Alvin Lent – Pen Name “Truthful James”

Alvin Lent – “Truthful James”

Who was Alvin Lent? We know he was born in N. Y. in 1851, lived much of his life in Missoula, and is buried in the Missoula City Cemetery. Strangely, his burial date is unrecorded. Although early Missoulians knew him well, you might say he never made the front page. His short obituary appeared in the Weekly Missoulian in 1892. It says little about him other than that he died in Olympia, Washington and had moved to Ellensburg three years earlier to open a furniture business.

If you search Missoula’s history you won’t easily find a lot about him either. Not in comparison to some of Missoula’s better-known early residents. All the more surprising it is, then, to find that he’d written numerous articles about Missoula for the early Deer Lodge newspaper, The New North-West. He wrote enough of them that he became known as their Missoula correspondent. Today these articles give us a unique look at Missoula life in the 1870’s. Access to his articles today is possible using the newspapers.com website. The articles were written under the pen name “Truthful James.” – Note, this “Truthful James” is not the Bret Harte character.

One of his New North-West articles is below:

FROM MISSOULA. [1876]

Truthful James Sums Up the Record as Relates to Whites and Reds

Editor New North-West: –

The pressure of events causes another effusion from your correspondent. The way we do to get up a letter from this point is to keep a diary for a couple of months and then to boil it down into one reasonable letter. This one represents the wisdom general by Missoulaites for that length of time.

Ye Grasshopper

didn’t do as much damage as was anticipated, and the crops will be over average. In Bitter Root valley grain looks better than it has for years. Barring the “noble Red,” [sheep] prospects for this county are better than they have been for some time, and the Granger element is at the top of all the heap.

Wm. Goodyer (sic), recent trader at the Flathead Agency, turned his goods, etc. over to Mr. Jno. G. Dooley, the old and reliable, and has, I believe, bidden Missoula county a fond farewell. Mr. Dooley thus controls the entire trade of the Reservation which is a pretty good thing in itself.

A New Firm

The old and well-known dry goods house of E. L. Bonner[1] & Co. has made a change in the business by taking in as a partner their accomplished and scientific salesman, A. B. Hammond, Esq. The new firm, Eddy, Hammond & Co., intend doing hereafter a general merchandising business and to that end have ordered a large and well-assorted stock of staple groceries, wines, liquors, cigars, tobaccos, etc. We wish the new firm abundant success and prophesy for them a large trade. A. B. Hammond, Public Administrator, offers for sale over two hundred head of cattle belonging to the estate of Lawrence Hieser [Heiser], deceased. The cattle are the finest lot that we have seen for some time. Business being dull with us we put in a large proportion of the time in

Sporting.

Fishing is better than it has been for years and we are making the most of it. Every day parties visit the Bitter Root and Rattlesnake and come back covered with mosquito bites and finny glory.

You have doubtless heard of Ed. Corbin, a little fellow who runs around the country paying off stage drivers and overhauling agents. Well, Mr. Corbin went fishing down here one day, was comparatively successful in the fishing line, but made his great hit, a regular ten strike, on worms. He had more experience with them (worms) in a short time than any other man in the county. He don’t feel a bit proud about it either, but gives the boys plenty of gratuitous advice on the subject.

Prairie chickens are ripe, but a wholesome fear of that obnoxious and unwise statute, (that is, so far as Missoula is concerned), known as

The Game Law,

keeps the boys and their Parkers in subjection. Here is a subject now for the next legislature to exercise a little wisdom upon. The only way to do in this matter is to legislate all laws relating to preservation of game by counties. If Deer Lodge wants a law to preserve her game until August 10^th or September 1^st, all right; but the same law is unjust in its application to us, for at the time we are allowed to kill birds here they are old, fly strong, and in point of delicate, nice eating, are no more to be compared to a young bird than an owl is to a chicken. And besides, they begin to scatter out by August 10^th and it requires twice the amount of labor to obtain a full bag as it would a month earlier. Our Representatives must have been asleep when this law, so manifestly disagreeable to the sporting part of their constituency, was enacted, and we look for a radical change in its provisions at an early day.

The Indian Situation.

And now we come to the disagreeable as well as the important part of this letter. This is the Indian Question as viewed here from the present standpoint. It’s well known by all Indians who have ever been through this country that Missoula county and town is wholly defenseless against even a desultory attack on the part of the combined Western tribes. The deficiency in arms, sparsity of settlements, and above all our lack of organization, would render the conquest and consequent massacre of the people of this county an easy matter. From reliable reports much is to be feared from our hitherto friendly Indians. Since the defeat of Custer and annihilation of his command the Indians on the Reserve have become quite threatening, and openly say that eight of the Northern and Western tribes will join the Sioux at an early date. A Piegan chief has lately arrived, from the medicine talk in the Sweetgrass Hills and is endeavoring to foment an insurrection among the already disaffected Flatheads and Pend d’Oreilles We are also informed that a large body of Indians have congregated at Horse Plains in council, and that another body is rendezvoused at the head of Flathead Lake. We apprehend seriously a general Indian outbreak, and in the event of more Sioux successes have no doubt but what our apprehensions will be realized, and the blood scenes of Minnesota will be re-enacted in the fairest portion of settled Montana. The utter absence of troops in this part of the Territory will encourage the Indians and confirm them in the idea that no obstacle stands in the way of a war of extermination – such as a war of this kind would be. The Government should at once cause to be issued to the settlers’ arms and ammunition sufficient for purposes of defense, and order troops from the West in sufficient number to quell at once any outbreak upon the part of these Indians. Our appeal for arms is urgent, as not one man in ten has anything suitable for even a war of defense, and the lives of women and children depend upon a prompt answer to the call. In view of the threatening state of affairs Col. Medary, Agent for the Flatheads, has telegraphed the Department asking for troops, a copy of which telegram we send herewith. Will inform you from time to time of the progress of affairs, that is if we don’t lose our hair before the thing ends. Yours, etc.,

Truthful James.

Missoula, July 23, 1876.

“Truthful James” Articles

Lent’s Parents

Alvin Lent was the oldest son of Harvey and Sarah Lent, who were early Western Montana pioneers. Both from N.Y., they arrived in Montana well before 1870, but the exact date of their arrival is unclear. Only a few short mentions of Harvey Lent exist in early Montana newspapers. He appeared in an article from the Montana Post (Virginia City) newspaper in 1868, listing him as a Missoula delegate to the Industrial Society Convention in Virginia City, Montana Territory. In that article Harvey’s name appears alongside that of a Missoula founder, C. P. Higgins. An informative article about the Bitter Root by his mother, Sarah Lent, appeared in the New North-West (8/4/1876)[2].

An article from the New North-West in November 1869 asked that Harvey Lent or Jake Slack contact them and make a report on the threshing yield in the Bitter Root so far. Jake Slack was the brother of Missoula’s 1^st teacher, Mrs. Emily Slack Dickenson. The same page has a marriage announcement for Mr. W. J. McCormick and Miss Kate Higgins, a sister of C. P. Higgins. In 1869 Harvey’s son, Alvin, wrote a letter to a Pittsfield, Massachusetts newspaper that appears today, seeking information on how to raise sheep. Alvin listed his residence as Stevensville, Montana.

Another New North-West article in 1870 mentioned that one of Harvey Lent’s colts from Stevensville, had died before he had a chance to race it at the Territorial Fair. In April, 1870, another NW article noted that Harvey had moved to Missoula: “Mr. Harvey Lent of Willow Creek, one of the best horsemen of the country, has taken the Missoula Stables opposite the Dana House, and is doing a splendid business.” Dana house was located at the corner of Front and Stevens [Ryman] Streets.

The Lents appear in the 1870 Montana Territorial census for Missoula County. Harvey, Sarah, and a second son, Eugene, are shown on a separate page from Alvin. Harvey and his wife are both listed as age 45 in the 1870 census. Their son, Eugene Lent, is listed as age 16, while Alvin is listed as 19 years old and working as a “clerk in store.” Alvin’s name appears next to the iconic Missoula merchant, J. P. Reinhard, who operated Missoula’s 1st hardware store.

In his amazing autobiographical account of the time he spent in Montana Territory,[3] Episcopal Bishop Daniel Tuttle wrote about the Lents after staying at their ‘hotel’ when he first came to Missoula in 1870. He was more than satisfied with their hospitality. He praised Mrs. Sarah Lent as “one of the most intelligent and best informed churchwomen that I had anywhere met.”

A mention of Lent’s hotel appears in “History of Montana” by Michael Leeson, noting that it was called the Lent – Stubblefield hotel by 1872.

An article in the New North-West newspaper, April 21, 1871, stated: “Harvey Lent has a contract to make a 70-feet span suspension bridge of the structure across the river at Missoula.” No other mention of Harvey’s contracting skills is mentioned.

Alvin Lent

In his early 20’s, Alvin Lent began to carve his own path not long after that. After a short stint clerking for Hardware merchant, J. P. Reinhard, he began his own business and became involved in Missoula’s political affairs, something that he was involved in for the next 15 years. No doubt his ability to communicate served him well. He held several official positions in Missoula County throughout this period.

Many references to Alvin appeared in the New North-West (Deer Lodge) newspaper over several years.

A few are listed below:

October 18, 1873 – “Alvin Lent, County Treasurer and Express agent, has removed into a neat and cozy new office adjoining Welch’s store.” (Welch & Bonner founded Missoula Mercantile)

December 3, 1873 – “Mr. Alvin Lent returned to Missoula on Tuesday from whence we hope to have frequent tributes from ‘Truthful James.’” Alvin Lent was “Truthful James” in the New North-West.

December 27, 1873 – “Mr. Alvin Lent, Treasurer of Missoula county, settled the affairs of his county with Treasurer Hickman last week. Mr. Lent, with being a good Treasurer, is also a first-rate newspaper correspondent, when inspired by “Truthful James,” which the same he is.”

March 7, 1874 – “Alvin Lent, our out-going County Treasurer made his final settlement with the County Commissioners and on Tuesday turned the office over to his successor.”

April 4, 1874 – “On Monday last, Messrs. Alvin Lent and Jas. Osborn purchased of Chris Martin property on Front St. known as Haydon Stables for sum of $1,000.” The Florence Hotel was later located on this property.

May 16, 1874 – “Messrs. Lent & Osborn have perfected arrangements with J. K. Clark, Esq., of Horse Plains, and are now prepared to transfer passengers, per saddle, to Pen d’Oreille Lake for the reasonable tariff of twenty-five dollars.”

June 20, 1874 – The lower tier of stalls in Lent & Osborne’s Livery Stable fell on Thursday night, breaking Mr. Osborne’s leg in three places and also breaking two ribs. Three horses were considerably injured; Mr. O. had noticed the roof was breaking and succeeded in releasing most of the horses before it finally fell. The heavy rains had saturated the dirt roof and being old it gave way.”

October 24, 1874 – “Married – Lent – Miller – In Missoula, M. T., on Sunday evening, October 15^th. 1874, Justice Pomeroy officiating. Mr. Alvin Lent and Miss Mary C. Miller, all of Missoula.”

Mary was a daughter of Frenchtown pioneer Caroline Miller who was allegedly one of the first white women to travel in Montana (See Charles Schafft – 1^st women in Mt.). Mary was a sister of Mrs. Frank Worden and Mrs. J. P. Reinhard. An interesting twist came later when Alvin died and she married William C. Darnold, a friend of Alvin Lent’s.

January 15, 1875 – “The Missoula County Fair Association organized on the 29^th of Dec. by electing W. E. Bass, President; W. G. Edwards, Vice President; Ferd Kennett, Treasurer; Alvin Lent, Secretary, and Messrs. C. P. Higgins and W. G. Edwards, J. Pardee, J. K. Clark and Thos. Foley, Trustees.” They organized the 1^st County Fair.

Mach 11, 1875 – Missoula County Fair Assn. – elected officers – Secretary – Alvin Lent

June 11, 1875 – “For Sale – Desirous of leaving Missoula, I offer for sale . . . Four town lots fronting on Main street, each 30 feet front and 150 feet deep. Two lots, same dimensions on Front Street . . . Fractions of two lots with dwelling house on Higgins avenue . . . “

June 17, 1875 – “Marshall Wheeler recently appointed Alvin Lent as U. S. Deputy Marshall for Missoula county”

August 13, 1875 – “The Co-partnership heretofore existing between Alvin Lent and James Osborne has been dissolved by mutual consent.”

November 5, 1875 – “Mr. Alvin Lent is opening a stationery and variety store in Missoula”

September 1, 1876 – “Alvin Lent, Esq., our esteemed correspondent, “Truthful James,” was up this week from Missoula rendering an account of his stewardship as Agent of W. F. & Co. to Superintendent Brastow.” [Wells Fargo & Co.]

December 15, 1876 – “Alvin Lent, the much esteemed, “Truthful James” of the New North-West, threw down a severe attack of typhoid fever last week.”

March 23, 1877 – “Messrs. Alvin Lent and A. J. Urlin, of Missoula, are looking at Butte with an eye to its business aspects.” [Urlin was a prime developer of Msla’s Northside.]

March 30, 1877 – “Mr. Alvin Lent returned to Missoula this week, but at last accounts Mr. Urlin was still selecting Butte town lots of which he had entered fifteen.”

April 9, 1880 – “Alvin Lent, or yore known to our readers as “Truthful James,” came in from Missoula on Tuesday.”

April 16, 1880 – “Mr. Alvin Lent, of Missoula, for fourteen years past engaged principally in mercantile business in that town and possessing fine qualities, has been in Helena and Deer Lodge the past week and is now visiting Butte.”

July 30, 1880 – “Mr. Alvin Lent is the author of the excellent article in the last Mining Review entitled ‘Butte.’”

Article from The Butte Miner:

June 4, 1880 – “Mrs. Alvin Lent, of Missoula has rejoined her husband at Butte, where he has been for some time past, and will reside hereafter in this city.”

Articles from the New North-West (Deer Lodge):

June 11,1880 – “Our Butte correspondent, “Truthful James,” has been quite ill for some days. We trust he is recovering.”

April 6, 1883 – “It is with pleasure we welcome to our columns again the communications of “Truthful James” Alvin Lent, Esq. – of Missoula. He has been absent for some years, but has relocated at Missoula. The people down there are getting religious, and propose to keep Lent the year round.”

Articles from the Helena Independent-Record for the period after 1886 are listed below:

November 9, 1886 – “Alvin Lent republican, is re-elected county clerk and recorder by 332 majority.”

April 14, 1887 – “The Bell Mining company held an annual meeting today . . . Frank H. Woody was elected president, W. H. Anderson vice president, Alvin Lent secretary, and Fred C. Stoddard treasurer.”

December 9, 1887 – “The Missoula Jewelry and Furniture Company” – “On a letter head of the county clerk’s office of Missoula county comes a complaint from Alvin Lent who signs himself treasurer of the Missoula Jewelry and Furniture company, complaining of a special which appeared in the Independent Tuesday last to the effect that the company was bankrupt. Mr. Lent uses some very superlative language in saying that the report is a mistake, that the company is doing business in Missoula, and that whenever it closes its doors it will pay dollar for dollar . . .”

https://www.newspapers.com/image/523676717/?terms=alvin%20lent&match=1

July 13, 1888 – “A Republican Curiosity”

“Alvin Lent was lately removed from his position of deputy clerk of the district court, at Missoula, and a democrat appointed in his place, at the request of the lawyers of the bar of the democratic persuasion. The republicans have shown a disposition to exhibit a feeling of soreness about it; but Lent takes the wind out of their sails by pursuing a manly and honorable course in regard to the matter, conceding the right of the dominant party to make any such changes. He says: ‘I recognize the right of a democratic bar to make their own appointments. Their action from a political standpoint was entirely justifiable, and I don’t feel disposed to cherish any hard feelings.’ As a republican Mr. Lent is a curiosity.”

https://www.newspapers.com/image/523607713/?terms=alvin%20lent&match=1

March 29, 1889 – “A telegram received at the Bradstreet agency yesterday announces that Alvin Lent, the furniture dealer of Missoula has been attached for $3,900. Mr. Lent is said to be thoroughly solvent and everything will be settled.”

June 24, 1890 – “Mr. Alvin Lent, now of Fairhaven, Washington, formerly of this city, and for several terms county clerk of this county, is in the city to attend the marriage of his sister-in-law, Miss Maggie Miller, to Mr. W. C. Allerton.”

From New North-West

September 28, 1888 – “Alvin Lent received a telegram yesterday afternoon from O. C. Cooper, of Grantsdale, informing him that Eugene Lent, his brother, shot and killed himself, yesterday morning at 8 a.m. As yet no further information has been received, and the cause, or circumstances of the shooting are shrouded in mystery. Mr. Lent will take this morning’s train for Grantsdale to look after the remains.”

From Anaconda Standard

February 25, 1906

“An effort was made for the division of Missoula county in the year 1884, when William Kennedy was councilman and Emigh and Eastman were representatives. This was under the territorial government.

“Owing to jealousies and the double dealings of Alvin Lent of Missoula, who was then county clerk and recorder, the proposition for the division of Missoula county was defeated. During this time Colonel McGowan was representative of the firm at Thompson in the matter of county division, and spent nearly the entire session of the legislature in Helena. The bitterness of the fight waged can be judged from the fact that Kennedy and McGowan on one side, and Emigh[4] and Eastman[5] on the other, engaged in a vicious hand-to-hand fight in the latter’s room at the old International hotel at Helena. The furniture in the room was broken and mirrors and crockery smashed, and McGowan was in bed three days. Kennedy had a scalp wound and a cut in the face that required 10 stitches, and Emigh and Eastman were in no better condition.”

Alvin Lent Obituary in the Weekly Missoulian 12/21/1892:

The sad news has been received here of the death of Alvin Lent, a former resident of Missoula and for several terms county clerk and recorder of this county. It occurred at Olympia, Wash., last Thursday. Mr. Lent left here about three years ago and went into the furniture business at Ellensburg with Titus Reese. The remains will be brought to Missoula and will be buried here tomorrow at 2 p.m. from the Castle Hall of the Knights of Pythias, the deceased being a member of that order. The funeral sermon will be preached by Rev. George Stewart, and the services at the grave will be according to the rites of the Pythian knights.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/349595956/?terms=alvin%2Blent%2Bmissoula#

Alvin Lent’s parents and brother, Eugene, are buried at the Corvallis Mt. cemetery:

Harvey Lent born 1825 – death 12/2/1885

Sarah Lent born 1825 – died in Missoula 12/5 1880

Eugene Lent – 9/19/1888

Alvin Lent – burial at Missoula 12/18/1892

Photograph:

Alvin Lent and his mother Sarah Lent appear in the iconic photograph of early Missoula people taken in 1876, titled – “Early Day Faces.” A good copy of that photograph appears in the Daily Missoulian on January 1, 1905. Unlike later facsimiles of that photograph, this one identifies these people in a simple manner. See link: https://www.newspapers.com/image/348662113

*[Reply to Charles Schafft’s “A Veritable History of Hellgate”[6]]

3/21/1874 – New North-West

From Missoula.

A Few Scattering Remarks.

Editor New North-West: –

We have been trying for some time to centralize our ideas of this growing city into a letter that shall be both pleasing and instructive, but we are afraid that we have pressed the matter a little too hard, and instead of a mountain as we fondly supposed, have gotten away with the smallest kind of a mole-hill.

Deferential.

We haven’t any early experiences or drinks in Hell-Gate to recount and dispose of, and are afraid that the bottle-scarred veteran who, from the lee of Levasseur’s pig-pen, dishes up his reminiscences of that halcyon spot in such a pleasing shape would refuse to put up his chin music at our unfamiliar call. There were also a few Jocko items on file, but “Malian Isti” and the Agency Poet have done the subject full justice, and we were brave indeed to enter the lists and try to rehash their cheerful and complete statements of things as they are on the Reservation.

Meteorological.

The Isothermals have been bucking a little of late and we gravitate between spring on the one hand and frozen thermometers on the other with a celerity that is absolutely astounding. These sudden and severe changes of temperature, varied by small falls of the fleecy, render locomotion extremely hazardous. Only yesterday morning we observed a gentlemanly appearing personage suddenly, and without warning, sit down in the middle of the street, take an astronomical observation or two and wind up with a few remarks that to an outsider were sulphureous in character.

Our

Singing School

Under the supervision of Mr. Eddy is being conducted in a manner to please the most fastidious, altho’ at one time a lot of ill-conditioned hoodlums tried (by putting Cayenne pepper upon the stove and other rowdyish acts) to break the class up. But we are happy to state without success, and now the standard of advancement compares favorably with any under the Professor’s management and we jubilate accordingly. We can already “scale the ladder,” and climbing up the same, warble melodiously in four different languages, and intend at the close of the course giving an entertainment which will doubtless eclipse anything of the kind heretofore offered to the citizens of Missoula.

The “Missoulian.”

On account of our friend Mr. Woody having severed his connection with the Missoulian, we may reasonably hope that the paper will come out boldly and take a decided stand under Republican colors, as the present proprietor, Mr. Turk, has a leaning toward those principles, having accepted the Republican nomination for County Treasurer during the last campaign. Not that we are inclined to find fault with Mr. Woody, but decidedly to the contrary. The Missoulian under his editorship has been a true and faithful exponent of the feeling of the people of this country. In most cases it has frankly and fearlessly advocated such measurers as were directly for our interest, and we know of no instance wherein he has opposed the wishes of the people or worked for anything that would not benefit the county at large. We are satisfied however that Mr. Turk is able to keep the paper up to its original standard, and will doubtless make it a financial success as a reliable index of Missoula affairs.

Cedar And Quartz.

We are credibly informed that good pay has lately been found in both Cedar and Quartz Creeks, and also upon a tributary of Cedar, and we are assured by reliable parties that the prospects of the camp for 1874 are brighter than they have been since the first excitement in 1870. The miners are jubilant and confidently expect a rich return for their next summer’s labor.

Mail Contracts.

Which the game that was played on these honest Grangers, in regard to the mail contracts in the Territory was awful, and disgusting to a party of refined feelings. To explain: Nearly every able-bodied citizen in the town had put in a little paper talk for three or four of these routes and were resting in fanciful security until the opening of the bids and awarding of the contracts, when, presto, in steps a lot of strikers and snatch our little chance for perquisites right away from us. ‘Tis no fair thing, and in all probability some of will get burnt plenty. Although that doesn’t concern the Department, which is doubtless aware of and understands its own business.

Personals.

We understand that Mr. James Osborne, who has endeared himself greatly to us during the past winter by his agreeable and graceful address and accommodating disposition, will (as soon as the road is open) take up his line of march for the fabulous gold mines of the Stickeen. We could have better spared others, but in all heartiness and cordiality we wish him a pleasant journey and a successful issue to his enterprise. We also note the advent of Chauncy Barbour, late of your city, who we believe enters the Missoulian office, and it is popularly supposed will give us a taste of his literary abilities. With these few remarks I have the honor to be

Yours, with respects,

Truthful James.

Missoula, March 1874.

Below is a list of “Truthful James” article dates, and links, in The New North-West (Deer Lodge):

October 18, 1873

https://www.newspapers.com/image/171904759/?terms=truthful%20james&match=1

October 25, 1873

https://www.newspapers.com/image/171904882/?terms=truthful%20james&match=1

November 1, 1873

https://www.newspapers.com/image/171905008

November 8, 1873

https://www.newspapers.com/image/171905129