The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1894-01-05
Humorous Account of the DOings in
Great Falls Seven Years
Ago.
The Organization of Cascade County
Causes Great Rejoicing Among
the Inhabitants.
Hon. Charles M. Webster One Of EN-
and He Makes a Public
Confession.
GREAT FALLS, Dec. %, 1893.

uhEhI IhLLos DoS ~ iocc'
/ To THE EDITOR OF The TRIBUNE:
I have just been reminded today that
your historical and geographical editor,
"the Captain" called upon me about a
< month ago and requested me to write
something for The TRIBUNE holiday
number or the delectable subject, "Cas-
cade County" 1 hardly know what to
say, now that my time is up for writing,
and l had forgotten all about my prom
Use.
"The Great Falls Tribune"
W. Seven years ago, when Will Hanks was
Fytwner and l was editor of The TRIBUNE,
~ put In the Christmas month writing
J up Great Falls and northern Montana
for the holiday edition of The WEEKLY
) TRIBUNE. That was a year before Cas-
cade was born. But her advent was
heralded in that paper. II you want
samples of true prophetic vision l refer
you to the columns of this holiday num-
Der of the said TRIBUNE of seven years
ago. The inspired and "loaded" Caius
Julius Caesar Apple Blossom BLY,, of saba
hue, was the power behind the press
afterwards behind the bars) which
turned off
Ten Thousand Copies
of the first holiday edition published in
Northern Montana. Is it any wonder
with such an enterprising proprietor,
such an editor, such type-setters as
Harry Dickinson, Charlie Ink, the late
talented Fred Anderson, with contribu-
tions by Captain Kelly, Y. II. Tins
(alias "Smithy'), Prof. Morrison land the
DOG Faced Man";) and a press pro-
PEELED by a thousand horse negro sweat
power-is it any wonder, l ask, that
there was a cattle and sheep loss of so
per cent that winter, and a tremendous
influx of people into Great Falls and
surrounding country in the spring? Is
it any wonder that the Manitoba NOW
Great Northern) railway, built its extern
sion in 1887, from Minot to Great Falls,
quicker thar any railroad was ever con
structed before or since? Is it any won
der that 1887 was an unusually wet one;
and that Jerry Collins came in with the
flood and purchased The TRIBUNE (then
a highly respectable and independent
paper) from Hanks, the pioneer news.
paper man Of Sun River valley?
Cascade County Created.
Early in the summer of 1887 our citi-
zens decided, not without reason, that
all men we're not only created free and
equal, but that ue we're a little more so.
Consequently it was but a step in the
natural curse OF events to throw off the
yoke of the mother county Of Choteau,
and found for all time the banner county
of Montana, christened Cascade. With
the best of Choteau ard a few ribs from
each OF the adjoining counties, h 10 lusty
Cascade was brought forth late in the
summer of 1887. When the enabling act
was passed by the special session at
Helena.
The Glad Tidings
were wired from the capital to Sun River
Leavings and brought by a special mes
senger in waiting to the county eeat of
the new county.
Everybody Rugged
everybody else (the inhabitants were
mostly men at that time). Everybody
cheered, laughed and smiled" too. The
widest imagination could scarcely have
pictured such a scene Of revelry and
good natured fun as was enacted here
upon Cascades birthday. The charge OF
The Light Brigade
was nowhere compared with the career
ing of the new hook and ladder truck,
loo1aI u,;kI, -, - 40, lo.J.,- oz--
(also loaded) drawn by four untamed
bronchos, with "Old Black Joe' in the
box and a chattel mortgage blanketed
over the entire wagon. i.
Only One Voice of Sorrow 6
was heard amidst the general rejoicing. l
1t hoarsely bawled through the camp: !
my God, has it come to this, the country :
is ruined, / wanted to stay in Choteau /
county where / could have something to .
say about the government" |
Got Into the Band Wagon. I
1t is not unworthy of observation in ;
to remark that several of those '
who most ~vehemently opposed county a
division soon identified themselves with r
the Cascade county band wagon and are .
now among it's wealthiest and most in !
Auential citizens. But to resume. The y
day almost all felt that the new :.
county was but a "pent-up Utica" after :.
all, for their ''domes Of thought" seemed T.
to entirely fill up the space allotted to =
Cascade and to trespass, in their en- y
!argement, upon adjoining counties. =
But in due time the heads went down U
Cascade county commenced it's up
ward and onward course.
Great Credit Is Due
he Hon. T. E. Collins ia the senate, and
he late "Uncle" Jesse Taylor in the
rouse, for the zeal with which they
the cause Of county division, .,
u spite Of the bitter opposition Of all 81 -
,ther leading men in Choteau county. "
some "
y Unaccountab'e Blunder,
viewer, the boundaries of Cascade were
oneously described in the bill, so that =,