A Western Sheriff - part 1

Seth Bullock was Typical Frontier Officer of the Law; Was Close Friend of Roosevelt

Originally Published in the Hysham Echo on

September 9, 1926

(by Dan R. Conway)

The old frontier is fadin’ and the real

West is no more;

Bucks and squaws don’t hang out longer

down at the post trader’s store.

Beaded buckskin’s been supplanted by the

cheaper calico.

And you’ve got to go to Boston for a real

wild Western show.

 * * *

Yes, the old frontier is fadin’, and the

West has had its day;

For the risin’ generation don’t do things

the old-time way.

There’s no graveyard on the hillside filled

with blundering recruits

Who’ve been planted ‘neath the daisies

still a-warin’ of their boots.

- - From “The Fading Frontier” by Brininstool.

In this great language of ours, there are but few terms capable of conveying so great a significance to the real red-blooded American as that phrase, “On the Frontier.” Today, even those whose sphere of work-a-day existence lies within the confines of the greater urban centers are apt to experience a thrill at the mention of that term. There is a certain feeling of unrestraint and adventure - an appeal to the “gypsy blood which flows in our veins” - when we dwell upon the incidents akin to life at those points where civilization met the primitive and where indomitable courage encountered and overcame nature and wild, untamed conditions. The old frontier has passed and frontiersmen who inhabited the great open spaces of what is now Montana, live only in the archives of the commonwealth, the memory of pioneers and the narrative of historians.
Recently while scanning the columns of a copy of the Virginia City Madisonian of date of November 17, 1874, I chanced upon a brief editorial comment which recalled the career of one of the Northwest’s interesting frontiersmen.
It has often been remarked that “anything goes in war.” In 1874 Virginia City and Helena were “at war,” the issue at stake being the permanent location of the Territorial seat of government. The newspapers of each of these early-day mining camps were then in the throes of bitter sarcastic controversy. Consequently the following caustic remarks directed to one of the citizens of the metropolis of “Last Chance” may be readily understood, and the editor, “Tom Baker”, excused for what might appear editorial impropriety:
“The subject of this sketch notice is Seth Bullock - often called ‘Bishop’ Bullock, for his great piety, and because he got married a couple of months since, and is doing well. Mr. Seth Bullock is Sheriff of Montana Territory, in Lewis and Clark county, and he reached that towering position among his fellow men by beating Joe Woodman in the Republican primary pow-wow at Helena, and ‘kase he was foreman of an engine company at the time the accident happened. Seth has made a popular Republican official and hopes to be rewarded with a re-election when the time comes. Outside of these peculiarities, Seth must have been a handsome man, when he was young and in his prime - for even now, when handicapped with the cares of married existence, he presents an over-average appearance among men. Seth visited the Capital of Montana last Monday and Tuesday, as an officer of the law. He was armed with a subpoena. He read this remarks in writin’ to sundry male citizens of Virginia City, conveying the peremptory command that each one so named must appear before an inquisitional body called the Territorial Grand Jury, to assemble in the City of Helena, twenty days from date. Sheriff Bullock performed his duty well, and left us on Tuesday evening’s coach, satisfied that he had not sojourned with ‘forgers and thieves’ as the Herald and Independent call our citizens. Seth interviewed us before he departed for home, remarking that he was truly sorry at the way Massachusetts and the other states had cut up in the recent elections. Seth, we’d been reading a temperance tract, and celebrating Democratic victories when you called, which is sufficient apology for the refusal made on the occasion aforesaid.”

Seth Bullock

Typical frontiersman, who was sheriff of Lewis and Clark county, Montana, at the time of the Virginia City-Helena Capital fight in 1873-74; and who was one of Roosevelt’s closet friends. He was sheriff at Deadwood in the exciting gold mining days of the Black Hills, and was later United States marshal of South Dakota.

Regardless of the fact that this same Seth Bullock spent much of his life in later years in another state, it remains that the subject of the above editorial squib written for the Madisonian, was one of the frontiersmen of old Montana. He helped to blaze the trails into Montana Territory more than sixty years ago, served in the Territorial legislature, and was sheriff of Lewis and Clark county in 1873-74 - the days when the dominant factor in the success of a sheriff was his ability “to be quick on the trigger.”

Bullock was a born frontiersman, and, when civilization had tamed life in Montana Territory; at the time of the Black Hills gold excitement, he “stampeded,” and in later years became one of South Dakota’s prominent citizens.

Was Member of Vigilantes

Bullock was a member of the famous “Vigilantes of Montana,” operating with a Helena branch of those doughty champions of law and order.

Many interesting stories were narrated of “Captain” Seth Bullock, most of which, quite naturally, had to do with his experiences on the Black Hills frontier.

A Friend of Roosevelt

In the days when Colonel Roosevelt was learning to be a cowboy, Bullock met the young man at Medora. The two had much in common and they became fast friends, their friendship lasting until the great rough rider took horse on his last long trail and rode away through the mists into immortality.

Was United States Marshal

Under President Theodore Roosevelt, Bullock served as United States marshal of South Dakota. He was Roosevelt’s political viceroy in that state, and accompanied the president on his western trips.

The Butte Incident of 1900

An amusing incident is narrated of Bullock, which has to do with the trip of President Roosevelt to Montana points.
This exciting and near-serious occurrence was staged back in the days when F. Augustus Heinze was attempting to “night herd” the Amalgamated; Tom Carter was political overlord of the state of Pat Mullins was mayor of Butte. The incident was enacted during the Butte entertainment of the president, and had the story of it been published at the time, it would have startled the whole United States. It was, however, suppressed, through the diplomacy of Senator Carter and the good sense of the newspapermen who had cognizance of it. All the principals are now dead, and this is the story, as related by E. H. cooney of Great Falls, at the time of Mr. Bullock’s death:

“Roosevelt was to visit Butte, and a battle began between Heinze and the Amalgamated, the latter led by William Scallon, then head of the company in Montana, as to who should entertain him, a controversy which was cut short by the suggestion that the president would pass Butte up if there was any unseemly row, and the entertainment was then agreed to fifty-fifty. The fact of the matter was that the fifty-fifty largely consisted of the Amalgamated paying the bills, and Heinze running the show. However, that is neither here not here nor anywhere else. President Roosevelt, Mr. Heinze, Senator Carter, Mayor Mullins and Seth Bullock have passed over the long, long trail we all must travel, * * *

“Seth Bullock, who formerly lived in Helena, was guard of honor for President Roosevelt, and rode by his side during the entire western trip. Seth was a man with a cold, grey eyes, a nerve that never wavered, and a gun that never missed. The president had made him United States marshal of South Dakota and he swore by the president - never at him.
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