The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-08
WAS A PIONEER ACTOR
Early Days Among the Players
in Montana.
FIRST VISIT TO BUTTE
A Bundle of "reminiscences by R. E
French, Who Came to This Coun-
try in 187e-Some Anus
ing Incidents.

II. II. L SliNll lilt dttUf-nanaSef
the French Theater company, now
playing at the Union Family theater
in Butte, was one of the pioneer actors
in Montana, and he tells some interest
ing stories of the early day experiences
of players in this state
MY first visit to Butte" said Mr..
French yesterday, ives in 1879. | was
the leading man with the Nellie Boyd
Dramatic company. Thas was also her
first visit to this country although |
understand she has made number of
visits through here since We came
by wagon from Eagle Rock, on the
Snake river, the terminus of the rail-
road at that time. After a nine days
journey we arrived a Virginia City,
then very lively town. 1 remember
an amusing incident On our trip from
Eagle Rock to Virginia City. We were
tolu at Eagle Rock to look out for In
dams ON the trail, and if we saw one
to shoot so of course all of the male
members of the company were pro-
Vided with arms of all descriptions.
George welty, our properly man, VINO
is now William Brady's representative
in Australia, Lad an old shotgun and
belt Of shells. Says he. Dick, every
one of those shells have IS buskshot;
one snot for each indian. Well, every
thing went all right the first four days
of the journey and then our guide in
formed us that we We're in the Indian
coursry. Welty commenced to examine
his shotgun and shells That night we
camped a short distance from the trail
We We're aroused during the night by
a horseman galloping hard on the trail.
AS he neared us he cried. Indians nine
miles ahead; l am warning the set
tiers After that all was hustle. We
moved the camp farther down the can
yon, and We're not disturbed during the
night. Next morning Welty was miss
ing, but after diligent search he was
found asleep under some sage brush.
After that he never mentioned his 10
buckshot in one shell.
After a very successful tour With
the Nellie Boyd company. / joined the
SaWtelle company and remained with
him until the company broke up here
in Butte in 1888 Our headquarters
were in Helena, then the largest city in
Montana. Once month we would visit
Butte, which was then a lively mining
town; Deer Lodge Missoula, Philips
burg, E. Zethan. For shaw and I ort
R'rton, which We're then the only towns
large enough to visit. So | was a resi-
dent of Montana for four years
THE vigilantes were still in existence
at that time and many mornings have
I seen their number 3-7-77. on the side
walks and houses which, you know,
meant you get .fi We -
Butte has grownonearlv. entirely out
of my recollections. strolled through
the streets the other, day and gazed ut
the fine buildings and could hardly real
iZe that I was in the same Butte. [
read the signs over stores trying to re-
call the names. but it was failure.
with the exception of one firm. As |
stood in front of their store, the name
brought back cid recollections. and it
never struck me so fercib'-- before when
7 remembered the line in Joe Jeffer-
sons immortal play of rip Van Win
lle,' after his sleep for 20 years, when
he SAYS, And this is the village of Fall
ing Waters
Il remember an amusing incident
here in Butte. John Read. who was
then the editor of the Butte Miner:
Harry Emery. who is now the husband
of Katie Putnam, aud myself lived in
a shack ever a small creek that flowed
thrnucll F:uttc. an1 by the way T have
even looked for that creek and it has
disappeared. 1t was a cold, bitter
night. and I awoke with the cold air
blowing in on me. When I looked up,
sat in front of the fireplace sound
asleep. I quickly evoke Read and
Emery and asked who she was, bu.
none of them could remember of ever
seeing her before. Read was at that
time having q newspaper fight with the
editor of a Deer LOdee paper. Read
realized at once that if it ever got out
that a woman was in our shack during
the night it would be all off with him.
so he volunteered to take her to the
hotel. The next day We found that
she was a demented woman who bad
been attracted to our place by the
light through the window. We rested
in blissful ignorance. thinking no one
was any the wiser. but the affair was
soon known all over town. The editor
al Deer Lodge rot the best of Read and
he had to call the war off,