Our Town 100+ Years Ago: September, Part I

Early September 1898 in the Jefferson Valley. Children are back in school, and crops are being harvested. Life here seemed pretty good considering news being printed in the Zephyr. A severe wind and hailstorm north of Webster City, Iowa, left $50,000 worth of damage in an area three miles by 12 miles. Soldiers at Montauk Point were battling severe sickness and less than efficient care. About 40% of the 832 deaths of soldiers at Chickamauga were from typhoid fever, including a young man from Butte. An editorial note stated, "It is a fortunate thing for the powers at Washington that the soldier boys cannot vote this year. They would be pretty likely to put in 100,000 votes against an administration that has starved and maltreated them that political quartermasters might thrive by selling the food and medical supplies of the army." A heat wave was blamed for at least 50 dead in one day in New York and three dead in Chicago. Near Gregson Springs, Partick L. Regan, a Butte miner, was found murdered, probably for the $100 in his pocket. The following local news items are taken as written in the September 2 and 9, 1898 editions of the Jefferson Valley Zephyr. The photo is an ad that appeared in those editions.

SUMMIT VALLEY: I. A. Westmoreland is sowing fall wheat. Poke Morris has purchased a new binder. The boys act a little proud. Grain harvest is now well on. The song of the reaper is heard on all hands.

SILVER STAR: Most all of our beloved ranchers are through digging hay for this year and are now preparing to put up ice. Silver Star is favored with an up-to-date dentist. His first victim was Johnson's Chinaman. After pulling him all over the dental parlors by a jaw tooth, without success, the professor got his half-crazed victim on his back upon the floor and, placing his massive foot upon the patient fellow's breast, took a new hold and pulled once more, the fang that he looked for never came.

WHITEHALL: Yesterday, trains commenced running over the line between Whitehall and Butte after an idleness of two weeks to a day. The two burned-out bridges were over 1,000 feet long and over 80 feet high.

A Narrow Escape – D. A. Morrison, manager of the Jefferson Lime Company, met with an accident at the works at Lime Spur on Thursday of last week that came near costing him his life. The work of bricking up the kiln was in progress, and a scaffold over twenty feet high was erected, upon which were the masons, a lot of brick, and other materials. While Mr. Morrison was aloft looking after the work, the scaffold gave way, and the men and material were precipitated to the ground in a heap. He was brought to Whitehall Thursday night on a handcar, and his wounds were dressed by Dr. Haviland. When all the circumstances of the accident are considered, it is a wonder that somebody was not killed outright.

On a Japanese Lantern – One of the newest advertising hangers represents a Japanese lantern. Just the thing on which to print an illuminating statement of your business for the edification of the public and the filling of your pocket book. Call and see samples at this office.

The main headline in the September 4, 1924 edition of the Jefferson Valley News was WHITEHALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS OPEN MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8. The following week, large letters highlighted Record Enrollment in Whitehall Schools and School Board Acted Entirely Within the Law, referring to the refusal of the school board to supply transportation for high school students from the Pleasant Valley neighborhood.. Another headline boasted "Two Whitehall Women Elected State Officers" for the Montana Federation of Women's Clubs which were Mrs. Ike E. O. Pace as president and Mrs. Packard as Corresponding Secretary. The following articles are taken as written from the September 4 and 11, 1924 editions of the Jefferson Valley News.

DEFENSE DAY WILL BE OBSERVED IN WHITEHALL: For next Friday, September 12th, every able-bodied citizen between the ages of eighteen and forty-five is expected to enroll for one day only in the local organization (Headquarters Company 163rd Infantry) and take part in the parade on Legion Avenue at 1 o'clock PM. On this day, citizens of the community will be given a chance to see the steps that would be taken by the local organization to raise their enlisted personnel to war strength in response to a call to arms similar to that of April 1917.

SEPT. 19-THE LAST DAY TO REGISTER: All voters in Jefferson County who are not already on the registration lists should register immediately. Unless they attend to it by September 19th, they cannot vote at the general election. It is the duty of all eligible citizens to cast their ballots-but they must register in order to do so.

Local News: The frosts that visited this section Friday and Sunday nights did considerable damage to gardens in the valley. Some one visited the chicken house of Mr. and Mrs. U. W. Elmer one night last week and took four nice chickens. Mr. and Mrs. Herb Patrick, who has been living in Missoula have returned to send Margarie to school. They will live at the Koestlin ranch.

John Doherty was the recipient of what might have been a serious accident last Friday when the tongue broke in the rake he was driving. The horse started to run away and hauled him to the ground. He was bruised about the arms and legs, but he is able to get around with a cane.

Mr. and Mrs. Cal Tidball, who have been perambulating by "Jitny" around the western part of our empire, returned to Whitehall last Thursday. Cal says in all his travels he saw nothing better than it is right here. He was glad to be back.

While on the way home from Butte some one ran into Tony Ozaine's truck doing considerable damage to it. He was quick enough to get the number, but the road hog has not been captured.