The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-20
FISH AND SNAKE LIES
Evidence of Phenomenal Catches
Must Be Produced.
NOW BRING ON YOUR FISH
1t Isn't Necessary, However, to Bring On
Your Snakes-Great Excitement at
the Depot Over Train Be-
ing on Time.

eral furry of excitement Tuesday after
noon when the westbound overland
train pulled into Missoula on time. 1t is
true that it had been reported "on
time but that report has been given
so often that nobody places much con-
fidence in it and it has generally come
to be considered to mean half an hour
late or, at best, Is minutes behind the
time that is announced for its arrival.
Even Gus Nelson, who has been meet
ing trains ever since the Northern Pa
cifc ran its first train into Missoula
and who has had experience with every
time card that has been in force in the
history of the road, was fooled He,
too, assumed that the report meant as
usual that the train would come in
about Is minutes late. He had a lot of
business, mostly fruits and meats, and
when the late packages came in he lin
gered to take them all. But the train
was really on time and he had to pound
old Dan on the back to get up to the
station on time. He made it all right
and his record of not missing trains re-
mains unbroken, but it looked bad for
the record for few minutes. The mail
messenger had been taking things easy,
too, and he had to exercise his muscle
to get his horse to the station on time.
The Standards carriers loitered on their
way to the station, expecting that the
customary wait was in store for them.
They had to hump themselves to arrive
in time to make the connection. So it
was that there was more excitement
than usual when the train reached the
station. From the time that the first
whistle was heard at the Rattlesnake
bridge till the train pulled up at the
station platform there We're all kinds OF
chasing and the streets that lead to the
station had all the appearance of a fire
alarm scene. 1t may be that the train
will get in on time again. If it does 1t
will find its patrons and servants wait
ing for it next time.
The fishing season has been formally
opened. There has been little desul-
tory angling during the past two or
three weeks, but it has not amounted
to much and the returns have been UNI
satisfactory. Sundays expeditions,
however, bore fruit. Tom Evans left at
the Standard office a splendid string of
trout to show that he had been success
full This was followed a day later by
some big fellows that Lou Lyon brought
down from Rock creek All were fully
appreciated and were put to good use.
This is the sort of fishing that this
office approves of. This is the kind
that should be more generally prac-
ticed The plan of going fishing and
coming in with big stories is out of
date. The only approved system is the
one that produces fish. There have been
several applications made at the Stand
ard office for writeups of fishing expert
ences, but the Western Montana de-
partment of the Standard cannot risk
it's reputation for veracity by telling
fish stories without the evidence. I'm
der Sheriff Violette, George Potts, VIII
Woodwork, Harry VanWart and their
associates are all good fellows and are
generally believed to be truthful, but in
this instance they produced no fish, and
in regard to fishing nobody's unsupport-
ed word can be accepted. man may
be truthful in all other particulars and
vet tell lie when it comes to recount
ing his fishing experiences. For that
reason the Standard can print no
Western Montana fish stories without
corroborative evidence.
When it comes to snake stories, 1T Is
different. No evidence is required. Ever
since last summer, when Herr Band
mann brought in siX-foot rattlesnake
that he had killed on his ranch, 10
prove his statement regarding the en-
counter, and left the gruesome evidence
lying on a desk in the Standard ONCE.
there has been no desire on the part
of any of the Standard force to compel
snake killers to prove their tales SO
the story that Lou Lyon tells of some
of his Rock creek experiences will be
accepted, especially as he has proved
himself to be truthful in the matter OF
fish. Mr.. Lyon has been summering at
the old BabcOck ranch on Rock creek
and in speaking of the country where
he has been enjoying himself he said
last night that it is a delightful spot,
except that there are about a million
snakes up there. They are all of the
harmless varieties, but they grow to be
four or five feet long and he disllkes to
meet them. He says, further, that the
weather has been extremely warm up
there all the month and the only good
purpose that the snakes have served is
to keep him cool by sending cold chills
all over him at frequent intervals. The
snakes are so numerous that he does
not have time to get warm between
chills. He will shortly return to Rock
creek if the warm wave holds its own
much longer.
Charles Coleman Is another man who
makes no statement that he cannot
support. He has been saying good
deal about the strawberries that grow
on his ranch and he has furnished
abundant and satisfactory proof of he
truth of his stories. He may make eX-
traVagant claims regarding his berries,
but all that he says goes, for he has
demonstrated that he is correct. He
left some fine berries at the Standard
office the other night, and the man who
says that Coleman's berries are not all
right shows that he does not know
what he is talking about. The berries
are all right
The local lar--the man who makes
statements that he knows he cannot
prove and would not if he could-is
busy just now telling how hot it was
yesterday in his shady back yard, with
the hose playing on the bulb of the
thermometer and an electric fan Great
ing balmy breezes TO keep the mercury
from boiling in the tube. This man is
about the best liar that walks. He