The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-21
WAR SPIRIT RUNS HIGH
Crowds Watch the News on the
Standards Bulletin Board.
ALL EAGER FOR THE FRAY
The National Guard Boys Jubilant Over
the Prospect of Going to the Front.
Messiah Mitchell Does a Big
Recruiting Business.

. The war fever ran high in Butte yes
terday. Crowd of people thronged the
bulletin boards Of the newspaper Offices
from early morning until night and
eagerly scanned the messages that
came from Washington. The Stand
ards exclusive bulletins. sent by a spe-
cial correspondent who is in close COM
munication with all the heads of de-
partments at Washington. and who is
thereby enabled. to get the first anthem
tic Information given out. had the
strongest attraction for the people. for
the reason they brought the news first
and gave IL more fully than other bulle-
tins. Occasionally when a bulletin gave
a piece Of news more satisfactory than
another. one that had more fight In IL,
or which gave added indication that
hcstilities could not be much longer
procrastinated. a cheer would go up
from the patriotic crowd. Particularly
was this the case when the Standards
bulletin was hung up some minutes be-
fore IL came through any other agency
that the Spanish minister had been
handed his passports and would leave
for Canada before the day was over.
This seemed to the anxious public ia
offer proof conclusive that the issue
could not be avoided now and that can
non would soon be booming.
In the excitement of the momert
many people who would ordinarily be
the last to be suspected of fighting pro-
pensities declared their desire to enlist
and Smoke Messiah Mitchells recruit
ing station did a thriving business. h
old confederate veteran had a table out
on the walk in front of the Southern
hotel. a few doors east Of the Standard
office. and he was kept busy booking
volunteers until the crowd about him
blocked up the passageway to such an
extent the hotel people were compelled
to ask him to retire. Mitchell took i'm
his table and closed up business for the
day. but SAT- he would apply to Mayor
Harrington for permission to open his
agency at the city hall.
The members of the Butte companies
of the national guard were the most
elated of any of the aspirants for war.
The occasion for their jubilance was fur
nished by the press dispatch of the
morning i'm which the war department.
announced its intention of calling on
the militia of the various states before
asking for volunteers. The guard had
been fearing volunteers would be given
the preference and that they would not
get a chance to go to the front at the
vi "oA u o. ~ -
Ayers announcement dispelleld their
fears and they were i'm the height of
good spirits in anticipation of the re-
ceipt of marching orders now at any
time. As a consequence the armory
was the scene of great activity and last
evenings drill was of the most inspir.
ing character. For the past two weeks
the company captains have been COM
PEELED to exert to the utmost the au-
thority given them by the waiting or
ders the guard has been under for three
weeks In order to keep some of their
men from deserving the guard and going
to the front to enlist in the regular
army or the navy, they were getting
so restless under the delay and the
growing fear they would not be al
lowed to participate. One membe OF
Company +. Harry Nichols. did really
cut sticks and go. He Informed Captain
Hill he did not propose to wait any lon
ger. and a week ago left for San Fran
cisco to enlist in the navy. Several
other guardsmen threatened TO take
similar action. but were held in check
by their captains. and yesterdays news
satisfied them there would be no occa-
sion to abandon the guard.
A movement was started yesterday to
endeavor to have the city council follow
the lead of other cities and take such
action as will insure policemen and
other city employees that their present
positions will be open for them when
they return. II they enlist and go TO the
front.
Everywhere the war spirit IL upper
most in peoples minds and from the
current of expression one hears IL Is safe
to say a full regiment could be recruited
in Butte If the need came.