Our Town 100+ Years Ago: November, Part I

100+ YEARS AGO - November, Part I: Even 126 Years ago, people grew tired of constant political messages before election day and the social unrest on the East Coast. U.S. Government handouts in Cuba were making it difficult to get people back to work. A mine that employed 500 people before the war struggled to keep 150 people on the payroll because miners did not need to earn money for food. U.S. soldiers who returned from the fighting in Cuba were dying by the dozens of typhoid fever. The disease also claimed the life of a recent Vassar graduate, Miss Walworth, who volunteered to help the overworked nurses. The Iron Rod Mining company was going strong, and miners near Sheridan were facing a wicked winter with more than a foot of snow in the high mountains. Locally, undertaker Andy Less was trying to find someone related to Carl Storta to cover his burial expenses. Mr. Storta was killed near the Whitehall depot when he was struck by a train engine. High wind and a raging fire in a boxcar in town made one evening long and tense as the flames consumed six barrels of kerosene and fifteen cases of gasoline. Otherwise, life here in the valley was just moving into another Montana winter.

The photo is an ad from a November 1898 edition of the Zephyr. The articles are as written in the November 4 and 11, 1898 editions of the Jefferson Valley Zephyr.

THE HOME NEWS: A pleasant party was held at the home of Wm. Tebay on Monday evening. The affair was in the nature of a surprise on some of the young gentlemen of the family and was attended by the youths and maidens from far and near.

H.M. Hill, of this city, a democratic candidate for the legislature, has been quite ill during the past week. He was caught in a heavy storm in the mountains near Woodville last week when he caught a severe cold. The Hon. Mike Garrity, the sage of Homestake, is rejoicing over the advent of a lusty democratic addition to the family, which occurred last week. Mr. Garrity has three boys in the family now, and they are all Bryanites.

The new road that has been laid out by the county across the Elmer Flat, south of Whitehall, is a great improvement over the old road and is appreciated by the traveling public. The road grader has made a great improvement in the roads of this end of the county.

Registration closed on Saturday evening with a total number of voters for this district 281. There are at least fifty men in the district who failed to come to the scratch during the period of registration. The vote is divided among precincts as follows: Whitehall 225, Rock Spur 27 and Homestake 32.

SCHOOL NOTES: Blanch Richard, Mary Hamilton, Arthur Needham and Boydie Tebay have been absent from school during the past week. A warning bell now rings at 8:50 a.m. and 12:50 p.m. each day. The seventh and sixth grades studies include arithmetic, grammar, geography, reading, physiology and spelling. The campaign meetings have been very well attended by the school children. Tuesday, Nov. 8, there will be no school as it is election day.

Election day brought quite a gathering of old-timers to Whitehall. John Paul and Ira Covert were up from Pipestone. The silver republican free dance was well attended last Saturday night by people of all political faiths and lasted into the morning of the day of rest.

TILFORD IS LOST: I will pay $20.00 to any person that will find my pug dog. He will answer the name of Tilford. A. J. McKay.

100 YEARS AGO - November Part I: One hundred years ago, a presidential election was front page news, and people gave a sigh of relief that the campaign was finally over. Coolidge was officially the president, Erickson was the new Montana governor, and Walsh was re-elected to his Senate seat. News outside of our great state told of a crash between a train and streetcar in Chicago that killed 10 and injured 31; in Hampton, Virginia, a train and bus collision killed 11 and injured 8; the notorious gang Egan's Rats came to an end when 9 members were convicted and sent to prison. At its height, the gang employed over 300 people and, during its 35-year operation, stole over $4 million in cash and goods. Two Texas men were born who would later save lives and live on in memory for their deeds-U.S. Army Master Sergeant Mike C. Pena, Korean War hero who received the Medal of Honor 65 years after his death at the battle of Tabu-dong and USMC Corporal Harlon Block, who helped raise the U.S. flag at the battle of Iwo Jima before being killed by enemy fire. Life in Whitehall and our valley was, of course, more on the tame side. The following articles are taken as written from the November 6 and 13, 1924 editions of the Jefferson Valley News. Some are edited for length only.

INTERESTING MEETING OF THE LIBERAL CULTURE CLUB. The Liberal Culture was a hostess on Friday, Oct. 31st, to the girls of the 7th and 8th grades and their teachers at a Mother and Daughter luncheon served at the Palm Hotel. Mrs. Beamer, as president of the club, acted as toastmistress and introduced the speakers. Mrs. Jennie Houghton responded to the toast "Our Daughters," Virginia Speck, "Our Mothers," and Miss Mary O'Neill, of Butte, "Our Girls." Miss Frances Range, who is in charge of the recreation work for girls in Butte, was the main speaker. She spoke of a girl's duty to herself, to her home, and to the community. She appealed to the mothers to be pals with their girls and the girls to fill their niche in the home circle agreeably and pleasantly and so do their part in keeping the home atmosphere happy and harmonious.

SCHOOL NOTES: Seventh Grade, Ferson Tuttle, Reporter. Minnie Stacy was absent all last week. Arlie Manning was tardy Tuesday morning. Bernard May started to school on Monday. Mr. Taylor had to put a new desk in our room for him. Verena Houghton has moved to town. Second and Third Grades, Hazel Kitson, Reporter: Paul made a fine log house for our sand table. Brooke brought us a very interesting book about a billy goat last week. Fourth Grade-B, Jean Kountz, Reporter: Arthur Salvagni, Mary Severtson, Isabel Houghton, Ora Bain, Bruce Wiley, Alta Wyne, Pearl and Willard Westmorland were elected monitors for November. The fourth-grade boys challenged the fourth-grade girls to play a game of baseball last Thursday and Friday. The boys were glad to announce the score is 19 to 1 in their favor. Pearl Green was kicked by her pony and has her eye bandaged up.

VALLEY NOTES: Dan Zink came down from his mine at McCarty Mountain to cast his vote for his democratic favorites. The first deer to be brought into Whitehall this season was killed last Saturday by Geo. Davenport. 'Twas a fine big buck.

Seventeen cars of potatoes and 11 cars of hay were shipped from this station the past month to points within the state. John May and the children moved into the Andy Smith house for the winter. John is the engine watchman on the morning shift at the Northern Pacific roundhouse. Andy Smith is now firing on a locomotive running out of Livingston. His family is now located in College City. Tony Block, section foreman, who has been suffering from a badly inflamed eye, is improving and expects to be on the job again soon.

Roy Newkirk spent the weekend with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Newkirk, in Summit Valley. Roy is attending college at Bozeman and was an honor student at Whitehall High School last year.

Harry Sappington came over to the Stephens ranch Monday for some stray cattle.

W.R. Worley of Waterloo was a business caller at Cedric Saturday. Mr. Worley had the misfortune to have a team of heavy workhorses killed by a Milwaukee train near Grace recently. Fred Stratton, who has been down tending to business matters, has returned to his home in the Highlands. Roy Alley is at present attending business affairs in Los Angeles.

ARMISTICE DAY DANCE. The Young Men's Club of Whitehall will give another of their popular dances at Yellowstone Hall on Nov. 11 (Armistice Day.) There will be novelty dances and entertainment galore. The one-act farce comedy, "Cessation of Hostilities," will also be given by two of the leading comedians of the day. Dance tickets are $1; supper extra. Men spectators 25¢.

A MIRROR: Whitehall is just what you make it. If you don't like the town, you will probably find that the town doesn't like you. But if you have the right attitude, then you will find the community-friendly. It is a mirror in which you will find a reflection of your own disposition.