New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-30
MONTANA STORIES.
QUEER AND TRAGIC TRAITS OF WESTERN
LIFE.
Helena. November 5,

peonle from the Old World far more than does INC
East The East like the world they have iei'' 10
ovcrcrowded. As they come TO make their fortunes
the West is chosen The Sultan Of Turkey owns shares
4, a nine q, Montana ono sees representatives OF
all nations on the streets from tac Arabian with req
fez ON head and tray of trnkes in hand to the huge
souat figure OF the Hoander, recalling the grotesque
pictures OF ones school geography
A few miles from Helena In little cabin lives
man born on q stream In Scotland, famous III sons
and story His father and grandfather were Chapians
TO the Lords High Commissioners OF ocouaha ior
,oorv centurv They were intimate with Christopher
North the EttricK Shepherd, DR.. Joih BOWL Va
Edinburgh Professor Blacle, and Professor Camppeh
Frazier and called Wordsworth and DR.. Arnold ana
Lord Napier friends 1t is strange to sit in the cabin
~ rough boards on the mountain side. and near snc
"reminiscences Of these distinguished men as "'o no'
IN he found In Libraries. / found this "plan living
and high thinking, family in my ranbies rouhu heca'
and felt as IL had got into an ehcDah'ou o"s'e'
The climate il one excerpts few weeks OF severe
cold in winter and few days OF neat III summer, -
delicious all tho round III Is Saie W Bay 'as
there are ten perfect months out OF the tweNe. u
IA particuarly suited to outdoor exercise. Many
voune Enplshmcn and scOtchmen have come 10
Montana and these have brought over their natohai
games. There is O Helena and Butte Caienoniah oi"o
which gives prizes to the best runners ie"pots'
throwers caber, throwers OF the hammer pe'S'
dancers OF Highland Fling; and even 10 the Des'
dra.sed Highlander In his national costume. Last
wear adde OF eight years earned the prize for the
Highland Fling lie danced 1t on platform III the
omen air. and the enthusiastic crowd marhed uhe WIZ"
foot and body to the insprting music OF the ppes'
and threw showers Of silver dollars ana nan aonars
as the little chap executed specially sprited step'
He was able 10 keep a cool head under all ths' No'
a note nor step missed. but the gay SCOTCH
bonnet and the curly head bObbed and swayed grace
fully to the motion Of the flying feet to the very emu
Then he picked up his silver rain ana pocHeceo IL d.
cooly as IL his dance had always had so merry an ac
commandment As expressed admiration OF the boys
grace loyal son of Scotia. himeslf an accomplished
dancer said, Every child In Scotiaha at te axe VI
| hve can dance that way
Ono of the tudces OF the games was a volunteer in
the march Of 900 miles in twenty days, from
| Cabul to Candahar-withOut baggage or provision
| train. He found out, he said, the advantage OF
the kilt over breeks when streams had to be forded
He had enlisted In The 72d Hghanders They met with
| a strange adventure one day at uAhee aoou'
halfway between Cabu and Candahar, Hech,
SANDY, one of the men exclaimed, don't you see
that white man there9 And he is greetin." The man
was about thrtyfve years old, and he was weeping
as he heard the pipes play and looked on Inc high
anders. On investigation it was found that ne was
soldiers child, stolen from the AID Highanders by
! the Afghans, when very young. He had grown up
among them, and prosperous when found' oeihs
| the owner of several camels. He was riding one
of his cames when the familiar sound of the pipes and
the sight of the Highland dress brought back the
recollection of childhood and home. He was adopted
| by the Odd Regiment of Highlanders, ana cothea III
| civilized garb but day, they were approach
ing the borders India, he disappeared from among
his countrymen, and they saw him no more He had
grown weary of civilized life. His case was taken up
by the War Department, and his parents, then living
| in Australia were informed Of his whereabouts.
| OF the 5000 who went this terrible march but
5000 lived to receive the medals struck to com
| tlai, 1Iiopxy
reputation said that every man of the 5000 was q
hero During the thirty days they had not more
than four hours O day for food and rest
Did not some of the fall out Of the ranks
and desert under such strain ~ asked.
"Ah, no. not In that country We were surrounded
by enemies and that would have been certain death
| My Highlander Of the four sent for by the
| Queen to be decorated by her hands. She pinned
| his medals his breast, he stood, bowed with
| painful wound. She asked his birthplace and said
that Of her best friends were In the north OF
Scotland and she expressed the hope that he would
get well and live ;many years to enjoy the medals
that he had earned lie had gone 10 Windsor on the
train from London on receiving the Queens commands.
but she sent him back in one of her carriages He
was too Sick she said, to travel by rail.
It is said to be owing to the love Of the English
for good dogs that the streets Of Helena are full OF
| pure breeds of many varieties. Many have been i'm
bench show last year an amazing success, con-
| sdering that the dogs were. with scarcely an excep-
ton the property Of residents Of Helena. This town
Is as much dogs paradise as OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
s0for not only do they roam the streets unmoested,
but they are unlike their Turkish relatives, sleek and
| well fed They the towns pets IL ones hand
hangs by side, it is apt to be licked by collie
or a spaniel My spaniel stands at the front gate
begging with soft eyes and expressive ears and tail
for caress from every passer-by and if take him
| downtown it is end Of a lark to lick hands on
the street-whether glOved ungoved, familiar
stranger-'tis all to his affecOnate heart. One
| day he got into a rough and tumble romp with
| canine acquaintance of his on broadway, and the
two rushed tumbling over two young men who were
coming the other way Tie young men got out Of
their way without even look of disgust a
Great Dane day lying the sidewalk at a
crowded thoroughfare. lie had stretched his huge
length quite He was too big to be stepped
over, and the margin of but few inches that he had
not appropriated too limited for any but small
foot. The crowd walked out in the street on
those few nches-he undisturbed In his rest. A
tiny pointer but few weeks Old settled himself for
a nap also business street. and the crowd stepped
carefully over the trusting little fellow long
it suited him to sleep under their busy hurrying feet.
one hears gruesome tales from odd Timers" OF
former proceedings in Helena where the sun to-day is
bright that it is difficult to realize these dark
were enacted. Near Broadway stood the tree
that in its day bore the weight of fourteen hanged
men. Not all that grim harvest at once but as an
old timer said, A good many times l passed by
that tree and saw man dangling from it, Finally,
one Of the citizens wished to build house near the
spot and cut down what known "hangman's
tree one hears that In the winter Of '63 "a
the vigilantes went through Montana with the law
In their hands, and in their record OF about forty
men hanged 1t is said they made no mistake, All
the hanged were desperadoes They were banded to-
gether and went under the name OF road agents. -
They waylaid the stage coaches killing the passengers
for their bags of gold. one OF their number the
driver of stage coach, who easily learned from the
miners, who formed the largo proportion OF his pas
sengcrs, what success they had found In the diggings
Another. Familiarity known as "Clnb-foOt George