D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 2
52
FOLLOWING THE GOLD
RUSH TO MONTANA, AND
WITH LOTS OF LUCK
AND HARD WORK, HE
QUICKLY MADE OVER
$30,000 IN GOLD!
AND HE REALIZED:
WHY MINE FOR GOLD
WHEN YOU CAN MINE
THE MINERS?
STORY FIGURED ALDER CREEK'S
GOLD MIGHT TRICKLE OUT, BUT
THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE
A FLOOD OF MINERS HUNGRY
TO STRIKE IT RICH - --
AND JUST PLAIN HUNGRY!
SO HE CASHED OUT PART OF HIS
GOLD, AND MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE
KEPT $10,000 IN THE LINING OF
HIS COAT AS HE HEADED TO TEXAS.
DEPENDING ON WHO YOU
TALK TO, HE BOUGHT 600
OR 3,000 LONGHORNS,
AND HIRED A TWO
DOZEN COWBOYS.
- - THE FIRST CATTLE
DRIVE TO MONTANA!
THEY LEFT TEXAS IN APRIL,
HEADING NORTH ALONG A
VERY DANGEROUS ROUTE.
IN THE PAST, THE CHOCTAW
TOLERATED SOME CATTLE
GOING THROUGH THEIR LAND.
BUT NOW THEIR OWN CATTLE
WERE AT RISK, SO THE INDI-
ANS CHARGED TEN CENTS A
HEAD FOR A HERD TO PASS.
EVER THE BUSINESSMAN,
STORY UNDERSTOOD THEIR
TARIFF AND PAID THE FEE.
THE CATTLE HEADED
NORTH TOWARD KANSAS.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE
TROUBLE BEGAN - - !
ARMED MEN KNOWN AS THE
JAYHAWKS STOPPED THE
CATTLE AND DEMANDED A
PAYMENT OF $2 A HEAD
TO USE THE SAFER TRAIL
THROUGH KANSAS.
DESPITE SOME TENSE TIMES ON THE TRAIL, STORY AND HIS
MEN MADE IT TO FORT LEAVENWORTH FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY.
AFTER A HEATED DISCUSSION,
STORY REFUSED TO PAY THE
EXTORTION AND WAS FORCED
AWAY FROM TRAILS CONTROLLED
BY THE JAYHAWKS AND INTO
DANGEROUS INDIAN LAND!
FIRST, THEY HAD TO NAVIGATE THROUGH
THE CHOCTAW NATION IN OKLAHOMA.
HE HAD HIS MIND SET ON
DOING SOMETHING NO
ONE HAD EVER DONE - -
