The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-28
BUTTE'S INFLUENCES
Some MiSSOulans Have a Peck of
Trouble in the Big Camp.
STORIES TOLD ON THE BOYS
A Tempting Baked Potato Changes
the Color of a Mans Hair
One Guests Consideration
for Hugh Wilson.

MiSsoula, Feb. H.-Nearly every trav-
cling man that comes to Missoula from
the East brings a new story of the ex-
perience of Missoula men in Butte.
The travellers usually visit the big min
ing camp before they reach Missoula
and there they either see or hear the
mishap which befall the guileless resi-
dents of this peaceful valley when
they ere turned loose in the smoke and
hustle of the metropolis in Silver Bow
county. Just why ii is that a Missoula
man should fall down when he gets to
Butte does not appear. The change in
altitude and climate may account for
ii but it does not seem probable that
these two conditions should work SUCH
wonders. However, this much may be
said for the home training of Missoula
wanderers-they do not fall into the
meshes of the nets spread by the
Loreleis of the Smoky City. Their
experiences are all of a different sort.
The latest story is of prominent
local business man who had occasion
to spend a couple of nights and a day
in Butte. He maintained Mis-
soula's reputation in an excellent man
ner and 1t seemed as If at least one
Missoula man would escape without
having a story told about him. The
first night and the day passed off with
out incident and on the second night
the man from Missoula acquitted him
self very creditably 1t did seem as If
all danger was passed and the repu-
tation Of Missoula was at last redeem
ed. But 1t was not to be. He fell down
at breakfast on the morning that he
took the train for home and the way
he fell down was this:
He came down to breakfast at the
Butte hotel with the air of a man who
has eniOVad .hfDaCnlf in
harmless manner and is ready to re-
sumo the routine of business life He
gave his breakfast order and speedily
his meal was before him. He cast his
eye over the repast and was satisfied
with its appearance. Among other
things on the table was a big, mealy
baked potato. The waiter had opened
1t and the snowy interior presented a
most tempting appearance as a lump
or butter melted over IT and a spoon
stuck up gracefully from it's center.
The man from MissOula drew il toward
him and removed the spoon. Then he
gravely sprinkled sugar over il and
covered IL with cream. He took
mouthful of it and a look of amaze
ment TOOK possession of his counte-
nance. All he said was: I'm be -:
thought IL was a baked apple" OF
course the smoky atmosphere of Butte
Will explain this mistake but even unis
VIII not account for the experience OF
another man from Missoula not long
ago in the same hotel.
This victim of Butte circumstances is
a well known professional man and
politician. He, too, had done himself
proud until the eve of his departure
from Butte but he, too, fell down when
1t seemed as if he would get home
without making himself and his town
a laughing stock. His trouble occurred
after he had gone to his room. He had
undressed or disrobed as we say since
we got the university-and was about
10 get into bed-or retire, perhaps.
would be more cultured-when he no.
ticed a card above the electric bell but
ton, which read: THE lights in this
room are on a meter. Guests will please
turn them out when they are not need
ed" OF course he did not need the
lights and, to accommodate Hugh VIII
son, he would turn them off. The posi-
ton OF the card above the bell button
led him to believe that il was the but
ton that controlled the lights. So he
pressed IL hard. The lights still burned.
He pressed IL harder. The lights
burned on undimmed. He gave it a
push that ought to have extinguished
all the lights in Butte. But darkness
did not follow. Then he gave the but
ton a series of pushes, thrusts and
shoves, long and short, and wondered
how in the world he could accommo-
date Hugh Wilson. While he was pom
dering on the subject. the sound of
hurrying footsteps was heard coming
down the corridor. There was a quick
knock at the door. The now thorough
ly bewildered man from Missoula OPEN
ed the door and there stood a bell boy
Before anything could be said, another
boy appeared and another and another
Then came the porter and after him
the night clerk, while a policeman
brought up the rear They had heard
the violent ringing of the bell and
thought that nothing short of fire could
inspire such a furious call. 1t might
be murder-but that doesn't count for
much in Butte. When they found out
what IL was, they were angry. The
man from Missoula gave the bell boys
a quarter a piece and begged the clerk
to keep silent. They showed him how
to turn out the lights and he went to
bed. but the story leaked out in some
way.