The Anaconda standard., 1898-03-16
NOT WHAT IT USED TO Be
Fun Nowadays Is Not Made in
the Way 1t Was Years Ago.
IT'S REDUCED TO SCIENCE
Seekers After Real Pleasure Go to the
Country to Find It-Baseball. Foot
ball and Other Amusements
Change With Time.

Ben of the valley sat on high stool
last night and looked at the bill of
fare and the mirror while the waiter
looked wise and waited for the custo-
mer to give his order.
Give me some oysters stewed in milk
and a glass of milk while l tell this
fellow a story"
Ben has resided in Deer Lodge valley
since 1877. He first came to Montana
in '65, but didn't stay long until he went
East, and returned again in ~ He is
one of the old-timers among the ranch
ers in the valley, and has always en-
deavored to enjoy himself at all times
and on every occasion. He's for fun
any time and good time all the time.
That's why he's fat and SO good-na-
tured He doesn't get mao when the
old COW slaps his face with her tail,
doesn't get rolled when his milk wagon
tips over or his horses run away: he
only says. Go it, I've done the same
thing scores of tines If things go
wrong and he's unable to right them he
just lets old Time handle them until
they fall in line again.
Now, you fellows in town." said he.
speaking to one of the boys taking a
night off, don't know what fun is
you don't know how to enjoy your
selves. When you were little shavers
your folks knew how to have a good
time. and everybody else knew how.
and did have it, too. But" and he
looked hard at the reflection in the mir
ror, times have changed and the peo-
pie with them.
Whenever you fellows feel like TAX
ing buggy or sleigh ride you go to the
house, hand the servant your card and
stand in the hallway or some other
place and wait for an answer. She
comes down to the parlor. You are
presented. 'Ah-h'm-m, ahem, ha, ahi'
and so on. She says yes OF course.
she's delighted. She will go riding with
you. You both drive out into the coun-
| try-everybody goes to the country for
| pleasure-and pretty soon you drive
back to town. She alights, bows her
| profuse thanks, goes to her room and
| signs, oh, how tired / am-such long
! drive into the country when. by
! George. she hasn't gone two miles from
| town. You turn your rig into the liv-
cry barn, go home, call some other day
at the young lady's home. and you both
| talk of the delightful time you had out
riding.
I'VE used to go riding this way: The
old horses were hitched to the wagon
with the biggest box on it. All the girls
and boys in the neighborhood would
crowd into it and away we'd go to some
neighbor's to have a big feast or a
| dance or a spelling bee. or quilting. or
anything else that had amusement in
| it. We'd all go again, too.
you fellows don't know how to en-
| joy a ball game, either, unless a league
club or some visiting teams come here
| to make the excitement for you. We
used to hustle together crowd, divide
! it and go at it in earnest Old men
and young would WELD the bat and
toss the ball-not those hard things
| that they call base balls. Oh, no. but
| good. comfortable, agreeable balls,
sometimes rubber and sometimes leath-
| er-covered balls but not so a1l-fired
| hard as the things used nowadays.
And football. Who ever heard of a
football made to fit under the arm to
| be carried all over the field by some
| sprinter? That's what they do now
| We used to play football with our feet
| kick it, and if a fellow picked it UP
he lost. The kicking is what ] think
makes the fun in the game. But,
say, things aren't what they used tc
be. Everything, even pleasure, is be-
ing reduced to a science. / tell you
my young friend, if the rising and com
ing generations improve on the ole
style of merry-making they will have
| to adopt some other methods thar
those now in vogue.
mo, I'd rather have my old pipe
don't care for cigars or cigarettes
| thank you"