The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-05
TOPICS OF THE TOWN.

TOPICS OF THE TOWN.
Tho stone porch in front of the Hote
Helena entrance IL a favorite resort o.
warm afternoons aud evenings. Ate
lunch and dinner hours the easy chairs ar
occupied by travellers and citizens who dro
; around for an hours gossip. Handsom
awnings temper tho SIMS heat and in tn
evening there is a soft, cool breeze from tn
mountain.
Yesterday afternoon I found Mr.. Il. i
Bonner, of Missoula, md Col. Malone, o
Miles City, chatting about Montana an,
Montanians. Mr.. Bonner's views are al
ways worth printing. He is one of the nos
successful business kings of the great north
west and is Mt the head of what is doubtless
the most complete mercantile establish
ment west of ~Chieago--the Missoula Mer.
camille Co. The operations of Mr.. Bonner
and his partners extend in many directions
The lumber industry under their control il
an immense business, with no limit in
sight. Thu mercantile company's trade is
woven into the lumber camps, and thus tive
prosperous concerns move together. The
optAiAitk Va tAS SAcuA VI ftlClo IchA VIII Auu
verv largely to the extension of the CON-
pany's enterprises.
~
Mr.. Bonner has a quiet but convincing
manner Of speech and a fund Of informa-
tion on various subjects. He fell to talking
about methods of business, and among
other things said: 1.-The business of the
Missoula Mercantile company ia largely the
result of it's policy with employees. When q
young man has shown his worth he has
been given an interest in the business and
encouraged in every way. Over twenty. men
own stock in the company through appreci-
ton of their work as employees. No man is
given a salary who does not earn it. An in
telligent young man who works hard knows
about what he is worth to him employers if
any one does. If he receives a certain salary
he knows his employers are making more
than that from his services. He is looking
all the time for something better and any
incentive that is given him brings re-
suits. The large business of the Missoula
Mercantile company is largely the result of
its liberal policy with its men who have
worked for its interests."
~
Col. Malone, of Miles City, will soon
make Helena his home. This will DO good
to his old friends in this city which he
has always proclaimed the best town on
earth. The colonel wears "a rhematism
1t is a little band of various metals,
the composition of which is a secret. 1t is
supposed to generate an electric current
which cures rheumatism and keeps it
away. The colonel says it may be a fad
but that singularly enough he has not been
with rheumatism since he first put
on the ring.
1t is curious how many people will notice
the absence of anything familiar to their
common existence. Late last night at the
corner of Broadway and Main Hooked at
the clock in the Hershfeld bank building
and found it dark. I walked down Main
street to Grand and met fifteen people who
upward and referred to the clocks
forlorn appearance.
~
If the merchants of Helena would have
their goods loaded and unloadeG at the
rear instead of the front entrances they
would confer a great favor to street travel
ers. The sidewalks are so narrow that peo-
pie are sufficiently crowded now. sa&
wv
Judge Fleischer sent a 12-year-old bow to
Jail the other day for theft. He did not
wish to inflict the sentence, but there was
10 other way and no other place to send
lim but to Jail. Think of a 12-year-old
BOY spending thirty days in the company of
r n n re h r]o ~ cd nri,1,;,,o1 a nol IL $4,000
If society.
Is it likely that this association will make
a more useful member of society?
The next legislature can do no better work
han establishing a reform school,. Some
young legislator should have
'uch a bill ready to introduce the first dav
If the session.
~
Col. Curtis, district deputy of the grand
odge B. T. 0. E., will soon go to Great
Falls to institute a fine lodge of Elks. Mis-
'oula will soon have a lodge and it is hoped
hat Butte will be in the magic circle. The
of the order in Montana has been
remarkable, and it has been a
old growth, too.
~
Inc ant1-Chlnese movement in Missoula
las attracted some attention among the
chinese leaders of this city. | discussed
his matter with Billy Kay. the court inter
'reter, and one of the shrewdest Chinese
merchants in Montana. He said the
lif1iculty, SO far as he could learn, arose
rom competition among the restaurant
'roprietors of Missoula. The Cinnamon
lad been able to undersell their white COM
and so did most of the business.
~
This talk followed to a more general dis
ussion of the Chinese question. Billy
glanced over Judge Bickford's speech at
dissoula the other evening and said: "The
udae first says that nine-tenths of the Chi
ese who come to this country are convicts,
his is a most ridiculous lie, If
line out of ten Cinnamon in this
ity have been convicts, why do we not
nd them in the police court occasionally.
he judge says we never become citizens or
ny real estate. We cannot become citizens
eeause the law will not let US. but | sup
oss there would be no trouble if we would