Billings Senior High School - Kyote Yearbook (Billings, MT)

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Slaudered court and jury madly he awak- ened civil fury And was hanged by vigilantes, resurrected for the last time, For new justice, la-za' and order were estab- lished, firmly seated Iu that lawless territory tc'hich before knew no restrictions' New the struggle 'twixt the races for the -izortlzwest really started Tho at first the redntan welcomed and was friendly to the ivlz-iteman. But as C0'lllIllf?7'C0 came between. them there Q entered the fire-water, And hostility afwaleened, as it brought deceit and zvarfare. ' General George A. Custer, who perished with his entire cavalry white battling against the Sioux in 1876 There was treachery on both sides such as Bakefs raid atrocious And the murder by Piegans of Malcolm Clarke and familyg - But the redman's only justice came from that gained by the warpathgl The Sioux were the first to realize that exterzsio-rzl of the railroad Was the death knelt of the redtnan, so prepared to fight the railroad I f they took it farther 1t'estzc'ard,' but it was brought on regardless gg ' They refused the reservations and committed deeds most lawless. Hence the goverunzent determined now to conquer them completely And sent out an army led by Terry, Crook and also Gibbon. It was from this trip that Cus ter's frightful massacre resulted ' Ou- the little Big Horn river where his cavalry was slaughtered, Not a single white escaping to bring news of the encounter.: Sanders, p. 217. 1'Sanders, p. 230. 51872. 121876. ' Custer's Battlefield

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It was then the prairie schooner had its era in this history. Those who poured into the country can be classed in but two sections, Sturdy, strong and law respecters wishing only rightful earnings And outlaws, as from nether regions, coming there for looting only. . These becatne the dread road agents, more because the cold ofwinters And the distance from the railroad, the deep snow, the Statue of Bduffalo lack of horse-9 c?ia3f,l9i:iti2m12Q Caused prwatzon, desperation, neediness gnd actual ' wanting. And these highway nlen grew bolder, pillaging and killing madly ' Till a 1-nan risked life and fortune on a road with no companions. There were fifty, led by Plununer whowas sheriff of the county, All his deputies were agents and each -man who carried nzfoney A Was held up during his journey by a secretive procedure. Their ways were not helter-skelter but well planned and executed. First they killed for money only, later for but love of killing. Finally their depredations grew so great that some revoltedg Hence they formed the l7igi!antes to oppose that regin of terror. They began with only nine who swore their punishment was hanging, But when Pluin1ner,glong suspected, was accused and pronounced guilty All uncertain up to that tinie swelled the band of vigilantes. Vigilante just-ice sta-rted with the hanging of the agent T I Called George Ives, a heartless bandit, rnad when drunken, laughing, reckless, Gay and sociable when sober but his gunplay was respected. Two months later all these agents either Q fled or reached the gallows, Plunnner and his ba-nd were finished 3 self- created justice conquered. Vigilante work was over so a civil judge and jury Were appointed and respected as the state's first bar of justice. Now when Slade, well liked when sober but a denzon when with whiskey, Colonel W. F. Cody or Buffalo Bm, a famous Indian fighter and a. not- , 'SB-YIGSPS, D, 183- ed rider of the pony express

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In the next year all the Sioux tribe except Sitting Bull was conquered, He and followers were fleeing to take refuge in Canada. Next the Nez: Perce's rewolted and were trying to leave the country But were captured and Chief Joseph was placed on a reservation. Then the S ions' once more rezfolted' when lfVot-'aka brought the ghost dance By which all tlze whites would leave them' and their hunting grounds be -restored. Thus this nation, weakened, broken, failing in- all warpath tactics Came at last to seek religion, as the only resource left them To regain their land and power, to once more have life and freedom. But the governnzcnt sent forces to subdue these cereinonies And through blunders. cared nor heeded, there occurred that. frightful in-urder ' Of tlze cainp at lflfounded Knee where reigned supreme the small pon: scourgings. Thus tlze Indian was conquered, thus enslat-'ea' on '7'0S6t UGli0llS.T Steamboat naffigation is now reinforced by pack trails Through tlze Bosenian pass where Bosenian and .lint Bridger were so well known. ' Thcn there came the pony express and with it Bill Cody figures., In the tense nerve racking risks accompanying those precious packets But the telegraph soon en-ded all the duties of the ridersj Then there was tlze stage coach. with its I-ndian attacks and danger Finally obliterated by the couiing of the railroad. The first line built in M ontana was the Utah Northern railroad? Then the North Pacific line lnen sent the S tewens erpeditioni To survey our plains for their tracksg this was the first expedition Authorised by our goivrnment since the one of Clark and Lewis. Now tlze east and west united as the two N. P. lines were joined By the golden spike soon driven at the junction of the two tracks. Next there followed reclamation so with transportation iuiprozied Manufacturing and farming canie in logical succession. ' Cattle raising entered and with it cauze the open ranges, V Caine the cowboy with his pany, canie the rustler and tlze horse-thief. A nd soon after canie tlze sheep herds with watch dogs to fight the wolf packs. 9 Now the state is well dewelopea' and is promised statehood entrance If she fulfils some conditions listed by tlze federal'con-gress. This she does and then lhfontana reaps tlze spoils of her persistence And is listed with the others as one of the U. S. A. ' '1R90. 'tsandex-s, p. 245. 51873. 11853. UISSH. rSanders, p. 278. 5Sande1's, p. 313. 1Sande1's, bp. 351. '