Our Town 100 Years Ago: February, Part I

FEBRUARY - PART I

In 1896, the Sousa band was a popular feature at concerts and in February 1896 had a lot of Whitehall residents headed to Butte to listen to the Sousa military band concert. The following items are taken as written from the February 7 and 14, 1896 editions of the Whitehall Zephyr. The picture is an advertisement from the February 7th edition.

Frenchy Miller recently made a batch of cream-colored soap, and after cutting it into small pieces, placed it in a cheese box near the front window. In the meantime, a brakeman came in and swiped a chunk thinking it was cheese. He ate it and was taken ill and foamed at the mouth. Dr. Davis was called, and after giving him an emetic and applying a stomach pump relieved him of eight gallons of No. 1 soft soap. He now wonders what kind of cheese that was he ate.

Fire Chief Miller is constantly undergoing a steady course of training. He can now juggle a red-hot stove, dance a jig on the surface of a pot of molten metal, or embrace a red-headed chambermaid as the case may be. Joe Morris has got a new pair of padded football pants, and we consider it a mean advantage of Ed Rule's in informing a certain young lady that the square pads were warts on Joe's legs.

PERSONAL CHAT: Dan Morrison, Emperor of Lime Spur, accompanied by Mrs. Morrison, visited the smoky city, Tuesday. Rev. L.B. Statsler, the pioneer minister of Montana, will preach at the M. E. church Sunday morning at 11 o'clock. All are invited. Postmaster Davy has recovered and is again on duty in the post office. Hard nuts, these old-timers; give them but half a chance and they'll stand off the Old Man with the Scythe indefinitely.

Jerome Mayland, of Gaylord, was also among the many people from this vicinity attracted to Butte by the advent of Sousa's military band. He returned Tuesday, much to the relief of his friends who feared he had followed it away. This week Henry Schmidt, the man of chicken fixin's, was badly left that is, the knot of friendship between him and his cayuse became untied at the Golden Valley, Tuesday, and he is now nursing the corns on his heels and freckles on his nose, and telling the boys what he knows about traveling by hand and dragging a dismantled buckboard over twelve miles of mountain road.

ZEPHYRETTES: Don't use a wart on your neck for a collar button, and base your knowledge on the signs of the zodiac, but buy magazines and become wise. Joe Morris can fit you out. Services at the M.E. Church will be conducted by Chas. Redfield on Sabbath evening, in the absence of the pastor, who will be holding special services at Summit Valley. There will be a social dance at Boulder Hot Springs Hotel, Friday evening, Feb. 14. Tickets for ball and supper $2.50 per couple. It goes without saying that a good time will be enjoyed by all present. The Zephyr acknowledges the receipt of a kind invitation to be present, but fears it will be unable to avail itself of the opportunity. The large derrick which was being used in constructing the iron bridge at Jefferson Island was totally wrecked by the impromptu blizzard of Wednesday.

NATIONAL NEWS: One Vast Sea. Memphis, Tenn., Feb. 3: The unprecedented rains in the Lower Mississippi Valley during the past 10 days caused all the streams to overflow and the lowlands in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi are one vast sea of water. The bridges have been washed away on several of the railroads, and traffic is seriously delayed. In Arkansas, the damage from the flood will reach high figures. The Ouachita river rose 30 feet within 36 hours, and the torrent of waters swept everything before it. Many fine plantations and farms in that fertile valley have been submerged, and outhouses and fences have been swept away

Protect Our Coasts: Admiral Walker Says $70,000,000 Should Be Voted, Washington, Feb. 10: In his testimony today, Admiral Walker began by saying that should congress provide $100,000,000 for the protection of the country, he would urge that $70,000,000 be expended on coast defenses and the remainder on strengthening the naval established. He pointed out the helpless condition the country was at present in owing to the parsimony of congress in past years and represented that many first-class powers could without much trouble bring most of the important coastwise cities into subjection. He showed that the navy was inadequate to cope with even second-rate powers and that the defenses were little more than worthless.

Early February 1922: Our high school boys were doing well in basketball and there were some very cute babies in the valley. The following news items are based on notes made by Roy Milligan Sr. from February 2nd and 9th editions of the Jefferson Valley News

Cardwell high school held its first-ever basketball game in late January. The boys won 20 to 13 over Pony and the girls beat Boulder 20 to 10. George Dawson and Ernest Tebay are members of the proud boys' team. Our Whitehall teams are doing very well, too. Our young men beat Livingston 13 to 12 and Twin Bridges 25 to 15; but, alas, we lost to Philipsburg 24 to 12.

Alumni of Whitehall High School are working on forming an alumni association to help all graduates stay in touch with their hometown.

There are several deaths to report. Charles Townsend and William Buhl of Waterloo are unfortunately no longer with us. Burial has taken place at the Fish Creek cemetery. Evan Underwood, the former proprietor of one of the town billiard parlors, has passed away in Great Falls. Mr. Underwood left Whitehall about two years ago. Thirteen-year-old Margaret Joyce has left us early. Burial will take place in Anaconda. Her father, Steven Joyce, has the ranch formerly owned by George Barnes.

The Catholic Ladies Aid has announced its officers for this coming year. President is Mrs. Theresa Barry; Vice President Mrs. Mary Luke; and Secretary/Treasurer Mary Mikesell.

There has been much activity in the agriculture field in our valley. Jack Baker, who has managed the Cardwell Cattle Company for the past 10 years, has purchased his own land near Clancy and will be leaving our area. The second annual Farmers Short Course has been a huge success. Winners of the associated baby contest are certainly cuter than a bug's ear. Alberta Louise Davis took first place and Jean Kountz second in the under age 1 group. The boys in that category were William F. Caruso (1st) and Donald Harrington (2nd). The category of ages 1 to 2 was won by Jean Marie Tait (1st) and Helen Marian Woll (2nd) and Francis Keith Clawson (1st) and Kenneth Horton (2nd).