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

125 YEARS AGO - April, Part II: There is always good and bad news every month of every year. In the second half of April 1899, the good and bad made headlines. The Anaconda Company coal washer at Belt, Montana, was destroyed by fire and affected the livelihood of dozens of men. The two houses of Congress were fighting over a resolution about Spain's invasion of Cuba. Bertha Maxwell of Boulder sued prominent mining man John Holmes for breach of promise of marriage (there is much more to this story). The general manager of the Parrot company tells the 625 employees of the smelter and all other company properties that if they want to enlist and go to the front, their jobs will be waiting for them on their return. The Jefferson Valley was also a blend of good and bad. The following articles are taken as written from the April 22 and 29, 1899 editions of the Jefferson Valley Zephyr.

SOUTH BOULDER, April 18. Everyone feels hopeful and predicts a good crop year, so it seems that the disagreeable weather of the past few weeks has proven a blessing in disguise. The grass is springing up like enchantment, and many cattle have been turned out to rustle for themselves. Mrs. James Patrick is improving rapidly and will soon be herself again. South Boulder school will close in three weeks, making a seven-month term. Look out for the school entertainment at the close of school.

IRON ROD ITEMS. The Northern Pacific track laying will be completed to Iron Rod by May 3. Track laying began at South Waterloo on April 19. Since the breaking of the Big Hole dam, the Jefferson River has been rising rapidly. Some fears are entertained with regard to bottom-land crops, lest the water cover them and fill the land with sand.

HOME NEWS. James Williamson was in Helena last week. On his return, he solemnly stated that he had been married while in the capital city, but a few minutes afterward, he vigorously denied it. The school board met Wednesday evening. The important business was the employment of teachers for the coming year. A.J. Holloway was engaged as principal, and Helena's Miss Hoover was chosen for the primary department.

SCHOOL NOTES. Maggie and Will McClatchey, Fay and Chester McCall, and Pearl Root have left school. There was no school upstairs on Wednesday afternoon on account of Miss Shipley's funeral.

The war news has been rather unexciting during the past week. Our boys have captured a few Spanish boats, but the fighting has not started in earnest. It has been a rather disappointing week for those who wanted to see gore flow in larger gobs.

The Rev. F.A. Parish will preach at the usual hours, morning and evening, at the Tebay building on Sunday next. Howard Davis began the construction of the residence to be erected by H.A. Fosselman on Second Street on Wednesday.

100 YEARS AGO - April, Part II: By April 1924, the amount of good and bad news was not much different than in 1898. Tension was growing between France and Germany; labor trouble was turning deadly in Pineville, Kentucky; U.S. farm leaders were warning of a farming crisis, citing that during 1923, farmers were forced from their homes at the rate of 100,000 per month.

Here in Montana, the Great Northern Railroad Company was planning a colonization scheme to support an irrigation project at Bynum that would put settlers on the land and finance them with enough stock and dairy cows to ensure their success. The following news items are based on notes made by Roy Millegan, Sr., from the April 17 and 24, 1924 editions of the Jefferson Valley News. The photo is of a 1924 grade school class in front of the old grade school.

T.T. Black, a longtime resident of the South Boulder area, is the proud owner of the Bank Hotel in Butte. The Bank Café is operated by former Pipestone resident Mrs. Boyce. She was well known for her dairy business there for many years.

Remember to fill up with gas for cash at Tait's Garage. The current rate is 27 cents per gallon.

The Whitehall orchestra has been very popular of late. They have livened the dancing at the North Boulder, Cardwell, Silver Star and many other locations this spring with their popular dance tunes played to perfection.

The annual town cleanup will be held on April 25th and 26th. The town will have a man and a truck available to haul away rubbish.

The Liberal Culture Club has selected its officers for the coming year. Martha Brooke Beamer will serve as president and represent the club at the Los Angeles convention. Mrs. K.D. Smith is vice-president; second vice president is Mrs. D.F. Riggs; Mrs. Nell Barkell, Secretary; Mrs. Bessie Tait, treasurer. The club is strongly supporting the completion of the Legion Avenue parks along with the firemen and the members of the Masonic Order. The plan is to plant grass and trees and add fencing.

The town council has closed the street just west of the grade school. It has been determined that there is no longer a need for a street at this location, and it would be better served as a playground for the students.

Another setback has reared up regarding improving the road from Homestake to Pipestone, with the Forest Service stating they have no money to make improvements. Local residents have been trying for several years to have a shorter route through this area.

The planting of cucumbers on the Pipestone bench has begun. We hope they will have a bumper crop as long as the water, weather, and bugs cooperate.