the passing of the frontier-第9节

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；　many　of　them　sober；　most　of　them　law…abiding；　men　who　had　come　out　to　better　their　fortunes　and　not　merely　to　drop　into　the　wild　and　licentious　life　of　a　placercamp。　Law　and　order　always　did　prevail　eventually　in　any　mining　community。　In　the　case　of　Montana；　law　and　order　arrived　almost　synchronously　with　lawlessness　and　desperadoism。

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

By　June；　1863；　the　extraordinarily　rich　strike　in　Alder　Gulch　had　been　made。　The　news　of　this　spread　like　wildfire　to　Bannack　and　to　the　Salmon　River　mines　in　Idaho　as　well；　and　the　result　was　one　of　the　fiercest　of　all　the　stampedes；　and　the　rise；　almost　overnight；　of　Virginia　City。　Meanwhile　some　Indian　fighting　had　taken　place　and　in　a　pitched　battle　on　the　Bear　River　General　Connor　had　beaten　decisively　the　Bannack　Indians；　who　for　years　had　preyed　on　the　emigrant　trains。　This　made　travel　on　the　mountain　trails　safer　than　it　had　been；　and　the　rich　Last　Chance　Gulch　on　which　the　city　of　Helena　now　stands　attracted　a　tremendous　population　almost　at　once。　The　historian　above　cited　lived　there。　Let　him　tell　of　the　life。

〃One　long　stream　of　active　life　filled　the　little　creek　on　its　auriferous　course　from　Bald　Mountain；　through　a　canyon　of　wild　and　picturesque　character；　until　it　emerged　into　the　large　and　fertile　valley　of　the　Pas…sam…a…ri。。。the　mountain　stream　called　by　Lewis　and　Clark　in　their　journal　〃Philanthropy　River。〃　Lateral　streams　of　great　beauty　pour　down　the　sides　of　the　mountain　chain　bounding　the　valley。。。。　Gold　placers　were　found　upon　these　streams　and　occupied　soon　after　the　settlement　at　Virginia　City　was　commenced。。。。　This　human　hive；　numbering　at　least　ten　thousand　people；　was　the　product　of　ninety　days。　Into　it　were　crowded　all　the　elements　of　a　rough　and　active　civilization。　Thousands　of　cabins　and　tents　and　brush　wakiups。。。　were　seen　on　every　hand。　Every　foot　of　the　gulch。。。was　undergoing　displacement；　and　it　was　already　disfigured　by　huge　heaps　of　gravel　which　had　been　passed　through　the　sluices　and　rifled　of　their　glittering　contents。。。。　Gold　was　abundant；　and　every　possible　device　was　employed　by　the　gamblers；　the　traders；　the　vile　men　and　women　that　had　come　in　with　the　miners　into　the　locality；　to　obtain　it。　Nearly　every　third　cabin　was　a　saloon　where　vile　whiskey　was　peddled　out　for　fifty　cents　a　drink　in　gold　dust。　Many　of　these　places　were　filled　with　gambling　tables　and　gamblers。。。。　Hurdy…gurdy　dance…houses　were　numerous。。。。　Not　a　day　or　night　passed　which　did　not　yield　its　full　fruition　of　vice；　quarrels；　wounds；　or　murders。　The　crack　of　the　revolver　was　often　heard　above　the　merry　notes　of　the　violin。　Street　fights　were　frequent；　and　as　no　one　knew　when　or　where　they　would　occur；　every　one　was　on　his　guard　against　a　random　shot。

〃Sunday　was　always　a　gala　day。。。。　The　stores　were　all　open。。。。　Thousands　of　people　crowded　the　thoroughfares　ready　to　rush　in　the　direction　of　any　promised　excitement。　Horse…racing　was　among　the　most　favored　amusements。　Prize　rings　were　formed；　and　brawny　men　engaged　in　fisticuffs　until　their　sight　was　lost　and　their　bodies　pommelled　to　a　jelly；　while　hundreds　of　onlookers　cheered　the　victor。。。。　Pistols　flashed；　bowie　knives　flourished；　and　braggart　oaths　filled　the　air；　as　often　as　men's　passions　triumphed　over　their　reason。　This　was　indeed　the　reign　of　unbridled　license；　and　men　who　at　first　regarded　it　with　disgust　and　terror；　by　constant　exposure　soon　learned　to　become　a　part　of　it　and　forget　that　they　had　ever　been　aught　else。　All　classes　of　society　were　represented　at　this　general　exhibition。　Judges；　lawyers；　doctors；　even　clergymen；　could　not　claim　exemption。　Culture　and　religion　afforded　feeble　protection；　where　allurement　and　indulgence　ruled　the　hour。〃

Imagine；　therefore；　a　fabulously　rich　mountain　valley　twelve　miles　in　extent；　occupied　by　more　than　ten　thousand　men　and　producing　more　than　ten　millions　of　dollars　before　the　close　of　the　first　year！　It　is　a　stupendous　demand　on　any　imagination。　How　might　all　this　gold　be　sent　out　in　safe…keeping？　We　are　told　that　the　only　stage　route　extended　from　Virginia　City　no　farther　than　Bannack。　Between　Virginia　City　and　Salt　Lake　City　there　was　an　absolute　wilderness；　wholly　unsettled；　four　hundred　and　seventy…five　miles　in　width。　〃There　was　no　post　office　in　the　Territory。　Letters　were　brought　from　Salt　Lake　first　at　a　cost　of　two　dollars　and　a　half　each；　and　later　in　the　season　at　one　dollar　each。　All　money　at　infinite　risk　was　sent　to　the　nearest　express　office　at　Salt　Lake　City　by　private　hands。〃

Practically　every　man　in　the　new　gold…fields　was