Smyrna times., 1877-09-12
How a Smyrna Boy Spent His 4th
in Montana.

he arc permitted 10 make the tOIlOWln
extract from a private letter, dated Bite
Root Valley, Montana Territory, July 9TH
1t is from one of our young townsmen
Geo. Baggs, to friend here, and was no
lntented for public print. Still we manage,
to secure this much of the letter, to wit:
How didyo spend your 4th ply listenin
to few patriotic speeches and shooting OF
your quota of shooting crackers and torne
does, or otherwise Thinking, perhaps i
may be Of some interest to YOU to know
how we 90 the thing here, I'll give you ,
synopsis of the programme carried ont or
the 4th, and on the l2 hours preceding
The first thing in the order of exercises fo,
the Sd is, for all who feel sodisposed TO ce
gloriously drunk lin which YOU will per
ceive it does not differ materially from tbot
commonly put into effect in Delaware)
This lasts till about - P. NJ. From now iii
morning is employed in getting sober in
readiness for another spree or for the other
exercises of the day, which consists in .
P!c-nlc. We by 10 o'clock had on our best
DO ana tucker ready to proceed to the
scene OF action to lay siege to some fair
damseFs susceptible heart. After TRAVELLING
ABOUT miles over road we'll calculated tO
help digest the light rcpast we had par
taken OF before starting, the place where
we were to put i'll the 4th of july, II. was
reached, whereupOn we descended from
our elevated position and took n moro
lowly one, better fitted for hospital than
lof enjoying ourselves but as there were
no Dones broken we concluded we could
stahd II as we were not the only mortals by
ABOUT oO who had undergone a similar
shaking up. Going on the principle that
the longer the pleasure was deferred the
more II would be appreciated, | immediately
tore myself from the assembled multitudo
and went fishing. Having walked about
miles up and down a stream and having
succeeded IN muddying my breechos and
scratching my hands by liberal applica.
ton OF thorns, for the pleasure of single
nlbble, | concluded to POSTPONE further
operations in that line till some future
period. | now turned my weary footsteps
toward the scene of festivities. from which
direction could (no0 be heard the merry
SOUND OF mingled voices as they Joined in
the plays. | quckcned my pace lest |
should lose single moment of the antici.
pated pleasure. And this was the SIGHT
that gl&ddened my eyes-a group of ladies,
married, with one young unmarried lady
Judlclously scattered around amongst them
gracefully reclining on a pile Of boards
(placed there for the Occasion). while the
men, old and young, were carefully insnect.
ing new buggy, the first ever owned in
the valley Bitter Root and tho hapnv nos
SessoN Ed. Bass, was making known to
ther lnqulrlng minds all of it's good Quail.
ties, us the vision of tremendous profit
hoated before his eyes accruing from tho
sale OF many others like it, This tbnp
last always and they presently
cast about for something else to look af
and found it in the persons of J. D., w. E'
ana q. /. Baggs, who were set off by their
long tailed trock coats. They couldn't
learn the history of them from their owners.
nor could they feel them, only when we ac.
cldentally brushed against them in passinr.
ana consequently were a source of curiosity
Tor longer period Of time; in fact they did
not cease to view them askance all dav
long. tried my prettiest to get acquaint
ao with the only single lady there but vain
were my efforts. For once Hoff. the ono
VINO has gone through so many fierce battles
ma mar breadth escapes in that direction
Hith yourself, has been worsted by buxom
Rocky Mountain girl. How sadly | realized |
United we stand, divided we fall" and |
TWO heads are better than one." | had |
% chew the bitter end of reflection and |
owed would know that young lady.
As l was casting my eyes about for some
uiI9ole ooJect to vow by, there was a
uuuen commotlon among the female por.
ion OF the assemblage, which on examina-
ioh' Iouhd 10 be caused by some one of
mem suggesting that we have something to
az 10 vary the monotony. In about 10
minutes there was spread a beautiful re-
'ast, that would have done even your ewes
mol nj
am, beef, bread, pickles, Strawberries. nips
AXE, &c. For drink, ice water, coffee tea
no femo"ade. In pouring out glass of
for myself accidentally nonred
ut q piece Of lemon, but woIld have
hought nothing of it if had not been re.
uested in stage whisper to nut il bock
$ they only had one lemon to satisfy tbe
mole crowd. | complied with alacritv
sing my fingers in absence of sometime
etter. would have gladly poured the
lde back, but had to content mvseIf hv
curing 1t 81 lyly on the ground. After
very one mad satisfied their appetites. the
, n,uiahs, oil whom there were about 60. in.
iudlng squaws and children, on the ont.
Nlrts OF the grounds, were invited to Law
lemseiVss outside of some of the good {
llhgs' lhere was one Indian who could
ISL lay over anything in the eating line I
yer saw. Ills name is Delaware Jim. so its
i IN the family. lie has been ready to 1
art ior Comas prairie over two weeks. but !
when the whites were to have their
Ie'day as he calls it, has waited ali this {
me- They gave him feet square of table l
ell covered with everything eatable and a
e never arose till he had cleaned the t
hole 80 square feet. He ate about {
llsheis, two-thirds Of it being pie and cake. I
mere was small band of Nez Perces came
|, just as he got up from the table. Jim. t
loing his stomach, told them "hean big G
't-too late" These Nez Perces are of c
le same tribe that are fighting in Idaho v
his important event of the day having t
zen successfully gone through with. the d
maining time was spent in getting nm i,
ces between the halfbreeds and Tndians q
hen we adjourned till next 4th. Inst r
INK OF going through 4th in this 10Th
entury without single speech or fire
orks OF any kind. How humiliatine 10 d
y patriotism. Thus ended my first OK. b
,rlence OF Bitter Root picnic as well os q
Bitter Root Fourth !,
SPRING CHIcKENs.--Cut them in pieces Il
nen they have been properly dressed. Fl
P each piece in water, salt and pepper II v
IL It IN Hour and lay il in BOILING fat, v