The Helena independent., 1894-11-07
The Streets Throngsd With Excited
Crowds Anxious 10 Get
the News
Confidence In Helena's Victory
Was Manifested by the En-
thusiAsm Displayed,
Thousands Watched The Independent,
Bulletins aud others Crowded
Various Places In the Ctr.

oven more apparent in the evening than
during the day; only it was not so sup
pressed during the evening. The peo-
pie were excited and they didn't care
who knew IT, Dignlned old gentlemen
shouted and swung their hats like 10
year-old lads. when some particularly
| encouraging election news WAS shown
out on the great canvas stretched on
the Masonic building opposite the lnde-
pendent building. All Helena seemed
down town. People ate their dinners
at an unusually early hour and hurried
10 the business portion OF the city 10
get the latest capital and election re-
turns. The local and state election was
nearly forgotten. for all interest center
ed In the capital vote. The greatest en-
thusiasm prevailed. From the Bristol
block TO sixth avenue the street was
black with people and loud shouts for
Helena We're heard on every hand,
one OF the first capital returns was
received by ID. o. Becker, at The Helena.
The dispatch was received shortly af-
ter six O'clock from Rumsey. Granite
county. II gave the vote OF that pre-
cinct. Helena twelve. Anaconda two.
This little bit of encouraging news set
everybody Wild. why. we've got 'em;
got 'em by 5000 majority" said Clerk
Becker.
AT an early hour n vast throng gath
cred In front of the Independent office
to read the returns as they were flashed
by stereopticon. operated in the third
story of the building. upon the great
canvas stretched on the Masonic build
ing opposite. BY seven o'clock there were
several thousand people gathered on
Broadway. The news was transmitted
over a special wire run into the Inde-
pendent building and an operator was
there TO get them. These were trans
ferred to the glass and thrown on TO
the canvas. BY this means the people
OF Helena were given by far better SER
Vice than ever before In the history OF
the city.
Besides the thousands who crowded
around the Independent office impatient
for news there We're other thousands
equally intent on gaining returns. dis
trbuted in various places in the city At
the auditorium wire from the Western
Union was in place and by eight o'clock
the great building was filled with peo-
pie anxious to Near the news. The capi-
tai committee took up its headquarters
there and VIM. Muth read the bulle-
tins as fast as they We're received. The
great crowd remained there until a very
late hour. There We're hundreds Of la
| dies ftrsgpnf and fhaN rpreik-ad the
couraging news with even more en-
| thusiasm than did the men.
At the Montana club all was interest
and enthusiasm. There were a hun
dred or more of Helena's business and
professional men there and they
lOunged around while discussing the all
absorbing topic. A group of impatient
men hung over the operator. who took
the bulletins in the club house and read
the words of each message as it was
being taken from the wire.
AT The Helena special service was
put in, and IL proved 10 be one of the
quickest and most reliable I'm the city.
A large crowd went there TO get the
news. The members of the Young
Mems club put in an instrument at the
Board Of Trade rooms, and scores Of
the young workers could be found there
from early evening to early morning.
The Atlas also had special wire and
its rooms were crowded all evening with
crowd OF sports, who at all times were
anxious 10 bet on Helena.
Mrs. w c. Childs entertained large
number OF ladies at her home on Ewing
street. Special arrangements had been
made to receive bulletins by wire In the
residence, and by means Of which the
ladies' became acquainted with the re-
Fa af a YPRaitFan A tho Mo-
mems Capital club rooms In the Bailey
block large number Of the ladies re-
ccived news by wire. A. j, Craven's
Office I'm the Parchen block was also
headquarters for many ladies. who
had been invited there to receive cleo
tion news.
The first bulletins thrown by the
/ Independents stereopticun We're the
capital votes In the various precincts Of
the city. As Helena's great vote ap-
Ipeared In figures upon the canvas, hun
drcds Of people gave vent TO their feel
|ings I'm hearty cheers. The next bull
letlns 10 come We're from precincts in
the eastern part Of the state. They
were almost Invariably for Helena, and
were received with wild cheers. The
shouting Of the vast crowd could be
heard blocks away.
IL began To rain n little but this did
not dampen the enthusiasm in the
least. Ladies' stood out In the middle
Iof the street, some with umbrellas over
them, hut many without that protec-
| ton As figures favorable to Helena ap-
/ poared on the canvas the air was rent
with shouts. when discouraging news
came, as IL frequently did later in the
evening, the crowd became less en-
/ lthusiastlc, but nt no time did II lose
] Gal Ia, b.. NNhRF
from Great Falls arrived. the crowd
I0uly yelled "Take It away" This they
dld quite often us Anaconda's majority
'in Bozoman, Kalispell, Sand COulee and
land other points were read. On the
returns from many Of the precincts In
Butte, however the crowd yelled itself
lh0arso. Missouln'a vote was cheered,
and Dillon's splendid showing received
Ian ovation.
About midnight Hclena's major
Iity. according TO the bulletins re-
ccivcd, dwlndled down Ia no ma
Iiority at all. Then Helena stock
crowds became again enthusiastic.
At this stage Of the proceedings the
reports dropped of and left all In an
element Of uncertainty for awhile.
By an error the reports gave Ana
lc0nda a majority ~ 500 with some 10,-
600 votes yet Ia hear from. This was
corrected "A few minutes later by u
dispatch which gave Helena majority
lof ten,
However, every one reasoned that
IAnac0nda's strongholds had been re-
ported. and the balance OF the 5000 Ia
600 vots still unreturned would give
Helena a safe majority Of about $500
The feeling OF confidence remained with
the people ana up 10 the hour Of going