Helena weekly herald., 1880-07-01
OUR FORT SHAW LETTER.
"Old Sol" at the Post--A Distinguished
Visitor---A Story too Good to Keep
An Important Item that was Omit
ted Military Items, etc., etc.
FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT. I

Fort SHAW, M. T. June 25, 1880
Old Sol with radiant lustre shone" down
upon US yesterday at great rate, the ther-
mometer getting SO high-toned that it was
difficult to tell whether it was Fahrenheit or
a dose of heat which the old rounder had
purpossly contracted for with his Satanic
Majesty, that mortal man might get fore
taste OF 1.-The world to come - but if the
Democratic convention, which to-day holds
forth at Cincinnati, could have held an out
door meeting here yesterday, 122 degrees of
heat (and no exaggeratioD, for that is what
the thermometer registered in the sun at five
o'clock p n.y. would have so warmed up that
august clique that there would not have been
enough of the members left to grease a gim-
let with, so all-absorbng and melting would
have been their mood.
The other day we had distinguished visi-
| tor, Old Census, who, report says, embraces
all the women of the United States. He
found quite an increase in the population;
| and if the States were only as healthy in this
| respect as Montana seems TO be, this hemis-
phere would sink under its weight of human
freight in few years
The following story which | overheard
from one of the interested parties yesterday,
is too good to keep: Late last fall party
| of soldiers were en- route to Fort - from
Assinniboine They went into camp on the
the Teton the third night out from A. There
were two women with the outfit, wives of
soldiers. Private Jones, (of course that was
not his name) wished to ''look leetle OUT
after supper was over, so started to walk
over to the MaIias river He had gone but
short distance, however, when Mrs. j. hailed
him and asked him where he was going.
cover to Mariae," he quickly answered and
as quickly resuming his journey, visions of
''coffee cooling" running horses, etc., if he
remained in camp filling his mind $50, no!
Mr.. Jones you're going to 1Maria's; I'll fix
you when you return, you jes' bet yer boots"
This ali in a breath from Mrs. j., and
straightway she inquired of the ''boys' who
this Maria was, how far it was from there
to her place, etc. The joke was seen, and
the cruel fellows teased her into perfect
frenzy, and not until they saw how serious a
turn things were taking did one of them
soothe her wrath by telling her that his
Marias was Marias river, short distance
away. A moment before she said she'd pull
his hair out by the roots, and broomstick him
with black-snake. But this assuring an
nouncement caused her anger to subside and
she ''azaoays thought her old man could be
trusted" If "alls well that ends well, then
the above compliment was not put in too late.
In my letter dated at Bismarck, I neglected
to mention an important item; a straw which
shows which way the wind blows. 1t was
this: That the Bismarck s. Black Hills
Stage Company, large corporation, and
which has all along done an extensive carry
ing business, have drawn off their entire out
fit from Bismarck, and relocated at the Ter
minus of the Chicago s. Northwestern r. r.
Bismarckians naturally feel the significance
of this move, but they preserve an ominous
silence in regard to it, as being prognosti-
cation of coming events.
DR.. Atkinson. contract surgeon at Fort
Assinniboine, is temporarily attached to this
command for duty, but Acting Assistant Sur
geon H. j. Coffrotb, U. s. A., st. Paul, Min
nesota, has been ordered to report to Gen.
Brooke at once for duty at this post, when
Dr.. Atkinson will return to his proper sta
ton.
Lieut. Faye;te Roe, 81 Infantry, is expect
ed to arrive here from Ellis about the I'd of
July, to join his company.
Company G, 18th Inf'y, have had an addi-
ton to their officer list in the person OF Lieut.
Steele West Point graduate. Lieut.. S. has
been on duty at Smelling for some time.
The sheep owners in this vicinity have
completed their wool clip, which, consider
ing the loss of lambs sustained from storms
the past winter, is good, and wagon loads are
en- route to Benton to ship the crop East.
The farmers throughout the valley predict
a good crop this season. but they think MIR.
Matthews, the Old Probabilities of this
region, might work up streak of lightning
that would cause the heavens to shed few
tears that nigh: prove beneficial to Mother
Earth l.. T. NJ.
<s4DbN 0.-