Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana

Our Town 100 Years Ago: November Part 2

The 1895 news is taken directly from November 15, 22, and 29 editions of the Whitehall Zephyr. News from November 1921 is based on notes made by Roy Milligan Sr. from late November editions of the Jefferson Valley News. The accompanying ad is from November 22, 1895, for Cochran’s store in Silver Star.

November 1895: Mr. J.R. Norville, formerly with T.D. Hind & Co. of Whitehall, but now of Anaconda, was a recent visitor to our town. It is said that he came out on account of his health—at least because of a heart malady.

The man whose avocation last summer was cutting ice is now around striking people for the “price of a meal” because he can’t get any work at his calling—harvesting strawberries.

W. M. Fergus, resident manager for the Jefferson Valley Trading Co., was in Helena most of the week as a witness in the Bassette forgery case. Oscar Davey, P. M., was in the same boat.

Mayor Whitmore, of Camp Golden, has gone to Gibbonville, Idaho, to attend a directors’ meeting of the A.D. and M. Co. “Whit” thinks the new copper camp north of Jefferson Island will be all right.

It may be either a feast or a famine with you, but if you will dig up 25c and attend the chicken supper to be given by the Ladies Aid Society, on Thanksgiving Eve, we will guarantee it will be a feast. Don’t forget the place, and don’t stuff yourself so full of turkey that you don’t care to go, but go, anyhow, you will be aiding in a noble cause.

South Boulder: We are glad to report that Will Sacry, who recently went to Butte for medical advice, has returned and is improving but owing to his peculiar trouble will not make a rapid recovery. Miss Black’s singing class meets at Summit Valley twice a week.

Silver Star: Mr. John Swayze, proprietor of the Swayze Chicken Manufacturing Co., was in town last Tuesday with a load of hen fruit, consisting of—one dozen eggs; he disposed of the entire lot to J.R. Cochran at a fair price. Gone to his happy hunting ground has George Pettingill, the long-haired, wild man of Montana; the man who was on exhibition several weeks in Butte. Mr. Pettingill was well known by all old-timers of the county. He came to Mr. Dolcino’s ranch last Monday, in a horrible condition. He was very poorly clad, having hardly any clothes on, no shoes, and having gunny sacks wrapped around his feet, and that which had once been a hat was upon his head. His hair was simply a tangled and matted mass and hung below his waist. He was at Mr. Dolcino’s but a short time when he was taken down, the doctor was sent for but could not be obtained at once, and when the messenger returned the old man had passed away without a struggle, seemingly. He was buried at Silver Star on Sunday last at 12 o’clock. Not a mourner, not a relative, but kind friends put him away in a decent and respectable manner. George Pettingill, the wild man of Montana (as he was called) is no more.

November 1921: The determined ladies of the Liberal Culture Club will present a special musical program at the theater this month to help raise money for a new public lady’s restroom. Local talent will include performances on piano, pantomime, and sweet voices singing solo, in duets and quartets. Mrs. Ted Sanders is in charge of the festivities.

The Homestake school building has been on the market for a while. It features 12-foot-high ceilings in the 26 by 14-foot room. Unfortunately, only one offer of $10.00 was received and this was of course declined.

Our little community gained some notoriety this month when a short train stop was made by a world-renowned gentleman. It gathered a crowd of at least 500 people. Marshal Ferdinand Foch, the supreme commander of the Allied forces during the great war just a couple of years hence, made a 5-minute stop at our depot and graced us with a short speech. We are told that Whitehall is one of the smallest towns where his train has made a stop.

The Flower and Garden Committee of the Women’s Club is promoting the idea of having an official flower of Whitehall. Votes are being taken now and the selected flower will be announced soon.

The Waterloo Creamery is really rolling out the cheese wheels these days and not just in the valley. A total of 16,000 pounds of cheese have been shipped to Philadelphia, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, and Spokane.

There is a new type of business in town that we understand has only been seen in the bigger cities. Frank Wyne at the Smith Garage is inviting people to join the Wrecker Club. For just 50 cents per month, should your car break down, you can have it towed to the Smith Garage at no additional cost, as long as it breaks down within 20 miles of Whitehall.

 

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