The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-12-16
TIE r
Celebrated in Butte--How q Justice
Waa Fooled

A day or two ago a number of gentlemen
were talking OF old times and of the hard.
ships they had endured and incidentally Of
the small fruition for their labors. Accord
/ ng to the conversation there had hardly
been an equal distribution OF the gifts OF
fortune. and while the unsuccessful were
made the objects OF pity and commisera-
ton, and their virtues extolled, the sue.
cessful were credited with anything u good
business tact and ability; in fact they were
rather abused because in the rush and
hurry of Western life they had been not
only able to hold their own, but also to ae-
qulre a competence, and in some instances
wealth. 1t was the same old story, but the
speakers did seem to believe in the theory
OF the Survival Of the tittest," and any
and all manner OF wrong doing was as
cribed to the fortunate ones. They had no
nerve, they had no brains, they had no
knowledge, but the TACT remained that
they had money, and that was what both
cred the men who had none.
In the party there had been a quiet but
al observant listener. He was a man
probably As years Of age, OF rugged look,
bright blue eyes, a head and beard oftawny
hue that looked as though it had a natural
antipathy to the barber, and a general
mein that showed that, while the man was
capable OF all manner OF h%ardships, he was
still in love with life, that there was always
q brighter side to the picture, and that he
knew nothing was to be made by quarrel
ing with late, because some other man had
more money than he. The gentleman de-
scrlbed had evidently become tired OF the
fault-fnding and, drawing up a little closer
among the group, suddenly changed the
topic Of conversation by exclaiming: did
you gentlemen ever hear Of the first mar
riage in Butte" The question was so
sudden and the subject so different, that
the debaters were for a amazed,
but they soon rallied and each one had a
story to tell, When they had concluded.
the quiet man said, "all wrong" and he re-
lated a story about as follows: II think it
was in 1865, when the people here were
lew and far between as compared with the
present, although there were quite a mum
Der OF prospectors and tie usual hard
cases, both male and female, who in those
days were bound to follow in the
wake OF a mining camp. 1t was a
happy-go.lucky lot, and while many
OF the pioneers were men OF courage, con-
victions, probity and ability there were
also a host OF adventures. Those days
there were a different class OF men on the
frontier, and luckily for all, they have been
wended out, or at least nearly so. and
eAoi ouiu-D SuCCcSSOfS dire DuU Door l0l-
tations. But to get back to the marriage.
Among the crowd which had drifted into
the camp were a pair OF young daredevil
from one OF the frontier posts.
far distant. Both were good looking.
and having become tired of the hum-drum
life they had been leading, they concluded
to take a voluntary leave OF absence and
head for Silver Bow. Many knew who they
but none cared to tell, and they fell
In like the balance and rustled. At that
time there was located in old Butte a pom !
pous Justice OF the Peace, who hailed from
and with the aid Of a few other
choice spirits, the ex-soidiers concluded to
play a joke on him. Several schemes were
suggested and it was finally decided that
the two boys should get married. No
said than done. The assistance OF |
some OF the women OF the town was in
voked and in a brief period one Of the lads |
was logged out in all the glory Of feminine
attire and with his partner and a few
presented themselves before the
Justice and demanded to be married. The
ceremony was duly performed, the fee paid
aud the crowd adjourned to take a drink,
when the sell was exposed much to the
OF tie Justice. The story soon
and the officiating Justice was so
and abused that he soon after
eft the camp That, boys' a the first
marriage in Butte, and yon can bet that
or a time the preachers and judges were a
title careful who they tried to splice: Let's
a drink" and the crowd drank to the
'ealth OF the first welded pal, in Butte.