The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-06
THE RUMPs.
They Have y Lonesome Time Up on the
Top Floor.

the proceedings % the top floor of til
Electric Light block. The twenty-nin
rnmps who held the fort for ninety day
last winter dropped into their seats nm
started of rs ii they had just come to
Rether after q few days adjournment
Some Of them commenced to polish TIN
tops Of the desks with their boot heels ant
others had their pens in motion fiv'
minutes after getting into their chairs.
They expected to meet the members Of
the house of representatives, en- the toy
iloor of the Electric block, but non oil
them came in until after fou o'clock, and
then only n few to take n look at the sur.
%roundings.
At twelve they were all n their
seats except bray, Of Silver Bow.
who is in California. His fellow rumps
missed him very much. State Auditor Kin
ney, who was in the speakers chair. started
off the affair in a very matter Of fact way.
He went through this performance once be-
fore and knows how to do it. He picked
out d. A. Cory from the rear end of the
hall rs temporary secretary. Before doing
this he made them a speech to the effect
that it became his duty in accordance with
the statutes to again call to order the house
of representatives of the state of Montana,
and to call its roll OF membership. In per-
forming this duty he desired the assistance
and cooperation of all who were present in
preserving oracr. No hostile demonstration
had been made by any one and the specta-
tors were a peacable looking lot of people.
The auditor handed Mr.. Cory a list Of Thames
which did not include those OF the five
democrats elected from Silver Bow county.
The roll showed the following were present:
Robert r.. Wing, Aaron G. Witter, Bea-
verhead: i. ID. HASTE, Chas. Lockray, Cas-
cade; j. NJ. Boatdman, Samuel Mitchell,
Choteau; Hugh M. Moran, Chas. H. Loud,
Custer: Martin Newcomer. Dawson and Cas-
cade; John M. Blair, Deer Lodge; David A.
Cory, Anton M. Hotter. John Horsky, II. Fl.
Howey. Lewis and Clarke; F. Harrington.
Madison; Il. II. Goodman, Meagher; 4. l..
G~reenough, j. L. Phillips, w. b. Harlan,
A. s. Blake, Missoula; Chns. H. Stebbins,
Chas. II. Eaton, Park; j. H. Montenth. w.
II. Roberts. p. r. Dolman, VIM. Thomp-
son, II. F. Hoffman, Silver Bow; William
II. Norton, Yellowstone.
Kinney believed there was a quorum
VI CDCIlt. WIZ IN ohO ubDHubCu W. 4loNOyS
from his seat in the front row, Immediate
ly resumed his old time position as leader
of the rumps. and moved for q committee
Of two to bring in II OF the associate JUS
tees Of the supreme court. Hotter and
HASTE brought in Justice Dewitt after the
rumps had deposited their state canvassing
board certificates on the clerks desk. The
justice faced the rumps and at the command
they arose and held up their right hands
and repeated the oath. Kinney called
them up to the desk to sign their names to
the written oath. Witter came first. just
as last winter in the Iron Front, there were
no pens. One was borrowed from a repor-
ter. The spectators who filled the space
back Of the desks near the entrance were
now nearly all gone downstairs to the sen
ate chamber. except four ladies who occu-
pied the only seats in the lobby.
Col. Wheeler. who was to the left of the
speakers desk putting away at his pipe,
blinking. and a perfect picture of content
ment. saw n spare-looking man with brown
hair get up and say a word TO. Witter. The
man with the brown hair was E. I'll. Good
man, of Meagher. He arose to present the
name of a gentleman for speaker of the
second legislative assembly who was vel
known to every member present, anG
equally known to all the people of Montans
and a gentleman who presided over theil
deliberations at the last session.. Mr.. Good
man sat down n there WAS some applause
There were no other nominations and the
Pumps responded to the call with machine
like precision. Loud, of Custer, who was
in the last constitutional convention. anG
Harlan. Of Missoula, escorted Witter tc
the chair, where Kinney turned natter
needed no introduction. MIR. Kinney was
quite right. for the tall. heavy set ant
heavy voiced man from Beaverhead pre-
sided over them for ninety days about a
year ago. He has not changed much sine,
then. His left eye is still in mourning
from the recent encounter with one of the
brawny fists Of a COrnishman from Silvel
Bow, known as the Hon. w.. j. Penrose, 6
member of the house OF representatives.
Mr.. Auditor and gentlemen of the sec
ond legislative assembly of the state O
Montana, said Witter, II am not prepared
to make anv speech Mt the present time
neither do ] consider 1t necessary that W,
should have any speech making. / am vel
aware that was not chosen from any ex
traordinary ability that ] might possess al
n presiding officer. You know we'll of tn,
work that ] have performed in the past
and know from what you sa,t that / wa
willing and ready to do the best | knew
how. i hope you will again bear with me-
The slate made in the caucus, of the off
GERS. was then carried out with the followin,
result: Chief clerk, BENJAMIN Webster
Helena; serGeant-at-arms. s.. n. Nicholson
Helena: pages. Frank Cochran, Great Falls
Eddie Boos. Helena.
A committee consisting of Hotter an.
harrington, was appointed by Witter t,
wait on tine governor. Hotter reported la
ter on that they had been cordially receive.
and that the governor also had notice o
the organization of another house.
The committee to notify the senate of tn
rnmp organization consisted of Norton an.
Howey. This committee made n verbal re
port Mt the afternoon session. The chair
man said n written notice of the o%roauiZa
ton had been handed to one of the repuDli
can senators. who promised to bring IL be
fore the senate.
About this time the spectators numbere
n half dozen and interest was lost in tia
proceedings. A motion to AXE a recess 70
thirty minutes was lost, after Il cornmitte
on credentials had been appointed. The
they took n recess.
About twenty people were in the lobby i
the afternoon Mt three when Witter let I'll
pavel fall. The rules adopted last wiute
were temporarily adopted before the reces
and under these Witter began calling q
the order of business.
Every rump was then declared by th
committee on credentials to be nI yiybt
A number Of democrats were also ~certifie
by this as being entitled To gent
but none OF them made their appearances I
claim the seats. Boardman, Greenouo
and Wing will loo k up the mileage onest;6
for the rumps. The crowd in the lobb
was growing quite large when Tom Greer
ough, OF M!ssoula county, made his usui