Helena weekly herald., 1889-09-05

THE PIONEERS.
Their Meeting Closes with Banquet
at Hotel Broadwater.

The annual meeting of the Montana
Pioneers Association closed last Saturday
evening with banquet at the Hotel Broad
water. The feast was spread in the main
dining room, and the old timers and their
ladies, alb ,ut $50 people all told, sat down
al 9 o'clock to enjoy the repast. All the
delicacies of the season were served, and
the old II all blazers enjoyed the toothsome
dainties with as much zest as if they had
never known what it was to live on bacon
and hard tack for weeks at q time. But
''he who lever fasts no banquet e'er en-
joys" and the men who had "roughed it"
in the early days probably took more
pleasure from the contrast in discussing q
table d'hOte repast in the midst of the
luxury and comfort of the new hotel.
The gathering was notable one in many
respects A glance around the room dis
closed mauy q wrinkled face and bent fig
ure earned in the service of Montana.
There were veterans of the Civil and Mexi-
can wars, as well as men who had grown
up since the last gun was fired at Appom-
mattox. There were others who had come
to Montana in the sturdiness of young
manhood and are now classed among the
old man of the state. There were many
also who had come to Montana without
means other than the capital of energy and
talent, who are now prominent in business,
in professional life and in politics. There
were also those who had pioneered it in
California and Washington Territory before
repeating the hardy experience in Montana.
There were men who had delved with their
hands after gold in the early days
who are now enjoying the full
fruits of honest toll And there were
ladies, toe; ladies who abandoned comforta-
BILE homes in the East to follow their chosen
lords into the wilds of the new country,
and raised families in log cabins; queens of
society now, who proved their qualifica-
tions for pioneer life by hard work in the
early days. These are a few of the char
acteristics of that notable company who
broke bread at the Pioneers banquet; and
is it any wonder that they rejoiced in their
reunion under such happy circumstances
after all they had passed through together?
These and similar reflections, enunciated
in conversation at the table, whiled away
the first courses of the dinner, after which
the wines were brought on and the toast
making began. Col. w. F. Sanders, with
out whom any gathering of pioneers is in
complete, was absent on account OF sick
ness, and had to send his regrets, much to
the disappointment of the company.
John Shobsr was chosen toast master
and proposed every bumper in terms of
characteristic humor.
Toasts were then proposed and responded
to as follows:
1.-THE Old and the New, the Trail and
the Railroad" Response by Ex-Mayor 7.
II. Kleinschmidt, of Helena.
"The Montana Pioneers Who Met the
Pioneers from the Atlantic and Pacific"
Response by Ex-Delegate Martin Maginnis.
of Helena.
1.-THE History of Fergus County" Re-
sponse by Hon. James Fergus, OF Fergus
county.
"The Wives, Sons and Daughters of the
Pioneers of Montana" Response by Col.
w. H. Ewing, of Prickly Pear valley.
"The Pioneers of California, Soldiers
of the Mexican War and Pioneers of Mon
tans" Response by Hon. Thomas l.. Cor
ham, of Cascade.
The Bachelors of Montana" Response
by Col w. w. DeLacy, of Helena, who
came to what is now Montana in 1859.
"The Educational Interests of Montana"
Response by Judge G. Hedges, of Helena.
Among the responses were many eloquent
speeches, ard the hall Iesounded with ap-
plause for two hours. After the last toast
had been pledged, the company broke up
aud the association adjourned until fair
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