The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-26
INSTRUMENTATION
Two Thousand Excursionists Say Goodbye Once More to the
First Regiment Of Montana Volunteers a. They
Are Whirled on to the War.

1t was the red letter day in the his
tory of Silver Bow Junction. The old
| time residents of tina section, the peo-
pie who. since the early days. have
lived quiet and peaceful lives with no
excitement to disturb them. saw more
human beings yesterday Afternoon
than they ever before imagined lived
on this earth. for . few more han 100
soldiers and officers were CHARTERED on
them, and in addition there were more
than 1000 excursionists from Butte.
ranchmen n citizens for miles around
drove In with all sorts Of rigs to see
the sight and to help cheer he Nom
tana soldiery as they were whirled OF
to the war.
For a few hours peaceful Silver Bow
was transformed into as busy-stirring
q spot as could well be imagined. 1t
was the last farewell Of Butte and Ana
conda to their friends. and the people
Of the twin cities availed themselves Of
The chance to say goodbye once more.
h early morning trains on the Butte.
Anaconda & Pacific n Montana
Union took a number of excursionists
who wanted to be sure to reach the
ground early enough. The 10 o'clock
Butte. Anaconda & Pacific train tool
over 500 people, and 1000 more went
on the Montana Union excursion at
noon, and several hundred more toe
the Copper City Limited at ! p. m.
The Northern Pacific installment of
the soldiers arrived at Silver o a
few minutes before 1 O'Clock. All the
Init x-~.~ 49, Nhs~ x.o,, o-1
n Of the Anaconda companies, the
other Anaconda company being with
the Great Northern train. The un-
dreds of people who had been
patiently waiting, some OF them
for hours. gave cheer after cheer
rs the long train turned the curve
n drew up beside the platform. In
stantly all was commotion and activity.
Men n women crowded up to the
train and soldiers crowded out. There
were hand g~raspings and embracings
and kissing. For a few minutes there
was a bah of confusion. Then sound
ed above the din the sharp commands
of the officers and the work of transfer
ring the baggage and supplies to the
other trains began.
At 1:55 o'clock the Great Northern
part of the regiment arrived. 1t had
been whirled through Butte without a
chance to receive the ovation which
was ready IOT tnem. All the way
through the town the whistles were
blowing in friendly salute. and some
1000 people were at the depot to see
the soldiers. The crowds which
thronged the yard and depot platforms
Of the Montana Union were disappoint-
ed, for the train was Immediately
transferred to the Montana Union
tracks and went On to Silver Bow with
out a stop. On arriving at Silver Bow,
Lieutenant Colonel Wallace reported
419 men n q officers on board
All the way from Butte to Silver Bow
the residents had hoisted the national
colors in honor of the occasion, and on
an eminence at the turn just before
Silver Bow is reached. the stars and
stripes ioated calamity from a lofty
Flagstaff.
At the junction, too, the few inhabi-
tants had risen to the occasion. making
up in patriotism what they lacked in
numbers. The s~aloonkeeper of the
hamlet la laid in a whole kes of beer
In order to show the proper enterprise.
The key lasted 20 minutes after the
ans arrived.
For three hours and more the fare
wells lasted. The Butte and Anaconda
boys were, of course, the central at
traction. the members of the other
companies for the most part remain
ing quietly in their cars. There were
httIt sIoupS anu hlOlS OI ITltHuS dnu
family unions everywhere one CHANGED
to look. There were scores of friends
with cameras, taking snap shots here
and snap shots there. There were men
filling the pockets of their soldier
friends with cigars and TASKS of
whiskey. There were women and
girls, decorating their soldier broth
ers, husbands and lovers with lowers
and filling their arms with packages
of 6plicanipS frrlifQ naodla naSaa and
knick-knacks. There was a general ex-
change of souvenirs. Many locks of
hair were carried away to the war in
exchange for many a gilt button. Many
young misses went around with scis-
sors clipping off buttons from soldiers
coats. and there are few indeed OF the
lads who will report In San Francisco
with the regulation number of buttons
on their coats. Some carried away the
plate OF the knife which their soldier
friend had used in Helena. In the
field all around the depot grounds
were little picnic parties. The people
from Butte a taken their lunch
baskets, and they a their partIcu-
lar soldier friends one more taste OF
home cooking provided by loving
hands.
All this time the transferring was
going on. There was one car that did
not have to be transferred. II was q
carload of beer donated by Kessler's
brewery in Helena. There was q big
eagle transferred, Inc there was a
bulldog chained to q private that did
not want to be transferred N came
near joining the enemy. There was one
wounded soldier. who had to be car
ried from the Northern Pacific train to
the Short Linz train. He belonged to
Company f. and he had sprained his
ankle. but he expects to be all right by
the time a Francisco Ia reached. The
regiment is intact, with the exception
Of three men left behind In the hospi-
tai at Helena. Two Of these belong to
Company X and one to Company r.
They will follow their comrades to the
coast as early as they possibly can.
Talk about the danger of any of the
lads deserving in Butte. there isn't a
man in the regiment that could be
pulled away from 1t with an OK team.
Everyone who saw the soldiers on