About Monte:

Born in about 1853, by his reckoning, in Bexar County, Texas but raised in Nebraska Territory, worked in Chinese restaurants, labor camps, been an artist — a con artist  — a boxer, a fisherman, spent a fortune made in lumber on wine and whiskey. Found fool's gold in Wyoming, hot springs in New Mexico, and conjugal bliss in Montana, enjoying children and grandchildren. Believes in a parallel universe. On his tombstone: "it's all a lie, thy will be done".