The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-01
WAGEREO A WINE SUPPER
Mr.. Jahreiss Bet His Spruce Tree
Would Grow Five Feet.
HE'D JUST WON THE BET
But Cow jumped Over the Fencs and
Broke Down That Particular Tree,
So Mr.. Wilson Dimes and
Wines on MIR. Jahreies

Details are beginning to become pub
lie in regard to wine supper which
was held recently at Crystal Springs.
The wine supper was given at the ex-
pense of Nick Jahreiss, manager Of
the springs, and the guest of honor
was H. Wilson, proprietor of the Butte
| hotel.
| 1t seems that early last spring Mr.
Jahreiss, eager to turn the springs into
| bower of beauty as rapidly as posi-
| BILE, fenced off few acres of land in
front of the hotel and set out in it
| few rows of sprouts of spruce trees.
| Mr.. Wilson was out at the springs one
Sunday last spring and ridculed Jah-
| reiss sprout grove, and said that the
| trees wouldn't be tall enough for a
| grove during the natural life of either
of them.
"Oh, these kind of sprouts grow very
fast" said Nick. ''They will be five
feet in height before winter"
Nonsense" was the comment of Will
| son.
TIL tell you what I'll do" said Jah-
reiss. little nettled. Il will bet you
a wine supper for four of us that this
tree is five feet in height by the time
snow flies"
| Wilson at once accepted the bet, and
the fourth tree in the second row was
| selected as the one on which the wager
should be laid.
Jahreiss resolved that, whatever the
| cost and whatever the trouble. he
would certainly win that bet. The tree
was nursed with extreme care. A glass
case was constructed, and when the
wind blew too hard or the weather was
bleak the case was placed over the
| protection.
frosty nights an oil stove was lighted
and put in the case to be sure to keep
the tree from freezing. He poured
Melins food over the tree every night
and in the morning placed the contents
| of a can of grape nuts around the base.
AS result of all this care the tree
grew in most gratifying manner EN-
cry Sunday morning Nick measured
the little tree and figured out that he
couldn't lose. The tree was growing
at the rate of between two and three
inches each week. On Oct. ! the tree
was measured and was found to have
attained a height of feet Z inches.
Only five inches remained to grow and
Nick already began laying out the bill
of fare for the supper he would have
Wilson pay for. Unless the tree fell
down in the stretch he was sure Win
ner.
It was a week ago and the tree lacked
|
required height when a sad calamity
happened A COW jumped over the
fence one night into Nick's inciplent
grove With a malice born of the dew
the COW unswervingly strobe over te
this particular pet tree and tramplec
it down, breaking it off close to the
ground. 1t carefully avoided all tbs
other trees in the little grove ant
spoiled the tree only which had beer
selected as the basis for the bet
Imagine Nick's grief when he Wokf
up in the morning and found the tres
irretrievably ruined. Now a less hon
est man would straightWay have gone
UP into the hills, pulled up a youns
sapling and planted it in the row Wner'
the COW had got in her deadly work
But Nick didn't do that. lie slnlplA
killed the COW and then went to toWr
and invited Hugh Wilson to come t
the wine supper.
The supper took place on Sunda,
evening last A few friends We're
there. Those who attended say tha
the supper was a mighty good one.