one of the old ships that Farragut had in his fleet during the Civil 
 war, I think of something altogether different, in every particular, in the old 
 Treasure state. I see a little log cabin nestled beneath big nut pines, close 
 to a great mountain that rises several hundred feet, too steep to be easily 
 climbed. A beautiful little gem of a lake is only a few hundred feet to 
 the north; to the west great snow banks cover the head of the canyon, 
 snowbanks that never melt. Off there on the mountain side is a zig-zag 
 trail that hardy mountaineers use when they pack to the summit of the main 
 range. Off here, to the east, is the valley of the Big Hole, and further 
 yet, the Lyon mountain section, and in the dim distance, in a clear day, 
 the mountain range at the head of Blacktail Deer creek, I 00 miles away. 
 Four men, in the prime of life, are at the little cabin tonight. Two of 
 them have been viewing the conditions, two of them been at work in the 
 mine. It is after supper and they step to the door and notice a pine 
 martin, a beautiful little fellow, sitting on a log. Jack says: "Keep 
 still and I will get that fellow." In a moment he re-appears from the cabin 
 with his 45 and blazes away. Result, Mr. Martin falls off the log. "Oh, 
 no! I guess that's not all right; just the easiest way in the world to make 
 five dollars," says Jack standing there with the gun in his hand, sure of 
 his martin any time that he wishes to pick it up. What's that little animal 
 that is going like the wind for the rocks? Gee! that's Jack's martin! 
 He has had time, while Jack is telling how easy it is to make five dollars, 
 to get over being stunned and loses no time in "hitting the trail." (I 
 don't know where Jack is; our old friend Dug has gone over the "Great 
 Divide.") When Morse and I arrived at the end of the road we fixed 
 our horses so they would be secure for the night and went up to the cabin 
 where the boys were getting dinner. After dinner we went up the trail 
 to the mine. After you leave the cabin you follow along the mountain 
 side, just south of the lake, over a very rough trail until you come to a 
 piece of fairly level land, from the point where you strike this place you 
 can see the vein as it winds its way to the main range to the right and 
 up the spur on the left. No trouble to see it, as it is from 6 to 50 feet 
 wide and free of slide rock. At the lowest place where the lead is ex- 
 posed was a small tunnel, called No. 4. Very little work had been done 
 at that time at this point. A zig-zag trail led from the level to this point. 
 From this tunnel the vein extended along the mountain to the east or north- 
 east, and was so close to a precipice in places that one is compelled to 
 take hold of the small bushes that grow in some places near it to keep
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 97 
 
 from falling a hundred feet or more to the top of the east side of the 
 "spur," 1 ,000 feet higher, where it breaks off in a precipice several hun- 
 dred feet high. The trail to tunnels No. 1 , 2 and 3 branches off from 
 the one to No. 4 on the level piece of land before described. Tunnel No. 
 3 is several hundred feet up the vein from No. 4, and can be reached by 
 following the vein over the insecure trail along the precipice just mentioned, 
 or one can go back and take the trail that zig-zags for hundreds of feet 
 along the mountain side, I started over the trail along the precipice. 
 Morse looked at me and said: "Are you going to try that trail?" 
 "Sure," was my reply. "Well, I am not a mountain goat, and I am going 
 some other way," he said. I showed him the other trail and he started. 
 He was not as much of a mountain man as he became afterward. I had 
 no trouble in going by my trail, but I could look down and see J. E. on 
 his hands and knees, trying to make his way. The men had to carry all 
 their tools over the trail he was having such a time to travel. He got 
 to No. 3 at last, and as but little work had been done, it did not require 
 much of our time to look it over. He was ready to go back, as he had 
 seen enough. I mentioned the fact that I wanted him to go up and see 
 the discovery shaft, as it was from this point the boys had taken their 
 samples the year before. "What! Go up to that place up there? Not 
 on your life!" he said. When you leave No. 3, to go down the trail 
 you would not notice where the trail forks, one down, the other to No. 2, 
 unless you had been there before or were a careful observer. I banked 
 on the fact that J. E. would not know the trail he came over to lead him 
 off to the right to see the discovery, which was several hundred feet higher 
 up than No. 3. We worked our way along the trail, resting whenever 
 he wished, and commenting on the conditions. When he would come to 
 
 any particular place that was hard to climb, he would say: "Any d n 
 
 fool that will give me what I have in it can have it and no questions asked." 
 I soon arrived, with him, at the shaft, where there were several tons of 
 very fine ore on the dump. He looked at me a minute and grinned and 
 said: "I thought I told you that I wouldn't come up to this place?" 
 "You did, J. E., but I wanted you to see this ore and knew that you 
 could be brought here without knowing that you were coming," I replied. 
 We looked the ore over and found quite a number of specimens that 
 showed free gold. Morse was glad that he came, after the trial was over. 
 We had the return trip to the cabin to make. It did not appear but a 
 short distance down to the level place, in fact, only 860 feet, but the trail 
 called for at least twice that distance. We began our descent and J. E. 
 would be compelled to catch hold of anything in sight to keep from falling, 
 and every time he found a steep place he wanted to "sell." 
 
 We got back to the cabin without any broken bones, made an ex- 
 amination of the lake and water power before the boys came down to 
 get supper. The next morning, about 9 a. m., we pulled for Bannack, 
 where we arrived about 7 p. m. The farther we would get away from 
 the mine the more valuable J. E. would consider it, so that by the time
 
 98 THE STORY OF "AJAX " 
 
 we arrived at Dillon we had a valuable property. We made up our 
 minds to haul out a load and have a test made by some good outfit. J. 
 T. Armitage went wnth me. We took a four-horse team and pack saddles 
 and got out 1 800 pounds which we took to Dillon. Some of this was 
 sent to Salt Lake to be treated by some one who had a small plant made 
 for the purpose. The result was excellent. The fact is that the gentle- 
 man to whom we sent this ore wrote back and told us to be very careful 
 as it might have been salted on us, as it went about $37.50 per ton in gold, 
 besides lead and silver. 
 
 We let the matter drift along, doing assessment work, expecting that 
 we would be able to fmd some one who would buy it at $20,000. As 
 some very nice specimens had been taken out by the men during the 
 representing years, people began to talk about the mine in various sections 
 of the country. Silas King came to see the mine, for himself and Jim 
 Murray, the Butte banker and mining man. While the lead looked good 
 to Silas, he could not see how we were ever to get a road to it over such 
 a rough country, so he turned it down. 
 
 Some time during the summer of '98 a big windy fellow came to the 
 Ajax ranch, and wanted to know about the mine. "Would I allow him 
 to go and look it over, etc." Yes, he could go and look as much as he 
 wished, so far as I was concerned. One thing about him, he was a dandy 
 fisherman, as he could catch trout, and plenty of them, in Lake creek, 
 where we had fished with poor results. He went to the mine and was 
 well pleased with it. He got a lease and bond for $20,000, I believe. 
 Said he would put men to work, build a small mill, harness the water power 
 
 and "raise merry h 1 with that old hill." He did put Jim Thompson 
 
 and "Dutch Gus" up there, with the result, as before mentioned, of Gus' 
 death. I am sorry I can't remember this guy's name, as he was quite a 
 factor in 1 900 in helping beat me for the legislature, using democratic 
 money, though himself a pseudo republican. As a gas factory he would 
 have proved an immense success. It was a good thing when we got rid 
 of him through his inability to make a raise of money with which to go 
 ahead. If he had been able to get some one to put up enough to lift the 
 bond, we would have been glad, but he was a "non-producer," in this 
 particular case at least. I really believe that his name was Hopkins, 
 though I am not sure. 
 
 All of our representing was done on tunnel No. 3, as we thought this 
 the best place to work the mine, as it would require a little shorter tramway 
 than the discovery shaft. In the haying season of 1900 I told my uncle, 
 W, B. Stanchfield, that I would like to go and look over the claim and 
 see if anything could be done with it. We appointed a day for this visit 
 and made the trip. We looked the ground over with considerable care, and 
 came to the conclusion that we could not do anything to make it pay. 
 We were at the discovery shaft when we had come to this conclusion. 
 When you remember that water, from melting snows, always filled or 
 nearly filled this shaft, and that none of us had ever been down it to see
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 99 
 
 the vein in the bottom, we could only judge as to what might be there from 
 the ore on the dump. We hadn't taken any of that ore out, hence did not 
 know what particular part of the dump came from the bottom. So far 
 as we might know the bottom might show a blank and waste from it 
 might have been thrown over the hill. There was quite a nice lot of 
 galena ore on the dump, but we did not know where it was to be found 
 in the vein. Brown said that it came in as a cross lead a short distance 
 down the shaft. As many times as I had been up there, I had not noticed 
 the vein to the east of the shaft, until just about the time we were ready to 
 leave, when I looked up the hill and said : "Uncle Will, this lead is at 
 least 23 feet wide up there; give me the pick and I will show you." "You 
 are crazy, boy," he said. I took the pick and walked up the hill about 
 50 or 60 feet, and drove it under a piece of rock. When I got the rock 
 out I did not say any thing. It was a big chunk of galena ore. I scratched 
 about a little more and found other pieces, and called to him and said: 
 "I have found the place that the galena ore comes from; come on up." 
 "No you haven't; you are just fooling," he replied. But I assured him that 
 it was a fact. The old gentleman was very active, so it required but a 
 short time before he was up that hill and took the pick out of my hands 
 with feverish haste. (Any old mining man or prospector will show much 
 interest in a find, whether he has any claim in the ledge or not). 
 
 It would have done your heart good to have seen Uncle Will, down 
 on his knees, working with pick and hand, as we had no shovel, tearing 
 the ore loose from the lead in big chunks, or picking up and sifting through 
 his fingers the sand carbonates. Working together, we must have dug 
 out at least a ton of ore in less than an hour. When we began it did not 
 appear very wide, but by the time we were through, we had uncovered about 
 a I 6-inch face of galena and carbonate ore, and proved to our satisfaction 
 that the ledge was much wider at that point than we had supposed. We 
 carefully covered up the exposed ore by throwing rock into the excavation, 
 selected a piece of ore for assaying and went down to the mountain to 
 camp. It was too late to go home, so we made our camp in the open back 
 of "Dead Man's Cabin." We built a good fire and sat there far into the 
 night talking of boyhood days and the old home in Minneapolis. Surely 
 the mine on the hill was the mine of my dream; could not be a doubt as 
 to that fact. Hadn't Billy Packard come from the Couer d'Alene, hadn't 
 he become a partner in this lead? Sure as shooting things were to come 
 my way fast from now on. Morse had become disgusted with the show- 
 ing and was anxious to get rid of it, so. that night. Uncle Will and I 
 planned to lease and bond the Morse interest, and, as we were full of the 
 day's work, take it on ourselves to develop the lead enough to sell. We 
 did not take into consideration the possibility of getting money to place 
 it on a paying basis. I was to go to Wisdom and send 1 om Buggy the 
 "sample" as soon as I got home, and if it showed good values, I would 
 go to Dillon and get the lease and bond from J. t. for $10,000. We 
 could really see the money that we would divide after paying him his.
 
 100 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 Now, don't misunderstand me. We did not intend that Mr. Morse 
 should bhndly sell us his interest, as I was to tell him just what we had 
 found and show him the assay certificate from Buggy. I sent the sample. 
 In due time I got the returns, with a note from him saying that the piece 
 of ore was anglesite, something that he had seen but little of in his exper- 
 ience in Montana. (I am sorry I destroyed that little piece of paper. I 
 did not expect to try to tell "The Story of the Ajax," or I would have 
 retained data, so that there would be less guess work as to dates, names, 
 etc.) It showed on the face of it something as follows: Gold, $32.80; 
 silver, 1 3 ounces ; lead, 63 per cent — making shipping ore, if one could 
 get a wagon road up the mountain. It did not take long for me to saddle 
 my horse and go to the Stanchfield ranch, where I found Uncle Will at 
 work in the hay field. "Well, Buggy has assayed that piece of ore and 
 it is no good, so everything is off," I told him. "No good! I know better 
 than that without any assay; what you giving me?" was the reply. I 
 pulled the certificate on him and his blue eyes sparkled like diamonds. 
 "Say! Isn't that a dandy, old man?" he said. As soon as I could get 
 away from home I went to Dillon. In Dillon, I made my home at 
 Morse's and must have gotten there about supper time, as I did not get to 
 see him until then. While we were eating I took the certificate from my 
 pocket and handed it to him. He looked at it and said: "Where 
 did this piece of ore come from?" I replied: "That is a little piece I 
 picked up and as it looked good to me I sent it to Buggy." "Say, Al, 
 no joking; where did this come from?" he again asked. "That rock is 
 from the Ajax, and there is more of it in the same place. I came to 
 see if you would give Stanchfield and me a lease and bond on it at the 
 price you and I have been holding it?" Then I told him all that I knew 
 about it. After he had listened to my story he said that he did not care 
 to sell, but would give the "Old Man" a bond for one-quarter interest for 
 $5,000. This, of course, was as good a thing as Uncle Will could have 
 expected, better in fact. We had estimated that the cost of a road from 
 the valley, besides what had already been done when we built the arastra 
 in 1894, to be $1,000. As we were familiar with ditch, timber and 
 road work, we thought that that estimate safe. As stated some place else 
 in this little story, Ed Norris and I had tabooed politics and agreed to 
 attend to business and never, never run for office again. We were foolish 
 enough to shake hands to bind the compact; a compact to be broken by 
 both of us later on. 
 
 Seneca has rightly said : "All men are susceptible to flattery." That 
 fall of 1900 I was a member of the republican county convention; W. 
 A. Clark had made up his mind to be vindicated if it cost the ransom of 
 a king, with chunks of dough left over big enough to buy a few lesser 
 lights. I did not desire to again enter the political arena. The Ajax 
 and Highland ranches, and the possible time I might use in helping develop 
 the Ajax mine should take every moment of my time. When I arrived 
 at Dillon I was met by first one and then another, and told that I was one
 
 THE STORY OF -AJAX" 101 
 
 of the men that must make the race for the legislature. No matter what 
 I had to say to the contrary, I must hsten to them and allow my name to 
 go before the convention. I had promised my wife not to have anything 
 to do in the game, when I left the ranch. But what was the use? They 
 had elected me to office when I needed it, and now I must make a sacri- 
 fice for the party when it needed me. "Truth of the matter is, old man, 
 you must get in," more than one told me. If wise men are susceptible 
 to flattery, what can you expect of an ordinary one? I allowed them 
 to present my name with the result that I received the nomination. My 
 running mate was Alvin Anderson, a good, level-headed man, that would 
 have done good work had he succeeded in being elected. Milton L. 
 Davidson was up for state senator. 
 
 I heard a good many comments when our convention adjourned. 
 Charles Paddley said: "Mr. Noyes, you are the only man on your 
 ticket that we can't beat to a stand-still, and there is no use tr3nng to get 
 your scalp." On our way to the Mantle ranch the next day, Morse and 
 I met George Metlen. "Who did you fellows put up for the legislature?" 
 he asked. Morse replied: "Davidson for the senate; Al Anderson and 
 Al Noyes for the house." "Gosh! We can't beat 'Skinny,' that's a 
 sure thing," he said. 
 
 Soon after the convention several of us went to Helena to the state 
 republican convention, and nominated Dave Folsom for governor against 
 Joe Toole. After attending to several of the necessary matters connected 
 with the mine and ranches, I met the "boys" in Dillon for a campaign 
 through the county. Alvin Anderson did not go out. Davidson and 
 several of the other candidates and myself, with a gentleman from Great 
 Falls as speaker, Laurin Jones and L. J. Price, to help entertain (and 
 these two fellows were dandies any place you put them) made a trip, 
 or trips, one should say, that covered the whole country from Dillon to 
 Lima, Bannack, Big Hole Basin, Dewey's, Glendale and Hecla. 
 
 A trip of this kind written up in detail, would make quite an inter- 
 esting story for any one not having had the actual experience of a campaign 
 among the miners and ranchmen of a county in a western state. The most 
 of us had brushed up against the rough side of worldly conditions. We 
 had followed the pack horse over mountain ranges, through beautiful 
 foot hills, along winding streams in quest of mines; we had lived among 
 the miners in the early days of some camps and experienced their kindly 
 inner feelings, even though they may have had rough exteriors. Many 
 of us had cowboy experiences; others were used to woodcraft. So under 
 the existing conditions we could appear at home in almost any company. 
 Milt had not been educated to really enjoy the rough usages of a care- 
 less frontiersman, be he miner or stockman, when he, full of "40-rod", 
 wanted to show him particular attention and affection by a maudlin em- 
 brace or a vacuous kiss. Nevertheless, he was too much of a gentle- 
 man to openly show his disgust for men who, under the influence of liquor, 
 made asses of themselves, but who, when sober, were not at all disagree-
 
 102 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 able, and whose vote counted, in final results, with the governor of the 
 state. Price and Laurin Jones told me that I lost vots by a little talk I 
 made at Jackson. "No doubt about it," they said, but I do not care at 
 this time if I did. When we arrived at Wisdom, my home town, I soon 
 found that the sentiment of the people was to down me at the polls. 
 When this truth came to be fully realized, I certainly felt very sorry. I 
 did not care a great deal about being defeated, if my defeat came about 
 in the right way. But, to have men for whom I had done much, and 
 was willing to do more, allow some one, who had a little money to spend, 
 or who could and would readily use subterfuge in order to change their 
 minds and make them go against me for the time being, made a deep 
 wound. I loved these people and wanted their good will. I had tried to 
 earn their undying affection; I had truely tried to fill every office to which 
 I had ever been appointed or elected for the benefit of these people. I 
 did not believe that they could be bought or persuaded to do aught 
 against me. When they, who were loyal, called on me for a little talk, 
 I attempted to respond, with the result that tears and sobs so choked me 
 that I was unable to say a word, and some used that against me, before 
 election and on election day, derisively, to make capital for my undoing. 
 If it is unmanly to shed tears for the loss of a friend, I was unmanly. 
 If it is unmanly to weep for loss of prestige one had worked decently and 
 above-board to secure, I was unmanly. It is not unmanly to shed tears 
 and feel sorrow for the loss of a friend or friends. It is not unmanly to 
 sob broken-heartedly for the loss of a position that one has gained by 
 trying to do right and lost through no intent to do wrong on his part. Many 
 besides myself have shown their sentiment in this way, and One, greater 
 than all "Wept." When we arrived at Dewey's we found that our 
 campaign was surely to be a failure. Dewey's had always been noted 
 for its full-blooded, staunch and reliable republicans. Not so this night. 
 W. A. Clark's money had made cowards of them all. His henchmen 
 were there to see that the "cattle" he had bought should not stampede 
 when part of the herd was going through the place. In all the town of 
 Dewey's not a republican could be found who would fill the chair that 
 night, when our man spoke. This duty fell ta me. When v/e arrived 
 in Dillon Morse asked me how I sized up the situation. I told him that 
 we did not have one chance in the world to elect our men. It might be 
 possible to elect some of the county officers, but no one on our legislative 
 ticket could expect to get in. He did not take kindly to this, as he 
 was so desirous, in fact has always been, of seeing the repubhcans win that 
 he would never admit defeat until the "count" was made. (I think that 
 Charlie Conger, for assessor, was the only man we elected). Lee Mantle 
 was out that year for senator, and took much interest in the legislative 
 ticket. I remember one little story he told in a talk he made in the opera 
 house in Dillon during the campaign: "The democratic party puts me 
 in mind of a man who was making the trip to Europe. He had been 
 out but a short time when, as is the custom, I believe, he became deathly
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 103 
 
 sick. He called the captain and said: *I want you to promise me one 
 thing. Captain, if I die, please take my remains to land for interment; 
 don't buiy me at sea.' The captain promised. A day or two after he 
 called for the captain again and said: 'You remember what you promised 
 me, captain, if I should die at sea? Well I want to absolve you from that 
 promise — as there will be no "remains".' The democrats will be in the 
 same condition this fall," he said. But Lee was as much mistaken in 
 this matter as Joe Metlen was when he ran against Al Graeter for sheriff 
 several years before. According to Joe's stor\' the matter was like this: 
 "In those days we rode all over the country on horseback, but, as it was 
 not all settled, that did not require a great amount of time. I took my 
 horse and made the trip, and every fellow I met agreed to vote for me. 
 Why, I had a walk-over! No trouble at all. Fact was, I was in office 
 already, so far as Al was concerned, to hinder. I met him on my way 
 back and broke the news as gently as possible and told him I hated like 
 thunder to see him get out, spend his money and waste his time. 'Oh, 
 that's all right, Joe, mighty thankful to you for good advice, etc., but I 
 guess I will go and see the boys any way,' he replied. Well, sir, there 
 must have been the damnedest lot of liars in Beaverhead county you ever 
 saw or else I misunderstood them, because Al got nearly all the votes." 
 
 I will always remember that election day in Wisdom. Men whom 
 I believed my friends were out open and above board for my defeat. The 
 Highland ranch was a bone of contention. "You are the main reason for 
 having had that much of the public range fenced in and taken from your 
 neighbors," they said; while they really knew that I was only one spoke 
 in the wheel, they would take their spite out on me. I have mentioned 
 elsewhere that the Big Hole people did not take kindly to sheep. They 
 had never allowed any one to keep them in the valley. Fred Schulz had 
 taken up a piece of land on the Highland bench and, as he understood 
 the sheep business, he wanted to fetch in a band and keep them through 
 the winter and take them to the range outside of the valley in the spring. 
 He talked to several of the ranchmen and they made no objections. Fred 
 got the sheep into the valley the day before election. This was enough 
 for men who would use any weap>on to down a political adversary, no mat- 
 ter what. They knew, as well as I, to whom those sheep belonged, and 
 knew how gullible people are. They said: "J. E. Morse and Al Noyes 
 have brought a band of sheep into the basin and are to run them on 
 the Highland." J. E. Morse and Al Noyes! We did not own the 
 Highland Water company, others were interested equally with us, but 
 their names were not mentioned. It was Noyes who must fall before 
 their onslaught of indecent and premeditated lies. "All is fair in love, 
 war and politics," it is said. There is no reason why one should be allowed 
 to use malicious, vicious and villainous falsehoods to place a person's 
 chances in jeopardy, even if those chances are political ones. No man 
 who so perverts the truth should be considered a good citizen, because, if 
 he is careless of decency, righteousness and manhood in things that are
 
 104 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 not of vital interest to him, he will certainly bear watching when any per- 
 sonal interest is at stake. Pick up any newspaper, in a political year, 
 and see how the men are held, who happen to be opposed in their belief 
 to the editor. Take any campaign. In one paper a man is too good 
 for heaven; in the other, too mean for hell. There should be valid reasons 
 why one man should be better fitted to fill a certain position than an- 
 other. The man who will willingly use lies, to win in his political 
 battles, should be hanged as high as Haman, in public opinion. 
 
 I do not regret that I fell by the wayside at that election, as I d6 
 not need to offer any excuses as to the reason why I voted for such and 
 such a man, as many of them did and do; nor have I been branded as one 
 who was sold to the highest bidder. That ended my political chances, as 
 I have had no desire to go before the people since. Norris was more 
 fortunate when called upon, by the people, to run for office. He has 
 filled the seats of lieutenant governor and governor in a most creditable 
 manner. An honor to himself and his adopted state. At this writing he 
 is spoken of as a possible member of President-elect Wilson's cabinet, as 
 secretary of interior. 
 
 Ed Norris is an honorable man, not a money maker, as he wishes 
 to know that the way the dollar comes is a decent one. J. E. Morse 
 liked Norris, excepting his politics. He said: "Ed Norris is one of 
 nature's gentlemen, and if he is elected, and I have no doubt but what he 
 will be, he will make one of the best, if not the best, governor the state 
 has ever had." There is not the least doubt in my mind but what Norris 
 could have been elected to the United States senate this winter had he so 
 wished. This would have fulfilled Tommy Poindexter's prophecy. I 
 am not willing to say that Ed Norris is out of politics for "keeps," 
 though he thinks he is, as a "bug" may get in his "head-piece" any time 
 and set him training for something of a higher order than he has yet 
 held. 
 
 The little piece of anglesite that was sent to Buggy that showed 
 such splendid results, was the most dangerous factor that ever came my 
 way. In fact, it was the means of my undoing. Mr. Morse was willing 
 to spend some money in the deevlopment of the mine, so we at once gave 
 Mr. Stanchfield liberty to get men and supplies and build the road. It 
 required but little grading for the part of the road through the timber. 
 They began at the point where the old road crossed the creek at the camp 
 called "Zeke's Spring," and cut a good, wide swath through the lodge 
 pole pines until they came to the beginning of the trail that led up to the 
 lake and mine. They built a cabin at this point, as the weather at that 
 season of the year was apt to be anything but agreeable, owing to the fre- 
 quent snow storms that came at that altitude. This first road through the 
 timber to the foot of the mountain was, later, to receive much more of an 
 expendiure in bridges, grades and corduroys before heavy machinery could 
 be taken to the mill. It was the same fall that I was running for the 
 legislature that the work on the road was begun, and because of it a
 
 THE STORY OF 'AJAX" lOo 
 
 story became current that Morse and myself had colonized at least 1 00 
 men all known to be favorable to me in the coming election. The demo- 
 crats went so far as to send a spy to look over the situation and make 
 his report in Dillon. The only information that he could impart was that 
 we had 1 2 or 15 men, two-tliirds of whom were democrats, and the loss 
 of what money he had taken with him in a game of poker at the camp. 
 My uncle kept these men at work as long as possible, as we were anxious 
 to get the road in shape that season, in order to build a tramway up to 
 the mine and ship some ore the next. The road was not a difficult one to 
 construct so far as an engineering problem was concerned, but required 
 constant care and attention to keep the men busy and interested. There was 
 quite a lot of rock work and fills along the mountain side next the lake. 
 All this was finished and a cabin put up, at the foot of the lake, by the 
 time the heavy snows came to drive them out. 
 
 When work was suspended in the fall, it would be impossible to 
 do anything more until July or August of the next year, on account of 
 the deep fall of snow. We could dream as much as we wanted to 
 about the mine during the winter, and speculate as to what riches it was 
 bound to produce when developed. "Mother" had traded her ranch at 
 Wisdom the year before to "Grandpa" Francis, for two houses and lots 
 in Dillon. It soon became evident, after election, that we should move 
 to Dillon in order to give the children a chance to go to school, as the 
 teacher at the Briston school house would not give them any attention. I 
 spent part of my time in Dillon, the balance on the ranch. It required a 
 considerable amount of attention to look after the development work on two 
 large ranches, each of which contained over 4,000 acres. The Ajax or 
 Stanchfield ranch had had but little done toward making it a successful 
 venture prior to our taking hold of it. Miles and miles of ditches and 
 fences had to be constructed, as well as comfortable quarters for the men 
 and stock to be erected. 
 
 The Highland Water company was to develop water for several 
 thousand acres of land. B. R. Stevenson, Frank Brown and myself had 
 incorporated a company called the Ruby Water company, and had se- 
 cured the big canal formerly built by the Salt Lake Placer Mining com- 
 pany out of Ruby creek. Don't know that there was any particular reason 
 why we should have done this, other than speculation, as no one of us, 
 except Brown, had any land at the time that we could conduct this water 
 to. The Salt Lake people had expended a considerable amount of money 
 in the construction of this big ditch. It was dug along a very steep hill 
 side for quite a distance, before the water could be brought to place of use, 
 a bar just opposite the battle ground, and only a half a mile from it. 
 The hillside was composed of clay that slumped off and cut down in 
 many places. Later on I turned my interests into the Highland at cost, 
 and Stevenson and Brown disposed of their interests for a nominal sum. 
 The actual cost of putting in flumes and repairing this piece of property 
 was $16,000. It cost money to ranch as well as mine. Speaking
 
 106 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 of this ditch reminds me of the only time Ed Norris ever saw it. He, 
 with Mrs, Norris, came to the Big Hole to look over the conditions. They 
 came to the Ajax, and Mrs. Norris stayed with Mrs. Noyes at the hay 
 camp while Ed, J. E. Stevenson and I went to look over the Ruby ditch. 
 We left the team at the edge of the timber, close to where the ditch 
 comes upon the level or bench land, and walked up the bottom of the 
 ditch to its head. It was a mighty hot day in summer and was well along 
 toward noon when we got to this part of our journey. Harry Neal 
 lived on Moose Horn creek, a short distance away, or at least I thought it 
 was only a short way, and I proposed that we go to his place and get 
 dinner. That was agreeable to all. We took off in a southwesterly direc- 
 tion through the thick timber for the point I supposed Harry's house to 
 be. We walked and walked, often answering Norris' query as to the 
 distance yet to be gone over before we could "eat that dinner?" When 
 we did at last arrive at Buckskin Park, a landmark that was well known 
 to "Steve" and myself, we were a mile from dinner. I explained to Ed 
 that we would soon be there and he said, to the others. "You all can 
 
 follow that d n fool if you want to; I am going for that team." 
 
 "Well, when you find the team, which will be about five miles from here, 
 on the left hand road, you come back and pick us up," I said. "Not by 
 a damn sight," he said, and consigning me to a place of perpetual tor- 
 ment, he struck off down the road and we went to Harry's and got din- 
 ner. After dinner we got Harry to take us to the carriage, which he was 
 not compelled to do, as we met the future governor of Montana, looking 
 as happy as possible, with a good cigar in his face, and driving my pet 
 team, the "blacks." I didn't much blame him for "bucking" and leaving 
 us that day, as he was depending on me and I had not been over the 
 road before and only knew, in a general way, where we were going, which 
 was actually farther than I thought. We told him what a nice dinner 
 Miss Neal had gotten up for us, trying to make it as disagreeable as we 
 could for a man with an empty stomach by speaking in delight of each good 
 article that had been set before us. 
 
 Some time in the early spring Uncle Will wanted to make a trip to 
 the mine and see what the condition would be like at that season of the 
 year. We had left bedding and grub at the upper cabin for the con- 
 venience of any one who might be caught up there without supplies. We 
 could go from his house on skiis. It was 1 2 miles and would require 
 about six hours of hard travel. We had measured the road and had the 
 miles marked, from the "lower" cabin to Stanchfield's ranch. So each 
 mile post was a landmark. When we got to the "1 mile" tree the snow 
 was just eight feet deep. By the time we arrived at the upper cabin 
 we had gone over snow forty feet deep. The cabin was covered all 
 over with snow, but there was a kind of tunnel along the east side that, 
 by getting down on your stomach and crawling, you could reach the door, 
 and as it opened on the inside one could get into the house. Uncle had 
 left dry wood enough for several days, when he broke camp in the fall, and
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 107 
 
 as no one had been there to use it, we soon had a good comfortable fire 
 and a hearty meal. Atter a rest, we made the trip to the mine, a mile anr' 
 a quarter distance, and found but little snow on the surface near it, as all 
 had been blown down to make great big drifts at more convenient places for 
 it to stick. Early the next mormng we started and arrived at the ranch 
 without any experience worth noting. 
 
 As soon as possible after the snow went off. Uncle Will took some 
 men and went up to build a trawmay from the "level," 860 feet below 
 shaft No. 2, to the shaft. Every stick of timber was to be carried on 
 one's back, for that particular piece of work. It was not an easy thing 
 to keep men who were willing to exert themselves at such hard labor. 
 Uncle Will, though more than 60 years old, took the lead and never asked 
 any man to do more than he himself was willing to do. It required some 
 time to get this work done. This tramway was to be made of poles pinned 
 to cross ties. These ties were about six feet apart. It would consist of 
 three poles, excepting at the "turn," when four would be needed. At 
 the upper end, near the shaft, there was a drum worked by a brake, over 
 which the cable played, to allow the cars, which were built in shape of a 
 boat, to be drawn up or lowered. The full car hauled the empty one back. 
 No particular work could be done in the mine until after the completion 
 of the tramway, as there was no place to pile the ore on the mountain 
 side without going to too much expense. I do not hecall the exact amount 
 of time required for the construction of this piece of work. As soon as 
 it was in shape, men were put to work on shaft No. 2, which was started 
 at the place where the lead deposit was found. No ore was to be shipped 
 except that which carried a large percentage of lead. It was necessary 
 to build some kind of a shack over the shaft to protect the men from 
 the high winds and frequent storms that came at this season of the year at 
 such an altitude (9,700 feet). The ore was sacked, loaded into the 
 cars and turned loose down the mountain. Any little mishap and a car 
 of ore was distributed, in the slide rock, from top to bottom of the tram- 
 way, with no chance of ever getting any of it again. When you take into 
 consideration that each car had from one to and one and a fourth tons 
 of ore, valued at over $90 per ton, it was not a laughable matter to see 
 that much money lost beyond recovery. And yet, the men could not 
 help feeling amused at such an occurrence. "Just see those sacks fly!" 
 they would say, making no more of the affair than they would had they 
 lost a white chip in a game of stud poker. Strowbridge had made a con- 
 tract to haul the ore from Wisdom to Divide for five dollars per ton, be- 
 ing expense money for his back trips. We hauled the ore from the mine to 
 Wisdom with our own teams. We were mighty anxious to get the re- 
 turns from the first car which had been sent to Dillon. In due time it came 
 and showed a net result of nearly $1,000. Gosh! But wasn't my dream 
 coming true in fine shape? It required but little work at that place in the 
 mine to take out a ton of ore. They found about three feet of galena by 
 the time they were down three feet and when they were down seven feet
 
 108 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 they had seven and a half feet of that rich lead money maker. Just think 
 of it! seven and one half feet of ore worth about $90.00 per ton, and 
 a fellow only down seven feet in this vein! Then, too, there was more ore 
 on the hanging wall, just how much, we did not know at that time. 
 Afterward, we found that the vein of pay rock at the particular point was 
 23 feet wide. As above mentioned seven and a half feet lead, the re- 
 mainder good fine gold that could only be taken out when we had a mill. 
 As soon as the first "piece" of actual money from the car sent to Denver 
 was placed in the bank to our credit, people began to take notice. News- 
 paper men would come for a "story on the Ajax," which we did not feel 
 like giving until we were positive that it was worth a "story." While 
 the ore was being taken out, I was attending to my stock business. As we 
 were getting money from Governor White for that end of our venture, I 
 could not afford to give very much of my time to anything else. 
 
 During that fall Henry Neill, state land agent, came up to the Big 
 Hole to look over the state lands. I was with him for several days, while 
 he was at this work, and when it was concluded, asked him to make a 
 trip to the Ajax. It was a mighty easy thing for Henry to be taken with 
 a nice team to the "upper cabin," but not an easy thing for one of his 
 weight to make the balance of the trip up the trail. I guess the wind 
 was trying to see what it could do that day. It would actually pick up 
 good sized pieces of rock and hurl them at one with shrieks of delight. I 
 am not real sure that there was any determined effort on the part of the 
 wind to hit a fellow with any particular stone, but the fact was that 
 there were so many stones loose that a fellow could not dodge all of them. 
 Henry could only go a short distance before he was compelled to sit down. 
 He was not at all sure of himself and said more than once: "Noyes, 
 I do not believe that I can make it." I kept jollying him and told him 
 that it was a sure thing he would get up to the shaft, if we did not hurry. 
 While the wind was almost strong enough to blow me from one shelf back 
 t oanother, I was not distressed in any way. Neill, on the other hand, was 
 really about all in, and feared that his heart might go back on him. 
 After the longest time I ever spent on that trail, we did manage to arrive 
 safely at the shaft house. There was a good fire and a comfortable place 
 for one to sit down and rest, when once you were there. The vein was 
 very flat and one could walk down the foot wall without fear of falling. 
 As soon as Neill rested, he was introduced to the miners and given a candle 
 for further investigation. The sight that met his vision was enough to 
 excite any one who had ever seen a piece of ore. The reflection of the 
 candle light on the cubes of galena caused them to sparkle like thousands 
 of diamonds. The large body from which thousands of dollars had al- 
 ready been taken, could not have been excavated to a depth of more than 
 nine feet at the time he was there. A cut had been made into the hang- 
 ing streak that showed a large body of free ore in which gold could be 
 seen with the naked eye. It was a very interesting place to visit, even for 
 one who had no interest in it; to me, doubly so. We stayed at the mine
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 109 
 
 until the men were ready to go to camp for the night. We were to spend 
 the night with them and leave for Dillon the next day. 
 
 After supper the men were gathered in the bunk house, and many 
 stories and experiences were told or recalled. Harry Neill was a splendid 
 story teller. He very vividly told of the experience he had on a trip to 
 Europe and entertained the boys for a long time with many interesting 
 things. A Frenchman, Albert Donay, was, apparently, paying attention 
 to a disabled alarm clock. He did not seem to notice anything that was 
 
 going on, being bent on trying to find out how the *'d n Yankee" made 
 
 it. After Neill had gotten through with his story, Bailard requested Donay 
 to tell of an experience he had once in New York. I am afraid that 
 Donay's mind had not been tuned along the higher plane of decency and re- 
 spectability, as the story he told would probably do in a mining camp among 
 men who were not too fastidious, but certainly not where women con- 
 gregated. Neill was thunderstruck and had no more to say that evening. 
 We left for Dillon the next morning and Henry implored me to let him go 
 and get $200,000 for us for the Ajax mine. He said he had never seen 
 anything to equal it and he had seen mines all over Montana. What 
 would you have done, Mr. Reader, under the same circumstances? I 
 know what you would do now. What would you have done then? Given 
 a vein that was exposed along a mountain side for miles, a great big. 
 strong vein, that showed pay rock in more than one place; that was being 
 developed in such a way that each stick of blasting powder was, appar- 
 ently, opening up an immense treasure house, would you have listened to 
 the pleading voice of Henry and sold for $200,000? When you consider 
 that a cubic foot of lead weighs about 700 pounds, and that that chute of 
 ore carried over 60 per cent of that metal, it would only take about five 
 feet in place to make a ton. It would not require much imagination for 
 one to think it possible for it to go anyway 250 feet into the mountain; 
 a very little effort to think that it would be at least 50 feet long, and with 
 a known width of seven and one-half feet, you could really think yourself 
 possessed of 93,750 cubic feet, that would be 18,750 tons, worth at 
 $90 per ton, $1,687,500.00. Crazy! Yes, crazy for taking things 
 for truth without investigation, especially anything that its truth or falsity 
 was capable of demonstration. Yes, you wise guys would have sold at 
 the price offered, but we — we were not wise. Morse said: "These 
 things have been known to come to men in times past, why isn't it possible 
 that they have come to us? If we make a success of this, we will be called 
 the wisest fellows in the country; if we fail — damn fools." We played 
 the game from ante to show-down and but little was lost by any one else. 
 Every time a pick was driven in or a shot fired, the property looked better. 
 The next year we made up our minds to get some kind of a mill. We did 
 buy and haul in one that we never used, that cost quite a lot of money, 
 and is scattered from the "Old Faithful" mine on Old Baldy through 
 the Big Hole to the Ajax. It required much thinking and a whole lot of 
 advice, freely given from every mining man, or so-called mining man, that
 
 110 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 we met before we made up our minds to buy five stamps and erect a 
 "stamp mill." We did not know where we could get a man that could 
 do a good job along those lines. At last we thought of Frank Allen of 
 Gibbonsville, Idaho. Frank had erected the first mill in Montana, in 
 Bannack, in the early days. He had also built several small ones in 
 Gibbonsville. Uncle Will and I went to see him. He was not sure 
 that he could help us, but agreed to let us know soon. We needed a 
 saw mill with which to get the timber out on the ground, as there were 
 plenty logs near the place chosen for mill site. We bought a small steam 
 engine that had been in use for the purpose for some time. This had to 
 be hauled to Wisdom, over a fearful mountain road. We found a 
 man willing to take the job, contracted with him to do so and started for 
 Butte to see a mill that had been erected several years before, about 1 8 
 miles from that place. It was easy to buy this mill for the sum of $1 ,000, 
 a small part of the original cost. Clarence Strowbridge had agreed to 
 haul it for us, if we made the purchase. A saw mill was ordered from 
 Missoula and Uncle and I returned to the Big Hole. Frank Allen had 
 made up his mind to build the mill for us. We took our men and began 
 the preliminary work, such as cutting logs, clearing a place for the mill 
 and excavating for the site. All this work was in the hands of Aller. It 
 is no easy job to construct a quartz mill 75 miles from the railroad, where 
 the machinery must be hauled over roads that have not been worked 
 enough to make solid. Some of these pieces weighed over 9,000 pounds 
 and were extremely hard to handle. Clarence had two good boys work- 
 ing for him, Jakey Louk and Harry Kanute. These boys could get about 
 all the pull there was in a team at the right time, and if by any mischance 
 they could not get the "string" team through the timber without running 
 into a tree, they would take everything as it came and make no particular 
 roar about it. To us, things dragged and were going slow. We were anx- 
 ious to see those stamps drop and see the results, which we could only be- 
 lieve would be favorable. New cabins must be built for cook and bunk 
 houses, blacksmith, assay office, stables, tramways were to be erected to 
 take place of the one already built, at such a cost of time and labor. Ore 
 houses, a house at the mouth of No. 2 tunnel, cabins for the wood 
 choppers, stables for the horses, at the lower and upper camps, which 
 were three-quarters of a mlie apart; timber for stulls were to be cut and 
 p)eeled. Copper plate from San Francisco must be ordered and delivered 
 by the time the mill was ready. A concentrating table was to be bought 
 and hauled from Anaconda. Busy times up the Swamp Creek canyon 
 that summer and fall. Miners were at work developing more ore, every 
 one was on the qui vive. While all this work was going on up in the Big 
 Hole country, Mr. Morse was exceedingly busy in the development of 
 the large grain and alfalfa ranch on the bench north of Dillon. He was to 
 say to the waters of Birch creek: "You have rushed heedlessly, carelessly, 
 in fact, criminally, to join the waters of the sea. You may have quenched 
 the thirsty even in your haste, but they had to snatch it from your rest-
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 111 
 
 less bosom, as you flowed unchecked and uncontrolled, unmindful of the 
 duty you owed mankind in your mad desire to unite the mountain and the 
 gulf. I will prove to you, great power that you are, that the puny hand 
 of man will stop your hitherto refractory career and bind in strength of 
 'tripple brass' each drop and make it answer, when the time is ripe, the 
 great desire of a thirsty soil. You must succumb and I will be the means." 
 
 A benefactor of his race is one who makes two blades of grass grow 
 where only one has grown. If that be so, J. E. Morse has been a bene- 
 factor of his race. He has controlled the water that would naturally be 
 useless, and held it back to be used at a time when it was needed. The 
 great broad acres of grain and alfalfa proved that the piece of land 
 selected by Granville Stuart, and for which he received more or less 
 adverse criticism, could be made valuable by its alliance with Birch creek 
 water. I don't believe that J. E. Morse or anyone else ever spent his time 
 and money to bring the water from a mountain stream to the hitherto 
 sun-baked bench lands of Montana simply for the reason they wanted 
 to be classed as benefactors. There is always something of a personal 
 nature that enters into any large undertaking. When Joe Furley put the 
 matter of making dams, on the head of Birch creek, to Morse, they were 
 both very enthusiastic as to final results. Morse did not have any par- 
 ticular amount of money that was loose for such an undertaking, and 
 Joe proved early in the game that he could not keep up his end. Morse 
 was as full of resources as a pod is full of seeds; while he might get 
 discouraged at times and not feel sure as to where the next turn would 
 place him, he always worked with the view of ultimate success. As 
 Governor White said: "Morse is a mighty resourceful cuss." He did 
 not drink or gamble and was tireless in his efforts to see that everything 
 was done at the right time, with the exception that he was careless in regard 
 to the detail work of the Ajax mine. 
 
 As mentioned before, we were so anxious to see the work completed 
 at the mill. This was not done until late in the fall or early winter. 
 When the mill was completed, it had not been constructed along lines 
 of wise engineering. The ore bins were flat bottomed boxes, made as 
 some of the boys said: "To give more men work than to make the 
 economical handling of the ore for the mill owner." The tramways 
 were not built uniform in grade, hence many cars of splendid ore was 
 ruthlessly destroyed. The ore house above the mill, 750 feet away, was 
 built at a point where the most snow was known to pile up, instead of a 
 point that I had selected, just a short distance below the boarding house 
 and the brow of the hill. The place that I had picked was probably 
 1 50 feet further from the mill than the one chosen. It would have made 
 the first cost a little more, but was at a point where it would have been 
 free from drifting snow, therefore in the long run would have been a 
 great saving. While we are waiting for that beastly mill to get started, 
 we can spend a little time in describing what was going on in the way 
 of development on the lead. The old shaft, instead of being 80 feet
 
 112 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 deep, as Brown had assured us it was, proved to be when pumped out only 
 40 feet. Frank had said that the ore was just as good in the bottom as 
 any other place. Maybe that was true, and might have been a good 
 indication that further investigation, too strenuously followed, would prove 
 disastrous. Brown and his partners of the Salmon River country had 
 owned the lead for several years. They had run a little cut at the lowest 
 point of exposure, probably 1 feet long. They had gone about 1 5 feet 
 in No. 3 and sunk the discovery shaft 40 feet. When they found that 
 they had gone through, or lost the ore in this shaft, they were not very 
 enthusiastic about doing more work. The melting snow would always 
 leave the bottom of that shaft a mystery, so far as the casual observer was 
 concerned. One would need a good sized pump with which to hoist the 
 water and see what was below. These men had not gone up the hill 
 to the point where I made the find of galena ore. When we found out 
 that Brown et al. had stopped because the ore had played out, we didn't 
 care, as we were then to mine. Men were put to work to unwater the 
 shaft and see what it contained. It only required a little expenditure to 
 find that Brown had stopped at a fault and that a large body of good 
 free milling ore was and is continuing on its way into that mountain. Shaft 
 No. 2 was getting to be too deep to haul ore by windless and an effort 
 was made to start a drift from the bottom of it to the surface or side of 
 the mountain. It would have been v^ser, as we afterward found, to have 
 begun this work from the outside and run in on the lead. The real reason 
 for beginning inside was that we had shaft house, tramway and drum 
 already built. A beginning on the outside would have caused a whole lot 
 of work and expense, especially at that season of the year, winter, before 
 any actual work on the mine could have been done. The drift to the sur- 
 face was a peculiar one when finished. The boys started out with good 
 enough intentions, no doubt, but as they were to follow the ore streak, 
 they soon became hopelessly lost so far as the point they had started for 
 was concerned. After putting in a whole lot of time, our French friend, 
 Albert Donay, a splendid worker, but quite rattle-headed, came out with 
 excitement depicted in every line of his face, with the news that he had 
 broken into some old workings; that some one must have mined in that 
 particular place in pre-historic times. On investigation it was found that 
 they had run in a half circle and hit pretty near the top of the old Brown 
 or No. I shaft. I guess that it was a good thing for us that Frenchy 
 had done the work, because if they hadn't found it, they would have 
 come back and broken into the workings where they began. Kind of 
 funny, wasn't it? Yes, it was, in a way, but when a fellow had expected 
 to come out, with a certain amount of labor, to the outside of a mountain, 
 and found that his work had been simply to find a shaft that had never been 
 lost and that was no good when found, it did not strike us as particularly 
 amusing. There was a fairly good reason for having made this blunder. 
 The lead was much wider than any of us supposed at this point, being, 
 in fact, about 23 feet of pay ore, that was not of the same general char-
 
 THE STORY OF •AJAX" 113 
 
 acter to the eye of the ordinary miner. As it was not in a compact body, 
 being full of seams, they would follow one of them, taking it for the 
 hanging wall, when, in fact, the hanging wall was 15 or 20 feet away. 
 This blunder helped to develop a body of ore that might not have been 
 found for some time to come. These very seams fooled some of the best 
 miners we had for quite a while, even in other portions of the mine. 
 
 When spring came, work was commenced on Tunnel No. 1 , and 
 soon came to these "old workings." From the mouth of No. 1 back for 
 about 1 00 feet was certainly a large body of ore, good, bad, etc. This 
 tunnel was driven on under and to the east of the big bunch of galena 
 ore described on top. The big "pocket" was lost completely and no one 
 could tell where it had gone. Tunnel No. 2 was commenced some 70 or 
 80 feet down the mountain and tapped the vein at a fault, as only the 
 "schist filling" of the vein was in evidence. Scott Galbraith had charge 
 of the work at this place and was much discouraged at the results. I 
 think that he must have been in 1 50, maybe 1 65 feet when "mother" 
 and I visited the mine. We went back into the face and not a sign of 
 ore was in sight. Mighty discouraging. This tunnel had cost a whole lot 
 of money and was disappointing in more ways than one. We had good 
 ore 70 or 80 feet above, and good ore down 400 to 500 feet in No. 
 3 on the surface, and why there should not be pay here was a problem 
 we could not understand. Scott volunteered that in his opinion the lead 
 was no good and that there was a pot hole or bunch, above, but nothing 
 below, and that we were foolish to spend our money in any further work 
 on No. 2. 
 
 As "mother" was as much interested as I in this matter, I asked 
 her what we had better do. She said: "Go ahead as long as we can 
 get a cent. We are too far in to quit now." I turned to "Scotty" and 
 said : "There must be some ore here some place, and so far as you are 
 concerned, you need not worry; you will get your pay. It is our money 
 that pays the bills and when we tell you to stop will be soon enough. 
 You stop driving ahead and run a cross-cut here and see what you find." 
 The place indicated was at the face of the tunnel and toward what I sup- 
 posed to be the foot wall. "Mother" and I left the hill for the ranch, and 
 the men went to work on the cross-cut, with the result that they ran into 
 a vein of pay ore, after going only a couple of feet, seven feet thick. A 
 raise was begun at this place, and the ore was followed up and into No. 
 1 . Two or three years afterward, a cut was made in the hanging wall, 
 near this same place and exposed six feet of galena ore that is, at this 
 writmg, intact. A good miner generally, especially when he knows there 
 is ore in a lead, cross-cuts often when driving a tunnel, if not on an ore chute 
 Scott had been just unlucky enough to go into that hill 165 feet over one 
 chute of ore and under another, and had run for a good many feet right 
 on top of the under or foot wall chute. Another peculiar condition that 
 confronted us was this: When they tried to follow up the foot wall 
 chute, in the raise they were driving, they left a face of nine feet of $20
 
 114 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 gold ore. This was a mighty pretty thing. Several of the experts, 
 James Neill, Geo. Towers, Fred Green, Jim Harvey and Tom Landers, 
 took samples of this and made many favorable comments concerning 
 it. Years after, when we decided to open this body(?) of ore, to run 
 it through the mill, it only proved to be two feet thick, simply a skim 
 pasted onto the country rock. 
 
 Well, the long-looked for day has come to drop the stamps! We 
 can't begin to spend the money that we are to make now! Everything 
 will turn out for the best and the long hard pull that we have made to 
 get this far will have been all the one necessary, as we are to glide with 
 the stream from now on. Surely a mill that would crush 1 2 to 13 tons 
 of ore per day was, when used on such ore, to make a "killing" for us. 
 After the mill had been running several days, Mr. Morse came to the 
 conclusion that we had better go up and fetch the brick out. W. H. 
 Graham of Butte, a mill man, and George Ducharme, an amalgamator, 
 wanted to go up and see mill and mine. Ducharme had tested some 
 ore for us at the Vipond mill and believed we had a splendid thing, as 
 the ore sent him made good returns. The trip was made without any par- 
 ticular thing of note to record, excepting the deep snow that was en- 
 countered, which did not bother us, as my team would keep to any track 
 no matter how deep the snow was. Graham and Ducharme were taken to 
 the mine and were very much pleased with the showing. They were 
 sure that such a large body of ore, known to be good, would make quite 
 a stir in the mining world. The manner in which the mill had been 
 constructed did not appeal to them in the least, as it required too many 
 men to do the work. We told Allen to clean up while we were there 
 and we would take the gold out with us. Allen had full charge of 
 the running of the mill. Tom Landers was doing the assaying and we 
 supposed we were in shape to know what we were about. The mill had 
 been dropping stamps for 23 days and taking care of I 3 tons each 24 hours. 
 The ore averaged about $12.00 per ton in gold, besides lead and silver. 
 Tom Landers was a competent assayer and reliable. He knew what that 
 ore contained at the heading, the point where it run onto the table, and 
 what the tailings carried. We received that first clean up and while 
 it did not worry the horses to pull it out, we were much worried over the 
 result, as the brick was an exceedingly small one, when it should have 
 been several pretty fair sized ones. 
 
 We made up our minds then and there that we would let Allen go 
 and put some one else in charge. Graham and Ducharme agreed to 
 take over this work; as soon as they could go to Butte and get their tools 
 and get back. They had assured us that they would take that mill and, 
 if the ore was as good as Landers' assays showed, they would show us 
 results altogether different the next clean up. When we looked at that 
 little brick we were certainly sick. We had spent thousands of dollars 
 up to this time, most every dollar of it borrowed from the bank. We 
 knew that there was a good body of ore; that Landers, a good assayer.
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 115 
 
 had proved by the fire, contained pay. We had a mill, known to crush 
 so many tons of ore per day, and here was the result of 23 days' work 
 a little piece of gold weighing about 20 ounces, and worth at Boise, Idaho, 
 U. S. assay office three hundred and forty -one dollars. God! What 
 had we done to deserve such a return for the money spent, the time wasted 
 in trying to make that old mountain give forth, to the use of the world, 
 some of her hidden treasure! Certainly there was something wrong! 
 THREE HUNDRED FORTY-ONE DOLLARS! The returns of 
 299 tons of ore, assay value $3,588! After all reasonable loss of the 
 amount bound to run into the tailings, there was still to be accounted for 
 $2,797. We certainly felt like shutting the mill down, but as drowning 
 men always clutch at the straw, vs^e felt a little encouragement by the prom- 
 ises made by Graham, Ducharme and Tom Landers, that they could and 
 would show money at the end of their run. Our trip to the mine also proved 
 to us the faulty manner in which the ore bins and tramways had been con- 
 structed as to saving labor. The upper tram did not drift under very 
 often, but the lower one was pretty sure to be covered ^vith a big amount 
 of snow each morning and always when the winds came tearing down the 
 canyon it would require an immense lot of work with snow shovelers to 
 clear things so ore could be lowered to the mill. The roads would drift 
 full and build up so that the ends of the singletrees would hit the trees 
 20 feet above the ground. A blizzard would come roaring down the 
 mountain side at night and fill the road full. It would be impassable for 
 teams the next morning; then it became necessary to put every miner to 
 fighting snow, instead of breaking rock. When you take into consideration 
 that we were paying the men $3.50 per day and that the whole force 
 of 1 4 men would be shoveling snow that was as restless as a mountain 
 stream, that would be back onto that same piece of road probably the 
 next morning, it made the heart sick and the bank account (?) grow 
 slim. I do not believe that I am making an exaggerated statement to 
 say that we shoveled ten thousand dollars into snow while we were work- 
 ing the mine. 
 
 This amount of money would have more than paid for the erection 
 of an aerial tram that would have carried the ore from the mine to mill 
 for a nominal sum, and hauled to the mine the timber needed for mining 
 purposes. You ask, why a man of such known business acumen as J. E, 
 Morse should not have dropped onto this leakage in the first place, and 
 stopped it by the erection of a tram? I will attempt, in my poor way, 
 to answer this: In the first place, men do not go into the mining business 
 as they do into others. The prospector takes his pack outfit and 
 strikes out for the section of country that he believes virgin. He finds 
 float, which he traces to the croppings or rock in place, and sinks a shaft 
 or runs a tunnel. In ail probability he finds what he considers pay. 
 The returns from an assay office proves that the ore contains values. Now, 
 if he can find ore in sufficient quantity, he begins to consider the ways 
 and means of realizmg somethmg from his prospect. He has been a man
 
 116 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 that has lived for years with the hope of a sure success at no distant day. 
 He has never accumulated any money with which to develop a mine if 
 he does find a prospect. It was possible for any man, with the most 
 limited means, to go to the hills and find something that looked good 
 and that would apparently justify the expenditure of quite a lot of money 
 in its development. If he did not have the money — and he didn't — -he 
 would probably sit near his camp fire and think, think, think how he 
 was to get any returns for the years he had put in hunting for a favor- 
 able prospect. It was possible that a rich chute could be opened, and 
 the ore shipped to the mill or smelter. It was possible to find gold ore 
 rich enough to pay in a small arastra that could be built with little ex- 
 pense by the man himself. It was possible to get some one with money 
 to go in and help build a small stamp mill that paid from the beginning 
 and developed the mine into a big property. It was also quite probable 
 that the prospector was too sanguine as to final outcome ; was actually 
 intoxicated with excitement over his find, and did not "sober up" until 
 he found every hope blasted. He was the unsuccessful one. He might 
 have cheated himself by taking the best piece of ore to the assayer, instead 
 of a careful sample of the vein ; so really he had no foundation on which 
 to begin. Again, it is quite possible that there is a certain amount of 
 money on hand for the development, but not in quantity sufficient to make 
 the mine. If he has lots of faith, he goes ahead with what he has and 
 bets that he will find some of the favorable conditions that have been 
 known to exist in mining history. It is possible and more or less probable 
 that he spends his money without finding any of the favorable conditions 
 and fails, even though he has a piece of property that would have been 
 valuable if some certain thing had been done, or other left undone. In 
 other words, his money has not been spent to the best advantage; he has 
 taken the gambler's chance, and lost. It is true that there is nothing that 
 is as alluring, fascinating, entrancing and interesting as mining. If once 
 begun, it holds one's mind perpetually with the desire and hope of future 
 wealth gained in that way. It is a law of nature that no two things 
 can be exactly alike. Hence no two mines will be alike. The rich 
 chute found in one may never be found in another. Probably the rich chute 
 or bunch of ore is the worst thing one can find, unless he takes advantage 
 of it and sells, as it is apt to lead to much future worry and many dis- 
 appointments. 
 
 I met a man from Colorado who had taken two million dollars out 
 of a "pocket mine," and who was broke at the time I met him. He had 
 not spent his money in riotous living; by means of the gaming table, 
 the sparkling wine, nor lost it to the charms of some fickle but beauti- 
 ful woman. No, he had spent the money from one "pocket" to find 
 another, a thing more deadly in its fascination than the alluring smile of 
 any siren. This man was only one of hundreds that played the game in 
 just that way. The old Dakota mine at Bannack, in the early days, 
 was the "pocket" mine into which you were apt to put more than you
 
 THE STORY OF 'AJAX" 117 
 
 could take out. (Not the way with most pockets). In the early days of 
 Butte men found mines, or more strictly speaking, had claims, that had 
 enough float to make them wealthy. All they had to do was to pick up 
 the ore and put it in a wagon and ship it to the railroad at Corinne, 
 Utah, where it was taken to the smelter at Salt Lake, or maybe to 
 Swansee, Wales, for treatment. This was gold-silver ore. Any number 
 of the Butte mines had pay from the grass roots down that helped to pay 
 or did pay all the development in the "making of a mine." If a poor 
 man found one of these he could become wealthy by paying attention 
 to business. The copper mines of Butte did not show pay in copper, on 
 the surface. The Anaconda was bought by Marcus Daly for $30,000 
 (the same mine or claim had been sold for $150.00 by the man who 
 first staked it, I have been told.) He did not believe that he had a valu- 
 able claim unless he could get some men with money for its developemnt to 
 go in with him. He found these men in Haggin, Tevis and Hearst. The 
 Dexter mill property of W. A. Clark was leased and the surface rock — 
 gold-silver ore of the Anaconda — run through, with the result, so I have 
 been told, that $280,000 net was taken out in less than a year. Daly had 
 mined enough to think that he could not handle the Anaconda alone. 
 There had been no development on the mine. He could not see the $280,- 
 000 that was so easy to be had, with big copper to come when the gold- 
 silver rock quit (in fact, gold and silver have not quit in the mines of 
 Butte, as the copper ore contains these metals also), or he might have 
 become the sole owner of one of the biggest copper properties in the 
 world. (Long before Daly, copper matt was made in a rude smelter 
 in Butte and shipped down the Missouri in a flat boat, to be lost, never 
 to be recovered, where the Missouri enters the Mississippi). The old 
 Dexter mill pounded out many thousand dollars, but did not get many 
 from the "Travonia," the mine that really was the one to give new life to 
 the old placer camp and make her the queen of the Treasure State. 
 
 F. Aug. Heinze came to Butte as a young boy of 20, fresh from 
 Columbia university; a young mining engineer. There were several min- 
 ing engineers and surveyors in Butte before the advent of F. Augustus — 
 Baker & Harper, Wilson and Gillie were and had been for years. 
 Heinze saw something that they knew, but had not taken advantage of, 
 the fractions. It is quite evident that he saw these things in a different 
 light than these other men. He had worked, as an engineer, underground, 
 and no doubt had access to several mines, other than the ones in which 
 he was engaged. He saw what these mines contained and knew where 
 the ore bodies were. It was a simple thing for him to see that a frac- 
 tion would be the entering wedge that would split the combination or 
 make it, through endless law suits, accept of his terms for millions. He 
 had been brought up under different environments than the engineers above 
 referred to. He had lived in the great city of New York, where men 
 had learned, if they were wise, to take advantage of every opportunity. 
 He had backing in a financial way that these other men lacked; hence.
 
 118 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 "Fritz" Heinze became one of the best known of the mining men in 
 America, or the world, in fact. Only those under the ground can tell 
 what is going on down there. The man who owns the shaft can, or 
 could, forbid any one to enter. Hence, he had a wonderful advantage 
 over the men on the adjoining claims, who were unable to sink for lack 
 of funds. If he is dishonest he can take their ore, and they may never 
 be any wiser. The diamond drill can reach out in any direction and the 
 "core" will prove the exact condition of the claims thus prospected. Many 
 men have been robbed in this way, and are not aware of the fact yet. 
 
 I have said that the "core" of the diamond drill "would prove the 
 exact condition of the claims prospected." It will prove the condition of 
 the rock encountered, but may, and is apt to, find a fault — that leads 
 to serious effects. If it is true that Daly had prospected for the ore in the 
 claim Pat Largey wished to sell him for $150,000, and that the drill 
 did not indicate pay, then there was a serious effect for Daly and splen- 
 did one for the Largey estate. The great mining town of Butte has caused 
 many heart aches. Some came to the men who sold too soon; some came 
 to those who did not have money to develop and lost to some who took 
 advantage of their poverty. Millions were spent in sinking shafts to un- 
 cover ore that by all the rules and chances of mining should have been 
 there but was not. 
 
 The men that discovered the Hecla mines in Beaverhead county re- 
 ceived but little for their work. These mines, on Lion mountain (by the 
 way, many of those who spoke of Lion mountain do not have any idea 
 how it came by the name. Bob McConnell, one of the discoverers told 
 me the following: "Dr. Click, one of the boys, was a great fellow to 
 fill up on 'forty-rod.' When under the influence he was apt to see 
 things. He came rushing into camp one day, swearing he had just seen 
 a 'white mountain lion.' Several of the boys, anxious to see such a 
 curiosity, got their guns and followed Doc in quest of his prize, which 
 proved, on investigation, to be an old white jackass that belonged to one 
 of the party. Doc never heard the last of the 'V/hite Lion.' It was 
 because of this incident that Lion mountain received its name."), could 
 only be developed through the use of considerable capital. Noah Arm- 
 strong spent a whole lot of money in the attempt to make a mine, and he 
 may have made some money. When Henry Knippenberg took hold of 
 the business there was an indebtedness of thousands. Mr. Knippenberg 
 told J. E. Morse and myself in Melrose one night long after the Hecla 
 had closed down the following story: "When I came to the United 
 States from Germany I happened to get acquainted with a countryman of 
 mine. This old gentleman was quite wealthy. He took a liking to me 
 and gave me much wholesome advice. When I found out the exact 
 financial condition of our company and after having satisfied myself that 
 a certain amount of money would place the mines on a paying basis, I 
 wrote to this gentleman, explaining just what was needed and asked for 
 a loan. He let me have the money, on my personal note, and I went
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 119 
 
 ahead and made a success. It was a mighty good thing, gentlemen, that 
 the ore was their in paying quantities or I would have been placed in a 
 very disagreeable position." These mines were in large pockets and re- 
 quired an immense amount of dead work to find them. I am told that 
 one of these "pockets" contained $2,000,000.00. 
 
 The impression that this young German lad made on the old financier 
 proved to be the one thing needed to place a mine on a paying list, that 
 was about to go under after thousands had been spent on its development. 
 When Wash Stapleton got Judge Lawrence A. Brown to take the "New 
 Departure" off his hands, he was very well pleased. Being at the New 
 Departure one night, the judge gave me a story in the following words, 
 as near as I can remember: "Say, Noyes, you're not an expert are you?" 
 "No," I responded. "All right, I will let you go in and see the mine. 
 I wouldn't allow one of these so-called experts to look over the outside, 
 let alone inside. I have had one hell of an experience with this mine ever 
 since the day I bargained with Wash Stapleton for it. I have gone up 
 against many tough things in my life. Why! I never had a shoe on my 
 foot until I was 1 9 or 20, and never learned to read until then. My 
 early day experiences in Utah and Butte were nothing compared to this. 
 I worked as hard as I could, and did not seem to be able to find the 
 pay in place. You could find rich float and little pockets that would 
 soon play out. One day I had a call to go to Butte. I did not have a 
 horse nor money to pay my way. All I had was five dollars. I would 
 need that for incidental expenses in the city. I went out on that hill there 
 and sat down. I looked over at old Table Mountain and said: 'Butte 
 is just the other side of that; I know where it is all right and I guess 
 I will have to foot it to get there.' and I did. I walked to Butte and 
 w^alked back again. I struggled around on this old mountain, somewhat 
 disappointed at times I must admit, but always hopeful. I made up my 
 mind to go down and see Governor White and try and borrow a little 
 money. I explained what I wanted to do with it and he let me have some. 
 I spent this money without succeeding in finding anything, and went 
 back to the governor and said: 'Governor, I want some more money.' 
 'What do you want it for?' he asked. 'I want it to try and find the 
 other that I put in,' I said, and he gave me some more. With this loan 
 Fred and I found a good body of ore, a carload of which was shipped 
 to the smelter. When the returns came I went again to see the governor. 
 'Well, Brown, what do you want now, some more money to hunt up 
 the other with?' he asked. 'No, by God! I came to pay you every 
 cent due you and will have some left,' I said. Then I explained to him 
 what I had found. I have generally had ore in sight since that time, and 
 when I need money I ship a car load ; this is my bank, and I believe, sir, 
 that there is enough in here to pay the national debt." I was taken into 
 the mine and was shown good bodies of pay ore in place. He would 
 find an ore chute and leave it to find another, so that he could be sure he 
 had a "deposit" when he desired to check against it. The judge was sure
 
 120 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 that he had a great mine. After he died, those who bought it of Fred 
 found that the ore was in bunches and kidneys, and the new Departure 
 was really an old departure, and not a great mine. The mine kept the 
 judge in the latter days of his life and give Fred plenty for an economical 
 person to live on. 
 
 Maybe you are as much in the dark as ever as to the reason why we 
 did not build the tram in the first place. The several incidents enumer- 
 ated in the foregoing pages gives some of the history of mines and 
 mining as done in Montana. There was not one man mentioned but was 
 governed more or less by the element of chance. The man that picked up 
 the float on the surface in Butte could quit as soon as it was all gone, and 
 be a winner. He was the least governed by chance of any one mentioned. 
 Ore, or pay, in a mine is certainly, in the beginning, an unknown quan- 
 tity. A man does not see the thousands needed before any prospect can 
 be made into a mine. We have been too apt to consider the mine as a 
 hidden treasure that once found would work for your good. Why? Be- 
 cause of so many that have been found that did prove valuable with but 
 little outside assistance. Mining, then, is conducted along the same lines 
 that is used by the lawyers and judges in all they do. They do not 
 depend upon new things, but make their fights and render their decisions 
 by precedent. If the lawyer is allowed, v/ith all his supposed wisdom, 
 to go ahead along such lines, why should the prospector or miner be 
 cursed for a fool for following, with just as much reason and just as 
 many good examples, precedent? If one should take that as a subject, 
 he could write until dooms day and then not have it exhausted. The 
 thing that we knew was, that the Ajax mine had been found on the main 
 range of the Rocky mountains at an altitude of over 9,000 feet, and we 
 certainly knew that there would always be enough snow for sledding. 
 We did not think but what it might be possible to keep the roads open by 
 the usual amount of work required for hauling ore. We knew that we had 
 a nice body of pay rock on the surface. We could not see a bit further 
 into the ground (probably owing to the amount of snow) than many of the 
 wise ones who have called us fools; we could, however, just as far. All 
 we needed with that class of ore was a road and any old way to get it 
 down to the level, and we would own the world. And if that body of 
 ore had behaved itself, hadn't gotten rattle headed, gone on a toot and 
 busted itself up and got lost in the different cracks and crannies of that 
 old mountain, we would have been correct in our calculations. We, like 
 so many others, simply laid a foundation without taking into consideration 
 what the structure would cost. When the first one thousand dollars was 
 spent we were only beginning to sink money. We did not foresee, we 
 did not realize, the many different phases that would ultimately come up 
 in working mine and mill. If we had had the least idea that things 
 would terminate in the way in which they did we would have probably 
 never commenced. It was, from our present viewpoint, an exceedingly 
 dangerous gamble. We owed money in all of our enterprises. The
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX' 121 
 
 Ajax and Highland ranches, as a company, and Morse's personal en- 
 deavors in the building up of the Ruby sheep. Mantle and other en- 
 terprises that he held outside of the Big Hole. We both felt that the 
 Ajax was given to us to carry us over the financial barriers that appeared 
 in our way through the building up of these big plants on a capital originally 
 too small. We looked forward to the time when, because of it, we could 
 become more substantial factors in the up-building of Beaverhead county. 
 So it was a matter of too much confidence or too little foresight that we 
 began operations. If we had known that the ore body would split, 
 that the snow would surely hinder us to such an extent that it would 
 make it almost impossible to carry on the work, we would not have 
 commenced. It was an expense here, a little there, that kept adding to 
 the amount we were in, each dollar spent in trying to save those already 
 involved, that forced us along as relentlessly, ruthlessly and mercilessly 
 as the rudderless ship is driven before the wildest typhoon. We couldn't 
 stop. Why? Because it would have been, at that particular time, to 
 the business of Beaverhead county, the most disastrous thing imaginable, 
 the failure of Justin E. Morse. Men looked on him, as he was, the 
 embodiment of business principles, and his failure at that time to have 
 made good, would have intimidated the strongest characters we had. 
 
 We can not account for the many peculiar things that, as incidents, 
 go to round out the life of the average man. When the time came for the 
 second (?) cleanup neither Mr. Morse or myself was present. I was in 
 the valley, though, and knew before I saw the results of that cleanup 
 how many brick were in it. When the boys. Uncle Will, Landers and 
 others, came down to Wisdom from the mine with the cleanup. Uncle 
 showed me a small brick about the size of the first one, and said: 
 "Here is your gold, Noyes." I said: "That won't do, come through 
 with the other four. Uncle Will, as I know what you have as well as you 
 do." "You are mistaken, my boy, that is all we got," he said, as he 
 pointed to the small ingot I held in my hand. My aunt spoke up and 
 said: "Why don't you show him the others, what do you want to keep- 
 fooling for?" He turned to her and said: "You have seen him and 
 told him, Lizzie." "No," she replied, "I have not seen him before this 
 evening." He had the bricks in a flour sack and emptied them on the 
 floor, four of them. You can call me anything you wish. I saw those 
 pieces of gold the night before and carried on that same conversation, in 
 my dreams. The boys had made good; they had taken out in fourteen 
 days $1,960.00, instead of $341 in 23 days. The little old town of 
 Wisdom that night was painted in the most vivid crimson it ever saw. 
 The painting of any town in that way may be folly, but there is more 
 folly than wisdom in this world. 
 
 We, my uncle and I, went to Dillon and turned those glittering 
 pieces of gold on the carpet at Mr. and Mrs. Morse's feet. Did you ever 
 see the most attractive, most absorbingly interesting thing in the world, gold 
 ingots, without feeling some interest in them, whether you owned any
 
 122 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 thing in them or not? It is safe to say that you never did. Those little 
 bricks were shown to many in the little city of Dillon before they were 
 sent to Boise City. We did not feel quite as hopeless now and looked 
 forward to many returns of the same kind. The mill was started again 
 and seventeen days returned $2,300. Surely the Ajax was all right, and 
 we had not spent our money in vain. We made another run that gave 
 us two bricks that weighed ten pounds. We had come to the conclusion 
 that we had better enlarge the capacity of the mill and put through at least 
 35 tons per day, in order to pull out of the heavy indebtedness. We had 
 tried to sell, but always at the same old price. In the fall of 1 902 James 
 Neill, a very prominent mining engineer from Utah, afterward with Heinze, 
 came to look over the Ajax for a Salt Lake man. We did not know that 
 he was coming. I happened to be at the mine, with George Metlen, 
 surveying for patent, when he arrived. This was about supper time, as 
 I recall now. He handed me a letter of introduction from Mr. Morse 
 and told me what he had come for, and who he represented. I said: 
 "Mr. Neill, I am sorry that you came. We have nothing to show a 
 mining man, at this time, and I think you have made your trip uselessly." 
 "We hear that you people have a splendid prospect, Mr. Noyes," he 
 replied, "and it is impossible to keep these things hidden from the mining 
 world, especially after good returns from ore that has been shipped. As 
 I came to make an examination of your claims, I will do so with your 
 permission." You must remember that this was before the mill was built 
 and at a time^ when we had found that the large body of lead ore had 
 become lost, by splitting or playing out. The sun never rose on a more 
 beautiful day in the fall of the year than it did the next morning after 
 Weill's advent. There was not one thing to mar its glory. Before going 
 into the tunnel we took in all the surface, from bottom to apex of the moun- 
 tain. As we stood on that mountain top, almost 1 0,000 feet high, we 
 cold see, in the distance, the mountains at the head of Blacktail, Old 
 Baldy and all her kindred back to Lion. We could see the mountain 
 range from Mt. Haggin, near Anaconda, to the grand old dome of Mt. 
 Garfield, locally called "Saddler Peak," off to the west was the Salmon 
 river country, with the Saw Tooth range miles away in the blue distance, 
 while just at hand, not more than five miles away, is a mountain named 
 for me, Mt. Noyes, a grand old peak that arises about 1 1 ,000 feet between 
 Lake and Swamp creeks, while at our feet were revealed some of the 
 most beautiful lakelets that have ever lent their charms to magnify the 
 glories of God's universe. With the valley of the Big Hole at our feet, 
 to the east, and the Jordan-like valley of the Salmon on the west; with 
 the hundreds of noble mountains, placid lakes and rippling streams open 
 to our gaze, we felt the reverence due the Creator, and acknowledged it 
 as we stood with uncovered heads in the midst of His handiwork. I 
 had not been a traveler; I had seen some of the beauties of my state, that 
 was about all. Neill had been educated in Europe, and had stood 
 among the grand sights of Switzerland and Tyrol. But, as he gazed
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX ' 123 
 
 at the picture we were looking at, he said: "Noyes, I have seen the 
 Alps and all her glories, but here is a picture she can not beat, a man is a 
 fool to go to Europe for scenerj' when he has so much here at home that 
 is just as good." Afte; looking at the wonderful sight just depicted, we 
 went to the tunnels and took samples. After we came back to the surface 
 I said: "I told you that we did not have anything to show you, Mr. 
 Neill." He looked at me a moment and replied. "By God, you have! 
 You have got a wonderful prospect here. Look at this," picking up a 
 piece of rock from the dump, "this is what made Butte famous." I did 
 not know the piece of ore he held in his hand, and told him so. He 
 told me that it was copper glacier, and that he would have that piece 
 assayed. (He sent me word that it run 37 per cent copper, besides gold 
 and silver). After he had taken all the samples he wished, I asked him 
 if he would express an opinion. "You have, as I have said, a splendid 
 prospect that will, in my opinion, turn into a gold-copper property with 
 depth," he said. That afternoon I took Mr. Neill to the ranch and 
 the next day into Dillon. I found him a most agreeable gentleman. 
 
 As White had become a little insistent as to liquidation of Ajax 
 ranch indebtedness, I made up my mind to sell our stock cattle. We found 
 a buyer in Senator B. D. Phillips of Valley county, who gave us $29 per 
 head, calves thrown in. Before selling to Phillips, I had cut out the fine 
 White Face stuff and put them in a pasture above the house, as I could 
 not see my way clear to let them go at stock cattle prices. After he 
 bought the stuff, he made a contract with me for as many yearling steers 
 as I could buy and feed through the winter, to be delivered the next 
 spring at Big Sandy at $30 per head. I turned the cattle out of our 
 pasture the day I sold them and gave Fred Frances charge of the herd 
 to deliver at the railroad near Anaconda, where I was to meet him and 
 count out. This was at a time when the smelter smoke was doing much 
 damage to the stock in Deer Lodge valley. My stuff was held on the 
 milk ranch four or five miles out over night and by the next morning they 
 were showing effects of the poison. When we counted out, Ben got 
 the best of me several hundred dollars on calves, as he would claim a 
 small yearling was a calf, when he knew a whole lot better. He had 
 two of his friends there who were not backward in expressing their opinion, 
 in his favor, when called on to decide. D. D. Walker was with me, but 
 he did not feel like expressmg an opmion m the matter, but said afterward 
 that he believed Phillips out-counted to the tune of $700 to $800. These 
 cattle would always be in the car when the controversy was on, and 
 it would have needed the unloading of nearly every car to make an 
 examination. You may say that I was foolish to allow anything of the 
 kind to go. In a way, yes, in the way that I looked at it, no. I was 
 to deliver at the railroad. I run into the poison at Anaconda and was 
 afraid to have the cattle turned hack for three reasons : I did not know 
 what effect the poison would have; I knew that a drive to the railroad 
 and back would injure my cattle quite a lot at that season of the year; and
 
 124 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 we had already bought yearling steers for more than all the hay we had, 
 and another thing, stock cattle were on the decline. 
 
 Ben Phillips had been raised in Deer Lodge valley, and as a young 
 fellow had herded his father's cattle in the Big Hole in the summer time. 
 He and other young fellows found placer mines on Miner creek which 
 they attempted to work, without results. He had developed into a pretty 
 fast foot racer and would put up any kind of a race you wanted, straight 
 or fake, according to the one that would show the most money. He 
 and Crandle beat Jim Murray out of a good many thousands in Butte 
 in a put-up job. Ben was full of little tricks to beat people, even after 
 he became the largest sheepman and mining king in northern Montana. 
 He would work any little scheme in his leisure hours to beat one of his 
 sheep herders out of $10 — just for fun. He would take a cold chisel and 
 go to a rock some distance from camp, knock off a piece and then bet a 
 herder he could take his rifle and plug that rock. The fact was, it was 
 almost impossible. They would put up the money, and Ben would say: 
 "I am going to leave it to your honor. I wouldn't walk over to that rock 
 for ten dollars. I will shoot and you go over and see if I hit it. If 
 there is a place that shows the rock has been freshly chipped off, I win; 
 if not, I lose. It's all up to you, I will take your word." In the light 
 of the foregoing, one can see the sure disappointment of Mr. Sheepherder 
 as he found the "nick" in the rock. He would come back and report 
 that Ben had hit all right, and hand over his ten, which Ben would keep. 
 Ben was a splendid shot with the .22, and hardly ever made a miss. A 
 young fellow had worked for him until he had one hundred dollars, 
 which was paid by check. Ben, thinking he could get the pile, said: 
 "Say, what do you want of that hundred dollars?" Why, Mr. Phillips, 
 I need it; I have worked and earned it, haven't I?" "Oh, yes, that's 
 all right," said Ben, "but that isn't much good to you. How would you 
 like to have $200 or nothing?" I don't understand what you mean," 
 the young man said. "Well," said Ben, "I will give you three eggs; 
 you toss one at a time and if I don't hit every one you get $200, if I do I 
 take your $100." The boy thought a moment and accepted. He said: 
 "You write out another check, and call Mrs. Phillips to hold the stakes, and 
 I'll go you." This was done and the fun commenced. Up went an 
 egg, bang went the gun and Mr. Egg was surely hit. The second 
 one same result. The young fellow was surely up against a brace game, 
 because Ben was never known to miss anything the size of an egg at that 
 distance. Mrs. Phillips was standing in the door watching the fun(?). 
 The young man knew that if he threw that egg into the air he would lose 
 his dough, so he threw it at Mrs. Phillips. Ben looked at him, walked 
 over and took the two checks from Mrs. Phillips and said: "Kid, you 
 have won the bet; you are surely all right." So you see what a fellow 
 was up against if he left anything to the nice sense of honor the Senator 
 kept in his possession.
 
 THE STORY OF 'AJAX" 125 
 
 After the stock were loaded, D. D. Walker asked me if I would go 
 and look over Walter Staton's cattle. Staton was to ship his stuff out 
 of the county into the northern part of the state, in order to save their 
 lives. Walker said: "^ ou are in no way connected with the people 
 of the valley, nor with the Anaconda Mining company. People here do 
 not want to mix up in this matter and some disinterested person should 
 go and look at Walter's cattle and horses and find out what condition 
 they are in." I agreed to this and went with Walter to his ranch. I 
 never saw such a helpless lot of stock. They were living skeletons. 
 Their hides were tightly drawn over their bones, girt around flanks al- 
 most nothing; eyes dim and lusterless, with nostrils almost closed with a 
 scabby substance. Walter said: "A!, make me an offer on this stuff," 
 **I would not give you a bad dollar for the whole bunch," I replied. You 
 can talk about it all you wish; the judge can render a decision that those 
 people did not suffer through the poisonous fumes from the Anaconda 
 smelter, but I, a disinterested party, know better. The ranchers 
 m.ay not have gone about the matter in the wisest way to get relief, but 
 that makes no difference, so far as the fact of their injury is concerned. 
 It was after the delivery of these cattle to Phillips, and the purchase 
 of steers for the spring delivery, that Jim Neill was at the mine. Owing 
 to the fact that the day he was there was very warm in the sun and 
 cool in the mines I caught a severe cold that resulted in pneumonia, which 
 kept me pretty close to the house for the winter. We delivered 1 ,800 
 head of steers to Phillips, Larson Cattle Co., at Harlem, the next spring 
 and received a check for fifty-four thousand dollars. We made a fair 
 feed bill. By this time we were exceedingly anxious to get some outside 
 money for the mine, as we wished to enlarge the mill. The mine was in- 
 corporated, with such men behind it as Governor B. F. White, Senator 
 Lee Mantle and Edwin L. Norris. We offered the shares at 50 cents 
 each and but few were taken in Beaverhead county. Morse came to the 
 conclusion that Col. L. J. Price and I could go east and float some of 
 this stuff, anyway enough to enlarge the mill, and pay a few of the inci- 
 dental expenses. Price was approached on the subject and did at last 
 agree to go. Money was none to plentyful for this undertaking, so I 
 sold some stock Mrs. Noyes held in a Building and Loan association of 
 Salt Lake to Fred Waldorf, 5,000 shares of Ajax to Louis Stone for a 
 nominal sum, and with some more money that I had raised in other ways, 
 the colonel and I made our start for the express purpose of getting the 
 Yankees to separate themselves from some of their dollars. We carried 
 the two bricks last taken from tht mill, as an example of what the Ajax 
 would be doing every three or four days when the mill was enlarged. 
 We went to Minneapolis, where I supposed I might be able to get a few 
 people to gamble. We were not successful and came to the conclusion 
 to go to Boston, As there happened to be a Christian Science excursion 
 on, we took advantage of the low rates and struck out for the land of 
 the codfish balls and, as the colonel said, "In-bred people." The train
 
 120 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 stopped at way stations for something to eat and if it hadn't been for the 
 dainty (?) form of the colonel I would have surely gone hungry. He, 
 however, overrode and trod down all obstacles and managed to get back, 
 to the car with something. It was night when we arrived at the Youngs 
 hotel and secured a room. After we had dinner we met in the lobby 
 two gentlemen, one of whom, a big cotton mill owner of Lawrence, Mass., 
 the other a gentleman from Maine. These gentlemen had several high- 
 balls in the recepticle made or used for harboring all kinds of slush. 
 "Bobby," the gentleman from Lawrence, Massachusetts, was particu- 
 larly well soused. The gentleman from Maine was, as he told us in 
 the conversation later, a "reformed drunkard." This evening he had 
 forgotten the fact and was trying to get more than "half seas over." It 
 did not take us long to get acquainted, to exchange the little information 
 needed to let one another know where the other was from and the busi- 
 ness in which he was engaged. It is strange how little the Eastern man 
 really knows of the great extent of the United States, and the continent 
 of North America. When the man from Maine (I shall not tell his 
 name, but I found him a gentleman and a man of his word) found out 
 that we were from the west and mining men, he asked us if we had ever 
 heard of a certain mine located some place in the wilds of British North 
 America. We had not. The mine could and might be located there 
 and no Montana man know it. We explained this to the gentleman and 
 asked why. "Well, I have some shares in it and am thinking of getting 
 some more," he said. Then he told us the following story: 
 
 "There is a widow lady living in our town who is quite well known. 
 She gave a very nice dinner to several of the prominent business men of 
 the place, and there we met a gentleman who was interested in some mines 
 in the Northwest. During the course of the meal she explaind that the 
 gentleman had kindly let her in for a few shares, at a reasonable price, and 
 she felt that he had favored her to a considerable extent. The gentle- 
 man himself had not mentioned mines, nor did he enter into the conversa- 
 tion until approached by some of the men who were becoming interested in 
 the lady's description of the property. We came to the conclusion that no 
 man would be mean enough to sell mining stock to a widow woman with 
 whom he was boarding, unless he believed he had a good claim, some- 
 thing that would justify the expenditure of money. So I bought quite a 
 block of the shares and have an option on some more which I am think- 
 ing of taking, so that is my reason for having asked if you had ever heard 
 of such a mine." "Bobby" left us at 10 p. m., and said he was 
 going to Lawrence and I guess he made it all right, as we met him quite 
 often after, at the Youngs, generally in a state of "how come you so." 
 
 The gentleman from Maine invited us to his room, from which place 
 he ordered a bottle of Scotch and a box of cigars. He was only a little 
 under the weather but understood what he was talking about. He told 
 us that he could not be interested in our mine; that he had other and 
 particular troubles at that time of his own, as the men were on a strike
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX • 127 
 
 in his factory'. In fact, it was owing to this trouble that he had taken a 
 Httle whisky, for which he was sorry. When Colonel Price and I started 
 for the east we had as good letters of introduction as could be gotten in 
 Montana. Governor Toole, Governor Rickards, Governor B. F. White, 
 Senator Lee Mantle, Senator Thos. H. Carter, Senator Wilber F. Sanders, 
 (it was the day that we got the letter from Sanders that he told me he 
 was writing a book that would not be published until after his death. 
 Every Montanan would like to see this come to light) Jno. F. Forbis, D. 
 J. Hennessy, Jno. Gillie, A. L. Stone and others; certainly as good a 
 bunch as could be had. We went there with as much faith as to the future 
 of the Ajax being good as could be contained in the soul of man. We 
 showed the gentleman our letters and told him that, while he might not feel 
 like buying any shares, he could probably tell people that we were not 
 fakirs, and were worthy of consideration. After he had looked over these 
 letters, he said: "You have certainly come well recommended." It must 
 have been midnight when Price asked me to get the gold brick. I went 
 into the hall and found a man, whom I afterwards learned was the porter, 
 standing there. He had evidently been sent or had gone to find out how 
 the gentleman from Maine was getting on with the two strangers that 
 had registered from Montana. When I got to the office, I found out 
 that the vault was closed with a "time-lock," and my "brick" could not 
 be had until the next morning. I went back and made my report to that 
 effect. The gentleman said: "I am going to buy 1,000 shares in your 
 mine." I explained that we could not deliver them at that time, as the 
 stock book had not arrived from Montana, Governor White, the president 
 of the company, was not at home when we left and the stock was unsigned. 
 
 We went to our room and discussed the matter. Price said: "We 
 should have been in shape to deliver the shares and get that man's check, 
 while he was ripe for the transaction. We'll not be likely to get it 
 now." As this was our first night in the city, we felt encouraged as to 
 future results and felt that we had come to the right place to make good. 
 The next morning the gentleman came down, as fresh as a daisy. He 
 asked us if we were acquainted in the city, if not, he had an hour that 
 he would gladly give to show us the Boston Common, State House, etc., 
 before his train left for Philadelphia. We accepted and were shown many 
 of the interesting points in the history of the city and country. 
 
 Price had mined in Colorado and was quite well acquainted with 
 many of the men in that state, as he seldom forgot either name or 
 face. It was but a short time before several of them appeared at Young's 
 and were spotted by the colonel. Among them was Charlie Taylor, once the 
 president of the Denver Mining Exchange, and a man who had made 
 and lost fortunes at the game. "Charlie" was trying to do all he 
 could to get another start. He was actually down and out. He got 
 acquainted with me, through Price, and asked for a small loan for a 
 short time. I gave him what he required at that particular time, and 
 then he came for some more, which I gladly let him have. Price learned
 
 128 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 of this and said : "You're easy, you will never get that money back." 
 I replied that "the gentleman was an old friend of his, and up against it, 
 and I did not care, as the amount was not large any way." The next 
 I learned of Taylor was through the means of a mining journal. It seems 
 he had gone to New York, was taken sick and died in a hospital the 
 same day that they found a "million dollar chute" in his gold mine. This 
 man had been able to raise large sums of money in mining schemes when- 
 ever needed, prior to this time. No doubt the disappointment at being 
 unable to raise the funds needed, and the fact that he was broke had a 
 tendency to break his nerve so that he could not recover when taken sick. 
 I am glad that I did not refuse him aid. 
 
 Young's hotel is a place where many of the business men of the 
 city hang out. It is, or was, a great place for the old gentlemen who had 
 plenty of money and not much to do to congregate on an afternoon and 
 sample the different grades of liquor that can be found at either of the two 
 bars belonging to the premises. Price had a way with him that was taking 
 with these old gentlemen. He was jolly as could be and a splendid story 
 teller. They would come around with their carriages and take him out for 
 a drive and show him all the sights worth seeing. One of them whose 
 great steamships plowed the proud Atlantic from Boston to the land of 
 limburger, offered him a free passage any time he desired to make this 
 trip. To a man like Price, who was never known to "take water," such 
 an offer was superfluous. Anyway, he never had time that he could 
 spare so that he could take advantage of the offer. As mentioned, L. J. 
 was a noticeable figure. One evening he was setting in the hotel lobby. 
 The summer heat producing that bodily discomfort known as sweat or 
 perspiration, wilting his collars and saturating his handkerchiefs, when a 
 gentleman walked up to him and said: "Say, you ought to get a light 
 suit of clothes and put them on. You are in misery." "Who in the 
 blankety blank are you?" Price asked. The gentleman was a big, fat 
 
 fellow himself and good natured. He replied that his name was 
 
 and a conversation took place which made these gentlemen on intimate terms 
 for the time being. The colonel was invited to a stylish club and en- 
 joyed himself until about midnight, when he came up with the "news" 
 that he had certainly run onto the right fellow this time, as the party 
 was one of the big lumber men of the east, with millions at his com- 
 mand. I never saw the colonel more elated than on this occasion. When 
 we were in the lobby the next morning, I asked him to point the gentle- 
 man out to me, as he had told Price that he was engaged in mining in 
 Arizona and had even made a proposition to him to go and look over 
 the claim and if he reported favorably, he would buy more stock. Of 
 course. Price told him he could not go at that time. It was because 
 of this interest the gentleman had in Arizona that I thought the colonel 
 was really "on." We did not get to see the gentleman for two or three 
 days, but at last the long-looked for event arrived, when the colonel nudged 
 em and said: "There he is." I looked the man over and said: "You
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 129 
 
 \viJl never be able to get a cent out of that man for shares in our mine." 
 
 "You talk like a d n fool; how do you know?" "All right, Lou," 
 
 I replied, "j^ou go to him and tell him what your business is at this time 
 and he will probably never notice you again." Several days afterward 
 the colonel did call the lumber man's attention to the fact that we had 
 something special to offer in the shares in the "Montana Ajax" at fifty 
 cents each, to which he replied: "That he had no money at that time, 
 to invest in mines." That conversation snapped the cord of friendship, 
 tore asunder the ligaments that had held these "Siamese Twins" for a 
 week together, and caused "cold drops" of moisture to perambulate down 
 the colonel's backbone. 
 
 There was much to see in the city of Boston to keep one interested. 
 Both of us were filled with the sentiment that binds the past to the now, 
 and took pleasure in looking over the points of historical prominence. 
 Price had cousins in several of the little towns that are near the city. He 
 would go and make them a visit and leave me to enjoy myself as best I 
 could. I walked into the First National Bank one day and met the 
 president, Mr. Dan Wing, whom I had seen in Dillon several years 
 before. I asked him when he had heard from his uncle. Bob. "Why, 
 Mr. Noyes, he is down at Sandwich now, attending a reunion of the Wing 
 family of America, and I know he would be pleased to see you," he re- 
 plied. I made hurried preparations and caught the train for Sandwich, 
 a little town down near Cap Cod. When the train arrived Bob was 
 there to meet a cousin(?). I jumped off the train and the old fellow 
 saw me and was mighty well pleased. "Hell, Ajax! What are you 
 doing down here?" he asked. "I just came down to see you, Bob," 
 I replied, and then explained how I got my information. Bob's cousin 
 did not come; as we started up the street, he said: "Say, Ajax, a 
 fellow can't get a drink of whisky in this old town to save his life. You 
 never saw anything like it." I attended the "Wing" meet, and enjoyed 
 the evening very much, listening to the papers, speeches and music. I 
 returned to Boston the next day to find that the colonel had returned 
 from some place to which he had gone to see some of his "cousins." The 
 gentleman, mentioned in a preceding page, that we had met the first 
 night, who had said he would buy 1 ,000 shares, came several times to 
 Boston, on his way to New York or Philadelphia. He made Young's 
 his home when in the city and always met us. One day he said: "When 
 are you able to deliver the shares I agreed to take? I want you to know 
 that I meant just what I said and knew what I was talking about when I 
 promised to buy them the first night I met you. As you have not men- 
 tioned the matter since, I thought I would speak about it." I told him 
 that I could turn them over any time. He went to our room and talked 
 the matter over at some length with me and gave me his check for five 
 hundred dollars. This was the first and only money we received in that 
 section of the country. It was impossible to get people interested in Mon- 
 tana mines, or, in fact, any mine. I he Amalgamated had dropped to
 
 130 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 $35.00 per share and other "coppers" were held as of little value. Several 
 of the gentlemen whom we met at Young's were men of money. They 
 owned quite a block of Butte stocks and felt that they were getting the 
 worst of the deal. I do not know what they paid for them, but over 
 $100 per share. I was asked by them what 1 considered the reason to 
 be that these stocks were so low. They wanted to know whether I thought 
 the mines were actually "playing out" or not. My reply was that the 
 matter was simply one of manipulation; that the mines were O. K. and 
 that if they held they would certainly see this stuff go back up the 
 scale. Only a year or two after my surmise was proved right, because 
 this same $35.00 stock went to $1 19. We worked as hard as we could 
 to get people to take hold. Visiting many of the smaller places, among 
 others Worcester, where we put in a week. Our reason for going to Wor- 
 cester was because of the fact that a Mr. Perky, the man who manu- 
 factured the "Shredded Wheat Biscuit," lived there and Colonel Price, 
 as a boy, had studied in his law office. Perky's old law partner was 
 also there, acting as the attorney for the company. Price knew these 
 men and expected some prestige from that fact. We met the gentlemen 
 but received no encouragement from them in a financial way. We met 
 a newspaper man and got a nice write up. No good. TTiis young 
 fellow was a western man and had heard some of the stories connected 
 with "wild cat" schemes. He told us a little story which will give one an 
 idea of how one man worked a mining (?) deal : 
 
 Two young men met at a small hotel in some little place in Iowa. 
 For some reason they made the place headquarters for a month or more. 
 One day one asked the other if he had any money, saying: "If you have, 
 I know how we can make a stake. I have several hundred saved up and 
 we can go out to Colorado, get hold of a prospect of some kind, incor- 
 porate a company and sell mining shares to the 'Rubes'." The young 
 fellow addressed replied that he had a little money, but did not care to 
 risk it in any such way. A year or two afterward, this man happened to 
 return to the same little hotel. The same clerk was yet on duty. The 
 young man asked the clerk if he had ever heard of the "mining promotor" 
 since he left. "Why, sure I have," he said. "That fellow has plenty 
 to live on and is having a good time. He went to Colorado, got hold of 
 a prospect and then went into some college town in Illinois. The first 
 thing he did was to use part of his money in buying a nice driving team, 
 then getting the best rooms in the hotel, he was fixed to have a good time 
 as long as his money lasted. He would go to church, attend any of the 
 little functions to which he might be invited, and held himself up as an 
 exceedingly nice young man. He attended a meeting one evening, called 
 to get financial assistance for the Httle college, made a nice talk and 
 said: 'I have no money at this time to give to this institution, but I will 
 give it something that, in my opinion, will make it one of the best endowed 
 schools of its size in this country. I will give several thousand shares 
 in a mine I am working in Colorado, and if it turns out as well as I expect.
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 131 
 
 it will be a valuable gift.' He turned over the shares to the trustees and 
 returned to the hotel. He did not make any more talk about the mine, 
 simply sawed wood. As he was appearing to have a good time, taking 
 it easy and not working, the people began to enquire about the mine. They 
 would come and ask if he had any shares for sale. He would reply that 
 he did not. They would come agam and actually coa.\ him to let them in 
 on a good thing. He refused to sell any of his, but he had a partner (?) 
 who might sell some. 'Would he write the partner?' 'Yes, he would, 
 and let them know in a few days.' Of course the partner his other self) 
 would sell. In this way he cleaned up nearly $100,000, and left for 
 parts unknown, so far as the bunch of 'Rubes' were concerned." He 
 had never asked them to buy a share. They had simply gotten in on a 
 "Wild Cat" mine, and had the "pictures for their money," as General 
 Chas. S. Warren would say. This kind of mining (?) has been played 
 all over the United States. It is the sharper, the thief, the man who would 
 hold you up and take your money at the point of a gun that will "mine" 
 in this way. He works the ignorant and unsophisticated, and because of 
 the fact that men have made money in buying mining shares, he uses it 
 as an advertisement and inducement to work on them and get their money. 
 It don't make any difference to him who owns the money. It may be the 
 orphan, widow or shop girl, any one. I had occasion to go to a city in 
 the state of Maine, while on this trip. I put up at a little hotel on the 
 waterfront. I carried the gold bars with me, and always gave them to 
 the clerk to have them put in the safe. I set the hand bag on the counter 
 and as the gentleman pulled it off the weight almost jerked the bag from 
 his hand. He said: "Gosh, Mr. Noyes, what have you got in this 
 bag, it almost fell on the floor, it is so heavy?" I showed him the con- 
 tents and explained to him what they were. The next morning I noticed 
 several men sitting in the office, among them a portly old fellow, who 
 answered to the title of "major." The hotel man asked if he could show 
 the gold to the major, as he was a mining man. I told him to go ahead. 
 He took the large brick, six ana two-thirds pounds, avoirdupois, and said: 
 "Major, what do you call this?" at the same time placing it in his hand. 
 The old fellow looked at it a moment and said: "This is a piece of 
 copper," and made several remarks for the enlightenment of his friends on 
 mining matters. I listened to him a few moments, and walked over and 
 said: "Are you a mining man?" "Well, not exactly," he replied. 
 "Have you ever been west of the Mississippi river?" "No." "Did you 
 ever, in fact, see a mine?" I asked. "No." "I thought not. It is 
 quite evident that you don't know anything about metals or you would 
 not have pronounced that copper. Copper is not as heavy as gold by 
 nearly one-half. You arc simply one of these men who go about selling 
 mining shares to people, taking their money for something you never saw 
 and concerning which you do not know a thing." With this parting shot, 
 I took the brick and handed it to the clerk.
 
 1S2 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 Price and myself were in an office in Worcester, Mass. They 
 showed us some ore that came from Mexico ( ? ) . This was a piece of 
 galena, honey-combed and full of gold. They told us that there was 
 fourteen feet of it all like the specimen, and that they only wished to 
 sell a few shares in order to get some money to put up a small mill, etc. 
 "You say that you have fourteen feet of rock all like this?" I asked. 
 "Yes, sir, fourteen feet all like that," he replied. "Let me tell you one 
 thing: If you have that much ore of the kind this looks to be, you 
 don't need anybody to put up one cent, because you could take a mortar 
 and pound out by hand, in a mighty short time, the amount you claim 
 to need," and we left. When we got down to the street, Lou said: 
 "What did you want to say that to that fellow for?" "Just because I 
 felt that way. It is just such fellows that keep the man who has, or 
 thinks he has, a good legitimate prospect from getting a few dollars to 
 help him in his work. That outfit doctored that piece of ore and you 
 and I both know it, and I wanted him to know that I knew it. You 
 hear about the money lost in mining. There is a whole lot lost that way, 
 I will admit, but most of it is lost to the people through the agency of 
 just such robbers and thieves as that firm we just left, who probably never 
 left this city, in their lives, to go farther than Boston or New York. 
 They have specimens they have 'fixed' but no mine," I replied. 
 
 I was sitting in the lobby at Young's one day and a gentleman came 
 and took a seat near me. About the first thing he said was: "You 
 are a western man, aren't you?" I replied in the affirmative. "I thought 
 you were," he said, "and you are here on a mining deal of some kind, 
 are you not?" I told him I was. He then told me the following little 
 experience: "I am from Wyoming and have prospected a whole lot. A 
 few years ago I found a splendid piece of property and proceeded to de- 
 velop it with what means I had. I soon found out that a fellow needed 
 some help in a financial way, so I made up my mind to come to this 
 city. I told my story, but met with mighty poor success. No one cared 
 much, as they could not understand the conditions. They did not believe 
 that a man with a good prospect needed money. 'Why can't you take 
 enough out of the mine, if it is any good, to put you on your feet?' they 
 would ask. I could explain that a mine might have quite a considerable 
 amount of values locked up in it; that one, unaided and alone, could not 
 get out. That it might be located so far from a railroad and in a place 
 that was utterly without roads, hence impossible to get the ore to the mill 
 or smelter, even though it might contain values that would warrant, under 
 ordinary circumstances, that manner of procedure. ITiat many of the 
 best mines in the world; in fact, nearly all of them, needed capital in 
 order to make them pay ; that in the hands of a poor man they would never 
 show any thing. I knew, in my own mind, that I had a good thing, 
 but to get any of these men, with money, to believe in me was hell! 
 God! You can't know how I almost sweat blood in my endeavors to suc- 
 ceed. I could not sleep; I walked the streets night after night, in perfect
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX " 133 
 
 agony. Say! You probably know what it means. I had struggled 
 for years on the burning plains in summer; had almost starved in my at- 
 tempt to find something that would pay; had put in many and many a 
 night alone, far from any home life; had faced the blizzards, endured 
 the almost arctic cold — for what? A prospect that no one would believe 
 in. But when my money was nearly gone; when I felt like throwing my- 
 self into the bay out there and ending everything, I found a man who would 
 listen to me. He went out, looked it over, sampled, assayed and studied 
 conditions, and tonight his son and I leave the old city of Boston for the 
 mountains of Wyoming and my mine, because he found that the pros- 
 pect was much better than I had led him to believe. I hope you will 
 succeed, but I would not go through the same miserable days and nights 
 of hellish torment endured in my struggle for assistance for all the mines 
 in the world." 
 
 I did not get his name and do not know what success he has had. I 
 certainly hope he has made good. Any one who goes through the many 
 hardships that the ordinary prospector does should succeed. When he 
 becomes a prospector he leaves every home comfort and all the joys of 
 social existence for the very questionable chance of finding a paying mine. 
 Only a very small per cent of those who find it have nerve or ability 
 enough to get the help needed to make the prospect into a mine. I know 
 lots of men that found the leads that made Daly, Clark, Mackey, and 
 others, worth millions, who have, in their old age, no place but a pauper's 
 pillow on which to lay their heads, whose coffins will be the cheapest pine 
 box and whose unmarked graves will tell of no achievement, because they 
 lacked the nerve or were not endowed with the ability to get the men 
 with cash to help them "make the mine." I did not meet many Mon- 
 tana men in Boston, although I met, as before mentioned, men who owned 
 shares in the Butte mines. 
 
 Lou Parker of Deer Lodge found us both in Boston and Worces- 
 ter. He was a gentleman very pleasing to meet. I have seen him since 
 in Montana, and also in Los Angeles. He was not successful in his 
 venture in Boston that year. Fourth of July! This grand day came 
 to find me alone in the city. The colonel had found some more of his 
 "cousins," or heard of some more, in a little place near the city and 
 had gone to see them. I knew I would enjoy myself. There would be 
 a great display of fire works on Boston Common. I would take that in 
 as a treat ever to be remembered with pleasure. When evening came, I 
 went to the Commons to find out that that display was not gotten up for 
 my special benefit. Others, in some way, had heard of it, and when I 
 arrived it was to find myself on the outskirts of "skirts," whose head- 
 gear was so high and of such large dimensions that it was utterly impos- 
 sible for me to see any of the fire works; so I retreated to my room the 
 most homesick and disgusted person, probably, in the "Hub." I actually 
 wished that I was out on the "Grasshopper." where I could get one 
 good whiff of sage brush and see a jack rabbit that would be just as
 
 134 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 sociable, in his most active endeavor to get away, as were the people in 
 this immense crowd on Independence Day. Alone in a crowd is worse 
 than being alone, alone. When the colonel came I explained what a 
 grand and glorious day it was and how I sincerely enjoyed the fire works — 
 of my own mind.. As I have said, the colonel was a good story teller. 
 He could enter any crowd and find people who were glad to meet him 
 again, because of his ability to appear jolly and full of fun. One day he 
 told the following story, which he claimed happened to him, or in his 
 presence : 
 
 "I was raised on Prince Edward Island. There was an Irish school 
 teacher who also helped his little salary by going out into various sections 
 of the island and writing insurance or any little thing that would add to 
 his bank account. He was a mighty inquisitive fellow and always wanted 
 to know the why and wherefore of everything. One Saturday he said: 
 'Louis, don't you want to take a drive out in the country with me? You 
 will be handy to hold the horses, and will also get to see more of your 
 native land.' I agreed and he got a team and we started out. About 
 noon we came to a nice looking farm house and my Irish friend asked the 
 lady if we could 'bait' our horses and get something to eat ourselves. She 
 told us to put the horses in the stable, as all the men were busy, and 
 come in and make ourselves comfortable. She was a mighty pretty young 
 woman, neat, tasty and very attractive. When the men came in from the 
 harvest field, there was a big black nigger in the bunch. After they had 
 washed, the dinner being on the table, the coon sat up to the head of the 
 table and invited us to set down and eat. That black fellow was the 
 woman's husband! Atter we were through eating, the coon excused him- 
 self, saying that he was sorry that he could not stay and entertain us, but 
 the harvest was on in full blast and he must attend to it; that we could 
 stay as long as we wished, etc. After he had left the house, the Irish- 
 man said to the lady: 'There is one thing I can't understand. How is 
 it that such a nice looking lady as you are came to marry a colored man?' 
 'Oh, that's an easy question to answer,' she replied, 'my sister disgraced 
 the fatnily and I didn't care what became of myself.' 'Your sister dis- 
 graced the family? In what way, please?' the damned fool asked. 'Oh, 
 she married an Irishman,' was her reply." 
 
 When the colonel got through with his yarn a gentleman said: "I 
 never heard that story in that particular way before, Colonel Price." 
 "Oh, well a fellow has got to have the story originate in some way, you 
 know, so I thought it just as well to have made it a personal experience." 
 This only goes to show that "there is nothing new under the sun," even 
 new(?) stories are chestnuts. 
 
 We left Boston and went to Philadelphia and Norristown. We 
 were unable to do any good in either of those places, I had an old friend 
 in Norristown whom I had met in Wisdom, a Mr. Landis. He was well 
 acquainted with all the business men of the city, and called a little 
 meeting where the colonel and I met and explained what we thought we
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX"' 135 
 
 had. We were too late to interest these people in any mining scheme for 
 the following reason: One of their townsmen, well known to all of them, 
 had gotten hold of a sack of gold nuggets. Going into one of their 
 offices he would say: "I have got something to show you old fellows," 
 and would open the sack and turn these pieces of gold on the desk. Then 
 he would explain that he had found a place where the stuff was in great 
 abundance, but that it required an expenditure of many thousands of 
 dollars to bring water to it for hydraulic purposes. With the nuggets 
 as evidence of the truthfulness of his story, he soon acquired about 
 $100,000, part of which he gave to an Orphan society, and with the 
 balance he was sojourning in Europe — at the time I was trying to induce 
 them to help me. They told me that if it had not been for this man's 
 perfidious conduct they might have helped. This man Landis was a builder 
 and contractor, and in introducing me he said: "I do not know what 
 Noyes has got. I do know this, he thinks he has a good thing and I know 
 he will not lie to us. If the mine is not good, it is simply a mistake of 
 his judgment. I will go in with you men and furnish the money he 
 wants, if you are willing to take a chance." Leaving Norristown and 
 Philadelphia, we returned to Boston via New York, where we stayed a 
 few days without any good results. We got our old room in Boston 
 at the Young's. From this room one could look across the court into the 
 room that Tom Lawson generally used as a banqueting room. We often 
 saw them dining there and were told that that was the nice way of ap- 
 proaching a man for his money ; when his stomach was full and his mind 
 had become befuddled with wine. The day we got ready to leave Boston 
 a party came into the hotel and meeting the colonel, totd him he would 
 take him around and introduce him to Tom Lawson. They went to 
 Tom's place of business, but he was busy. The colonel was told to wait 
 a little while. After waiting for fifteen minutes, he said to a clerk: 
 "How long before I can see Mr. Lawson?" "Can't say, exactly, but 
 it will only be a few minutes," was the reply. The colonel waited a 
 few minutes and again asked the question, to which a similar reply was 
 given. The Colonel said: "You tell Tom to go to hell. My time is 
 just as valuable as his and I won't wait any longer." I don't believe Tom 
 went, because he has written "Frenzied Finance and The Remedy" 
 since. I was much disappointed in Boston, from the standpoint of raising 
 money. I had come with letters of introduction that were from friends 
 in good positions; a friend, Fred Smith, cashier of a prominent Minneap- 
 olis bank, had given me a letter to Frank Curtis, cashier of the First 
 National Bank of Boston. Curtis was a mighty fine gentleman and though 
 very busy, took me to several prominent men, in a financial way, and gave 
 me an introduction. Among others, a Mr. Weeks, the president of the 
 Stock Exchange. He told me that he did not believe that any mining 
 deal could be swung at that time, as the coppers were falling every day. 
 the Amalgamated going as low as $34. He said, however, for mc to go 
 any place I wanted and use his name, and he would stand behind it. He
 
 136 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 was certainly a very agreeable gentleman. (He has since been elected 
 senator from Massachusetts). 
 
 We came to Boston, as before mentioned, on an excursion ticket. 
 These tickets had been deposited at a ticket office. When we went for 
 them. Price said : "We want to stop off at Niagara Falls on our way 
 back," and would like to know what is required to do so. There was 
 no answer from any of the dozen men in the room, not even from the man 
 who was getting our tickets. "Do you understand that we want to stop 
 off at Niagara Falls?" the Colonel again asked. The main guy in the 
 office, a good big fellow, made a very foolish and cranky reply to the 
 question. This made the Colonel pretty warm in the collar, and he said: 
 "Who in hell are you? I came here and asked a civil question for infor- 
 mation, and get a reply not fit to be given to a dog. I will show you that 
 there are other people living in this world besides railroad men. You 
 don't own all the earth by a whole lot, and I will prove it to you in about 
 a minute," and the Colonel was making determined efforts to climb over 
 the counter and I was holding on his coat, whispering to go slow. Mr. 
 "Headman" noticed he had raised the ire of my huge friend and he came 
 down from his "high horse" and apologized, to the evident amusement 
 of all the clerks present. When the clerk came back with the tickets he 
 explained what we had to do in order to stay over; Price said: "Thank 
 you; if you had replied as kindly to my first question there would have 
 been no disturbance. You must remember that people who travel do not 
 know as much as the railroad people concerning some things, and they need 
 a little information once in a while." 
 
 Well, we were now ready to leave old Boston. We had enjoyed 
 some of the things we saw, but had not been able to swell our bank ac- 
 count. We only intended to go as far as Chicago, and work in and 
 about that city for a while. On the train we met a gentleman, an editor 
 of a prominent paper in Buffalo, N. Y. We were detained at the east 
 end of the Hoosick tunnel for quite a little while, and this gentleman 
 entered into conversation with Colonel Price. He pointed out, in the 
 distance, a place said to have been the birthplace of Marshall Field, and 
 told that Field, as a boy, had hired out to clerk for a little country mer- 
 chant, but at the end of the first month was sent home with this word: 
 "Marshall may make a farmer, he will never make a merchant." Con- 
 versation never runs long in the same channel, or on the same subject, and 
 it did not take a long time for this gentleman to take us to the exposition 
 at Chicago, thence to the Nile, Damascus, and the "Tomb of Our 
 Savior." He described many of the oriental customs, and told, in partic- 
 ular of an experience he had at Damascus. It appears that the merchants 
 in those countries solicit your trade in a manner that is not at all agree- 
 able to an American. He was being pulled and hauled about in a way 
 that was fast becoming disgusting, when a young man stepped up and said : 
 "This gentleman agreed, if he ever came to Damascus, to come to my 
 place of business, and I presume that there is where he wishes to go now."
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 137 
 
 I was much surprised to hear him make the remark, but found that I 
 had actually met him in Chicago and had promised to call on him if I 
 ever came to his city. This was a remarkable feat of memory it appeared 
 to me. After he had explained what he had seen, in various places, he 
 told of the "Holly City." Price asked him what he thought of Jesus 
 Christ. "Well, my friend. I hardly know what to say, but, for 1800 
 years the influence of that man has been felt. Preach His name in the 
 cannibal islands of the sea ; tell the Bushmen of Australia 'The Story' and 
 you are safe from their barbarities. No one has had so much influence 
 for good in all the ages, so there is much for us to consider in forming 
 an opinion." At last we arrived at Niagara Falls. We took in every 
 thing of interest, went on a ride down the gorge and had a good time in 
 general. We took particular pains to go through the "Shredded Wheat 
 Biscuit Plant," as the man Perky was an old friend of the colonel's. As 
 we were very anxious to reach Chicago, we left Niagara as soon as pos- 
 sible. On the train we met a gentleman who was engaged in manufac- 
 turing in Detroit; he thought it possible for us to do some business in that 
 city and wanted us to get off there, but as our tickets were good as far 
 as Chicago we concluded to go on. We landed O. K. in Chicago and 
 went to see Harry Hull, a former school teacher at Dillon, who was now 
 engaged in the mining game. He had taken over the Toledo mine at 
 Sheridan, Montana, and had succeeded in getting quite a lot of money 
 with which to develop it. There was no one with whom he could put us 
 in touch, so we went. Price to Detroit and I to Laporte. Dr. Harvey 
 Martin, a brother-in-law of my cousin W. A. Stanchfield, had been in 
 Montana and had, that summer, visited the Ajax and was much impressed 
 with it. The fact is, he had not returned to Laporte when I got there, 
 so I came to the conclusion to go down and help the Colonel at Detroit. 
 We did not fly very high in that city, living in a second class hotel. 
 Price had been introduced to the club of which the gentleman before re- 
 ferred to was a member; he had made quite a lot of friends, but no one 
 that had money to invest could be found. Newbro, the "Herpicide" 
 man, formerly of Butte, called with some of these gentlemen, presumably 
 to see if we were what we pretended to be. We were nearly two weeks 
 in Detroit. On our arrival in Laporte we found Dr. Martin had just 
 returned from Montana. We tried to get people in that section interested 
 so that they would buy some shares, but were not successful. Dr. Martin 
 at last agreed to stand behind me for money at his home bank, so that we 
 could go ahead and enlarge the mill. This was indeed kindly aid. We 
 had tried all kinds of argument in the various places we had visited, with 
 the people who were kind enough to listen. Price tells a little story on me. 
 He said: "I got up early one morning in Worcester, Mass., and called 
 Al. He did not respond, so I opened the door to his room and found 
 that he had gone. I was somewhat worried, as he had never done anything 
 like that before, so. before breakfast. I started out to see if I could find 
 him. In all those eastern cities they have a monument in a public square
 
 138 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 to commemorate the valliant services of the citizens that died to uphold the 
 flag on the battlefield, or in the fights with an enemy on the sea. The 
 one at Worcester was a large granite shaft, if I remember correctly, with 
 four life size figures, one at each corner of the pedestal. I do not know 
 what lead me, but I soon came in sight of this monument and saw Al 
 shaking his head and working both arms at once. I stepped up behind 
 him and overheard him say: 'You fellows will never regret it if you take 
 a few shares in the Ajax at the present prices.' I tapped him on the 
 shoulder and said: 'You fool, those fellows are made out of stone.' He 
 turned on me with some heat and replied: 'I don't care a damn what 
 they are made out of; they are the first fellows that I could find in this 
 city that would stand and listen to my story of the Ajax, so I propose 
 to talk to them. You git!' " 
 
 As before stated, it was not an easy matter to get people to listen. 
 I made several trips to Michigan City, while at Laporte, to try and interest 
 people there. Dr. Frank Martin introduced me to many, but my "story" 
 was not strong enough to convince them. Dr. Martin said: "Noyes, you 
 don't lie enough. They expect wonderful things and are only ready to 
 believe the fabulous concerning a mine. You should not tell them that 
 there is a possibility of any loss; only sure gain." I was walking along 
 the streets of Michigan City one day and I met a lady with a little 
 club-footed child, a little, pleasant-faced girl. She was about three or 
 four years of age and put me to thinking of my little grand-child back in 
 Montana. I simply wanted to do something for her. I told Dr. Harvey 
 Martin that I did not have any money, but that I would give 1 ,000 
 shares of Ajax stock to any one that would effect a cure. She was 
 found and the Martin Brothers operated on her and helped her ma- 
 terially. I have often thought, and feel thankful for it, that the old 
 Ajax was the means of doing some good in the world to others, even 
 though she greased the "toboggan slide" for me. 
 
 The day came when the Colonel and I were to separate; he to stay 
 and do all he could, I to go back to Montana and begin the enlargement 
 of the mill. I took money enough to pay my way to Dillon and gave him 
 the rest (which was none too much). On my way home, in North Dakota, 
 I met McKenzie, the big politician of that state, and who is said to have 
 been one of the characters in Rex Beach's book "The Spoilers." I 
 landed in Dillon early Sunday morning, and as Mrs. Noyes and the chil- 
 dren would come in from the lanch that day, I had to rustle some 
 groceries, meat, etc. When going home I met Morse, who 
 was very much surprised to see me, as I had not written that I 
 would be back so soon. He went to my house with me and began to 
 question me as to results. I explained just what had been done and that 
 I should go ahead and put five more stamps in the mill. He heard me 
 through and then said: "Al Noyes, we're broke! And I will tell you 
 one thing that will break us, and that is the $6,000 we owe on the 
 Ajax ranch. Those fellows want it and want it right now, and we can't
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 139 
 
 get it." I looked at him a moment and began to laugh. He said: 
 "What do you see in our present condition to laugh about. I tell you 
 we are in a mighty bad position, and I myself do not see any way out of 
 it." "Well, Morse," I replied, "I do not look at this matter as you do. 
 We are not going broke. I can get that $6,000 inside of 10 days.' 
 "You can't do any such a thing, and you know it," he said. "All right, 
 we won't worry about that until the time comes. I will take it on my- 
 self to raise that money so that we will not have any trouble along that 
 score," I replied. "It is all right for you to talk the way you do, but 
 you know as well as I that we are in a mighty bad fix, and that there is 
 no way to keep from going to pieces," he said. "Now, look here, J. E., 
 I want to tell you something that you have probably overlooked. It 
 is quite possible that I may not be able to pull out of the financial trouble 
 I am in ; but you need not worry one moment as to yourself, because the 
 banks would not allow you to go broke. Did you ever take into con- 
 sideration the effect it would have on Beaverhead county if J, E. Morse 
 were to go broke? Probably you have not, but I have, as it would break 
 almost every man in the county that was at all in debt. The banks 
 know this, and they will never call on you until you are ready ; all you 
 need is a stiff upper lip, and you will come out O. K." Mrs. Noyes 
 and the children came about noon, and Morse came back in the afternoon 
 to talk to me about conditions. He turned to Mrs. Noyes and said: "Al 
 is so full of enthusiasm that it does me good to talk to him; he really 
 does fill one with hope, even though things do not look the brightest." 
 We did need the $6,000 to pay the Butte bank and I set out to find 
 where it was to come from, as it was up to me to make good. I wrote 
 to Dr. Martin and explained matters, and he found a friend of his that 
 would advance the money if I was not able to get it nearer home. Armed 
 with this letter I went to Butte. I called on Jim Forbis and asked him if 
 he knew where a person could get $6,000. "$6,000! Why, Al Noyes, 
 if I wanted that much money, I do not know where I could go in the 
 city of Butte, even though I was to put up this business block (a three- 
 story brick near the Thornton hotel) to get it." I had in mind 
 S. & B. with whom I had done business before, and went 
 to them. B. went with me to the bank, where we had 
 quite a long talk with the banker. We started back to the office of 
 S. & B. and I told B. that I was perfectly independent; 
 that it was up to him to do business with me and do it 
 quick or not at all, as I had a letter from Laporte, Indiana, saying 
 that the money would be wired me any time I called for it. B. did 
 not take time to go into his office, but said: "We will go back down to 
 that bank and I will sign you a check," which he did. Walking up Main 
 street a few minutes after I met Jim Forbis, and told him that I had 
 made the rustle. His reply was: "Al Noyes, you must be a dandy if 
 you can come up here and get that much money in a day, the way things 
 are." You must remember the copper stocks were very low and hence
 
 140 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 not much enthusiasm in Butte. I reached home that evening and re- 
 ported my success to Morse, who was very well pleased over the result. 
 
 It became necessary to find some stamps that could be had for a 
 reasonable amount. This work fell to me. I soon found where these 
 could be had, if they were in good condition, at a point down in Idaho, 
 where a quartz mill had been burned. I made the trip down there and 
 found everything in fairly good shape. It was then up to me to find a 
 millwright that really knew how to put up a stamp mill. An old gentle- 
 man, Thomas White Fisher, was recommended as first class in his line. 
 I got him to meet me in Butte, when we talked the matter over, with the 
 result that he agreed to do the work, asking that he could fetch a man 
 to help him do the framing. We soon had these men on the ground, 
 where they were to get timbers ready while the little five stamp mill was 
 to make its last run. As the weather was very nice during the fall, I 
 got Mr. Roe to make the trip to the mine with me, as he was our banker, 
 and had also had more or less experience in mining, having been West 
 since 1 862. He was a man on the shady side of 60, and stood the 
 trip as well or better than many younger ones. While he did not say 
 anything, I could tell that he was very much pleased with what he saw. 
 I spent part of my time at the ranch, as I was very anxious to get rid of 
 our hay. We did not have many cattle on hand, and did have a nice lot 
 of hay. We certainly needed the money mighty bad. On my birthday, 
 December 2, I arrived at the ranch to find a representative of Mrs. 
 Marcus Daly, who wanted what hay I could spare. I sold him $4,400 
 worth and sent the money or check to J. E. This, he said, was the biggest 
 piece of money he ever saw in his life, not that it was in fact, but it came 
 at a time of need. "Mother," Len and the boys had had full charge 
 of the ranch that season, and it was not an easy matter to run it, as money 
 was mighty hard to get with which to pay the men. Strowbridge had done 
 all he could with the store money, credit, etc., to help both ranch 
 and mine, and it was a mighty up-hill proposition. As it was not easy 
 to keep a cook at the lower camp, I got Edna to go up and attend to that 
 for us. Little Charlie was only eight months old and the cabin was not 
 the most agreeable one in the world. Picture to yourself the tall, over- 
 hanging mountains covered with snow; see a low log cabin surrounded by 
 evergreens that made it none too light, even in the most agreeable and 
 sunny weather; think of the fierce winds that hurled the light snows 
 of an early winter around your abode until the great drifts were almost up 
 to the eaves, and the snow covered the roof three or four feet deep. 
 Here, in one room, a home was to be made for three or four people, 
 while the provisions were also stored and the kitchen, dining and bed 
 room was all in one; then, to cap it all, a little baby in its mother's arms, 
 became sick unto death. He had been sick for several days and I had 
 sent his father for the doctor, 28 miles away. I was at the mill when 
 some of the men came rushing up the hill to tell me they thought the 
 baby was dying. I went to the cabin, and the little fellow was stiff in
 
 THE STORY OF 'AJAX' 141 
 
 its mother's arms. Convulsive sobs rung her frame, and with tears stream- 
 ing down her face she said: "Papa, my baby is dying, what can we 
 do?" I found a httle whisky, made a toddy and gave it to him, and in 
 a few moments he came out of his convulsions, broke out into profuse 
 perspiration and in a few moments was nursing, something he had not done 
 for several days. In the meantime, I had dispatched two of the men, 
 Harry Kanute, and some one else, to go and hurry up the doctor. One was 
 to go via the ranch, the other by Fox's. These boys made record time, 
 arriving at Wisdom, 28 miles over snow roads, in two hours and fifty 
 minutes, the first 1 1 miles in 55 minutes. The doctor and Len had not 
 started, but they soon were on the road and changing horses at the 
 ranch, where Mart Houston was on the watch for them, they soon got to 
 the mill, to find the baby much improved. I requested the doctor to stay 
 until the baby was out of danger. In a couple of days he told me that he 
 could hold out no encouragement for ultimate recovery. I got Jimmy 
 Milne to take a team and rush to Dillon for Mrs. Noyes. He could 
 phone from Grey's, and did so. She got a team at Anderson Bros.' to take 
 her to that place and Jimmy brought her through to the mine in one day, 
 where she arrived about midnight. That day, just before dinner, I was 
 on the cabin shoveling off the snow when the doctor came out and said: 
 "The child can't possibly last through the day." I called to Harry 
 Kanute, who was hauling logs, and told him to put his team in the stable, 
 as we would start for the valley as soon as the baby died. I turned to 
 the doctor and asked if there was nothing else he could do. He said: 
 "I can try one more thing, but can't offer any encouragement whatever, 
 Noyes." He tried and the baby lived and is alive today, eleven years 
 after, but he has been deaf and dumb ever since. 
 
 I could not draw a pen picture that would give one any idea of the 
 worry, misery, despondency and gloom that filled the little low log cabin, 
 banked high with snow, on the head of Big Swamp creek those days when 
 little Charles' life hung on such a slender thread. It was a relief when 
 "Mother" came. She brought the knowledge and care of a tender nurse. 
 We had been working hard, with a full force, to build a new cabin 
 near the mill that would, at least, have some semblance of comfort. This 
 was completed and the baby was moved there, where, in the sunshine that 
 came in at the south windows, he began to grow strong. "Mother" and 
 the children returned to Dillon and we continued with our work. I do 
 not know the date when we dropped the stamps in the large mill. It did 
 not take but a short time to find that she would eat up a lot of rock. 
 We needed miners and I had to go to Butte for some; many of them 
 did not prove any good, as it is almost impossible to find a miner in one of 
 the large camps that can go in an outside camp and do good work. The 
 mill men said: "Send down more ore." The miners were sore and they 
 did not send the clean stuff, much of the countiy rock found its way to the 
 ore bin. to be thrown to one side, or if put through, to cut down values. 
 Ducharmc did the amalgamating, I om Landers did the assaying. Uncle 
 
 \
 
 142 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 Will Stanchfield was foreman, Hugh McGarry was shift boss. We had 
 ore teams to haul the ore from the mine to tha lower tramway. We had 
 to haul concentrates to Wisdom. The road to the mine was along 
 the side of a steep mountain. The winds would fill the tracks as a general 
 thing as soon as one was over. The road that began on the grade kept 
 climbing the mountain until it was at least ! 00 feet higher than when we 
 began. The ends of the single trees marked the trees 1 5 and 20 feet 
 high on account of the deep snow. It was a mighty disagreeable job 
 to break a road through eight feet of snow in order to get cord wood, 
 but this must be done. I have said that the mill men called for more 
 ore, but the miners did not appear to be able to furnish it. Wilber E. 
 Sanders, a mining man, a son of Senator Sanders, had been doing some 
 work on Steele creek, on the Maynard Bros. & Clifford's mine. He had 
 installed an electric drill, which proved a success. As the Maynards could 
 not accept the price he offered (which was a long one), he left the 
 Basin and they got all the machmery. I came to the conclusion that I 
 would buy this machine and install it in the Ajax, providing I could make 
 satisfactory terms with them. I called on them, and they said I could 
 take the outfit and if it worked, I could pay them $1,000 for it, or I 
 could return it and reinstall it in their mine in as good a condition as when 
 I found it. With such an understanding, I sent my men for it, and 
 went on to Dillon on another matter of business. I returned in a day or 
 two to Wisdom and found that they had come to the conclusion not to 
 let me have it until they received the cash. Cash! Gosh! Where 
 was I to get the cash? I made up my mind to see "mother" and see if 
 she would agree to sell our home. She did and soon finding a buyer, I 
 took my thousand dollars and returned to Wisdom and sent the teams 
 again to the Maynard Bros, and got the machine. In the meantime, 
 merry hell had been going on at the mine. The drivers had gone on a 
 strike or become dissatisfied and quit, and the whole outfit was tied up. 
 Then, to cap it all, one of the most fearful snow storms of the season 
 came and blocked the road so we could not get the electric drills up, even 
 though we had sold our home for money with which to buy them (and 
 they never were installed). I got the teamsters back and we began 
 operations again, the best we could. I wrote to Morse that we could not 
 possibly make a success of the thing in the way we were working it, and 
 that we had better shut it down. We could not "let go," especially at 
 that season of the year, and must keep up appearances. We kept on 
 until April 1st, or a Httle after, losing about $10 for every one we were 
 making. You could take a candle and go into the drift and see the gold 
 with the naked eye, and yet we could not make it pay. The "run" that 
 we had made did not come up to our expectations. We did not know 
 what to do. We thought we might be able to sell some shares at a low 
 price and put in an aerial tram and this would help to make a success, 
 in fact, would make one. When I got back to Dillon, Morse happened to 
 meet me and we sat down and had a long "medicine talk." J. E. said:
 
 TUB STORY OF "AJAX" 143 
 
 "Al Noyes, if any one had told me eight or nine months ago that you 
 and I would be doing business now, I would not have believed it." We 
 sat there for hours, planning what we could do. His outside interests, 
 sheep and Birchdale ranch, was helping him to keep up and there was a 
 prospect of selling the Birchdale and Mantle ranches for enough money 
 to put him on easy street. Not one thing appeared on the horizon to help 
 "mother" and me. Unless the Ajax did pay, we could not see our way out. 
 We had played for big stakes and the cards seemed to run against us. 
 We had sold the Wisdom Mercantile company, we had sold our Dillon 
 property, and all had gone into the maw of the Ajax. We proposed to 
 give Morse all our interest in ranch and mine and walk off if he would 
 pay the debts. He did not accept the offer, as he said he did not see 
 how he would be any better off without than with us. So we agreed to 
 stay and do the best we could. 
 
 In the meantime. Colonel Price had been in the east selling and 
 trying to sell stock in the mine. He sent us several dollars that came at an 
 opportune time. He was from home thirteen months and made a sacrifice 
 of his own business to help us. For some reason, I could not give up the 
 thought that the mine could be made to pay. I wanted some development 
 work done and let a contract to Jack Walker, a former tool sharpener of 
 the mine, and a friend of his. They, in fact, took a lease on the mine and 
 we were to start up the mill. They ran a cross-cut and found a nice 
 body of galena ore. They also stoped quite a lot between No. 1 and No. 
 2 tunnels. Something happened so we did not start the mill that season, so 
 we paid the boys for the work done. We did quite a lot of representing 
 on some claims, extensions of the Ajax, on the Idaho side of the range, 
 also hired Joe Matt and Emil Klein to work on No. 4, a cross-cut to 
 strike the ore at the lowest exposed place on the vein. These men put 
 in a long, lone winter and spring, at this work. They tapped the lead at 
 2 1 feet, and found a good sized body of low grade ore. One can not 
 get an idea what two men go through that live, as they did, on the top of 
 a mountain range when the snow was piled up about the cabin so that the 
 sunlight would be excluded for days at a time, and when the roads were 
 impassable to any one except with snow shoes. These two men were 
 good workers. They were particular friends when they began, and when 
 they quit, bitter, life-long enemies. They would work all day, go to the 
 cabin at night, get their meal and speak no word. They had some 
 reading matter that they conned over and over that kept them from going 
 "bugs." About this time my uncle, Thos. H. Hamilton, of Horse Prairie, 
 died. Owing to some misunderstanding he had had with his daughter, 
 Mrs. Addie Smyington of Long Beach, Cal., he gave her but one dollar, 
 the remainder of his property he left to his wife, Mrs. M. J. Hamilton, 
 my mother's sister. I had not been able to get money with which to 
 buy cattle to feed my hay. Governor White had been our banker, for 
 our stock business, but owing to our inability to make good m the mine, he 
 could not see his way clear to continue the loans, especially as I owed
 
 144 THE STORY OF "AJAX' 
 
 him about $13,000. White had been running the Highland ranch, a 
 pieec of property that belonged to White, Norris, Morse and myself. He 
 had bought up quite a lot of young steers and could not sell all, so needed 
 some place to winter those not saleable. The governor has always been 
 a man that has obtained a large amount of information either at first 
 or second hand. He was always, in my day, asking questions of one's 
 neighbors as to the exact condition of one's ranch and business, so far 
 as said neighbor might know or guess. This particular fall he was to 
 go to the Highland, deliver some cattle to people to whom he had sold 
 and then try and find a place for the rest. As I had lots of hay I in- 
 vited him over. As he was sitting conversing with me on different things 
 pertaining to our business, he said: "How many cattle have you, Noyes?" 
 
 "About 650 head," was my reply. "Why, I asked when I 
 
 was coming in the other day and he said you had about 350 head." 
 "Well, Governor, may be that is all we have. Some of my neighbors 
 have always known a damn sight more about my business than I have 
 myself. We will call it 350 head," I said. "They also tell me, 
 
 Jake , for instance, that your cattle are run down, inbred ; that 
 
 you have not been caring for them lately; how is that?" By this time I 
 was pretty warm in the collar and replied that that was so; that the 
 stuff was actually no good, but that I could not help myself. "You say 
 that you want to feed some of my cattle, Noyes. I don't see where you 
 would have pasture for them if you have some of your own and also 
 some of Morse's in your field now, and you know the stuff must be 
 moved, as the grass is no good on the Highland," he said. 
 
 I had a very fine span of buggy horses, Paddy and Dewey, also a 
 top buggy, so I said. "Governor, would you like to take a ride down in 
 our field and see the actual conditions, so that you need not depend on 
 hearsay?" "Yes," he said. I got the team and we drove to the fields. 
 Here and there were beautiful whiteface cows with calves, big, wide and 
 fat as butter, perfect pictures. "Say, Noyes, why don't you sell that fat 
 cow?" he would ask. "Why, Governor, that cow is suckling a calf 
 just now and I don't like to let her go," I replied. "You don't tell 
 me that that big calf, a yearling I would call it, is sucking do you?" 
 "Yes, Governor," I replied, "that is one of those 'inbred' calves that are 
 no good" The old gentleman looked through the herd and about the 
 fields where acres and acres of fine grass was standing, and then he 
 said: "Noyes, you have a much more valuable ranch than I supposed. 
 Why, you could pasture 2,000 more stock than you have now until 
 Christmas, couldn't you?" "Yes, Governor, I can. What do you 
 think of the 'inbreds'?" He replied that he had never seen as nice a 
 bunch of cattle any place before. The long and short of it was, he 
 gave me a bunch of steers to feed that winter. As stated before, Hamil- 
 ton only left one dollar to Addie, so she proceeded to bring suit to break 
 the will. As it was necessary for my aunt to go to Los Angeles, in order 
 to get some required information, she requested me to go with her, she
 
 .\ 
 
 \ 
 
 ^f%ifK.j 
 
 WHITEFACE
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 145 
 
 to pay my expenses. I agreed to go, but did not have a cent that I could 
 use for incidentals, so asked my brother Will for $ 1 00, which he gave 
 me, although it was about all he had. We made the trip in February and 
 I, in a way, enjoyed myself, as the change from 32 below at Wisdom to 
 the orange-scented groves of southern California was exceedingly marked. 
 "Mother" went to Dillon and stayed with some friends, while Jakey Louk 
 took charge of the ranch in my absence, with my old friend, Bob Mc- 
 GDnnell, as cook. Jake had Joe Matt and Fred Kyle as assistants. We 
 gathered all the information needed in the case and later on it was 
 settled out of court by my aunt giving Addie $3,000. Soon after I got 
 back I received a letter from the governor, saying he would like to have 
 me make a payment on the account. I was not at all particular to 
 continue business along such lines, so I made up my mind to sell the White 
 Faces and pay the governor. I happened to meet my old friend, Joe 
 Toomey, the next time I went to Wisdom and in a conversation with him 
 I expressed a wish to sell our cattle. "Why, you don't mean that you 
 want to sell your White Faces, do you, Al?" he asked. "Just exactly 
 what I want to do, Joe," I replied. "Well, if that's the case," he said, 
 "I can soon find a buyer for you. Walker will take them in a hurry." 
 D. D. Walker soon hunted me up and asked if I really wanted to sell 
 the cattle. I replied that I did, and he made an appointment with me 
 to look them over. 
 
 To those who have no sentiment, the fact of disposing of a herd 
 of cattle would have no terror. To me, a person full of sentiment, there 
 was an ache, a pain so full and deeply felt that it was excruciating. I 
 had built up, worked for and with that bunch of cattle until I knew them 
 all. They were pets and it was my hobby to have a fine bunch of 
 cattle. But when the banker calls for his bond to be fulfilled, for his 
 pound of flesh, no matter if it be next the heart, you must meet his call. 
 Walker bought the cattle and afterward told Strowbridge that they were 
 the nicest herd of cattle he had ever seen in one large bunch in his life. 
 (Poor D. D. soon after died and never got any personal benefit out of 
 his purchase). I called on the governor and paid him in full, and told 
 him that I did not want any more of his money to do business on if I 
 had to dance to his music. 
 
 I wrote a letter to E. J. Bowman of the Daly Bank and Trust Co., 
 Anaconda, and explained that I wanted money, but that unless he could 
 carry us for $20,000.00 to $30,000.00 he needn't answer the communi- 
 cation. A few days brought a reply from him, saying: "I guess we can 
 fix the matter all right; come down and see me, Noyes." He very kindly 
 let me have what money I needed, and I went to Salmon and purchased 
 twelve to fourteen hundred head of cattle from Edwards. Shoup and 
 others. These cattle were bought right, but even then they did not make 
 much money. I made up my mind to try the Ajax once more, so after the 
 haying was done in 1905, I got Tom Landers to run the mill and with a 
 small force to get the ore down, we began. Mrs. Noyes would go up and
 
 146 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 do the cooking at the mill while I would assume general supervision of the 
 whole outfit. The weather was anything but agreeable at that season of 
 the year. I wished to get ore from all the tunnels, 2, 3 and 4. It was 
 surely heart-breaking work, but the men went up against the blizzards 
 without a murmur. We must have been up there at least six weeks before 
 we made our clean-up, though we were not running the mill all the time. 
 Our "brick" was worth about $1 160.00. I had an idea that it would 
 be wise to sell shares for 121/2 cents, until we could raise enough to put 
 in the aerial tramway. I went to Butte and happened into the office of 
 Jno. F. Forbis, to whom I showed the result of our last run. Fred Green, 
 a well known engineer, who had seen the property, was called in and gave 
 John a very encouraging report as to what he had seen. John called in 
 some of the other gentlemen connected with the Amalgamated company, 
 also Geo. Casey, and made me a statement as to what they would do. 
 This was accepted by Mr. Morse and myself, and Tom Landers was 
 engaged to take charge of the work. It is no easy matter to get stuff 
 from Butte to the Ajax mine late in the fall or early winter. We made 
 up our minds to expend part of the money in the erection of a telephone 
 line from the ranch house to mine. This was not an easy thing by any 
 means, as part of it had to be constructed through thick timber with the 
 snow almost up to the middle. The line was finished about Christmas and 
 the men were ready to commence on No. 4. Work progressed as rapidly 
 as one could expect when the snow slides, storms, etc., were to be taken 
 into consideration. Mrs. Landers and her two little girls took charge of 
 the kitchen and put in all of that long winter, and could not get out until 
 spring. The 'phone was a means of making the place less lonely than 
 it had ever been before. The ore encountered did not satisfy the people 
 whom Mr. Forbis had taken in and as soon as the money was expended 
 the mine closed down. This was to be the last act, so far as I was 
 concerned, in trying to do anything with the Ajax. 
 
 We had the Ajax ranch and we had too many debts. The load was 
 more than I wanted to carry, and I was anxious to free myself of part of 
 it, so I made up my mind to sell if I could find a buyer. We did not 
 appear to be able to get any one to take the whole thing, so I made up 
 my mind to sell the lower end of it, or 1,748 acres. I found in Wm. 
 Montgomery the man I was hunting for, and sold for eleven dollars per 
 acre. This was, no doubt, foolish, but, given the same conditions, I would 
 do the same thing. Mr. Morse did not take kindly to this change in our 
 business, but did not object seriously. We purchased the Tom Low place 
 and continued together until he was fortunate enough to make a turn in 
 one of his ranch deals that placed him so far ahead of that hydra-headed 
 monster, debt, that he had no objection when I again approached him 
 with the proposition that he should take all and pay all, and that I would 
 begin once more at the lower round of the ladder. 
 
 It was on the 28th day of May, 1 907, that I sold Will Montgomery 
 the "Heart" of the Ajax ranch, twenty-five years, to a day, since I had
 
 X 
 
 o 
 
 CO 
 
 «5 
 
 • r 
 > O 
 
 § m 
 
 H 
 > 
 O 
 tn
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX- 147 
 
 come to the valley. Those twenty-five years had meant much to me. They 
 had carried all of hope, all of success, at last a dismal failure. Out into 
 the world with nothing to do with and with hardly a word of encourage- 
 ment. Is it any wonder that it struck a note of discord in a nature once so 
 optimistic; that it made me feel that man is nothing, no matter how he may 
 have lived, when the check book has lost its cunning and the dollars have 
 taken wings and flown away? And the Dream? All the years I must 
 have been walking in my sleep to awake and find it had all been a foolish 
 nightmare. And again I see, as in a dream, the grand old mouatain 
 peaks that hold deep down beneath their frozen forms the gold I tiuntcd 
 for, the wealth I sought. They stand as monuments to mark the spot of 
 my dead hopes. 
 Farewell. 
 
 A Little Big Hole History. 
 
 Captain Clark and party passed through in 1 806, and called it 
 Hot Spring valley, on account of the spring on Warm Spring creek. 
 They gave as full a description as has ever been written of the place. 
 They ate their dinner where Jackson is, July 7th. It would only be 
 conjecture to say that Bonneville ever saw the valley. It is too bad that 
 we do not know the exact date when Emanuel Martin, the Mexican, first 
 passed through the Big Hole. Judge Woody says that it was between 
 1850 and 1854. This man took the first wagon to the Bitter Root and 
 went there via the "Big Hole Prairie," as the place was then called. That 
 the section was called Big Hole only goes to prove that trappers must 
 have been there before Martin and after Clark. The road was on the 
 west side of the valley. It is unfortunate for us that the trappers did not 
 keep any record or diary. 
 
 A man by the name of Van Etton went through the valley in 1856. 
 He had two ox teams and was on his way from Utah to Bitter Root. With 
 him came Judge Frank H. Woody of Missoula, and Robert Hereford, 
 the first assessor of Lewis & Clark county, a man well known in Alder 
 gulch in early days. In my quest for early history of "Big Hole 
 Prairie," I find that Lieut. Mullan was there Dec. 4th and 5th, 1853, 
 and passed over into the Grasshopper valley, "by an excellent wagon 
 road." He made a note that the west side of the Big Hole was covered 
 with six inches of snow while there was none on the east. I have also 
 found out that Dr. Click was the first doctor probably ever in the 
 valley, as he mined in Pioneer for a short time, just before Bannack was 
 struck in 1 862. 
 
 Mike Steele told me that a man by the name of Woods discovered 
 gold in Pioneer, or Ruby as it is called now, in 1862, before Bannack was 
 found. Granville Stuart says: "Jack Slack and party came via the 
 north fork of the Salmon and made the first discovery in what is now 
 known as Beaverhead county." I have been told that the use of the name 
 "Jack Slack" was only another way of saying "we do not know," or a
 
 148 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 myth, in fact. French was discovered in 1865. In August, 1869, Mike 
 Steele, Ed Boyle and Barney McDonnell found pay on Steele creek and 
 began to mine. Doolittle, a squaw man, had a cabin in the early '70's on 
 Doolittle creek. He had a few head of cattle, but did not become a per- 
 manent settler. Cattlemen from Deer Lodge, Beaverhead and Horse 
 Prairie valleys used the Big Hole as early as I 874 for summer pasture. 
 Battle of the Big Hole, August 9, 1877. 1880, Chase, Hammer and 
 the Barker brothers put up hay for Joe Ketchen, no doubt the beginning 
 of actual settlement of the valley. That same season the Williams 
 brothers, old freighters, cut hay on what is now called "Squaw creek." 
 This creek was called "Jurd's creek" for one of the brothers. The real 
 Squaw creek is the one afterward settled on by Geo. Mudd, and on the 
 north side of the river. The Gregson brothers of Gregson Springs put 
 up hay for their cattle that same fall, and Phil Evans, father of Con- 
 gressman Jno. M. Evans, put up hay and sent in a band of sheep, the 
 first sheep in the Big Hole, in care of Nat Evans. This man, Nat 
 Evans, was one of the riders in the great long distance race run in Deer 
 Lodge in 1870 between Col. Thornton's "Bay Billy" and Hank Val- 
 iton's "Lizzard." This race was for 60 miles, won by the Lizzard in 
 a little over four hours. Williams Bros., Evans and the Gregsons 
 got enough of the valley, or its long winter, the first year and pulled out, 
 never to return. 
 
 As the Barker brothers were only in on the Ketchen hay in I 880, 
 
 they did not come back, but Chase, Jake Hammer and Milton Jones cut 
 
 hay in 1 88 1 , and Allen Pierse undertook to run sheep. David Law 
 
 was in care of the band. Allen pulled out as he did not consider it a good 
 
 place for sheep business. Mr. and Mrs. James Woods lived in the valley 
 
 in 1881, or stayed, rather, during the winter, as "Jim" was feeding 
 
 cattle for James Maxwell. Jake Hammer, Milton Jones, Jared Chase and 
 
 E. O. Packard put in the winter of 1881-2. A. J. Noyes and Hattie 
 
 M. Noyes settled where the town of Wisdom is, June 1st, 1882. Wm. 
 
 Frasier and family came about June 1 0th, 1 882. Chase, Jake Hammer, 
 
 Milton Jones and Blake Hammer cut ties north of Doolittle creek in 
 
 1 882. They were driven to Divide on the river. Jas. Geery, Frank 
 
 Dixon, Geo. Smith, James Innis and Alf McVey settled below Wisdom 
 
 in 1 882, probably latter part of May. Mrs. McVey was with them. 
 
 Oscar and Earl were then little fellows. I really believe that "Mc." 
 
 brought the first pigs ever seen in the valley, and traded them to A. J. 
 
 Noyes for a little cook stove. 
 
 Myers and Wilke lived on Steel creek winter of 1 882-3. Fred had 
 been prospecting in that section in 1 880 and saw lumber that Steele, 
 Boyle and McDonnell whip-sawed in 1869. They were at Ed Shoe- 
 maker's cabin when he accidentally shot himself while hunting; he was 
 crossing some thin ice and using the butt of his gun to test it, the gun 
 broke through and shot him through the side. Wilke was with him when 
 he died, Myers had gone to Noyes' ranch for S. E. Packard,
 
 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 149 
 
 David Wraton, family, and Douglas Vance, came in in 1 883 and 
 settled on Steele creek, from which place they soon moved to the river 
 and took up land afterward owned by Jno. Paddock and Fred Frances. 
 B. O. Fournier located at Warm Springs in 1884. The town of Jack- 
 son was afterward laid out in land he took up. George Thompson and 
 family came in early in 1 884. In July, 1 884, Herman Jackson, Antone 
 Jackson, for whom the town of Jackson is named, and A. Paulson, a 
 brother-in-law of the Jackson's, settled on the river below McVey creek 
 on land afterward sold to Mallory, Bielenberg and Walker. The Jack- 
 sons located land, after they sold out to the above named company, on 
 Bloody Dick, which they sold to the Horse Prairie Herding Association, 
 when they made a more satisfactory move to land near Warm Springs 
 creek. Anton Jackson was the first postmaster at Jackson, hence name 
 of town. 
 
 Capt. W. W. Bentley and wife came in spring of 1 884, and 
 settled just south of Matt Waldherr. Ben Hamby and family came to 
 the valley that year. Ben was killed by a bear some years after, near 
 the upper end of the Big Hole. J. C. Paddock and C. W. Frances 
 landed in the valley May 25th, 1884, and John had the first violin. 
 "Grandpa" W. W. Frances and wife came soon after. Postoffice was 
 established at Geery's ranch in August, and Harrison Churchill, our 
 first mail contractor, was ordered to start September 1 st, 1 884. 
 
 I do not want to forget my old friend Billy Ryan, who was one of 
 the boys with Gibbon in ^11, and who had his gun shot out of his hand 
 in that engagement. Bill had been mining in old Pioneer for years, 
 before he made up his mind to locate land in the valley, when he lo- 
 cated what is now Jahnke place, if I am not mistaken. Frank LeMasters, 
 Jerry Merrett, Jno. Knight and a Mr. Irwin located above Capt. Bent- 
 ley's, but did not stay long. The Wright Bros., Jno. Frank and Ed, 
 located on land near what is now the Montgomery bridge the summer of 
 1883. September, 1884, James Innis, Frank Dixon, David Law, 
 Ethelridge, Nels Johnson and A. J. Noyes built the first grade around 
 Twin Crossings. Harry Freyschlag located in the valley on what was 
 afterward the Stanley ranch, in '84, but soon moved to the river on land 
 now owned by Geo. Woodworth. Al. G. Stanley came in about the 
 same time. 
 
 First election, November 4th, 1884; James Geery, Justice of the 
 Peace; Quitman Owen, Constable; James Innis, Road Supervisor. First 
 school trustees, James Geery, Wm. Frazier. Alf McVey. No school 
 during their term of office. Geo. Woodworth, wife and son. Fred, 
 came in 1885. Fred Frances and Ed Brown located in 1885 on Sheep 
 creek. Fred was, no doubt, the most successful big game hunter we 
 ever had in the valley. Jno. Wampler came with his family in Novem- 
 ber, 1885. He was taken sick on the way in and died at Noyes' place 
 and was buried near the little lake just below Wisdom. Wm. and 
 James Montgomery, Ihos. Low and Frank Pendleton located in the
 
 150 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 valley in 1 885 and began the most successful ranch property, or one that 
 has been built up, under the management of Will Montgomery, to become 
 the largest feeding plant for the feeding of beef cattle, on wild hay, 
 probably in th world. 
 
 Will Armitage, wife and two children, came to the valley in 1 886 
 and located near Wisdom. Flem Wampler, wife and children came 
 about the same time and located on Sheep creek, afterward to move to 
 the lake near the town. W. B. Stanchfield and family settled near Big 
 Swamp creek the fall of 1 886. First school, by Miss Blodgett, summer of 
 1 885 ; trustees, David Wraton, Jas. Batterton and Geo. Woodworth. 
 First postmaster, Jas. Geery ; first justice of the peace, Jas. Geery. 
 
 I have not the exact dates to hand, but for the sake of those who 
 may desire to get the information, will give a list of the first things in the 
 Big Hole: Blacksmith shop, Noyes' ranch; Wm. Packard. Will Pack- 
 ard was a mighty nice fellow, my first partner in the ranching business; 
 he came in in 1 882. First dance, Noyes', Thanksgiving Night, 1 884. 
 First grain, wheat and oats, Geo. Woodworth. First Literary Society, 
 Woodworth's. First store, J. D. Fox and sons. First bridge built over 
 Big Hole, above Dewey's in 1 886, near Wisdom by Al Noyes, Will A. 
 Armitage, Watt Maloney and Flem Wampler. First telephones brought 
 into the valley by A. J. Noyes; as Noyes did not use them, Geo. Wood- 
 worth did, and built the line from his ranch, the C — D, to Wisdom, 
 First newspaper, "Big Hole Breezes." First death, Edward Shoemaker, 
 who was buried near the Montgomery bridge. First doctor was Dr. 
 Treacy, in 1885, to see Jno. Wampler. First surveyor, James Batterton. 
 First civil engineer and United States land commissioner, B. R. Stevenson. 
 First quartz mine developed, Ajax. First quartz mill on the Ajax. First 
 saw mill, W. W. Frances and Sons. First organ, Mrs. A. J. Noyes, 
 1883. First piano, W. B. Stanchfield, 1887. First Fourth of July 
 oration. Rev. R. P. Smith. First sermon. Revs. Tait and Bennett, in 
 old log school house, near Fred Frances, one one-fourth miles south of 
 Wisdom. First minister to locate, a Mr. Edmonton, of the M. E. church. 
 First drug store. Dr. McNevin. First store at Wisdom, Emil Zorn and 
 Mrs. Hattie M. Noyes. First postmistress in valley, Mrs. Hattie M. 
 Noyes, at Wisdom. Mrs. Noyes was the "Mother of Wisdom," as it 
 was on her land the town was located. First sheep, I 880, Phil Evans of 
 Deer Lodge. First child born. Gibbon Frazier, who v/as killed in the 
 big explosion in Butte. First girl born, Maud Wraton, in I 884. Died in 
 Dillon when not more than two years of age. First ranch fenced, Noyes 
 and Tong, 1 886. First irrigating ditch out of Spring creek, by Matt 
 Waldherr, 1 884 ; out of Big Hole river, A. J. Noyes, May 1 st, 1 886. 
 First wedding was by Judge Geo. Woodworth, Miss Grisald was lady, but 
 cannot get the groom's name. First county commissioner, Geo. Wood- 
 worth, who also was the first man to go to the legislature from our valley. 
 First assessor, Al Noyes. First doctor to settle in valley. Dr. Wentworth, 
 said to have been a relative of "Long John" Wentworth of Chicago. This
 
 > 
 
 > 
 O 
 m 
 IP 
 
 r 
 o 
 
 o 
 
 c 
 
 H 
 "n 
 
 H
 
 THE STORY OF AJAX" 151 
 
 man was over eighty when he came to Big Hole. He lived on the old 
 wagon road near the timber on Swamp creek, and died and was buried 
 near his ranch, now (1914) the property of Willey Bros. O. Willis 
 was the first assessor to come into the valley, which was in 1883. Will 
 Armitage took the first census for the United States of the valley. 
 
 General Sherman camped near Wisdom, 1884, on what is now 
 J. P. Lossl's ranch. First plow used in making the Salt Lake company's 
 ditch. First threshing machine, Clarence H. Strowbridge. First auto, 
 C. H. Strowbridge. First 1 00 head of steers to be fed for beef, 1 883-4, 
 by Nick Bielenberg; 260 tons of hay, according to measurement, in hand 
 pitched stacks, was the amount fed; they were put on feed Christmas day, 
 1883, and started for Butte April 25th, 1884. First spring wagon was 
 owned by A. J. Noyes, and cost $165.00. First building on platted 
 ground of Wisdom, J. P. Lossl's stage stable. First person to be buried 
 on "Grave Yard on the Hill," Old Mr. Johnson, Nels' father. First 
 bath tub, given to Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Noyes by friends on their "Tin 
 Anniversary." First piece of cement side walk, by Charlie Bell. 
 
 I would not attempt to write the names of all those who have helped 
 to make the Big Hole. Our old friend Barney Hughes, one of the 
 discoverers of Alder, and Bob McConnell, one of the "boys" to find the 
 Hecla mines on Trapper creek, sleep their last sleep in the little cemetery 
 overlooking the valley. Land was not considered very valuable until 
 Dan Burkholder took a lot of options for J. E. Morse, winter of 1910-11. 
 Dan was a fellow who had quite a lot of ideas and he says that one of 
 them was to get options and then get a man with whom he was acquainted 
 in North Dakota, a Mr. Bloodgood, to come and exploit the matter. 
 Anyway Dan did get about 52,000 acres tied up, part of which was 
 later taken over by J. E. Morse and sold to other parties. Dan was quite a 
 rustler, and would have, had he had money, made things hard to catch. 
 
 I do not want to forget my old friend John Anderson, who settled 
 on Fish Trap creek in those early days. It was one of those fortunate 
 things that comes into a fellow's life, the settlement of Anderson. Fortun- 
 ate for himself as well as those of us that needed a place to stay on our 
 way to Butte. If I was to close this little story without giving to 
 "Grandpa" and "Grandma" Frances the credit due them, I would stand 
 convicted of little less than a crime. Wm. Wallace Frances and Mary, 
 his wife, entered the valley with some of their children in those early 
 days. Their tendency was to build up and make better every one with 
 whom they came in contact. Many a fevered brow felt the cool hand of 
 "Grandma," and many a young man would do well to follow the example 
 of "Grandpa." To him should be given credit of having made it possi- 
 ble to erect the first church in Wisdom. He never stopped the fight for 
 this work until it was completed, and it is something that his children 
 and grandchildren ought to remember with pride. 
 
 While this is going to press, my friends. Alex Ralston, wife, and 
 Clarence H. Strowbridge, were killed in an auto accident near Ralston.
 
 152 THE STORY OF "AJAX" 
 
 These three people were as fully identified in the up-building of the Big 
 Hole as any other three persons. This sad accident took place on French 
 creek, only three-quarters of a mile above Ralston, on the 1 7th day of 
 June, 1914. No more impressive funerals ever took place in our state 
 owing to the wide acquaintances of the parties. They were loved by all 
 who knew them. 
 
 In ending this little story, I want to thank many of my friends who 
 have given me words of encouragement that have enabled me to go ahead 
 with it. Among others: Goodwin T. Paul, J. C. Smith, Eugene Poin- 
 dexter and Mrs. Martin Barrett of Dillon, Will Armitage, Charles, Fred 
 and Dora Frances, Mrs. Strowbridge and, not the least, my sister, Maud 
 (Mrs. W. A. Armitage). Judge Pemberton, librarian of the State 
 Historical Society, said: "Make no excuses, Noyes. Go ahead and 
 write your story." Taking his advice, I shall not make any excuses for 
 offering "The Story of Ajax," which is a story of Mrs. Noyes and 
 myself. Much of it is history of a local nature and will be of interest 
 to those who will live in the little valley beneath the "Shining mountains" 
 long after we who made the fight will have passed over the Great Divide.
 
 A. J. NOYES (AJAX)
 
 INDEX 
 
 Abascal. Mrs. Joaquin 41 
 
 Alder Gulch 8 
 
 Alexander. Sam 30 
 
 Allen. Frank 2J-110-114 
 
 Allen. Geo 44 
 
 A Mining Story 1.30 
 
 Anaconda 64 
 
 Anaconda Mine 55-117 
 
 Anderson, Al 101 
 
 Anderson Bros 78 
 
 A Pocket Mine lb* 
 
 Argenta 1 
 
 Armitage. J. T 7G- 98 
 
 Armitage. W. A., ..1-48-49-51-64-72-74 
 
 Ayers, Mae 62 
 
 Ayers. Nick 63 
 
 Babbage, Geo 5 
 
 Bailard. Geo 68-71- 81 
 
 Baker & Harper 117 
 
 Bannack 51-52-53-57-58-59-60- 02 
 
 Barkell, James 12 
 
 Barkell. Joseph 12 
 
 Barkell, Richard 12 
 
 Barney Hughes Storv of Alder 
 
 Gulch * 8 
 
 Barker, Ed 58 
 
 Earnhardt, Milt 26 
 
 Barrett, Martin 27- 59 
 
 Barrett, Mrs. Martin 152 
 
 Barrett & Shincberger 9 
 
 Bear Paw Mountains 5 
 
 Beaverhead County 58 
 
 Beidler, X 13 
 
 Bell, Chas 151 
 
 Bennett, Rev 1.50 
 
 Bentley, W. W 62-149 
 
 Bessette, Amede 27 
 
 Bielenberg. N. J 60 
 
 "Big 4" 67 
 
 Big Hole 58-59-63 
 
 Big Hole Basin 51 
 
 Big Hole Divide .57 
 
 Big Hole Battle Field 59 
 
 Big Hole River 57 
 
 Bitter Root 51- 55 
 
 Blair, W. G 53 
 
 Blair. .Mrs. W. G 67 
 
 Blivens, Oha.«i 12 
 
 Blivens, Taylor 13 
 
 Blodgett. Miss M 
 
 Bloodgood 151 
 
 Blue Dick 22- 25 
 
 Bonneville. Capt 58 
 
 Boston 12G 
 
 Boundary Line Survey 69 
 
 Bowman. E. J 145 
 
 Boyle, Ed 58 
 
 Brenner. J. C 27 
 
 Broadwater & Pitt 87 
 
 Broughton, A. L 70 
 
 Broughton, Almira 16- 68 
 
 Brown. Ed 87 
 
 Brown, Frank 72-9.3-112 
 
 Brown, L. A 68-119 
 
 Buck, Amos 49 
 
 Buck, 0. M 43 
 
 Buck. Minnie 46 
 
 Buffalo Hump 53 
 
 Buggy, Tom 93- 99 
 
 Burgess, Mrs. J 62 
 
 Butcher, Miss Emma 33 
 
 Butte 51-52-56-58-59-60-32- 63 
 
 Butte School. 1876 24 
 
 Butte Volunteers. Co. "A" 28 
 
 Buy Hamilton Horses 75 
 
 Cache Valley 19 
 
 Caldwell. B\ank 64 
 
 Callen. Jas 52- 74 
 
 Cameron. Dan 5 
 
 Campbell, Gr«en 12 
 
 Camipbell. Joe 27 
 
 Campbell. .Mrs 14 
 
 Camp on Red Rock 20 
 
 Cantata Esther 47 
 
 Carmichael. Alex 13 
 
 Canick. Jas 11 
 
 Carson. Mrs .^ 44 
 
 Carter. T. H 22- 67 
 
 Cavannaugh, M 46 
 
 Chapman. Dan 62 
 
 Chase and Hammer 52-58- 59 
 
 Chanvin, Jos ()9 
 
 Claggett, W. H 67 
 
 Chief Jo.seph 28- 36 
 
 Clark. H. S 45 
 
 Chirk, J. R 27 
 
 Clark, \V. A 2:^-2S-.30-;n -32-31- 
 
 35-61-5t>-67-89- 100-102- 11 7 
 
 Clearwater ... .► 16 
 
 Col)i)in, Fy<i 23 
 
 (Joeur d'Alene Bl 
 
 Cooiwr, Alex S9
 
 154 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Comanche and Minnie Healey, once 
 
 the "Lizzie Ellen" 27 
 
 Conger, Judge E. J 73 
 
 Conway, Frank 80 
 
 Cottrell, John 62- 64 
 
 Could have sold for $36,000 77 
 
 Cow Creek 57 
 
 Criskey, Geo — ^... 55 
 
 Crossing of Little Muddy 5 
 
 Cunnard, Finley 68 
 
 Curious Mounds 3 
 
 Curtis, Frank 135 
 
 Dahlonega Creek 58 
 
 Daly, Marcus 23-55-89-90-117 
 
 Daly, Mrs. M 140 
 
 Dart, Geo. W 27- 53 
 
 Davidson, M. L 101 
 
 Davidson, Ralph 75 
 
 Davis and Jones 53 
 
 Dead Man at Sun River 5 
 
 Dean, Ike 21 
 
 Death of Mother 14 
 
 Deer Lodge 49- 53 
 
 Dempsey, Pat ~ 10- 27 
 
 Dewey's 57 
 
 DeWitt, W. H 43- 49 
 
 DeWolfe, Stephen 50 
 
 Dickerson, Wm 70 
 
 Dickey Bridge 57 
 
 Dillon 53-61- 62 
 
 Divide 52 
 
 Dixon, Frank 54 
 
 Dodge, Jos 3 
 
 Donay, Albert ..._ 112 
 
 Doolittle Creek 51- 54 
 
 Douglass, Schoolteacher 11 
 
 Downs, John 31 
 
 Drag of Horse Prairie Cattle Herd 59 
 
 Ducharme, Geo 114 
 
 Dunton, Willard 64 
 
 Earl, Mr 75 
 
 Eaton, R. P 85 
 
 Edgerton's, Gov. Jtdouse 87 
 
 Edmonton, Rev 150 
 
 Edwards, Wm 64 
 
 Edwards and Shoup 145 
 
 Eleven Miles to Bannack 6 
 
 Eliel, Leonard SI 
 
 Elk Park 56 
 
 Ellingwood, Mr „ 92 
 
 Ellis, Owen 81- 82 
 
 English, Mrs 34 
 
 English, Lieut Wm 34 
 
 Esler, A. M 14 
 
 Evans, Morgan 69 
 
 Evans, Nat P 28 
 
 Everett. Chas. D. 12- 87 
 
 Experts, Who Saw the Ajax 114 
 
 Fahey, Jerry 61 
 
 Fairweather, "Old Bill" 7 
 
 Fairweather, Tom 7 
 
 Farlin, Wm 22 
 
 Ferster, Emma 53 
 
 Ferster, Rufe 6-27- 67 
 
 Field, Marshall ...136 
 
 Fight at Musselshell 15 
 
 First Assay Ajax 100 
 
 Fisher, T. W 140 
 
 Fisk, A. J 4- 5 
 
 Fisk, J. L 1- 3 
 
 First Buffalo Killed 3 
 
 First Gold Brick 115 
 
 First Hundred Foot Shaft in Butte 92 
 
 First Sunday School, Butte 25 
 
 First Visit to Butte 23 
 
 First Wagon in Big Hole 147 
 
 Flynn, Martin 78 
 
 1 olsom, David E 101 
 
 I'olwell. W. W 17- 68 
 
 Forbis Family 25 
 
 Forbis, James W 48-139 
 
 Forbis, John F 27-48- 49 
 
 Forbis, W. P 31- 32 
 
 Ford. Anson 27 
 
 Fort Abercrombie 3 
 
 Fournier, B. 59 
 
 Fox, J. D 64 
 
 Fox, Montana 64 
 
 Frances, C. W 62-149 
 
 Frances, Mrs. C. W 57 
 
 Frances, Fred 52-149 
 
 Frances, Mrs. Fred 57 
 
 Frances, Grandma 83-151 
 
 Frances, W. A 80 
 
 Frances, W. W 64-149-151 
 
 Franklin, Idaho 19 
 
 Eraser, Gibbon 60 
 
 Eraser, Wm 54- 62 
 
 French Family 27 
 
 French, Geo 39 
 
 French Gulch 54 
 
 Frohman, Ben 61 
 
 Fry, Ohas 64 
 
 Galbraith, Judge 48- 49 
 
 Galbraith, Scott 113 
 
 Gassert, Harry 25- 26 
 
 Geery, Jas 54- 61 
 
 Geery, Robt 62 
 
 Get Money to Go to School 43 
 
 Getting Water in Dark 19 
 
 Geyser Party 46 
 
 Ghost of the Ajax 80 
 
 Gibbon, Gen. John 33 
 
 Gibbon and Clark Conversation on 
 
 North Fork 33 
 
 Gibbon and Howard on Battlefield 36 
 
 Gibbon's Battlefield 64 
 
 Gibbonsville, Idaho, 51-53-58- 61 
 
 Gilbert, Wm 1- 2 
 
 Gillette, Louis 16 
 
 Gillie, John 27 
 
 Gilmer and Salisbury 51 
 
 Click, Dr 118-147 
 
 Goldsmith Mine 27-61- 92
 
 INDEX 
 
 155 
 
 Good Bunch of Young People 4"! 
 
 Goodrich. Bill 6- 27 
 
 Goodwin. C. C 3(J 
 
 Gordon & Dodge Horse Trade 10 
 
 Go to Los Angeles 14." 
 
 Graeter. Al 10 
 
 ijrraeter. A. t' 59 
 
 Graham. W. H 114 
 
 Grasshopper Creek 59 
 
 Graves, F. L 7- 27 
 
 Gronn, Geo. .— 47- 02 
 
 Hassell, R. B 43 
 
 Hamby. Ben 62 
 
 Hamilton, T. H 64-143 
 
 Hamilton's Story 89 
 
 Harvey. Prof 15 
 
 Hauswirth Bros 23 
 
 Heagle. John 69 
 
 Heap Rain 19 
 
 Heath. Miss 15 
 
 rieinze. F. Aug 71-117 
 
 Helena 58- 63 
 
 Henneberry, Mickey 72 
 
 Hennessey, D. J 21- 43 
 
 Herding Cows on Baldy 10 
 
 Hereford, Robt 147 
 
 Herman, Chas 51 
 
 Hern, Jay 68 
 
 Hem, Mrs. Jay 57 
 
 Hicks, Jack 51- 61 
 
 Highland Water Co 79-103 
 
 Hineman, Chas 1.3 
 
 Historical Society 58 
 
 Homestake Mine 57 
 
 Hootman, Jake 31 
 
 Hopkins 98 
 
 Horse Prairie 59 
 
 Horse Prairie Herding Ass'n 55 
 
 Hotel d'Mineral 23 
 
 Housel. Frank SO 
 
 Howard. Gen. O. 34 
 
 Howard, "Old Man" 39 
 
 How Bill Owsley Lost $100 26 
 
 How Uncle John Bishop Loaned 
 
 His First Money 87 
 
 How Norris Lost His Dinner 106 
 
 Hubbard, Widow 17 
 
 Huggins, Lieut 16 
 
 Hughes, Barney 8 
 
 Humphrey, Chastine 26 
 
 Humphrey, Mi.ss Alice 23 
 
 Hump. The 16 
 
 Hutchinson, Fred 13 
 
 Innis. James 54 
 
 In Norristown 34 
 
 Irvin, Caleb B 27- 63 
 
 Irvin. G. W. III., 27 
 
 Irwin. James 29 
 
 I Talked Too Much 73 
 
 In the Yellowstone Park 44 
 
 Jackson's Hole 51 
 
 Jack, Shoots Martin 96 
 
 Jefferson Valley 57 
 
 Jeuks. James 66 
 
 Jeuks, Sarah 16 
 
 Johnson, Alex 27 
 
 Johnson. Billy 6 
 
 Johnson, Nels 62 
 
 Johnson, Sam , 27 
 
 Jones, Laurin 102 
 
 Jones, Wesley 22 
 
 Joseph, Chief 34 
 
 Kanabe, Prof 13 
 
 Kanute, Harry 110-140 
 
 King, Ed 33 
 
 King, Silas F 98 
 
 King and Slavin 13 
 
 Kinnear. W. L 31- 43 
 
 Kirkendall, Hugh 33 
 
 Kirkpatrick, James 11 
 
 Kitty, My Pony 9 
 
 Klein. Emil 143 
 
 Knippenberg, H 74-75-118 
 
 Kohrs and Bielenberg 77 
 
 Knowles, H 50- 63 
 
 Kornberg, Gus 69 
 
 Kritz, John l 
 
 Kroft, Valentine 26 
 
 Kyle. Fretl 145 
 
 Landers, Mrs 146 
 
 Landers, Tom 114-145 
 
 Lane, Old Man 64 
 
 Larabie, Ed S 22 
 
 Largey, Pat _ 91 
 
 Last Brick 140 
 
 Leave for Benton 114 
 
 Lawrence, Atwater 61- 92 
 
 Lawrence, Atwood 27 
 
 Lawson, Tom 13,5 
 
 Leason. Dr 74 
 
 Lee. Mary Jane 3 
 
 Letters of Introduction 127 
 
 Lewis and Clark 53-58-61- 83 
 
 Literary Society 04 
 
 Little Charlie 149 
 
 Little Crow o 
 
 Lloyd. Sheriff _\ (59 
 
 Los Angeles, Cal., 51 
 
 Lossl, J. P §0 
 
 Ijouk, Jake 110-145 
 
 Lowery, Mell 27-31- 3-> 
 
 Major, The 131 
 
 -Mallory, James 72 
 
 Malonoy. Watt 62-64 
 
 iUantlc, Lee " 27 
 
 Mantle, Story .."...! 102 
 
 Alartin, B>ank "!"l3,s 
 
 Martin. Harvey i:57-i:!!» 
 
 Matt, Jo.' ll.'Ml.-, 
 
 Mniu] rain<' t<i .Montana 43 
 
 May. Geo ^9 
 
 Mayhew, Alex E 50 
 
 >!nyi:anl Bros 140 
 
 AJcAf.'.', Mr '"'"'ZZZ 65
 
 156 
 
 INDEX 
 
 McAuliff. "Bis Jack" Ii9 
 
 McBuraev House 49 
 
 McOonneil. Bob 11-118-145 
 
 McCoy, Will 77 
 
 McDermott, Bill 24 
 
 McDonnell. Barney 58 
 
 McGarray. Hug-h 142 
 
 Mcintosh, Billy 6 
 
 McKenzie, John 81-138 
 
 McLean, Col 2 
 
 McMurphy, Henry 45 
 
 McNevin, Dr 15() 
 
 McVey, A. H 51-54-62-147 
 
 McNamara, Big Bill 26- 28 
 
 Medicine Lodge 59 
 
 Merrett, Allen 62 
 
 Merrett, Jerry 62 
 
 Metlen, D. E 59 
 
 Metlen, Geo 101 
 
 Metlen. Joe 67 
 
 Metlen & Graeter 102 
 
 Meyers. Andy 39 
 
 Meyers, Henry 69 
 
 Milk River 5 
 
 Miller. M. A 74 
 
 Mills, James H 29 
 
 Milne, Jimmie 140 
 
 Miner (newspaper) 62 
 
 Mitchell and Mussigbrod 
 
 Montgomery, William 146-150 
 
 Monumental City 64 
 
 Monument on Big Hole Battle-. 
 
 field 59 
 
 Moose Lake 70 
 
 Morgan. Davey 86 
 
 Morse, J. E. .1-12-75-76-77-95-103- 
 
 104-111-118-121 
 
 Morse Taken to Ajax Mine 96 
 
 Mosquitoes 95 
 
 Mulkey, Cyrus 61 
 
 Mnlloney, Tom 82 
 
 Murray, James 71-91- 98 
 
 Murray, J. T 73- 74 
 
 Mussigbrod, Eric 62 
 
 Myers, Fred 55-72- 87 
 
 My Footrace With a Professional.... 31 
 
 My Horse Stolen 32 
 
 My Last School 45 
 
 My Letter to Helena Herald 41 
 
 i>xy Trade for a Mule 38 
 
 My Wife Came to Butte 43 
 
 My Wife's First Lady Callers 54 
 
 Names of Relief Column to Gibbon 33 
 
 Neal. Harry 106 
 
 Nebraska 52 
 
 Neill, Rev. B. D 16 
 
 Neill, Henry 79-108 
 
 Neill, James 122 
 
 Nesler. Cris 35 
 
 Newcomer. Dug 64-70-73- 91 
 
 Newkirk, Geo 26 
 
 Nicholson, Dave 83 
 
 No. Camp on Moose Horn 
 
 Noiris, Edwin L 73-74-76-78-79- 
 
 100- 
 
 Northern Pacific Railroad 
 
 Northrup, Dr 
 
 Noted Saddle Horse 
 
 Noyes, A. J 53-62 
 
 Noyes. G. R 
 
 Noyes, John 22-27-31 
 
 Noyes, Mrs. John 
 
 Noyes, Kate 
 
 Ncyes, Mrs. A. 
 
 J 54-61-71-72-73- 
 
 76-77-81-93-115 
 
 OBrien. Will 
 
 Old Black School House 
 
 Old Bozeman 
 
 Old Dead Tree 
 
 Oliver, Wason M 
 
 Omaha. Neb 
 
 "Only One Drink" 
 
 Orphan Girl 
 
 Orr, Charles 
 
 Orr, John 
 
 Orr. Mrs. Wm 
 
 Orton Bros 
 
 Our China Boy 
 
 Owen, Quit 
 
 Owsley, Mrs. Wm. 
 
 Owsley. Mrs 
 
 Packard, E. 47-57- 
 
 Packard, Gov 
 
 Packard, S. E 
 
 Packard, W. F 5 /-60-61-72-74- 
 
 Paddock, Mrs. J. C 48- 
 
 Paddley, Chas 
 
 Pans Full of Gold 
 
 Parker, Lou 
 
 Parks. \\ m 
 
 Parsons, Mr 
 
 Partridge, Harry 
 
 Paul. G. T 
 
 Pemberton, Judge W. Y 63 
 
 Perkey. Mr 130 
 
 Pfouts. Wm 
 
 Phillips. B. D 23-123 
 
 Pierce, Mrs 
 
 Pierce, Nellie 
 
 Pierce. Tom 
 
 Pierse, Allen 
 
 Pioneer, Mont., 
 
 Pioneer Society 
 
 Poindexter and Orr 
 
 Poindexter, E. L 
 
 Poindexter, John 
 
 Poindexter, J. B 
 
 Poindexter, Tommy 74-79-93- 
 
 Potts, Gov. B. F 31 
 
 Prebble, Edwin 16 
 
 Price, Col. L. J 65-79-125-128-134 
 
 136-137-143 
 
 Prowse. James 43 
 
 Raise $6,000 139 
 
 66 
 
 104 
 64 
 68 
 9 
 o3 
 62 
 90 
 23 
 68 
 
 145 
 
 5 
 
 15 
 
 44 
 
 6 
 
 74 
 
 18 
 
 31 
 
 91 
 
 28 
 
 . 78 
 
 78 
 
 27 
 
 15 
 
 62 
 
 23 
 
 26 
 
 59 
 
 78 
 
 58 
 
 99 
 
 62 
 
 101 
 
 12 
 
 133 
 
 92 
 
 17 
 
 57 
 
 152 
 
 152 
 
 137 
 
 146 
 
 124 
 
 44 
 
 44 
 
 59 
 
 23 
 
 58 
 
 1 
 
 VJ 
 
 78 
 64 
 76 
 104 
 32 
 17
 
 INDEX 
 
 157 
 
 Raisor. James 64 
 
 Ralston, Alex 29-151 
 
 Ramsdell 35 
 
 Randolph. G. C 49 
 
 Raymond, Chas. I'^^oyes 61 
 
 Redhead, Geo 78 
 
 Rwlins. Jake 25 
 
 Reimel. Mrs. Ed 44 
 
 Reinhardt. David 72 
 
 Return to Montana 17 
 
 Richardson. Chas 64 
 
 Rickards. Gov. J. E 76 
 
 Rookefellow. J. S 6 
 
 Roe, Wm 76-79-140 
 
 Roe's, Wm. Storj' 85 
 
 Roe, Mrs. Wm 27 
 
 Rogan. Family 13 
 
 Roosevelt. Theodore 70 
 
 Rose, A. 68 
 
 Rose, Dick Ifj 
 
 Ruby Water Co 105 
 
 Rufe's Dream 67 
 
 Russell, J. R 27 
 
 Ryan, Wm 62 
 
 Ryan. W. A. 4 
 
 Sacajawea 83 
 
 Salmon River. North Fork of 58 
 
 Sample. Geo.. Killed 40 
 
 Sanders, W. E 142 
 
 Sanders. Col. W. F 142 
 
 Saucy Boys 21 
 
 Sawmill Point 9 
 
 Saville, Joe 25 
 
 Scallon. William 63 
 
 School at Whitehall 37 
 
 School at Silver Bow 20 
 
 Schulz, Fred 103 
 
 Second Clean-Up 121 
 
 Self, Miss Lizzie 24- 25 
 
 ^Se]l Wisdom Mercantile Co 143 
 
 Shannon, J. G 73 
 
 Sheridan. Mont., 60 
 
 Sherman. Gen. W. T 31-32-59-151 
 
 Sherrills 14 
 
 Shaw. Mrs. Kate 55 
 
 Shineherj^er. Joe 27 
 
 Shoemaker, Ed 55 
 
 Sijrsby 27 
 
 Silver Star 11 
 
 Sinclair. Dave 10 
 
 Si Oaks City 18 
 
 Sioux War 2 
 
 Sleeping With Bill and Tom 7 
 
 Smith. Al 62 
 
 Smith. Big Foot W 
 
 Smith. Fred 135 
 
 Smith. Geo 54 
 
 Smith. J. C 152 
 
 Sriiitli. R. P 150 
 
 Smith and Graeter (i 
 
 Smith and Maloney's Cattle 7<i 
 
 Snyder Brcjthers 17 
 
 Sorenson, Martin 78 
 
 Sparrell, Geo 13 
 
 Speck, Prof 47 
 
 Stanchfield, Chas. E 68-71- 75 
 
 Stanchfield. John 2 
 
 Stanchfield, Mary A 13 
 
 Stanchfield. W. A 51-137 
 
 Stanchfield, W. B 27-43-89-92- 98 
 
 St. Anthony 7 
 
 Start Mill 141 
 
 Steamer Deer Ijodge 14 
 
 Steamer War Eagle 15 
 
 Steele Creek 62-r>3~64 
 
 Steele Diggings 61 
 
 Steele. Mike 58-94-147 
 
 Stevenson. B. R 82-105 
 
 Stevensville - 49 
 
 St. Paul 15 
 
 Strowbridge, O. H 79-81-140-151 
 
 Stuart, Granville ,. 111-147 
 
 Sturgis, Mr 9 
 
 Snllivan, Eugene 62 
 
 S'wanstrom, Lou 9 J 
 
 Tait, Rev 150 
 
 Talbot. Jas 31- 32 
 
 Taylor, Charles 127 
 
 The Hump 21 
 
 The Kind Chinaman 20 
 
 The Miner from Wyoming 132 
 
 Thomas, Jack 95 
 
 Thompson, Geo 62 
 
 Thompson Killed "Dutch" Gus 79 
 
 Tibbitts. Geo 3-23-27-58- 90 
 
 Tiedt. Billy 70 
 
 Tong. Geo. 46-55-61-68-69-70-72-81- 92 
 
 Toll Bridge 65 
 
 Tonopah, Nev 6-3 
 
 Toomey, Jos 145 
 
 Toole, J. K 101 
 
 Towsley. Roy 56 
 
 Trail Creek 64 
 
 Treacy, Dr. W 63 
 
 Tramway Mine 26 
 
 Trouble at Hamilton 39 
 
 Tunnel No. 2 113 
 
 Turner. A. J 73- 76 
 
 Twin Bridges 56- 57 
 
 Twin Crossing 5:^ 
 
 Two Tons of Gold 5 
 
 I'niversity of Minnesota 16 
 
 Valiton, Hank 19 
 
 Valley of the Snake 20 
 
 Vance, S. D 57-58-149 
 
 Van Patten 147 
 
 Vflritieberg. I/ouis 55 
 
 Vincennes, lud 64 
 
 Vog.l. G. 10 (M) 
 
 \'nb;ui Mine 69 
 
 W.ikefichl, (Jeo 43 
 
 Wahlheir. .\|jilt 52-57- 62 
 
 Walker, 1). I> 123-125-145 
 
 Walker, Jack 143
 
 158 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Walker Filibustering Expedition.... 27 
 
 Wallase, Miss Lena 47 
 
 Wampler, Ethel 94 
 
 Wampler, D. F 64-150 
 
 Wampler, John 23-46-57-62- 63 
 
 Wampler, Reece 26 
 
 Wampler. Tom 25-26-43- 63 
 
 Warm Springs 57 
 
 Warm Springs Ci'eek 52 
 
 Warren, C. S 22-34- (« 
 
 Warren, Earl 22 
 
 Warren, Mace 22- 34 
 
 Watson, Major 2- 62 
 
 Weaver, Oris 85 
 
 Wedding Party 46 
 
 Weeks, Senator 135 
 
 We Get Married 47 
 
 We Find Lead Ohute 99 
 
 Westfall, P 13 
 
 White, Gov. B. F 62-75-77-78-79- 
 
 108-119-127-143-144 
 
 White Lion Mountain 118 
 
 Whitford, O. B 56 
 
 Whitford, Chas 28 
 
 Wilke, Oris 55- 88 
 
 Willis, 59 
 
 Who Discovered Bannack 85 
 
 \Vlio Mace Got to Go On His Note 22 
 
 Winegart, B 13 
 
 Why I lost My Job 39 
 
 Wilson & Gillie 117 
 
 Wing, Dan 129 
 
 Wing. Robt. T 129 
 
 Winslow Hotel 15 
 
 Winters & Montague 27 
 
 Winter, '74-'75 : 20 
 
 With Indians 39 
 
 Wisdom 55-59-61-63-64- 80 
 
 Wisdom Mercantile Co 82 
 
 Woodruff, Lieut 34 
 
 Woman Scalped 15 
 
 Woods, Mrs. Jas 47 
 
 Woodward, Billy 28 
 
 Woodworth, Geo 64-149 
 
 Wraton, David 58-60-149 
 
 Wright, Ed 62 
 
 Wright, Jack 65 
 
 Wyman. Oapt 69- 71 
 
 Wyoming 52 
 
 Yearian, Billy 9 
 
 "You Are the Biggest Liar I Ever 
 Saw" 46 
 
 Zorn, Emil 71-80- 81
 
 'V>/ 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below 
 
 n- 
 
 ' JUN161979 
 
 Form L-9-15w-2,'36 
 
 UNlVUiKSlTY of CALIFORNIA 
 
 AT 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 AA 000 526 043 5
 
 V'"r-\'>.-x::