The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-18
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THE SHADONGRAPHER,

/ HeionH mas not G0dON6U Vu0 OOkg00 VI
greatness where we can maintain a perma-
uent museum. but at this season of the
year the Chinese stores are quite az inter-
esting to those who will devote an hour to
looking Mt the curious things offered for
sale. The Chinese merchant is also an in
teresting subject for study. Yesterday af-
~ternoon we dropped into one Of the largest
stores in the city, a place where everything
useful to a Cinnamon is sold. One show
! window was filled with a row of Chinese
dolls of various sizes. All bore q singular
resemblance FOR children of different fami-
lies and all were dressed alikes BY press
ing their stomachs they all shouted "Ah,
Wahr' in the same tone. In the manufac-
ture of toys the Chinese are remarkably in
genious and original. Perhaps the most
novel of those on exhibit is . box of small
bits of family colored woods. When
soaked in water each piece expands and re-
yeals a small but well executed picture cut
into the shape Of the wood. When dried it
shrinks again into its original shape. Than
there are the colored folding blocks not a
new toy but invented by the Chinese.
A scientist is needed to explain
the law of motion by which they move. The
acrobatio skeletons aud fighting r~oosters
made to GO through all sorts of evolutions
by the pressure of two threads are skilfully
manufactured. The finest work is seen in
the display of feathered fowls and birds
which are strikingly lifelike and natural in
contra distinction to the highly colored
Chinese picture books. These may be ex-
tremely amusing to the Chinese youngsters,
but the young American would have some
difficulty in determining causes md results.
The proprietor informed us that each pic
ture represented a fight between Cinnamon
and Japs. Curiously enough the Cinnamon
seemed to have the best of the contest in
every scene. On the wall were several
framed pictures quite as difficult of explain
alton. One represented a garden scene in
which three timid Chinese maidens were
looking over a terrace at another maiden on
the ground. The proprietor, when asked
to explain the subject, answered somewhat
vaguely: ''Lich people, vel Itch people,
Very likely this was his idea Of high art:
The richer the people the better the pic
ture. There were hordes of bright-col-
ored paper butterf1ys, masses of paper flow
ers, embroidered tapestries picturing Chin
csc lads and lasisss in various situations.
All these were placed under the general term
of "decolations'' by the specialized proprie-
tor. BY the way, how many Cinnamon who
wear glasses have come under your observa-
ton? The display of fragile and beauti-
fully-colored Chinaware is always interest
ing if you study the decorations. The pro-
prietor told us that every picture on
these goods or the more pretentious pottery
on which there are Chinese subjects has a
meaning of some sort. To the ordinary
Caucasian layman the presence of the ar
fist would seem necessary for proper ex-
PLANTATION. The carved ivory and lacquered
wares in which the celestial merchants have
a monopoly for no accountable reason are
also we'll worth seeing.
The friends of a popular young man who
is fond of outdoor life and is probably the
best shot in Montana are smiling over the
revelation Of a good joke at his expense.
Some time ago while on a hunting oxcur-
zion in the northern part of the state he
found a flock of geese floating about OF a
pond. They afforded a very tempting mark
and he blazed away killing several. He
was somewhat puzzled when the others did
not fly but decided that they must be new
comers from the Flathead country SO he
finished them up with a few shots. Then
he found they ware tame geese and in q
short time the proprietor Of a neighboring
ranch appeared on the scene and wanted to
know what was to be done The sportsman
gave him a hundred dollar note and told
him to keep quiet. The ranchman was
obliged to tell the owner of the geese, a
-, orobo,% -, 1TrrA Rov%1~ rvhn Oor,a a.
town the other day and told the srory to
the boys.
Captain Lyons. of Eldorado Bar, was
registered yesterday at the Grand Central.
He had just returned from an inspection Of
his sapphire fields on the Missouri river.
He says he will postpone possession until
the courts look into the matter. The fact
that he found Detective Walters with fif-
teen men and a few incidentals in the way
of Winchesters may have had something to
dc with this determination. He immedi-
ately telegraphed to General Warren, OF
Butte, that he and his party had been
headed off III the Belt mountains by 4 party
of banditti from Last Chance gulch. Cap
tain Lyons made three interesting state
ments as follows; that he will 90 back witt
uu0 IlKuu HCA dA0 bahO GOboOp5AOIO "a Wv
land; that II. L. Haupt has no connection
whatever with the affair; that the owners OF
the land near Helena jumped by Haupt
last spring settled with him for $4,000.
Hon. Charles II. Eaton who was declared
the handsomest man in the last legislature,
has been in town for the past few days
He and his brother, General Eaton, own
several. of the most valuable claims il
Cooke City. and may be looked upon as &C
cessions to the ranks of Montana million
aires when a railroad reaches that camp
Mr.. Eaton thinks it may come next yea
and is quite certain that the difficulty i
not in getting a bill through congress bu
in deciding between two routes to thu
Northern Pacific.
A letter picked up on the street the othe
day discloses a new and unsuccessful OK
pertinent in hunting the festive elk. TIL
letter was from Frank S. Brown, of Philips
burg, and was addressed to Col. Sam Word
of this city. It appears from the content
that Mr.. Brown promised some time ago t.
send an elk to the colonel and as the lei
ter indicates, the promise was faithful
kept. He travelled with his friend Col
until the following adventure whicl