The Ekalaka Eagle (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, May 11, 1917, Image 5

BERTON BRALEY DOING HIS BIT BUTTE VERSIFIED IS WRITING PATRIOTIC JINGLES FOR . 5,000 NEWSPAPERS, This Work, Reid by 20,00%000 Peo- ple, Is Done at the Instance of the National Council of Defense; Start- ed His Career on Old Butte Inter- mountain. Berton Braley, the Butte poet, ac- knowledged to be the beat writer of light verse in America, is doiug his bit for Uncle Sam, and the great cause to which the 'United States ts committed. , He is writing patriotic jingles for a syndicate of 5;000 daily newspa- Pers; scattered ail over the United States. Braley's work is being done at the instance of the national coun- cil of defense. It is clever, enter- taining and breathes of the spirit of fi . ghting Americanism. It is estimated that- 20,000,000 readers of daily newspapers are fol- lowing this versification. Cub Reporter in Butte. Braley's rise in the literary world has been rapid. Twelve years ago he was a fledging graduate of the Madi- son, Wisconsin, university. lie had written some for his college publica- tions, and was of the opinion that he could best court the muses through newepaper work. So he came out to Butte and became a cup reporter on the old Inter -Mountain, which has since become the Butte Daily Post-. He was put on the courthouee run. f• - • There is little of the poetic in the dry routine of court proceedure. As a court reporter Braley was a frost. 4 He wrote some local poetry that at- tracted attention, and some of his friends suggested that he should sub- mit some of hie efforts to eastern publications. He had a hard time commercializ- ing his gift. For a time it kept him broke paying postage on returned manoscripts. Finally one glad day came an acceptance from Life. With the acceptance was a check. The edi- tor of Life Wrote him a complimen- tary letter. The letter ruined Braley as a re- porter. Ile concluded that he pre- ferred the husks of poetry to the por- terhouse steaks of newspaperdom, so he resigned and went to New York to break intosthe big game*of Goth- am's literary world. Braley Has Arrived. His work speedily attracted atten- tion. in New York. He became a regular contributor of Life, WRB made assistant editor of Judge, and a/ter a few months brok into the exclusive and highly paid columns of the Saturday Evening Post. He had arrived. Now, this Butte boy who idn't fit in, is one of the first light versifiers of the United States. With his matchless imagination he can take a drop of ordinary ink, and, with a few deft meterings, turn it into minted gold. However, it is understood that this work he is now doing, is his contri- bution to the nation. Enlarge Bonner Mill. The lumber mill of the Black- foot company at Bonner is being en- / larged so as to double its capacity. The erection of a new sugar factory near Missoula is also aiding in stim- ulating business in the garden city. Seedinit is completed on many of the farms in the Big Blackfoot country and prospects are bright for a large crop in that section. Milwaukee Road Extension. The Milwaukee road is to extend its Big Blackfoot valley line as fai RR f`' Cottonwood this year which will bring the road to within eight imles of Ovando, says Vice -President II. B. Harting. Interest is being shown in the Swan Lake branch and it is pos- sible that the work will be pushed on this portion of the system this year. ELK RUN HEREFORDS .11 YOUNG BULLS FOR RALF: FROM THE FAMOUS VELIE HEREFORD HERD. If you need a young boll to head your herd or for range purposes, write for in- formation to .0' ELK RUN RANCH DUNCAN McDOVALD, Mgr.. IlIghwood, Montana. Or to Shirley s. Ford. Great Falls. Mont. Lor ot Angus 1 arid 2 Year Old Bulls Halter Broke, Qnlet to Handle. Privets on Application. C. B. Poner, Helena; John Evans, Cascade. Can be 'teen at N. S. Itatieh, thilea•from enseade. SON RIVER STOCK & LAND COMPANY. _HEREFORD HEIFERS 11, any kind of RANGE CATTLE FOR SALE We are malting speelalty of aiipplying our cinitioners isith HEREFORD RANGE HEIFERS. Also sell on time to regoonsl partlea 111111 1'1111 furnish satisfaetory stntenient. Write for any informat ion which will be gladly furnished. KING CATTLE COMPANY, MOO Offiee and Headquarters: ' South SI. Paul,. Minn. •••••••••••••••••••••••••• WHY PAY MORE THAN 60C PER ACRE FOR YOUR HAIL INSURANCE? TIIIM 1 . pony wrote lar:zcr of HAIL INsr RANCE last year than any other OVO • ril I I tig • in Montana %Ye wrote over $2.001.. rim for iiiii re than 2.0isi farmers They are .at isnot. • 1V111' l'A ' MOUE?. Write for fall Inforiontimi MONTANA EQUITY MUTUAL HAIL & FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY 27 2 , 29 3n-31 Tod Illo , •k ORE1T ‘1.1.s sIoNT1NA. •••••••••••••••••••••••••41 THE EKALAKA EAQLE. • Johnny Ritch, Early . R Day dormer FROM THE DIARY OF HIS FRIEND. \DUM DUM\ BILL • (Editor's Note—\Dum Duns\ Bill, from whose diary the following biographical sketch is taken, was an old and valued friend of John B. Ritch of Lewistown. \Dum Dum\ lived in early days hi Landusky, a live- ly camp in the Little Rockies, where he was known as a quiet, intellectual character, well versed in the- ology and philosophy. He was; of a kindly, lovable disposition, always shooting to kill to avoid unnecessary pain and suffering. He made a hobby of changing brands on horses, and did murh to discourage gam- bling by making it difficult, if not impossible, for other players in a game with him to win. His end was a sad one. Being caught by is war party of 'Missourians, he was strung up to a corral crossbar, and as_lie did not possess sufficitmt weight below his head to break his neck, his executioners mercifully tucked an anvil into the seat of his trousers, death then being instantaneous.) Johnny Ritch, when I first knew him was leading a happy, care -free life in Yogo gulch, where he used to delight in watching the miners in their struggles to wrest gold from the unyielding earth. A horse -wrang- ler by profession, he had a natural sgift for cooking and a keen affectiOn fbr a Dutch oven. However, in those crude days his qualities as a chef were little appreciated by hie rough, uncouth comrades, and I remember one finicky proposition who objected to Johnny's pet rats living in the flour sack. It is known that Johnny once wrote a cook book, but the manuscript was lost during one of his many sudden get-aways — this time after an argument ovey how to make vinegar .pie, from which he es- caped through the smoke by swim- ming the Missouri river. Johnny. always taking much pride in his culinary reputation, had a standing bet that he could out -cook any man in Montana, barring Dirty Mike, a famous exponent of the Sour Dough school, who was also both extretnely sensitive and impul- sive with a gun. Johnny claimed a record for one vinegar pie he made at Yogo. It happened that a prospec- tor, Bedrock Jim, with whom he was \baching was thawing out giant powder in their cabin. The powder, very likely becoMing jealous of the pie, cut loose and scattered the cab- in for miles up •and down Skunk gulch. They found one stove lid on Lost Fork, and the4in plate on which the pie was resting was' missing, but Vinegar himself was there where the cabin once stood, without even a scar. Becomes aiMissionary. Being discouraged in his light cooking, and never working as long as he could get anything else to do, Johnny began figuring out a soft way to make a living. His pious dispo- sition inclined him toward miesion- ary work, and he picked out the Lit- tle Rockies as the most likely dis- trict to rel'orm. He started a short- lived revival there that was a cross between Mormonism and a Sioux ghost dance, but his critics have de- clared that there was a pronounced lack os religion in connection with it. In those days Landusay was a very sociable sort of mining camp. Its life was far from monotonous. The real industries of the town were sa- loons and gambling houses, with a fair sprinkling of dance halls. For noise and smoke there was never anything like it until the present un- pleasantness in Europe started. Lit- tle lead was wasted, as the shooting was rembarkably accurate and al- most anybody served as a target. • The cemetery there was unique in that no one was buried in it who had not cashed in with his boots on. One of the leading citizens of Lan - dusky was Jew Jake, who had lost one hind leg in a friendly dispute with a sheriff, in which Jake was finally convinced that he was wrong. Jake used a Winchester as a crutch. Funerals at Night. Funerals in Landusky were held at night under a white flag, so that business wouldn't be interrupted in the day time. It was toward this peaceful village that Johnny Ritch rode on a horse that was borrowed from a rancher who wasn't in when Johnny called. Johnny was unaware that he was near a tov.'n until he heard it some miles away. You could always hear Landuski before you saw it in those days. Suddenly the place loomed be- fore him, reminding him of mo of Gettysburg he had once seen. But Johnny was game and mutter- ing somethimg—probably a short prayer—he passed through the firing line, being shy only his hat -and a cigarette he was _smoking when 113\ arrived. He told -me afterward that the excitement --or something else -- held him in a trance for several days. When he camel° he was laid ont on • -)1 \ . ••2 tr-- -7 et If •••••••••!?... /' 0 liW ' - ' f • . .' - ' i i ., r f ,. - ----- .. -ii. -,,.., (2- j -i> - i.L.11 - FTL-1 ‘ti-- . p e . * 4' S\ ' i f .' . P PO • ' I 0 1'. -- 1 1/ _ . A III\- , ) --' Yk;' 47 k, . ....\ 1 , ' 7:.e riiie - _..-..; ---,, !.:- : r:i .. ,,,,,...„0 1 i ..:i4----.-:_... , _ ,..?\ .:_. ...%...„, 1 - -sc',,,P,,,,TIVI`,... , z '4, 4 2\ n r., r . [1: 1 1 , / fr . - (44:.--, -- -:i i__./..... , . _,..._., .x%-----t.i. , ., .; . •o• - s 1 'N •1 , %R s . ' / 2/ q A I A,I i kr ..>_-,- .. . .^. i i. ?) /Airt—ii - N. ......., , J..4, ( 4 1 / 4 ,1.-4-- - - 4 ., \ - -e, • ,-.\ is /-7 ? .-0. ..., Y 1 V ,,...)'0 / ( - Th `). %toe \ Ai kl • 1 i i It '°'1 it Y ' LA ._ . y. •!N i - ' II i, I? II ....„. ,--_—......., 44 .,, - ,„,,, ......_ - Ail 1472- . .t/L , •-......._, , i f, 4.1,-i-iir„l., \‘--ti \$ i-f\x ,— \:`'. 1 ,1 ''.. ,t - Johnny Ritch Discovers Landusky. 1 CORO ORM PUGOLOST 9 STARTED MOVEMENT WHOCH CREATED TERRIITORY OF MI *TANA Con Orem of Bannock and Vir- ginia City is remembered by the pio- n.eers of the state as a first class fighting man. In his time he was the heavyweight champion pugilist of Montana. As did the gladiators of his day he fought With bare fists, and won some gruelling contests. And while he is written down in the his- tory of Montana as a pugilist, he de- serves - a better place, because lie started the movement which resulted in the division of the old territory ot Idaho, and the creation of the new territory of Montana, which later was admitted to the Asterhood of states. It came about this way. Orem was very popular among miners. It was a custom in Itanna:ck for the miners to gather in the principal street on Sunday mornings, and listen to the speeches of -any who cared to talk. Orem was a clever talker and . en- joyed his own oratory. One Sunday morning in Bannock he climbed into the box of a wagon and began to har- rangue the miners. Ile protably did not realize it at the time but he was making history. The burden of his talk was of the pilvations the men of the trrritory had to endure, the remoteness of . their situation front the seat of gov- ernment, the place they wontd --- hold in hiStOry, and filially he concluad with a suggestion that an effort be made to divide the territory of Idaho into' two territories. According to private records h spoke about along these lines: Con Orem's Speech. '.'Here we are. a thousand miles from nowhere. Historians of:the fit- eure will eredit us with being the pioneers of a great state. I' predict smile time the placer diggings %Torn which we all. directly of indirectly. derive a liveli1100d, Will give way to quartz mining. because most of nit are agreed that • the source of the placer gold is rich quartz veins. When these veins are discovered the country will take on a more perman- ent flavor. I predict that the day will come when these rich and fer- tile valleys vi -111 be teeming with till- ers oft be soil, the plovman will go pinging about his work, and rich her- iests will be garnered where there is now a wilderness. \We are living under the crudest of pioneer conditions. Future his- torians may give us credit. In soft plaCes and in congenial surroundings they will write casually of us who have braved the rigors of the wilder- ness. f -,like this life, but I believe we can better it with a little effort. We are practically governing our- selves, with the consent but not the aid of the government to which we claim allegiance. \I believe that if the matter was properly. presented to the authorities at Washington that the great tetTitory of Idaho, the confines of which are so exten- sive that no man can say juat where they begin, whither they go or where they stop, would di- vide this territory, and give us a territory of ollir own, with a seat of government that would be more convenient for us. ... Afttr • Speakliig of seats of govern- ment, if we should be successful in bringing this plan about and creating a nev territory, I 110M- inme Bannock, our home, for the capital.\ Orem's speech was received with muchenthusiasm by the two hundred or„more miners who heard it. There are some of these miners, old men now, alive today, who lived to seb his prophetic words come true. The ide,a was too good to let = die. Other speeches were made along the same lines. The 'addresses were punctu- ated with temporary adjournments to nearby bars. The miners would drink to the health of the new state they were creating and return to the discussion. Sidney INtgerton's Part. • Anions those present was Sidney EdgeSton, a clever lawyer of middle life, and a recent arrival froni Ohio. -Edgerton had served a term in the United States congress as a represen- tative from Ohio. This gave him standing among the miners. Edger- ton made a speech furthering the Orem idea. His trained mind sug- gested the manner of procedure. He suggested that all of the mining communities be interested in the un- dertaking, that sentiment be crystal- ized into a memorial to congress, praying for the creation of the new territory, and that funds be raised with which to defray the expenses of a miners' comniissioner to 'Wash- ington to make the proper presenta- tion of the memorial. This sugges- tion was carried out, and Edgerton was selected nathe•man to make tbe trip to the national capital to inter- view President Abraham Lincoln, and interest his gOod will in the cre- ation orthe. new territory, as well as to.see that the necessary legislation was introduced and was lobbied through the two houses. .Wilbur F. Sanderit, afterwards United States senator, was delegated to;g6 to Al- der gulch, and interest the miners of Virginia City, Junction. Summit. Ne- vada, and other camps in the scheme of division. Sanders went at his work with his usual vlgor. At Vir- ginia he met Samuel T. Hauser. Hau- ser was one 6f the youtig leaders of the miners. He endorsed the under- taking thoroughly, and went up anti down the gulch\canvassing With San- ders. He did more. 'He interested lite miners financially anti raised a purse of $2,rroo in gold nuggets Co degray the expenses of Commissioner Edgerton to Washingto'n: Other camps came in with approval and gold dust. Edgerton went to Washington, • \Dum Dum\ Bill. a poker table with his head hanging off. He heard no fluttering of wings, and so concluded that he still was on earth. Johnny took readily to the life of Landusky, and became a much -loved citizen. Some Ritch Reforms. In his character us a reformer, Johnny did much good. It was due to hinl that the custom of shooting at unarmed strangers was barred, and a bounty—a little less than that paid for a wolf—wai placed on a number of citizens. Those who fel- Sowed this business made money at it. The bounty claimer wail required to show both ears of his victims, and the savage custom of scalping was done away with. . fr - •\ On account of his ability ai an ora- tor, Johnny was in much demand for preaching funeral sermons, but he sometimes was not tactful. For in- stance when, at a double funeral of two men who had killed each other, he took as his text: \When fools go forth to fight,\ the whole community took this as a reflection upon itself and Johnny spent the next three weeks in a stockade which he had had the foresight to build for him- self. Beat Posse Out. On account of his public activities Johnny was elected mayor, but he was an indifferent shot with a .45, and declined to serve. However, the citizens named several streets after him, and Ritch boulevard, Ritch av- enue and Ritch street are today among the more important thorough- fares in Landusky. Some forms of killing were barred there, and when Johnny made a plum pudding for a Thanksgiving dinner that killed three of the guests and disabled several others for life, it was thought to be for the best in- terests of the community that he leave. He beat a posse to the rail- road by a dozen jumps and escaped on the rods of a passing freight train. Rumors that Johnny afterward be- came a member of the Curry gang were never proved. In fact \Kid\ Curry threatened to sue the editor of a paper for libel for publishing this rumor as a fact. and experienced but little difficulty in securing favorable action. The bill passed both houses, and on May 26 received the signaturer,of Presi- dent Lincoln. Thus was the terri- tory of Montana created. Edgerton, the commissioner, was named by Preshient Lincoln, as the first gov- ernor. Ilauser, who helped Sanders to organize the miners of Virginia City, served as governor later. San- ders was reWarded with . a United States -senatorship when the territory became a state. A county was named after him, and a bronze statue of him adorns the capitol. But what aboift COn Orem, the man who started the movement? After winning the pugilistic cham- pionship of the territory he decided to retire from the ring. So that his , WEN OLE MEETS FORD ON HIGHWAY AUTO MUST TURN OUT TO GIVE MAUD HALF THE ROAD SAYS THE SUPREME COURT. r- COIllrad'Mille in Collision With Jitney Demolished.Machine; Mule °WHOP Injured Brings, Suit, Is Awarded Damages, and Supreme Court Confirmed Verdict. , When mule and Ford auto Meet on a public highway and the Ford does not turn out and give half the road, the resulting damage to both should not be split, but should be charged up -- against the owner of the ante- mobile.—Decision of Chief Jus- tice Brantley of the suprenet court in awl of R. Savage vs. F._ Boyle, oulappeal from the district -court. This is the finish of the celebrated Conrad mule controversy, which halt attracted• state-wide attention. Sav- age, driving Maud, tne mule, Vast badly hurt when the collision with the auto occurred November 13, and Boyle's machine was capsized and damaged. •Savagt brought suit fox: damages. Boyle put in a counter claim. The jury found for Savage and Boyle appealed, and the supreme. court has just handed down - the de- cision. - Mule Won the Battle. The stories of . the plaintiff and defendant differ, of course, both claiming that they were on the right side of the road. At any rate r the mule and the auto collided, Savage was thrown on his head, suffering concussion of the ,brain, while the mule went straight up in' the • air. came down on the Ford and kicked it out of commission. The Mule dis- entangled itself from the wreckage, and, flirting its shaved tail derisively at the owner of the ditholished jit- ney, brayed joyfully and trotted off in the direction of oats. .Then fol- lowed the litigation. After the decision was rendered some Helena bard. drank a half-gal- lon of gasoline, and running on high, produced the following: ' • • • WHEN MULE MEETS FORD. Upon the Valley Pondera The Hun was sinking low, The ahadows of the Tetona lay Upon the early 11110W; As homeward the evening cool A farmer rode behind a mule. Entranced as in' a pleasing dream Both man and . mule appear; Eaeli deep in silent thought serene And countenance austere. Nor did unseemly noises jar Appendages auricular. Perhapa the mule was doubly sad, And mourned the more because, No pride of atteeritry he had, Nor hope of future joys; Ile wagged a meditative ear. And dropped a heavy_ muleteer. And so they journeyed on until, They'd traversed much tlia_ground; When presently o'er the (Hilttint - hill They heard frightful sound; Like tin cans shaken in a sack Or pounding on a railroad track. A soon they saw a fitful light Which toward them nearer grew; AIRO the noise increased in spite Of all the man could do. And then a emelt of gasoline Warned them of a Ford machine. Although the road was built by rule It was too narrow far For any self-respecting mule And unrempecting car. They eame together with a might Like French and Germans when they fight. The mule was mail. he switched his tall, and thereat turned around, And did the air with bray assail. A most unearthly sound. And with well -delivered hit Right upside down he turned the ilL The nian who owned the mule and he, The owner of the Ford. On damages could not agree, And to the courts turned toward; Emil claimed a right of action lay. And to each other dough must pay. In judgment then the court did nit, Delivering Its deeree. Deciding that although the )it Wits damages fearfully. Ile would apply the legal rule In favor of the mighty mule The Moral of (Ills tale is plain As witiskera on ellin: When mules and Fords 110 figlit amain, The stronger alwaya win. At least so may ilie rider; of law... And says the mule: \IIEE 111W! 1,1EE HAW!\ Livingston Is Booming. Livingston is experiencing a build- •ing boom never before equaled here. Building permits on file with the city clerk indicate that the total cost of dwellings thus far under erection in . 1917 exceed in cost by over $100,000 those'for which perinits were grant- ed in 1916. children would have nothing to re- mind them °alibis ring career he melted up his gold championship belt, and with the proceeds opened up the first blacksmith shop in Lit- ton, vi•here, for many years he plied his trade. ruised a fine family of stalwart sons and beautiful daugh- ters, snd lived out his old age in the peace that comes to honest men. William D. Orem, who serves Mon- tana as state' inspector of minen is one of Con Orem's sone. Another son, Fren Orem, is a resident of Butte. - Jew oifteb 7Nsite low -~ 43nor \Jame Running a Gopher Boarding Rouse It doesn't pay. Kill 'em before they eat you out of house and home. Kill -Em -Quick gets 'cm an for 1 cent an acre—saves enormous losses. Kill\EinmQUic k gzola n depoirog • The tiniest partkle kills instantly. Rotlents love its sweet taste: Itirodor att racts them. They always drab nil kat it. Easy and safe to use—simply stir into moistened oats or ground feed and it's ready. Money back if it fails. Cheap. costs only I cent an arm. 100 -acre size $1.00, 40 -acre size 50c. Get it from your deater. If he can't supply you, we will express $1.00 size prepaid upon receipt of price. Send for Free Gopher Book, Leo Shapiro 8: Co., Inc. 1st Ave. N., Minneapolis, Minn , 4ralt.., thakir 4ilear; •