The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-18
Picked Up by
The Wanderer

Payday week In Anaconda has OF late
been the signal for the arrival of UNI
fortunates Of all kinds and descriptions.
As the bluebird Is the first harbinger OF
spring, so is the arrival of a half dozen
blind men n other physical wrecks a
sure indication that payday is here.
Everyone has sympathy for cripples and
other unfortunates suffering from some
physical disability that prevents them
from making a living any other way
than by begging. But there is a limit to
sympathy as well as good nature. Many
of these unfortunates imagine they have
a musical-save the mark-gift n give
public recitals on the streets.
A w~ell-known Anaconda gentleman
was discussing the influx of beggars
a few nights ago n he was warm
about 1t. He said: "A few nights since
street corner. My sympathies were
aroused and l felt in my pocket to see IL
l had any change. l found that the
smallest piece of money / had was a
nickel and l had nothing between that
and a dollar. 1 hestitated whether \
should give him the nickel or pass by
without contributing. Then. remember
ing my earlier training and that the W
smallest insects mentioned in the Bible
= hAiS ~ . me- ohtt nv ~
iee,' and the widows mite was very
acceptable, / dropped the nickel into the
blind mans yawning can, with a feel
ing of at least having done a kindly act
in thought. 1 had not gon half a dozen
PAGES when that wretched man started
up that maudlin tune Take Back Your
Gold l have since been wondering
whether this was intentional sarcasm or
simply a coincidence"
DO you think it can stand it?" re-
marked a travelling man. standing on the
Park avenue corner near the Montana
hotel Tuesday night, as he pointed over
to the bank.
The person addressed was an Ana
conda citizen and he did not see any
thing very remarkable except that there
was a long string of men waiting their
turn to get up to the cashiers windo
and get their checks cashed. On pay
nights the bank Is always open after
supper So the Anaconda man remark
ed, stand what?"
why, stand the run. you chump.
Don't you see that a run has beer start
ed on that bank and hat the idiots VINO
are running 1t don't know enough to
take advantage of banking hours n
close the institution. l never saw any
thing like it since the time of the panic,
when i was in Denver" and thus the
travelling man ratified away.
His companion gave a hearty laugh
n when asked what was the matter,
ii was briefly explained what paydays
are in Anaconda, and the travelling man
owned it a one on him, which he i'm
mediately proceeded to liquidate at the
Montana bar of justice and other good
things.
When the circus was here r. de B.
Smith tool six little boys and girls to
the show and he was very proud of his
party. They were standing in front of
the lions cas- when Mr.. Smith hap
pened to see a friend in the crowd n
called to him, asking, What do you
think of my six children" saying
which he pointed out his party of little
folks. 1t so happened that a minister
of the city, who has not been here very
long, was standing close by and over
heard Mr.. Smiths remarks. Nothing
further happened in connection with the
matter until a few days ago, when the
minister called on Mr.. Smith and imme-
diately entered into a conversation re-
garding the education of children. Mr..
Smith, it must be said, knows far more
about the proper higher education of
bird dogs than he does about child
study, the Klock or any other systems.
Mr.. Smith tried to appear interested in
what the minister had to say about the
education of children, but he was quite
lost to know why he should be selected
to have so much information regarding
the subject thrust upon him. Finally
the minister said: at Is this way, Mr..
Smith: one of the members of my
church is about to start a kindergarten.
l was at the circus a few weeks ago
and happened to overhear you speak of
your nice, large family of six, which 1
noticed accompanied you, and l also
noticed what nice looking children they
were. They do o credit, Mr.. Smith"
Mr.. Smith was nearly ~convulsed with
laughter and IL took him some time to
explain that he was a bachelor and that
the children taken TO the circus were all
borrowed for the occasion. The minis
ter was disappointed, but he was glad
he had not runs in that tlme-worn COM
pliment to all parents about how much
their children resemble them.
They We're discussing the peculiar use
some people make of words. One man
said he was down at Gregson Springs
recently when an hilarious Individual
walked up to the register and said to
Con Hayes, the proprietor: "Con, de-
sign me for a room" Mr.. Hayes said
he would assign him to a room. but if
he had to design him for a room he
would a to make him over again en-
tlrely.
This reminded another man of a time
when he was DOWN South staying with
a planter friend. There was a colored
barber on the plantation who used to
shave the guests of the house every
morning. The relator was talking with
his friend while being shave one day,
when the colored barber broke I'm with:
Say, boss. what is this agriculture /
hear you talk about so much? Is 1t ST.
multaneous to planting?"