The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-17
THE WRESTLING MES
SENGER BOY Of HAVRE

They have messenger boy up in
HaVre who is certainly a whistling
wonder. AS compared to him Alice
Shaw was a delusion and a snare and
the people who paid to hear her were
robbed of their money; a steam CALI
ope is as the faint echoes of a cooling
dove to him; the combined whistles of
Butte when the soldiers came home
were low, soft, sweet warblings beside
this screeching phenomenon of north
ern Montana.
The people of Havre are subjected to
a good many hardships Cowboys and
other genial gentlemen, it is said, some
times ride into the place and
make life exciting for period
by shooting off revolvers and otherwise
entertaining the inhabitants. 1t is pos
sble, and entirely probable, that a peo-
pie may become accustomed TO such
things and even enter into those pas
times and amusements with a right
hearty spirit, but how they can exist
amid the continuous blowing off of that
messenger boy is a thing beyond the
comprehension of any one but ma
tive.
Were one to see this whistling prod
ICY when he is silent-if he ever is ST
lent, which is not at all certain-one
would hardly believe that so much
energy could possibly be stored up in so
slight a frame, for he is a small tiny
fellow; but it is easily apparent from
his majestic stride and pompous bear
ing that the burden of Mr.. Hills rail-
road rests heavily upon his shoulders.
passenger going to Havre from
Butte reaches the place just as he fin
ishes his breakfast in the dining car
AS the train slackens for the station
and the gongs at the lunch counter be-
gin to clang, he hears. high above the
crunching of wheels, the rush of switch
engines, the rumbling of trucks, the
shouts of trainmen and station en-
ployes. the first shrill notes of THE
Sidewalks of New York" If the passen-
ger be fortunate to be eastward bound
he escapes in the course of half an
hour; but if he be traveller in the OPP
posite direction he lives on THE Side
walks of New York" for four long,
miserable hours If he does his wait
ing at the station he is constantly
under the gun, except for the brief in
tervals when the lustylunged bearer
of missions is obliged to convey a mes
sage to some one in the town. Even
then his ears are ever and anon asSail-
ed by the east-side and west-Side story.
No matter at what point one is in
Havre and no matter where the mes
senger boy is, one always is beyond the
possibility of being lost. for the guiding
sound is eternally present to direct one
to place of safety. Il is said in Havre
that this messenger boy has been
known to stop whistling long enough
to answer a question, but there is no
authentic record Of such a remarkable
lapse.
Every passenger who has ever
been placed under the thrall of
the whistling messenger boy of
Havre fixes determination firm
ly in his mind to send that
boy new tune at the first opportunity.
and there are said to be many who have
carried out this resolution in an honest
effort to ameliorate the sufferings of
mankind; but up to the present all at
tempts to lure the boy from his fav-
orite have failed. and THE Sidewalks
of New York" continue to be the greet
ing and parting ones received at
HaVre.