The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-02-20
CLEVER KATIE PUTNAM
She is as Charming OF The Stage as
She is on II.
HER FIRST TRIP TO MONTANA
The Winsome Actress Tells of How
She Drove a Stage Coach on a
Dead Run Through the streets
of Butte I'm EARLY Days.

No actress visiting Montana has a
greater hold upon the hearts of the pub
lie than has Katie Putnam, the charming
portrayer of western girls and mountain
lassies. Her friends are not only those
who enjoy seeing her behind the foot
lights, but there are hundreds of personal
friends who enjoy her visits to this state
and gladly receive her and her husband
at their homes. In private life Miss Put
nam is Mrs. Ii. 3. Emery, the wife of a
gentleman who accompanies her on all
her tours and who is her manager, coun-
seller and guide, besides taking leading
parts IN all performances.
For eight months out of the year Mr..
and Mrs. Emery are at home at Benton
Harbor, a coy retreat on the shores OF
Lake Michigan, about so miles from Chi
cago. They have there beautiful cot
tage home which is headquarters for
host of their friends during the summer
months. An orchard of peach trees is
just beginning to make return for years
of training, and surrounded by chickens,
horses and cows, the people of the mimic
world find their greatest happiness in
life that is TO a degree rural in its nature.
OF the stage Miss Putnam is as attrac-
tive as she is in her grlish characters,
and is bright and witty conversational
list, entertaining by anecdote and story,
while discussing most intelligently the
topics of the day.
''rll never forget my first visit to Mon
tana, which was one of my pleasantest
experiences" said Miss Putnam to a
STANDARD reporter last evening. ut was
in 1881. before the days of railroads, and
we came up the Missouri river from Bis
marck to Fort Benton, with Captain
Todd. The steamboat was sometimes
floating and sometimes crossing sand
bars on stills, as it was called. On that
trip some of my fellow passengers cap
tured buffalo calf from a herd that
watched our progress from the banks of
the river with innocent curiosity. rat
tie snake was brought on board. Sitting
Bull and several companions were return
ing then from Washington on the boat,
SO altogether we had collec-
ton for a. wild west show.
had many privileges on the trip; we danced
in the cabin, made ice cream out of the
condensed milk, and were a very jolly set
of travellers, though we would not have
been if any accident had befallen us SO
to delay the boat, for the last day before
we reached Fort Benton we were COM
PEELED to breakfast on dry bread and b ack
coffee, all that RENAME of the prov sions.
At Fort Benton we took stage for Helena,
which was the first stop. We had our
own outfit and travelled as we liked, fish
ing and shooting, camping out at nights.
Oh, but it was fun. l fell in love with the
mountains, and love them still. Iwould
have come to live among them but for the
friends and relatives in the East whom l
could not leave.
1T was on this trip that learned to
handle a four-in-hand, and / was quite
proud of the accomplishment. We had
4 played for two weeks in Butte in the little
building where the California Brewery sa-
loon is now, think, and we were coming
back there for a return engagement. l
sat perched on the box and was driving
across the fiat below Butte. Mr.. Blume,
one of the managers of the company, sat
behind me, when we suddenly noticed the
regular stage from Helena bowling along
on a parallel road.
'The stage was filled with travelling
men, who recognized our outfit, and one
of them yelled to the driver to Hurry and
beat those show people to the hotel
They wanted to get the best rooms, for
the St. Nicholas. the leading hotel then,
did not have many rooms that were de-
sirable. We heard his shout and knew
what it meant and determined to beat
them if possible. The whip touched up
our leaders. braced my feet and chung to
the lines. Crack went Mr.. Blume's whip
again and away we flew.
1.-THE passenger coach driver was al
ready urging his horses and his fares
were looking out of the coach windows
and shouting for him to drive fasterl Oh
how excited we were in our coach. My
broad brim hat fell back off my head, my
hair was fluttering to the wind, and with
the mail but few rods behind we came
up Main street on q dead run. The
stage bounced over rocks and stones
so one could hardly hang on to a scat.
Tho streets were lined with miners and
sports yelling encouragement and shout
ing bets on the winner. No thrill of tri-
umph l ever felt from stage success
equalled the exciting joy that felt when
we turned the corner on Broadway and
pulled up in triumph in front of the hotel,
our rivals good second, but in the rear,
and our man captured the register and
put the names of the company ahead of
those drummers.
Il have, however, thought that the beat
was due more to the gallantry of the
~ stage driver, for his horses were fresher
than mine, than il was to speed, but I'll