The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-22
THEMES OF DISCUSSION
Miscellaneous Lads Who Have
Been Making Trouble.
RIVERS RISE AND FALL
The Bridge Is an Attractive Place in the
Early Evening-The 25th Infan-
fantry Is Missed-Promise OF
Cavalry Squadron.

Missoula, June 20.--It looks as if the
police had succeeded in breaking up the
Juvenile crowd that has been making
life miserable for residents of the lower
Rattlesnake district this spring. These
lads have been persistent in their an
noyances and have committed numer-
Gus petty thefts, most of them appar-
emily out of pure mischief, but it is
mischief that is too close to crime to be
overlooked. One of their latest esca-
pades was the theft of all the remov-
able parts of lot of bicycles that had
been left outside the residence of Buel
Hyde on the occasion of a social gath
ering there. They have taken bicycles
and have hidden them and have an
noyed the people of that district in
many ways Some detective work was
done last week and Monday morning
Chief of Police Ansevine had the
names of the offenders in his pocket.
Most of them We're arrested Monday
night, and all but two spent the night
in the sheritf's charge. Many of these
lads are of good families and their con-
duct is on that account especially rep
rehensible. 1t is hoped that the cases
Will be sifted down till the instigators
and ringleaders are given lesson that
will teach them that boys of their age
should be at home in bed at night
There are couple of other gangs"
of this sort in town that the police
would not do anything amiss in arrest
ing.
The rise and fall of the river forms
an attraction that keeps a crowd of in
terested people leaning upon the railing
of the bridge nearly all day. The ear
ly evening, however. is the time that
this crowd is the best Then the bridge
is lined with people from the old mill
to the south end of the long bridge.
They watch the drftwood come down:
bet on which of two pieces will reach
the bridge first; speculate as to Wheth-
er or not some of the pieces will hit
the piers: argue as to what would hap
pen il certain big ones struck the
bridge Just right; tell stories of the
high water Of 80 and '94; now and then
listen to story by some very old, old
timer about the great high water sea-
son of sc. All the While the watchers
lean over the railing on the bridge and
watch the swirl and swish of the mud
dy stream beneath. 1t IS a fascinating
occupation and it is no wonder that SO
many enjoy it. AS the water gets
higher, the crowd gets larger, and
there is always disappointment when
It is very different, however, with
the lumbermen and the railway people
when they watch the scale. AS the
water crawls slowly up toward the IL
foot mark on the White board, these
people look serious and take no pleas
ure in the sight Their turn comes
when the water drops on the scale till
the 10-foot mark shows. Then they
feel safe again and sleep much better
than they do when the current laps
the higher mark on the scale. 1t has
been a month of suspense for some of
them. With bridges and embankments
on one hand and dams and booms on
the other, the railway men and the
lumbermen do not enter with any de-
gree of heartiness into any hilarity
over high water.
Standing on the bridge these pleas
ant evenings, one misses the familiar
figures of the dusky boys of the 25th
infantry. They used to be always III
evidence in the early evening on the
bridge, coming into town or going back
to the fort Most of them rode wheels,
and those who didn't either had horses
or else were good walkers, and their
little procession at evening time, when
those who We're absent on leave came
into town, was always interesting. OF
the old crowd there is but one left.
Ordinance Sergeant A. Pillow : still
at the post. He is in charg= Dl the
fort now and has an easy time. There
is no sunrise gun to fire and the boom
of no sunset gun rolls out across the
Bitter Root as the battalion Sautas
the flag and the band plays The Star
Spaugled Banner" Those evenings in
the early summer when dress parade
was an attraction that took large
audience out to the fort every night
hp NIL f,1.
Missoula people. Those evenings taught
them to admire the 25th, and their ad-
miration was only strengthened by the
splendid reports that came back from
the boys from the Santiago campaign.
They would receive a royal welcome if
they came back to their old station.
Every little while something occurs
| that reneWs confidence that the post
| will be regarTisOned before long. There
| is still a small guard al the post, com
| posed of men from the oath, and they
| are looking after the property of their
| Uncle Sam out near the mouth Of the
| Bitter Root. AS long as this garrison
| is maintained there is hope that the
| barracks will some day be filled again.
| Then the reports that are now and
| then received from Senator Garter re-
new hOpr. That promise of a cavalry
squadron is bright one and it is sup
posed to be still standing. This week
| too. an official notice has been posted
calling for bids for certain repair work
on the cemetery fence and other minor
| repairs. The fact that the property i
! being so Well looked after leads to the
belief that it is the intention of the
department to reOCcupy the place some
time 1t viii be a glad day for Mis-
soua when The new garrison arrives
but it is long time coming.