The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-15
THURSDAY, JUNE Is. 1899.
TWELVE PAGES.
A Little Lay Sermon.

IN the region where the Standard has
its patrons complaints about the
weather are universal, They are so
constant that they have become ted
! ious-one wearies of listening to Them
they inspire feeling of i'll nature; they
promote a sentiment of discomfort We
have reached middle June and, thus
far, in Montana we have not known
what spring is for the year 1899. Snow
has fingered unduly late on the hills,
vegetation is backward; the prolonged
period of chilly weather has been disas-
trous to some lines of merchandising.
In every community within the region
where we live complaints against the
weather are constant.
Possible it may be that in fact, We
who live in Montana are with respect
to physical conditions, the least-faV
cred people. On the other hand, that
may be not at all true. Let us see how
others have Jared. A fortnight ago
very wide region of country including
a part of Nebraska, was swept by
cyclone which carried death and de-
structon. involving loss of human life
and the ruin of property in a total not
easy to estimate. Last week, from all
the large cities in the East, mighty
vail went up. The unreasonable and
excessive heat of early June broke all
thermometer records, the death roll
was fearful, the suffering has been ter
rible and the cry of distress is long
and loud. Within two days the story
of the fearful ravages of the cyclone
THAT swept a wide belt of country in
minnesota and Wisconsin has been
printed. Its details are unspeaka bly,
distressing. its death-rol is awful; and
the losses on field and farm will be felt
lby the unfortunate survivors of the WISH
tation for years and years to come.
The lesson is ,plain-we who live in
this inter- mountain region are unfair in
our whining. We permit ourselves to be
l1lnmindful of the features in the case
that are altogether in our favor. We
estimate too lightly the advantages
(which other ommunities-indeed, the
large majority of communities-would
deem to be distinct blessings Our en-
comprising hills shelter US against the
destructive Whirl of the winds; we are
defended always against the torments
of burning heat: we are secure against
practically all of the visitations of pes
thence and epidemic; all the conditions
that surround us are healthful ans
health giving. Natures programme
has, in truth, been especially benefceat
in that the tardy recurrence of warm
weather. this season, has been, fol
scores of Montana communities, ar
awaiting defense against destructive
floods which otherwise would have beer
the sure sequel of last winters unus
.ually heavy accumulation of snow il
Montanas mountains.
! In fact if we who live in this favored
region would permit ourselves to TAKE
candid account of the conditions, /
would be made impressively clear to III
THAT in our constant complaining W.
/, are ungracious and graceless. W.
whimper too much; we are unjustly in
different respecting the things in which
in fact, we are highly favored. Tha
is ha bit into which, unfortunately
Montanas people, in a percentage ia
/, too large have fallen; for this spiri
of complaint prevails as unwarrantabl!
in our local business world as in GU
criticisms of climate and clouds anC
cold. The truth is that for the period be
ginning eight Years ago, during whtcl
the commercial and financial world wer,
under unusual stress-for that period
Montana's principal business center!
enjoyed an era of uninterrupted pros
perity. When almost every other com
nunity in the Unitetd States was en-
during, month after month and year af
ter year the direst experiences inciden
to the very hardest of hard times, the
conditions in cities like Butte and Ana