Our Town 125 and 100 Years Ago...April, Part I

April, Part I

By April 1897, people in our Jefferson Valley were ready for spring. It had been a long snowy winter. Around the USA and the world, the weather was just one concern. Politics, war, and natural disasters were making headlines. The war in Cuba was still raging, and the House of Representatives in Washington D.C. was debating a tariff on gelatine glue and on unrefined bauxite. A massive break in a Mississippi levee required 10,000 men to try to keep the situation from getting any worse and cyclones did massive damage in Arkansas and Texas. The following local news items are taken as written in the April 2 and 9, 1897 editions of the Jefferson Valley Zephyr. The photo is an ad from the same period.

NEWS OF THE MINES: The Gold Hill mine, situated about two miles from Gaylord has been purchased by Joe K. Clark, Charles W. Clark, E.L. Whitmore, and Alex J. Johnston, of Butte, for $100,000, says the Butte Miner. The mine was located in May 1896, by C.J. Pruett, H. C. Cutler, C. D. Wilkinson, H.V. Davis, and W.S. Clark. They have only done about three months' work on the property and during that time have shipped twelve cars of very rich gold ore. The vein is a true fissure averaging in width from two to seven feet.

RAILROAD NOTES: Articles of incorporation of the Gaylord & Ruby Valley Railroad have been filed with the secretary of state at Helena. This is the line now being surveyed by Engineer Marion and Corps and starts from Renova, the switch between Whitehall and Gaylord.

Engineer McGonigal is kept quite busy telling the boys about the hold-up in Butte, and how he saved his big diamond stud. Conductor Richmond, superintendent of the free lunch route, and crew of pie grabbers showed their phizes on the branch one day last week. Engineer Snappy Haskins lost the tip of one of his fingers lately. He said he cut it off with the reverse lever. Fireman Harker claims that he talked it off, and all of Snappy's friends accept the fireman's version of the affair.

HOME NEWS: W.C. Davis has set an example that might well be followed. He has placed a street lamp in front of his shop. The school election last Saturday passed off very quietly, and there was apparently little interest taken in the matter. Wm. Hurlbert received 39 votes and H. A. Richards 25.

The weather in Jefferson Valley is good enough to enable farmers to go ahead with their spring work, and they are all busy. In Waterloo country and above, there has been seeding for the past week. The business changes or rather the switching of business locations by several firms will require a perusal of The Zephyr or a city directory. H.A. Fosselman has moved to the Schmidt building, S.D. Root has gone into the old Fosselman location and Jasper Bain has taken the room vacated by Mr. Root.

On Saturday last, Harrison Jordan of Fish Creek, entered a complaint against Walter Bumby, of the same neighborhood, charging him with grand larceny. The charge is that Bumby has been killing and selling cattle belonging to Jordan and others, and it is said that the hides of the animals were found in Bumby's cellar. Bumby has been in charge of the constable for several days, unable to procure a bond in the sum of $500. He went to Butte last night in an effort to procure the necessary sureties. The preliminary hearing will take place at 10 o'clock Saturday morning before Justice Noble. It is stated that the search in the Bumby cellar disclosed the fact that hides were there which bore the brands of three different parties-Messrs. Jordan, Morris, and Pink.

Montana people differ as to the prowess of pugilists, they differ on questions of finance, they are divided into political parties and stand on different political platforms, but they all agree that Centennial Beer has no equal. Every dealer in Whitehall sells it. Ask for it.

By April 1923, the world was moving at an ever-increasing pace. Great Britain began numbering their highways; France reduced the length of compulsory military service to 18 months instead of 24; Alma Stappenback Cummings set a new marathon dance record after dancing 27 consecutive hours with six different partners; Warners Brothers was incorporated by four brothers, Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner (originally from Poland where their name was Wonsal); Louis Armstrong made his recording debut with the King Oliver's Creole Band; and a magnitude 8.0 earthquake in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula triggered tsunamis up to 100 feet high. Here in our valley, things were shaking for other reasons, mostly good ones. The following articles are based on notes made by Roy Millegan, Sr. from April 5 and 12, 1923 editions of the Jefferson Valley News.

MINING: Mining activity is alive and well around Whitehall. Mr. Jack Williams of the Dougherty mine near the Sunlight has announced plans to open up the mine with a double shift of men. Mr. C.W. Winslow has been employed at one of the Butte mines but has come back to town to begin planting his incredibly large garden. Mr. William Painter from Bozeman and the Meadow Creek Coal Camp stated recently that his company plans to make gas out of coal that will supply the cities of Bozeman and Livingston. Locally, someone is just stealing gas. The underground gas line for the Continental Oil Company has been tapped several times and Marshall Waldo knows the identity of the culprit.

ELECTIONS: The results of the town election have been tallied. Doctor Packard has been elected as mayor. Cal Covert won the election in the first ward; J.W. Reed in the second ward; and Mr. Woll will represent the third ward. The Women's Club also held its annual election and we have those results as well. Mrs. Shirley Houghton will serve as president and be supported by vice-president Mrs. Packard, recording secretary Mrs. L. Lepp, financial secretary Mrs. E.A. Harden, and treasurer Mrs. A.W. Robert. The Jefferson Canal Company will be led by President James Kean and Howard Pregenzer has been selected as the water commissioner.

SCHOOLS: Students at the Homestake school are now publishing their own newspaper. It is appropriately titled "The Top of the World." Locally, our girls' high school basketball team held a very successful carnival. Three rounds of boxing were included and featured sparring between Ted Flaherty and Artie Tidball, Dale Bryant and one of the Brooks boys, and Nelson White and Harry Doulan.

MISCELLANEOUS: Doctor Toothaker has purchased the Jergenson ranch. Jefferson Island now has its own Legion post. Cardwell is having a minor outbreak of smallpox so you might want to give that area a wide berth for the time being. Moving picture admission at The Yellowstone is two bits for children and four bits for adults. The soda fountain at Whitehall Drug will be opening for the summer season on April 14th. Over at the Modern Pharmacy, you can receive a fishbowl complete with two goldfish when you purchase $0.50 or more of Rexall items or cough remedies, which could come in handy should you try to swallow those cute little fishes.