The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-30
A Hitherto Unpublished Incident In
Mercantile Life in the City
OF Helena.
The Man Who Saw the Comet
and Was Struck by a
Meteorite. S
A Condu Beautiful and Extensive
Nosegay Which Led to n Slight
Misunderstanding.

pretty "nigh''-a Scotch expression for
cloaeness. Tho other day a youthful bit of
4 northwesterner, not over ten years old
and rather small for even that age. walked
into the establishment of the gentleman in
question. holding in his hand the butt of a
cigar which he had found outside. Walk
ing up to the counter, to which his eyes
barely reached. he remarked:
Gimme a match, please"
1--WE don't keep matches to give away,
youngster." replied the merchant.
"You keep EN- for sale. may be?" re.
marked the boy. LIZ
"That's what we do"
"Then,'' diving into his pockets and
putting a nickel on the counter. give ms
five cents' WORTH"
A box Of red headed matches was laid
before the boy. Opening it, no filled one
pocket of his diminutive coat with matches,
and placing the box, still more than half
filled. on the counter. he remarked quietly;
"There. put them back on the shelf. and
the next time a gentleman asks you for q
match give him one Of mine"
There il one man at least in Helena who
saw, or thinks he saw the comet on Sunday
night in spite of the fact that he is a little
neaisiRhted. He was standing in the middle
of the street, and near the car track al
Clark street and Park avenue. about IL
O'Clock, gazing upwards and trying &c
pierce the dark canopy Of clouds which
shut out the heavens. The electric light
overhead had gone out just before he
reached the point of observation. As he
- "A - E-A IL l--- d. H. .~o-
and his mind up to the muzzle in comets,
the electric light above him began TO glow
II was a very faint CLOWN fact more of q
splutter. He was now sure he had the
comet in full view. and that it was emitting
meteorites in large quantities. 80 intently
was he engaged that he did not notice the
approach of a buggy driven at a good gait
Neither did he hear 1t, on account of the
soft snow. Neither did the driver see tht
comet gazer until he WAS nearly upon him
Then he turned his horse quickly and sud
denly. But this move was only partly cue
~cessful, as the hind wheels slid around anC
brought an abrupt close to the Astronomical
observation by catching the student OF
heavenly wonders in the bosom of thu
trousers and sending him spinning into &
bank of soft snow. The horse was fright
ened by the quick turn and the collision
and got out of sight in short order. despite
the efforts of the diver to check him ant
look after the damage he had done. Tht
fact that the star gazer lit head first in tn,
snow prevented him from knowing wha
struck him. He naturally inferred, and 81
told his friends. that ne not only saw TIL
comet, but a lot of meteors as we'll. anc
that one of the latter got loose from th'
procession and struck him from behind.
The Northern Pacific has one conducto,
whose popularity is confined to neither sex
Men and women who travel with him al
like him Tor his obliging ways and cour
teous The ia that b.
ia never without a token of remembrance,
in the shape of a b~outonnaire on the lape
of his coat. A day or so ago some of th
boys put up a job on him.. He had beef
presented with a bouquet, which was to-
large to wear on his coat, md too pretty t,
be left in the baggage car to be knocked
about by the trunks. valises and things. 81
he decided to carry it through the train a
an evidence of his standing with the pat
rons of the road. His atteption, however
was temporarily called to something
by one of the train hands
and he laid his bouquet asid
for the time. When he started through tt
collect tickets and fares he carried tina
bouquet. The cars were we'll heated. A
he moved along he noticed with II sinking
heart that some of his best friends showe'
very little disposition to engage him il
conversation. On the contrary they shovel
their tickets at him and seemed afflicted
with some trouble which made them kee
their mouths closed and apply their hand
kerchiefs to their noses. Still he was no
sorry, as somehow or other he didn't Xix
the perfume which everybody appeared t
have been using that morning. He mad
his collection of tickets that day in les
than the usual time, and on reaching tn
baggage car sought consolation for HIS los
of standing in his handsome bouquet. III
stuck the beautiful thing to his nose. H
took it away at once and proceeded to dis
sect it. Then he knew all about it. Th
wicked baggage master had de1terously in
serted a piece Of vigorous cheese in the cen
ter of the bunch of flowers.
Sands Bros. have Just received a handsom
Asaorfmant af ladipa' military and tripla ran