The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-05
WHEN 1T WAS COLD.

People Who Remember the Days oil
Long Ago.
Frost in the air and q nipping breeze
outside gathers a group OF old-timers al
most any day around the stove in Judge
FitzPatrick's Office on Commerce ial street.
The CHEEKY Hello and how are you to-
day? '' with which Fitz greets his friends
is most hospitable, and when he says
take a seat and make yourself at home"
the newcomer does so at once. That's
right; sit anywhere when there amt
chairs enough; but / guess there is. You
can sit on the table," says he with a
chuckle, and he relights his pipe and the
story telling goes on, as one after another
of the group gives his experience.
Some days mining is the subject of con-
versation. Chances they had to get rich,
the partners they had then who did make
stakes, are discussed. The privations OF
early days are recounted with many jest
and those old fellows smoke and laugh,
living over again the days of placer dig
gings, of Indian fights and vigilante warn
ings as though they were but yesterday.
Not long since at ono of those little
gatherings that never-faIllng topic, tho
weather, drew out some interesting tales
from these old inhabitants.
"Taint near so cold as it used TO DO in
this country" said William Glenn.
"We've had some weather that's plenty
cold enough for me hero of late years, but
/ remember the winter before Anaconda
was laid out. You remember that winter.
Judge? 1t was SO cold the air turned
blue. | was living ON a ranch above town
here Always and had run out of supplies.
/ didn't know how cold 1t was till l got
down to Bill Hilbert's place, down IN the
valley. he kept sort OF saloon, you
know, and | was tired from a long tramp,
so / went in to rest. In ais little front
room there was half dozen of the boys
crowdin' around the table and old Bill
was cutting what thought was cake,
but sure as live it was whiskey froze
solid and they had broke the jug and he
was doing it out to 'em at two-bits a
slice.
"Oh, no, didn't take any. Pm tenn
| perance, but that was the only time ever
see whiskey froze."
II remember that cold snap, you bet,'
said Fitzpatrick, as his eyes twinkled. 81
was teaching school over here at that
time and for three days we couldn't wash
| the dishes. Froze the dish cloth solid III
spite of all the women folks could do"
THAT was the winter l came west"
said his partner, Frank Strickfaden, who
was one of the youngest of the pioneers
| present. | got as far as Butte and was
| boarding near Rocker, and working in q
mill near there, and hang me if the mer
curry didn't freeze solid in the buckets in
the mill, and we rolled them around or
the floor just like cannon balls. l hat
just come from farm in the states anC
the boarding boss sent me out to milk the
cows. They were bleeding at the nose
| poor critters, it was SO cold. L felt sorry
for them, and when l went to milk the
stream froze and fell in the pail like
white, solid straws, and l carried it il
heaped up over the sides of the bucket"
This settled the weather question, and
although the thermometer outside regis
tered 10 below zero, McDaniels was heart
to remark that this was pretty warn
day, and he was going home to see if h
could not find his buster and palmlea
| fan.