The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-23
|NGfRSOLL IN MON TANA
Time When the Famous Orator
Was in Butte and Helena.
HIS KINDNESS OF HEART
He Wouldn't Take a Cent for Lectures
He Delivered in Good Cause-ais
Fund of Anecdotes and His
Wonderful Memory,

tate Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll &C.
Cured in Butte in the summer of 1891,
curing the early stage of the trial of
the Davis will contest. People in this
| city and other parts of Montana were
| anxious and clamorous to hear Mr.
lngersoll lecture, and various offers
| were made him to deliver one or two
| lectures in the state, but he declined
them all. Finally well-known man.
ager and amusement promoter offered
the colonel 81 900 each for three lectures
in the state, but Mr.. Ingersoll declined
even that tempting offer.
TT is a very fattering offer" said
| Colonel Ingersoll, land more than any
| lecture of mine is WORTH he added,
modestly but cannot accept it, The
| time at my disposal while in Montana
| is limited, and what I have / wish to
devote to my daughter, who came out
here on a trip of pleasure with me. l
thank you very much for the offer, but
| must decline it"
A few days later Colonel 1ngersoll
delivered a lecture for nothing, and one
of the most brilliant of his whole life,
| and did 1t, too, at the request of the
man whose $1,000 offer he had de-
clined.
The Swiss society of Butte was pre-
pairing to celebrate the 600th anniver-
sary of the foundation of the Swiss re-
public. The society at that time WAS
small in membership, but they wished
to celebrate the freedom of their coun-
try in proper style. so they interested
| the services of the manager who had
vainly tried to induce Ingersol to de-
liver a lecture in Butte. He devoted
his energies toward making a success
of the celebration and the first thing
done was to engage Columbia Gardens
for the event. Then all the secret So
c1eties and other organizations were IN
vfted to participate in the parade, and
accepted. The Swiss people next began
thinking about an orator for the oc-
casion. A number of eminent men were
mentioned and considered. but the COM
m.'ttee had trouble in agreeing on a
speaker The manager was again ap-
pealed to and he suggested Colonel
1ngersoll but the suggestion almost
took the Swiss American committees
breath away. After some persuasion
they finally agreed to ask him. but had
no thought that he would accept They
arranged neat speech to make to him,
addressing him as the Apostle of Lib
erty." They called on him a. his hotel
and presented the ma tier to him in a
very awkward way and expected to re-
of that, however, he received them
most kindly and told them it would he
pleasure to him to deliverrthe Grafton
for them. 1t is doubtful If the mem
bers of that committee have yet re-
covered from their surprise. Mr.. Inger-
soils acceptance of their invitation In
sured the success of the celebration.
Butte never saw greater turnout of
people than on Sunday. August 2, 1891,
when the Swiss Americans celebrated
the anniversary of the freedom Of their
country. Columbia Gardens We're
packed with a mass of people number
ing between 5000 and 5000, who had
paid admissions, and for more than an
hour Colonel Ingersoll, standing in a
hot broiling sun, addressed them on the
subject of liberty and freedom, or rath-
en- from the text There Is No Darkness
but Ignorance" In the course of his
brilliant GRAFTON he said Il am glad
that l have been honored with an invi-
tation to address you on this occasion"
and concluding, said:
Liberty is the God of my idolatory
Liberty is the only deity that hates
the Bonded knee. Liberty lis the temple
domed with stars. Thy worshippers do
not bow or cringe, or kneel or crawl
The imprint of the lips of the Worship
pers is never seen in thy dust. At thine
affairs women do not sacrifice their
babes or men their thoughts The only
sacrifice on the ALTAR is the cham and
the lash. Virtue trembles not at thy
touch, but holds aloft the torch that
halls the coming morning of the ever
shining day"
The Swiss people made up a big
purse, which they offered to Colonel
Ingersoll that evening after the cele-
bration, but he declined it, telling them
he did not sell his services to them
They thanked him and took the purse
in,
with an elegant god-headed cane suit
ably inscribed, and presented it to him
and he accepted it. A stand of flowers
SO large that man could barely carry
it was ait the same time presented to
Mr.. Ingersoll's daughter, and was gra-
ciously accepted
Colonel Ipgersoll had previously lee
tured in Butte and other cities of Mon
tana. In 1884, under the mana cement
of John Mcguire, he delivered so lee
lures throughout the West, five of them
being given ait the old Renshaw hall in
Butte.
During Mr.. Ingersolrs connection
with the famous Davis will case and
his various visits to this state in tbe in
terest of that litigation, he met many
citizens of Butte and Helena, with
whom he formed friendships Among
these was c. p Connolly, the present
city attorney, who was at that time a
practising attorney at Helena and
who was specially employed in Butte
taking stenographic notes of the Pen
rose murder preliminary. Mr. Connol-
ly relates another instance of Colonel
1ngersolPs magnanimity.
His first appearance in the Davis
case was in the supreme court at
Helena" said Mr.. Connolly. THE first
snag in the PROCEEDINGS of the district
court at Butte had been struck-the
first trump card had been played by
the opposition-a halt was called the
legal armor FURNISHED, and all the emil
nent counsel retired to settle their
points of law at a higher fountain
while the trial stood still. The SUI
preme court occupied one of the large
district court rooms at Helena in order |
10 accommodate the crowd that came |
to listen to the array of counsel, chosen |
from the best talent in the country. |
Argument was had, and it began to |
look as if the eloquent colonel would |
not be required to strengthen the cause |
of the contestants. The court was in |