Our Town 125 and 100 Years Ago: February, Part II

125 Years Ago - February, Part II: Depending on who you were, February 1898 was either a good or a terrible month. Things were getting tough for cotton mill owners and workers as the fourth week of a strike moved into the fifth. French Canadian workers from those mills were moving back to Canada causing a potential labor shortage. Heavy rains in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and western Montana caused many mudslides and negatively affected railroads, especially the Northern Pacific. Yale University was facing a disgraceful end if they did not forbid the use of alcoholic liquors on campus as Harvard had done. An average snowfall of two feet from Illinois to Iowa left those states snowbound.

Here in Montana, the cattle industry brought in revenue during 1897 of almost $9.5 million with nearly 900 brands and marks recorded during the year. Here in our valley, February was proving to be both good and bad. The following articles are taken as written from the February 18 and 25, 1898 editions of the Jefferson Valley Zephyr.

THE HOME NEWS: Dr. Davis and L.D. Tinsley went to Pony yesterday. Mrs. Oliver S. Lowman died at Sheridan after an illness of ten years. Oliver M. Rector has been appointed postmaster of Elk Park, Jefferson County. A.K. Prescott, the tombstone man, is in the Jefferson Valley, on a business trip. Hon. Patrick Carney was visiting this week in Summit Valley, where he has a friend on every farm. James Tachel, the Butte undertaker, was in town yesterday on his way toa tour of the gold belt. He is gaining friends in this part of the state, and his business is growing.

O.W. Gibson, of the Summit Valley, passed through Whitehall Sunday with a strange look in his eye, and several persons who knew him here suspected that his mission was out of the ordinary. He was one of the principals in a quiet wedding that occurred in Butte on Monday at the Mountain View church. The bride is Mrs. Alice Cox, well known in Madison County as an efficient teacher and an estimable woman. The couple will reside on the Edwin Cooley ranch in South Boulder.

An eastern weather prophet predicts that a big blizzard will sweep over the United States on February 27 and that there will be snowfall a foot deep and cold weather until the close of the month. This blizzard will close the winter.

The Firemen's Masquerade a Happy Affair: The committees worked diligently for the comfort and pleasure of their guests, the music by Biner's orchestra was of the best, and the supper at the Whitehall Hotel was up to usual high standards set by Hostess Schmidt. The costumes were unusually varied, many of them showing originality, and a number showed the painstaking care that deft fingers and a woman's ingenuity can bestow upon a costume when the occasion arises.

100 Years Ago - February, Part II: The 1924 leap year added an extra day for news events to take place. But before the end of February, plenty was happening here and around the world. One-hundred-sixty-seven U.S. Marines were sent to Honduras to begin an intervention in the Honduran civil war.

U.S. Senator Frank Greene of Vermont was in the wrong place during a shootout between bootleggers and Prohibition enforcement agents in Washington D.C. His injury left him partially paralyzed. President Calvin Coolidge was the first U.S. President to make a radio broadcast from the White House. A bill was introduced by U.S. Representative and Republican Homer Snyder of New York to give automatic U.S. Citizenship to Native American peoples provided that the granting of such would not impair or otherwise affect the right of any Indian to tribal or other property. It would become law next summer. Some of the well-known people born in the second half of February 1924 were Margaret Truman (only child of future U.S. President Harry S. Truman), Lee Marvin (winner of the 1965 Best Actor award for Cat Ballou), and fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt. The following local news items are based on notes made by Roy Millegan, Sr. from February 21 and 28, 1924 editions of the Jefferson Valley News. The photo is of the Yotter and Son service station on the southeast corner of Legion and Division, circa 1924.

Dan Noble has decided that the military is not where he wants to be. Three months of military training helped him realize that going back to his job as the county agent for Roosevelt County is a much better life. The Assiniboine-Yankton tribal members of that area had planned a farewell celebration for young Noble and even though he decided to return, the party was held anyway and turned into a welcome. Being of exceptional status with the tribe, Mr. Noble was accepted as a member and given the name of Sunhi-na-ska or White Fox. A grand dance was held complete with all the tribal regalia.

Because our fair community is considered basically a neutral place, one of the debates between the State University and the State College will be held here and is being sponsored by the Whitehall High School junior class. The audience will decide who wins the debate of the question "Resolved, that the United States should be a member of the World Court."

During the last town council meeting, Mr. Louis Lepp presented his proposal for the cost of connecting the new fire siren to the telephone service. He offered to do the job for $125.00. No action was taken on this, but a building permit was approved for Mrs. Lot Borden.

Tait's Garage is one of the most modern in town. A new 9,000-gallon gas tank has been installed in a very convenient location. The garage handles Pennsylvania Motor and will serve customers both day and night. The current inventory of motor vehicles includes a touring car priced at $380; a roadster for $350, a very nice coup for $525, and a Fordson tractor for $420.

Young Whitehall graduate George Bryan who is attending college in Walla Walla, is reportedly one of the fastest basketball team members for Sigma-Chi as his new name is The Flash.