The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-08
AN ANNUAL AGITATION
Meeting Place of the Stockmen
OF Northern Montana.
CHINOOK'S ONE EVE LAMB
Citizens Of the Little Town Are Exsr-
cised over the Possible Meeting
in Great Falls-A Pri-
vate Matter.

Great Falls, May THE annual agi-
tation over the meeting place of the
stockmen of Northern Montana is on
tap. Not that there Is anything seri-
GUS about it at all, but it seems to fol-
low regularly the meeting. AS nearly
as can be learned by this office, the
town of Chinook was originally selected
on account of one person who resided
there. Tom O'Hanlon was a prince of
good fellows in many ways, but it was
principally as the entertainer of other
good fellows that he shone. He lived
IN chinook and he enjoyed having the
boys come down there for two or three
days every spring to talk over the cat
tie business and crack a few cold bots
with him. and that the boys enjoyed
1t just as much as he did is evidenced
py the fact that UP to the present time
year after the death of the whole
souled host, they have annually fore
gathered in the little town by the Milk
river. Now, the personal side of the
matter has been removed and the ques-
ton resolves itself into purely bust
ness affair and it is to be supposed that
the executive committee Of the as
soclation looks upon it in that
Hsnt and will decide according to their
judgment of the best interests of the
stock business in this section of the
country. The fact that Great Falls
was favored by a majority of the COM
mlttee is neither here nor there If Sun
River or Choteau was as easy of access
and could provide as good accommoda-
1ion. the executive committee would
doubtless prefer one Of those places
From a Great Falls standpoint the
view is about this: Should the cattle
men decide to come here next spring
they Will be welcome guests and Great
Falls citizens will do their best to give
them good time; but all other bust
ness will not be suspended nor will If
be made public holiday. Great Falls
is too large town and it's interests
are too great and too varied to be given
over exclusively to the thing. So it
happens that while Chinook is appar-
entity having fit over the proposed re-
moVat of the meeting, the average citi-'
zen here knows little about the matter
and probably cares less. He certainly
would not wish to pose as having stolen
little honor from the flourishing CEN
ter Of the. Milk River valley, it's one
eve lamb. On the other hand. should
the scattlenen deem it expedient to
De sure of warm welcome and little
more than their share of attention A
sensiblemethod of settling the question
would be to submit it to the vote of
the members, and if the majority of
them preferred to meet at Chinook
next May, we'll and good: and if they
decide to come to Great Falls, why,
then again, it is their business. The
vote could be taken by mail and the
secretary declare the result Whatever
it was, no outsider would have any
right to object any more than he would
in the settlement of any other purely
private business.
The Opinion this week betrays the
following excitement over the topic:
Now, we take the position that a
large majority of the members of the
association, if not wo-thirds, favor
meeting in Chinook and we do not be-
lieve that a few membrs of the execu-
tive committee can or will thwart the
will of its members. The Hon. Conrad
kohrs, one of the most influential
members, was on the floor of the open
ing meeting on Monday afternoon and
started to propose Chinook as the next
melting place, when a general turmoil
was precipitated by the Great Falls
gang and the adjournment was forced
The members of the association want
the meeting here, as by SO doing they
can see for themselves the actual con
dition of their ranges and stock and
are here to transact their roundup
business.
But now to the lies of the corre-
spondence who would put Chinook in
false light before the people simply
to gain a meeting to his town. He
says Chinook has not the accommo-
dations for large crowd 1t is false,
pure and simple. There was not a per-
son here Monday who was not accom-
modated and next year we will be even
better fixed as the new addition to the
Chinook house, SO rooms more, can be
had and the same number will have
been added to the Montana house by
that time, as work upon that addition
will commence in a few days.
.If it is the will of the members of
the association to change the meeting
place, we will bow our head meekly and
calmly, but We object to two or three
men running the proposition contrary
to the will of the majority.
''The members and visitors when they
come to Chinook are sure of a hearty
welcome, as the meeting is a big thing
for little town, but on the other hand
let them go to Great Falls and they
are little thing in a big town, and
upon arrival they can look out for
themselves"
Chinass Powerful Sword