Our Town 100 Years Ago

The following is taken as written from late July 1895 editions of the Whitehall Zephyr.

19th Century Montana was different in many ways, yet today in some ways, we are not much different than back then. The papers had articles that editorialized the following: a distorted report of a mineral find in the Golden Valley 10 miles southwest of town; the new $1.00 tax on business as reported by the Yellowstone Journal which said in part, "One of the most aggravating features of the new license law is the arbitrary charge of $1.00 treasurer's fee on every license issued;" and the new jury law that states who does and does not qualify for jury duty. The first item listed is "A male citizen of the United States of the age of 21 and not more than 70 years who shall have been a resident of the state one year and of the county ninety days before being selected and returned." The photo is an ad from a late July edition in 1895.

And now it has been discovered that the new codes contain no law authorizing the levy of a school tax. The last legislature ought to and certainly will occupy a prominent place in the history of Montana.

Eugene V. Debs is serving a sentence in prison without a trial by jury, which is in violation of the United States constitution. But the constitution cuts no figure under the rule of Grover I., especially when it is Wealthy Corporations vs. the Struggling Masses. If the good Lord will only forgive us for having voted for that stupendous fraud and cold-blooded robber, we will willingly take all other chances of passing through St. Peter's gate.

SOUTH BOULDER, July 17 – Our school will close on Friday, and the pupils are looking forward to a vacation with many happy anticipations. Some miserable culprit recently entered the school-room and willfully destroyed some notebooks belonging to the teacher, Miss Grantier. We have heard of a man who was possessed of devils and dwelt among the tombs; and this act would point as though the perpetrator at least dwelt among the tombstones. Miss Ethel Smith has gone to work at Sacry's summer resort. Miss Winnie Gray was recently thrown from her buggy and badly hurt; happily, she is recovering. Orville Gibson is now working at Mr. Westmoreland's, Mr. Kelly at Mr. Cooley's and our genial William at Powell's. Miss Hailey Noble has gone to Twin Bridges to attend Normal school. Our genial Mormon preacher, of Gallatin valley, spent several days with us recently.

ZEPHYRETTES – The Ladies Aid will serve berries, ice cream and cake at the church on Thursday evening, July 25. Price 25c. Now you all know that if you miss attending just that much of your life will have been wasted. J. F. Wilkins, who has shipped large quantities of cattle from here this season will ship 10 carloads more in a few days. A portion of the shipment will be stock cattle for Dakota ranges, and the remainder will go to the St. Paul market. Lute Dear sent up a large balloon last Saturday night, with great success. It started south but after attaining a height of two or three hundred feet encountered an easterly current and struck out Butteward. The last seen of it it was over the foothills of the east side of the range. A car-load of New Jersey school ma'ams passed through here this week. Oscar Davey is also from the land of sweet potatoes, and somehow or another he found out they were coming and flew over to see them; it is said that he introduced himself to them, individually and collectively, wanting to know if he was not the long-lost brother, cousin or uncle of some of them, but he could not find any of the girls who were desperate enough to recognize him as a relative.

John Tebay was a visitor to Butte Wednesday; it is reported that he went in order to chaperone Tom Hind while in the smelter town. Tom is getting to be such a giddy young creature that he really needs the protection of a chaperone. Miles L. Tuttle and Shirley D. Houghton were in Butte Wednesday morning at the opening of the 28th annual session of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars of Montana. They were delegates from Jefferson Valley Lodge No. 15, of Whitehall. Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Davis enjoyed themselves occasionally during an evening at target practice with revolvers. Up to date the doctor's spouse has the best record as an expert shot. The sporting reporter would advise "Doc" to practice up a little in private; it is better for one to be just a little quicker and surer than his wife with the gun, when it comes to a show-down.

The following is rewritten from notes made by Roy Millegan, Sr. from the Jefferson Valley News late July editions of 1921.

The farmers and ranchers on the Parrott Bench are planning a big picnic at Kountz Grove on July 17. They have developed a strong Bench family and enjoy taking a break from their hard summer labors and a week of temperatures above 90 degrees. The picnic committee has some top cat organizers. Charles Carlson and Mrs. Nick May will handle the grounds; Happy Edwards has sports and entertainment; Harley Fitzhugh will do the bucking contest; Mrs. H. Fitzhugh, Margaret Moon and Olga Kountz are in charge of the refreshments and entertainment; Mrs. Cowdrey, Mrs. Edwards, Mrs. Joe Kountz, Mrs. Al Seifert, Mrs. T. Bisch and Mrs. Ungerzagt will handle the dinner. Financing this wonderful gathering is under the charge of Joe Kountz and Marshall of the day will be Ralph Shaw.

Nat Chamberlan has purchased a new GMC truck which he will use to transport children back and forth to the Whitehall school. Some local boys are pretty happy about going to the Boys Camp at Bozeman. They include Will Shaw from the Parrott Bench and George Dawson, John Niemi, Howard Woodward, Heber Donohoe, and Walter H. Jordan. Mr. Tom Guey, a Chinese man who died back in April of 1917, was removed from his grave at Pipestone and the remains prepared for shipment back to his home area of Hong Kong by friends from Butte. The milk wagon for the Sanitary Dairy has a fresh new look thanks to the artistic abilities of Mr. Sanders. The wagon now sports a scene of a Holstein dairy herd so there is no doubt about what is on board.