Man and Bear Die In Fight

1920

Rancher Finds Their Skeletons, Still Clasped Together.

LIVINGSTON, Montana. — The skeletons of a man and a bear, clasped together, recently were found a few inches underground on Chicken Creek, near here, R. A. Fifield, a rancher, reported.

The skull of the human being was missing, and because the discoverer has been a resident of the district for thirty-seven years, it is believed the man was either one of the earliest prospectors or an Indian.

No weapon was found to show how the man, while within the clasp of the bear, was able to kill the beast.

—The Saturday Blade, Chicago, Aug. 7, 1920, p. 1.

He Forgave Twain

1901

Many years ago the Montana club in Helena entertained Mark Twain after a lecture. He met many old friends there and one old enemy.

The latter had come all the way from Virginia City, Nev., on purpose to settle an old score. When the glasses were filled and Mark's health proposed, this man interrupted the proceedings by saying: "Hold on a minute. Before we go further I want to say to you, Sam Clemens, that you did me a dirty trick over there in Silver City, and I've come here to have a settlement with you."

There was a deathly silence for a moment, when Mark said in his deliberate drawl: "Let's see. That — was - before — I — reformed, wasn't — it?"

Senator Sanders suggested that inasmuch as the other fellow had never reformed Clemens and all the others present forgive him and drink together, which all did.

Girl's Letter Is Joke on Bachelors, but It Overwhelms Her With Mail

1920

GREAT FALLS, Mont. — Miss Ethel Day, a pretty New York girl, has caused work for a few extra mail clerks and carriers in this city as the result of a little joke that she and two other girl friends played upon several thousand young bachelors scattered over the habitable globe a few months ago. Miss Day is now thoroly convinced of the potency of publicity, and so, incidentally, are the letter shooters and mail sorters in the Great Falls postoffice.

Last summer, while enjoying a vacation in the mountains with her two girl friends from New York, who helped her put over the joke, the trio decided to write the following epistle to a motion picture magazine:

"Editor: I am a girl 19 years old. With three other girls I herd cattle for a wealthy stockman. We get awfully lonely and would like to correspond with some Eastern men."

In one day's mail she received answering letters from Germany, France, Hawaii, the Philippines, Zanzibar, Africa; London, Texas. Maine, New Hampshire, Boston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Cleveland, Norfolk. Va.; Brunswick, Ont., Can.; New York, Montreal, Key West. Fla.; Jersey City, the U. S. steamship Savannah, India, and numerous other points about the world.

A young lad from New York who evidently has the impression that Montana is still in "the wild and woolly West" asked Miss Day to put a good word for him with her boss so that he could come West and learn to punch cattle. Others spoke of wolves howling around the door.

A little Virginia lass has asked the following questions: "Do you dance? What style of dancing do they have in the West? (Imagine answering that one!) How are the folks out there, hospitable, friendly, sociable? How are the girls, the fellows? What are the chief entertainments? How do you spend your time?"

Now Miss Day for a little while thought it just lovely to receive hundreds of nice letters, but it is rapidly ceasing to be a joke. Each day her list of unanswered letters increases and all she needs is a permit to start a postoffice all her own. The problem could be easily solved by either ignoring the letters or sending them back unclaimed were it not for the fact that all her correspondents were so anxious for a reply that they carefully enclosed stamped, addressed envelopes.

However, Miss Day cheerfully says she will see the thing thru and answer every letter if she has to hire a couple of stenographers and a dictaphone and take a vacation for three months.

—The Saturday Blade, Chicago, Jan. 3, 1920, p. 5.

The Story of The Train Wreck at Great Falls, Montana, 1900

1900

THE STORY OF THE WRECK

Conductor Bingham Tells How His Train Was Ditched.

THE DEED OF A FANATIC

Switch Thrown Was the Only One Unguarded — Two Carloads of Perishable Freight Caused the Attempt.

The Great Northern passenger train wrecked at Great Falls at 10 o'clock Wednesday night arrived in Anaconda at 3:35 yesterday afternoon. Conductor Frank Bingham was in charge.

Shortly after the arrival of the train Mr. Bingham was seen by a Standard reporter. In speaking of the affair he said:

"It was a miraculous escape and the wonder of it all is that it was not attended by some loss of life. I had all along looked for trouble, but hardly thought that strike sympathizers would resort to such a dastardly trick. Before we left Havre we were threatened with trouble. There were two carloads of perishable freight to be taken through by us, a car of mineral water for Goodkind Bros., Helena, and a carload of beer for John Caplice of Butte. Before we coupled these cars onto our train we were warned. In fact, one of the strikers went up to one of my brakemen, George Alexander, and told him that if he dared to couple those two cars of freight onto the train he would be brained with a link. When I heard this I assumed the responsibility of this work myself. One of the strikers came to me and said: 'Bingham, you would not take the bread and butter out of our mouths, would you?'

"I answered that it had cost me 12 years of hard, steady work to get my present job, and that if perishable freight was attached to my train and I was ordered to take it out, I most certainly would do so. As the brakeman was afraid that some one of the strikers would carry the threat to brain him into effect, I went forward, coupled the cars onto the engine and coupled up the air myself. No one attempted to interfere and we pulled out of Havre without further incident. Our run to Great Falls was made without any trouble, and we got into that place five hours late. It was feared there that there might be some trouble, and deputy sheriffs had been stationed at every switch to prevent any attempt that might be made to ditch our train.

"We were just about clear of the yards when a man rushed out and, after the engine, the two cars of freight and the baggage car had passed over, threw the only switch that was not guarded. I was standing in the front part of the smoker, and when the switch was thrown the car I was in and the day coach went crashing into heavy ore cars standing on the track next to the main line. The sides of the two passenger cars were crushed in and several of the passengers were thrown on the floor, but luckily no one was injured. One of the brakemen saw the man who threw the switch, but I was inside. Had I been on the platform and seen the fellow when he made the attempt to murder us I should certainly have taken a shot at him.

"I see by the papers that the strikers state that they were attending a meeting when the switch was thrown. This may be true, but by a singular coincidence a number of people were seen to climb up on cars, and all were watching us as we pulled out, and appeared to know that something was going to happen just when it did. As soon as the wreck occurred three engines and a crew of wreckers were set at work and the spot cleared as soon as possible. We were five hours late when the train was ditched and about 12 hours more was consumed in clearing the wreck, but we finally pulled out and I delivered the two carloads of freight. that occasioned the trouble, to their destination."

"What will be the effect of the strike and what merit is there in the strikers' side?"

"It will he over in a short time. I have a personal acquaintance with a number of the men who went out and some of them are good fellows, but they went at this matter in the wrong way. There is no strike and none was ordered. The men simply refused to work under the new schedule, and they quit. That is all there is to it. They are no longer in the employ of the company and if they do not return to work other men will be brought in to take their places."

Locally the strike has been of no effect. Passenger trains are running as usual and freight is being received for points along the line as though nothing had happened. A great deal of freight is being congested at Woodville, the northern terminus of the Butte yard limit, but it is expected that by to-day sufficient men will have been received to man the trains abandoned by strikers, and that trains will be moved as before. All along the line scores of deputy sheriffs have been sworn in to protect company property, and for the first few days trains will he run under the protection of armed men.

—The Anaconda Standard, Anaconda, Montana, May 4, 1900, page 4.

Note: In the fourth paragraph from the bottom the original article says, "I delivered the two carloads of freight. that occasioned the trouble, to their designation." Designation, not destination. I don't know if that word works, but I changed it anyway.

A Marriage Omelet: Montana Couples Trade Mates, Kids

1917

New Wives for Old! Montana Couples Trade Mates in a Marriage Omelet and Are Happy

Husbands Get Fresh Wives, Wives Fresh Husbands, All Are Content With New Deal from Love's Deck and Four Tots Are Successfully Unscrambled in Fair Divide.

By K. C. RODGERS
(Staff Special)

Havre, Montana — Usually when a man falls in love with another man's wife there's a shooting affray.

And again, when a woman gets to liking another woman's husband better than her own there's the deuce to pay.

But not so here.

When Mrs. T. W. Turcotte, wife of a prominent Havre lawyer, felt she loved the husband of Mrs. Henry Jordan better than her own mate she didn't hide the matter.

Nor did Mrs. Henry Jordan when she fell in love with Mr. Turcotte.

Nor did Mr. Turcotte when he took a liking to Mrs. Jordan.

Nor did Mr. Jordan when he became fonder of Mrs. Turcotte than of his own wife.

Their way out of an unusual love tangle was to trade wives and husbands. Mrs. Jordan agreed to swap her husband to Mrs. Turcotte in exchange for Mr. Turcotte.

The husbands were willing enough to be traded. In fact they were well along on a plan to trade wives with each other.

So instead of any killings and unwritten law defenses, or suits for ' alienation of affection, there evolved two unique matrimonial trades.

The Jordans and Turcottes agreed to get divorces.

Divorce decrees were granted them at Boulder Hot Springs, June 29.

Then the former Mrs. Jordan became the new Mrs. Turcotte, and the former Mrs. Turcotte became the new Mrs. Jordan.

The two couples stood up together at the ceremony and the friendliest relations exist between them. Now they are living again as neighbors in all good fellowship.

Before the divorces the Jordans and Turcottes were next door neighbors. It was then that the husbands and their wives concluded they were wrongly mated and decided to back out of their matrimonial alliances and start anew.

Both couples had children, each a boy and girl.

After the matrimonial swap one couple took the two boys, and the other took the two girls. This gives each father and mother one own child and a step-child.

Vernon Turcotte and Woodrow Jordan now live with Turcotte and his wife, who was Mrs. Jordan. Amelia Jordan and Irene Turcotte now are sisters in the new Jordan family.

Both families are well to do. Turcotte is a widely known attorney, and Jordan is a prosperous merchant. The children seem satisfied with the new arrangement.

These two children were born Turcotte — Irene and Vernon.

The former Mrs. Turcotte, now Mrs. Jordan by virtue of her divorce and her marriage to the husband of her close friend, keeps Irene.

Turcotte, with the new Mrs. Turcotte, formerly Mrs. Jordan, keeps the boy Vernon.

"I'm pleased," says the new Mrs. Jordan.

"So am I," asserts the new Mrs. Turcotte.

"We, too," chorus the traded husbands.

"May they live happily ever afterward," almost anyone will hope.

In the unscrambling of this matrimonial omelet, affecting four adults and four children, each parent keeps one natural child and gains in exchange for the other a step-child. Each child keeps one natural parent, and exchanges the other for a foster-parent.

Which parent got the better of the choice between little Vernon and Irene?

—Fort Wayne Weekly Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Indiana, July 28, 1917, page 8.

Native American Chief Gets Dentures, Renamed "Grows New Teeth"

1920

INDIAN RECHRISTENED AT 92

"Many Tail Feathers" Is Named "Grows New Teeth" After a Visit to the Dentist.

San Francisco. — Chief Many Tail Feathers, ninety years of age, and prominent in the Indian colony at the exposition, possesses a single tooth — gnarled and battered by many years' service.

"The white brother may have his teeth replaced — why not the Indian to whom the Great Father in Washington promises all things that are good?" pondered the aged chief.

Many Tail Feathers conferred with Chief Bull Calf, and now that Many Tail Feathers has been measured up for a new set of pearlies his tribe has rechristened him "Grows New Teeth."


MANY INDIAN BODIES FOUND

But No Trace of Princess Nachoochee or Prince Sautee in Georgia Mound.

Nacoochee, Ga. — Representatives of the Smithsonian institution have unearthed 42 bodies from an Indian mound in Nacoochee valley, one of the largest Indian, mounds in the United States. Its base covers nearly half an acre and it is 40 feet high.

The mound is supposed to be the burial place of Princess Nachoochee and Prince Sautee. So far there have been no evidences found to warrant that assumption.

Many broken pieces of earthenware have been found. Only one whole earthen jar has been excavated, and it was accidentally broken by a workman.


TO RESTORE INDIAN NAMES

Bill to Be Introduced in Congress to Make Change In Montana

Seattle. — Blackfoot Indian names are to be substituted for the white men's names in Montana in a bill to be presented to Congress this year, according to James Williard Schultz, author of books on Indian life.

For 26 years Mr. Schultz lived among the Blackfoot Indians and was adopted with the name Api Kuni, or Spotted Robe. He has seen the Indian names disappear and the mountains, rivers and peaks receive the names of white men.

"One day this summer," he said, "a rather prominent man and his little daughter were stopping at Glacier National park. He wanted to name something. A falls there had as yet received no name. So the name of his little daughter Frances was used.

"One beautiful lake, McDermott lake, would, according to the new order, receive the name of the Fighting Women's lake, because of old traditions. A mountain would be called Little Dog Mountain.

"The white names mean nothing," explained Mr. Schultz. "while the names the Indians would give would be explanatory, besides being beautiful."

—The Appleton Daily Post, Appleton, Wisconsin, January 7, 1920, page 3.

George Washington Meets Fast-Talking Modern Man

Anaconda, Montana, 1914--

Some Observations by the Wanderer

What would the immortal George Washington say if he came to Butte for a day?

The dapper young swell would greet him, of course, with a few remarks, and into his speech inject enough of the present day lingo to make the father of his country wonder what the world is coming to.

"Lo, old top; you look like the ready-cash gazabo come to pipe the gang. Now, for a starter, suppose you shoot your lamps at that across the pike -- isn't she a pippin?"

"Old top, lamps, pippin? I do not understand your language, sir."

"Now, what do you know about that? Wouldn't it crimp you? Forget it, bo, get wise, take my hunch and polish your peepers. I'll put you next to yourself. You sailed in to see dear old Butte, didn't you? Then take my wing and we'll trek over to the swellest cabaret you ever bumped into. Some doings over there, believe me."

"Believe you? Why, my good man, I cannot believe my ears, or" -- his gaze riveted on a wisp of modern femininity, garbed up to the minute -- "my eyes, either."

"Ah, what's the gag; hereto pipe the procesh, ain't you? You're handing me something but don't you do it, see? You need a gin ricky; or how would a flapdoodle kerplunk dingbat at the Dutchman's strike you? Your pipes hot? Come on over to the glassy mahogany and we'll look at Reuben. No? How'd a trolley down to the place where they give a correct imitation of the hesitation and the bunny hug hit you? Can you fall for the dance? Looking for a joy ride? Name your choice and I'll dig; let's paint the old burg a lurid carinine, eh? Get me?"

"How strange it all seems. Would that my sleep had not been disturbed by the Mexican silence at Washington."

"Come out of it, old scout; you haven't sized up this dump yet. There's peaches and cream all over town. Take my steer and don't let any good thing get by."

"Farewell, my country; again, farewell my countrymen. This is not my counter -- these are not my countrymen. By heck, where am I at?"
----------
The old-fashioned man who established a checken ranch that his heir might enjoy the fruits thereof has a son who is doing his best to keep tab on the chickens.
----------
The average man who comes to see the sights of the town usually obtains his first impressions in the big mirror behind the mahogany.
----------
A new suit of clothes, a shine, a shave, a hat with the bow behind and a $10 bill have made millionaires out of many hard-working men.
----------
The apple of mother's eye sometimes develops into a pippin; often is regarded as a winesap; sometimes as a wealthy, but more than ever, as the summer approaches, she swings into the early transparent species.
----------
Father used to black his boots with soot from the stove lid and mother, on Sundays put a little corn starch on her ruddy chin. Both used charcoal on their teeth and read the Bible and preferred each other's company on all occasions. This day brings forth sons and daughters who never open the family Bible, never both about father only when money is needed and never mention mother's name in society and prefer any other company to that of their parents.
----------
Sometimes it is a fact that the man who picks his teeth with his fork and wipes off his whiskers with his knife and uses his fingers to lift the flapjacks to his mouth and passes up the finger bowl can write a check for thousands and live in his own house.
----------
It has been written that he who hesitates loses. That's all at variance with fact today -- the one who can hesitation best wins the prettiest girl.
----------
The good fellow invites half a dozen up to the bar and throws up two of the biggest silver dollars he can find. He accompanies his wife to church and fishes around in his pocket for the smallest nickel to throw into the plate.
----------
The majority of residents of Anaconda are not aware of the fact that a railroad used to run from a point near Washoe park diagonally across lots to Sheep gulch, up to a great quarry from which many hundreds of carloads of building rock had been taken. Lime rock also was mined in that part of the gulch and there were lime kilns there, too. Only traces remain of that once important industry.
----------
A man who says he is a pioneer of Anaconda, having come here about 17 years ago, accompanied a real old-timer up Park avenue the other day. Passing the brick building across the alley west of the Montana hotel the old-timer said to his young old-time friend:

"That building was the first brick church in Anaconda, one of the very first churches built here, if not the first."

The 17-year old-timer looked up and down the sides of the brick house and then at the old-timer. "That right? That a church once?"

"Sure it was, built by the Rev. Mr. Stanley, a pioneer South Methodist minister."

"Well, I'll be -- I didn't know that."
----------
And John L. Sullivan visited Anaconda in the early '80s, in the heyday of his importance as a fistic expert. He drew an enormous crowd to the old skating rink down in First street, since named Commercial avenue.
----------
One sees a very large number of things in one day in Butte if one be inclined to observe things in passing. One can almost say that one sees some things that are not in sight, so much is there before one's eyes. So much may be seen now that could not be seen a month ago. Butte is a remarkable town in many remarkable respects. It grows, it keeps apace, as they say in suffragist meetings, it is in some respects ahead of itself, and it never looks back to see if the rest of the procession is coming.
----------
The observer notes a wonderful change in everything, including fashions, since last fall. Now they wear high hats and flat hats, whereas last fall they wore flat hats and high hats, only they were built on different lines last fall.
----------
The observing visitor also notes a radical change in man's apparel. Looking back 25 years ago the observer beholds a kindly old gentleman in the act of shooting a man wearing a thing called a coat that looks more like something that someone had thrown out of a window and which fell on something alive. Nowadays that thing is called a top coat and the man wears it without molestation -- for it is vogue.
----------
The whiskey is the same, the people are the same, the atmosphere is the same, the cigars are the same, the hotels are the same -- only some visitors imagine that because they are away form home they can stand more abuse than they can at home.

--The Anaconda Standard, Anaconda, Montana, March 22, 1914, page 4.

Open Letter to the Mayor: Stop Gambling, You Misfit!

Helena, Montana, 1906
----------
To the Mayor

Good morning, Mr. Lindsay. This is beautiful weather. Do you enjoy it. Helena, the Capital city of the Treasure state, is the making of a splendid city, is it not?

You are the mayor of this city, the chief executive.

Did you lie when you swore to enforce the law?

If not, why have you failed to abide by your oath?

Gambling is a crime, Mr. Mayor.

You swore to suppress crime.

You have not done what you swore to do.

Are you ashamed the walk the streets? Are you apologetic? Are you a liar?

It is for you to say.

Your administration thus far stinks in the nostrils of decency.

Is that plain?

Your own party is "sore" and mad by reason of your scandalous performance. You are a joke, and a political jest is worse than a crime.

Why don't you stop gambling?

You swore that you would.

What is your word worth in the presence of your oath?

Are you afraid? Are you a coward? Do you know that the republicans who were once willing to believe in you are now laughing at you? They think you are a misfit, a counterfeit, a false alarm.

It doesn't matter what party you belong to. You won't belong to any party if you persist in your dogmatic indifference to the demand for communal decency.

Assuming that you are not keenly aware of the value of anything else, yet may we ask, do you know the significance of an oath sworn by an elected official?

You swore to enforce the law.

Mr. Mayor Lindsay, you are the living shame and scandal of your city. You are not the mayor. You are the counterfeit presentment of bum government.

You are a shine.

You haven't got the courage of your own convictions.

You are repudiating the law and insulting the people.

And The Independent will take all that back when you stop gambling. Not sooner.

You have scandalized Christianity, stultified your own constituency, blasphemed citizenship, ridiculed law, smeared public service with the filth of political servitude and made a wanton jest of your own prestige. –

BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T GOT THE COURAGE TO STOP GAMBLING AS THE LAW REQUIRES AND AS YOU SWORE TO DO.

Never mind partisanship. Never mind the fact that the city "needs" the money. Aren't you ashamed, Mr. Mayor Lindsay, to persist in your miserable failure?

Why don't you stop gambling?

Who are you to thus openly connive at the debauchery of the law?

How can you walk Main street and look your fellow men in the eye? They all suspect you. None will believe in you.

Don't be stubborn, Mr. Mayor. You know.

--The Helena Independent, Helena, Montana, September 28, 1906, page 4.