The Indians and the Wild West

Improvement Era Vol. XXVII NOVEMBER, 1923 No. 1 THE INDIANS AND THE WILD WEST By Dr. Richard R. Lyman, of the General Superintendency, Y. M. M. I. A. "Many of Them Will be Saved." — Alma 9:17. "Near old Fort Benton in the State of Montana, about thirty - five years ago," said John Jackson Galbreath, "I was born in a little Indian hut, on the banks of the Teton river." His mother, a full- blooded Pegan Indian princess, the daughter of Mountain Chief, was also born in the northwest. In those days the Pegan tribe, of which her father was Chief, numbered some thirty or forty thousand. Her brother, that is the uncle of Jack Galbreath, up to the time of his father's death was called "Big Brave." At this time how ever, in accordance with the Indian custom of great warriors and good families, "Big Brave" took his father's name, "Mountain Chief." Thus the largest, the best and the bravest son among the Indians inherits or takes his father's name. The paternal grandfather of John Jackson Galbreath was a Scotchman by birth. His father was born in Tualatin, Oregon. It is said of the father that he "was a large, handsome, well-built Scotchman." In 1914 Jack, (as he is called by his intimate friends) a splendid combination of the best characteristics in the American Indian, and of the sterling qualities of the hardy Scotch race — a giant in size and strength, with unusual alertness, — was married to Susan Hudson, a real American beauty, with clear blue eyes, an abundance of golden hair, with dignity and poise and physique that would be a credit to any Princess. This representative of the Lamanites and his fair-haired wife — he as dark as she is light — have been blessed with seven splendid children. The eldest, a girl, "Montana Alberta," who has a fine singing voice, was given this appropriate name by her grandfather. At the recent dedication of the Alberta Temple, this fine look- Entered at the Post Office, Salt Lake City, Utah, as second class matter. Ac- ceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 2, 1918, $2 per annum. Address Room 406 Church Office Building, Salt Lake City, Utah.

IMPROVEMENT ERA Mountain Chief, or Big Brave — Uncle of John Jackson Galbreath. Best Known and Perhaps Greatest of all Big Indian Chieftains.

THE INDIANS AND THE WILD WEST 5 ing representative of the Lamanites, arose in the midst of the audience during the dedicatory services at the request of President Edward J. Wood, so that those present could see this splendid representative of the American Indian — the race of his mother. And as he stood there amid the splendor of architecture, art and finish of this holy and sacred edifice, it seemed that the scriptures were being fulfilled: "For there are many promises which are extended to the Lamanites; for it is because of the traditions of their fathers that caused them to remain in their state of ignorance; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them and prolong their existence in the land. "And at some period of time they will be brought to believe in his word, and to know of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers; and many of them will be saved, for the Lord will be merciful unto all who call on his name." — Alma 9:16, 17. During the dedicatory service week, Mr. and Mrs. Galbreath in their splendid home in Cardston, entertained at a great dinner party the following named General Authorities of the Church and their kindred. Of the Presidency of the Church and their families: President and Mrs. Heber J. Grant and their daughter Emily; President and Mrs. Anthony W. Ivins and their daughter Fulvia. Of the members of the Council of Twelve and their wives, President Rudger Clawson and wife, George Albert Smith and wife, George F. Richards and wife, Joseph Fielding Smith and wife, James E. Talmage and wife, Stephen L. Richards and wife, Richard R. Lyman and wife, Melvin J. Ballard and wife, John A. Widtsoe and wife; the Presiding Patri- arch, Hyrum G. Smith; of the Presiding Bishopric, Bishop David A. Smith and wife, and the Smith genealogist, Edith Smith. One of those at this brilliant affair remarked at the time that this fine home and elaborate dinner would have been a credit to a wealthy resident of New York City. The Galbreath home in Cardston is small and modest when compared with the palatial residence that has been built in accordance with Jack Galbreath's own ideas and plans on his ranch in Northern Montana some fifty miles from Cardston, Canada, and forty miles from Browning, Montana, the nearest railroad station. It was at his ranch home in the summer of 1922 that "The Big Chief," John Jackson Galbreath, entertained the group of aux- iliary workers who had been in attendance at the conventions of the three Canadian stakes, and it was at that time that the information contained in the following portions of this article was secured. President Edward J. Wood of the Alberta stake and J. Walter Low, stake superintendent of the Y. M. M. I. A., with their two automobiles, took the party from Cardston to the Jack Galbreath ranch. Soon after the arrival of the party the "Big Chief" began the entertainment of his guests with a wonderful bucking exhibition. He has on his ranch two circular corrals tangent to each other. The poles are so laid, one on top of another, that all the ends of the

IMPROVEMENT ERA Ranch House of Jack Galbreath, Located in Northern Montana, Forty Miles, from Browning. poles are on the outside of the corral. Into one of these corrals a band of wild horses was driven from the hillside not far away. Soon one wild animal was driven into a small pen or chute built in the side of this corral. By using a gate which formed a portion of the wall of the corral, this wild horse was soon clamped between the gate and the side of the little pen or chute. (While, as I understand it, this device is intended primarily for use in branding horses, it can certainly be used advantageously for saddling bronchos.) In a few moments the other horses were driven into the adjoin- ing corral, the saddle was on the wild animal, a rider in the saddle, and in the fine round corral just vacated the bucking exhibition was on. As soon as this snorting, ferocious animal quit pitching, the rider jumped to the ground and the saddle was removed. The band of horses was driven back into the first corral, a second charger was clamped between the gate and the side of the small pen, the saddle was soon on the animal's back, a rider in it, and then the bucking exhibi- tion proceeded with such fury that soon the rider was hurled through the air. While he was not seriously hurt, as the thrown horseman limped from the corral he said: "Say, Jack, I thought you said that horse wouldn't buck." When the third infuriated animal had given an exhibition of life on the frontier that would have satisfied a group of the wildest cow- boys, and when he had kicked a board from the side of the high corral fence just below the feet of Mrs. Lucy Woodruff Smith of the Young Ladies' Board, and had brought out of her a screech made as if she were attempting to draw the attention of the people at the railroad station forty miles away, the rider who had had plenty of

THE INDIANS AND THE WILD WEST 7 exercise and experience for one day said: "Catch him, boys, if you can." The other members of the party were Jennie B. Knight of the Relief Society, Harold G. Reynolds of the Sunday School, Emily Smith of the Primary organization, and the writer, representative of the General Authorities of the Church and the Y. M. M. I. A. All these General Board members were seated on top of the high pole fence in what they regarded as safe and secure places, until the horses, with their hind feet, began to hammer the poles and tear the boards from the fence under the feet of the representative of the Young Ladies' Associations. The bucking exhibition, the fine dinner, and the evening spent singing familiar songs, reading Indian stories and listening to the A. * m _ A- Indian Tepees at the Jack Dempsey Contest at Shelby, Montana actual Indian experiences of the "Big Chief," completed a most en- joyable day. Sitting in his palatial ranch house on this evening, our host, in a reminiscent mood, told of his parents, his childhood and youth, his school days, his later association with his famous old uncle, "Moun- tain Chief," and also of his marriage and his conversion to the gospel. In speaking of his conversion he said that for eight long years before he joined the Church he investigated and studied the teachings of the gospel and put forth his best efforts with a determination to convince himself that the teachings were not true. While he studied hard and listened earnestly to the preaching of others, he says he was most influenced by the gospel life as lived by his wife. His own words are: "The best way to teach the gospel is to live it. It was my wife's splendid example as a consistent Latter- day Saint which converted me finally."

8 IMPROVEMENT ERA Mr. Galbreath had always been willing to have his wife pay her tithing, and for two years before he joined the Church he himself had kept the Word of Wisdom strictly. By actual experience, he said, he found the Word of Wisdom to be "good medicine." The experiences of his childhood as related by Jack Galbreath are full of interest. He remembers particularly that when his father's horses had been stolen by the Indians, in the absence of his father, his mother took him and her other four children out on the hillside where for days they lived upon wild berries which she gathered for them. At the age of seven, with his parents, Jack left the Teton river and went to the Indian Reservation. He was put in a Catholic school for three months. After that he was put by his father into an Indian mili- tary school. In this institution he was given two hours per day of schooling and eight hours per day of work. It is said that this same practice is still contniued on the reservation. It is his opinion that the Indians must be educated before much can be expected of them, and that two hours of schooling and eight hours of work is too little schooling and too much work for Indian boys and girls. In these schools the "Big Chief" says the Indians, during his child- hood were treated like prisoners. The Indian boys, he explained, like grown-up Indians, are all proud of their long braids of black hair. These are regarded by them as signs of strength, and the Indians have great admiration for strength. They admire the big Indian with the long braids of black hair who, when he dances can make the very floor shake. The feelings of the Indian boys were greatly hurt when they were taken into the schools on the reservation and their long braids were cut off as if they had been horses tails. When about twelve or thirteen years old, and for several years in succession, he went to the public school for some two or three months during the year. With such a little opportunity to go to school it seemed remarkable that this splendid representative of the American Indians has learned so much and in his short lifetime has made such a pronounced success. When our friend joined the Church in 1914, he had but forty- five head of cattle and a five-room house, while in 1922, at the time of the visit above referred to, he was running four thousand head of cattle on his own ranch and had an interest in another herd of two thousand. His own ranch contains seventy-five thousand acres and is enclosed with one hundred miles of fence. He had in use one hun- dred head of saddle horses, one hundred work and stock horses, and was employing fifty white men. In the year 1918 he sold $140,000 worth of beef. His ranch house has seven outside openings, twenty-three rooms, a large basement and laundry, and it is supplied with a water works system which brings spring water a distance of three thousand feet from an elevation sufficient to give very satisfactory pressure. The house complete, including the water works system, cost $40,000. It

THE INDIANS AND THE WILD WEST 9 contains a combination living and dining room which is so large that it will scat two hundred people. It is the hope of the "Big Chief" that in this room the gospel will be preached to many of his mother's people, the American Indians, who live on the reservation in which his ranch is located. Upon the walls of this home pictures of "Mountain Chief," Jack's maternal uncle, taken in various costumes and under various conditions, occupy prominent places. "Mountain Chief" is at present one of the best-known and most-admired of the living Indian Chieftains. In 1917 he was sent to Washington, D. C, to represent the Indians who are full-blooded. Our good friend and brother, Jack, was sent to Washington at the same time as a delegate to look after the stock interests and the leases of the Indians. While Jack's famous uncle is usually spoken of as "Mountain Chief," the name which, as already explained, he took from his father, his original name is "Big Brave." As shown in the picture accompanying this article, he has a medallion of President Wilson, which was handed to him by Col. Harper, the Chairman of the Inauguration Committee, in 1913, "Mountain Chief" having been in Washington at that time. The medallion is suspended from a chain. At that time "Mountain Chief" and his wife had an interview with the President of the United States and his wife, which lasted about one hour. "Mountain Chief is considered the Chief of the entire reservation, as well as of the Hart Butte District. He has a uniform that was presented to him by General Scott. He takes pleasure in wearing this uniform on import- ant occasions. Jack Galbreath says he has found it somewhat of a handicap to be a member of the Church. It took him five days on one occasion to get a meeting with the board of directors of a banking institution from which he desired to secure a loan. After the "Big Chief" had presented his case, they said: "To be frank with you, we have heard that you are a 'Mormon,' and that your belief is that cheating a non- 'Mormon' will bring a great reward in the hereafter. Do you believe that? We got this information from good authority." "Such information," said the "Big Chief," "did not come from good authority. It is the product of the mind of some narrow- brained rascal." From his pocket he drew a little card and read the thirteenth article of Faith, then he said: "If you can find anything in 'Mor- mon' doctrine that is not elevating, I'll give you my ranch." Said he, "What do you think of that thirteenth Article of Faith?" He added: "The 'Mormons' have taught me to keep the Word of Wis- dom, not to gamble or carouse." He told them that while he was not there to preach a sermon he would take the opportunity of ex- plaining to them as best he could the principles of the 'Mormon' religion. When he had finished the President of the Bank stood up, took

10 IMPROVEMENT ERA him by the hand, and congratu- lated him saying: "If all 'Mor mons' practice these teachings, they are able to handle big busi- ness, and they are good risks. For one I recommend that we make the desired loan." He was asking for a loan of $150,- 000. Since that time from the same company he has borrowed three or four times as much. With regard to the con- version of the Indians, our friend "Jack," than whom there ought to be no better au- thority on this subject, says that they must be educated — they must be civilized before they can be converted. Until they can read and write and think, until they have some vision and are inspired with some ambition, they cannot be expected to ap- preciate even the Word of Wisdom which, when prac- ticed, produces such immedi- ate and remarkable results, espe- cially for the Indians. When they cannot understand this, how can they be expected to un- derstand the more abstract truths of the gospel of salvation? If our friend Jack's view is correct, a great work must be accomplished before the scripture referring to the Lamanites and re- ferred to above can be fulfilled, namely: "Many of them will be saved, for the Lord will be merciful unto aU who call on His name." John Jackson Gaibreath — Member of the Church Who Represented the De- scendants of Lehi at the Recent Dedi- catory Exercises of the Alberta Tem- ple at Cardston, Canada.

AN OBJECT LESSON FROM AN OLD NOTE-BOOK By Lula Greene Richards In a brief address, Elder John Woolley said: "When I was a young man some forty years ago, or thereabouts, some of the Salt Lake boys, including myself, were out on one of our expeditions be- tween here and the Missouri River. It was in the spring of the year and the water was high in all the streams. One stream that we had to cross was bridged, but water had overflowed the bank and made quite a deep, rushing river between us and the bridge. Bishop Robert Burton, General Burton we called him in those days, had charge of our company, and he asked me if I would ride my horse through the water in a certain place which he pointed out, and carry one end of a rope over and fasten it to the bridge while the other end would be kept on shore, stretching the rope across to assist in fording our teams and wagons on to the bridge. "I replied, 'Yes, I'll go, but that place looks rather — I don't like the looks of the water there, the way it sweeps around at that point. I can't swim much and it might carry me off my horse, I would rather try it down here.' "General Burton looked the situation carefully over again, but he still thought and said the place he had first decided upon would be the best place for me to cross over. And I still felt and rather argued in favor of the other point which looked to me to be some- what safer. "Brother Burton then spoke up a little cross, and said, 'Well, try it there!' reluctantly giving me my way. So I rode my horse up to the edge of the stream, but he was not used to such deep looking water, and rather objected to venturing in. I struck him on the flank with the end of the rope and he plunged forward and down, we both went under the water, out of sight. We came up again though and turned and scrambled up the bank. " 'Well!' said Brother Burton, 'how do you like that?' "I brushed the water off my head and answered, 'I don't like it!' " 'Well, now try it there!' said General Burton, indicating the place he had first chosen for me. This time I followed his direc- tions and succeeded without further trouble in doing what he had asked of me. "That little circumstance has been an object lesson to me ever since it occurred. It has helped me to realize that however things may appear to us naturally, it is always safest for us to take the advice of those placed in charge of matters over us, and carry out their in- structions in their way, not ours, even if we see things differently."

12 IMPROVEMENT ERA Photo by J. E. Broaddus Trail to Timpanogos Cave, American Fork Canyon