The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-11-20
GARDENS IN WINTER.
Popular Summer Resort Now Has
Changed Appearance. So,

CuanSeu AppedIdACcs
If YOU want to retain the .oest sort OF
an impression of the Columbia Gar
dens remain away from them until next
spring: if you have any curiosity to
see how they look in winter take
car at Park and Main streets some after
noon and ride out to them.
You will find the journey somewhat
different from the last one you took in
September, perhaps.
Instead of running every few minutes
the cars chase after each other at half
hour intervals, and they are not the kind
of cars you become accustomed to in
the summer-not exactly.
They are short and have look about
them suggestive of dinginess. and the
people who ride in them are not oft
for holiday recreation.
They are citizens who have business
out at, or in the neighborhood of the
Gardens. Many of them live in that
locality. A workman sits with his lunch
pail beside a woman with a wash
boiler she has just purchased down town.
The young man and mis- best girl and
the fond parents with their rollicking
children are not among the passengers.
The car starts on the even hour or half
hour and rumbles along Park street I'M
til it makes turn to go to South
Butte.
1t fits out past Ranchero park, on
by the ball grounds and the old racing
track, and then bears off towards the
canyon that leads up to the Gardens.
By the time it reaches the Gardens
there are few passengers to alght, the
most of them having left it at points
along the road.
The Gardens have changed appear
ance. The "chutes' house looms up
| like a barren mountain peak and the
lake into which the boats glided after
| their journey down the long runway is
| covered with ice. e
The pavilion is closed and not a step
| is heard on the floors where a dozens
walked and danced during the heated
! months.
! Where the beds of flowers We're a short
/ time ago there are only snake-like
| streaks of titled soil. All around are
holes in the ground Where more trees
are evidently to be planted. z.
! The animals are there, but they look
| deserted and lonesome. When a visitor
! approaches the coyotes howl and the
| wolves scamper about in. their cage as
| II the sight of a human being were an
extraordinary one to them. oil
| The cinnamon bear sulks back into the
corner of his pen and seemingly is dis
| gruntled because he has been discoy-
| cred in captivity.
At times the animals seem to hofd So
| Gals and apparently converse with each
other from their cages.
| There is a report to the effect that
Manager Wharton of the street railway
| company Is trying to teach the beasts a
| common language SO that they will not
| get lonesome in winter
| When an effort was made to confirm
| the report Mr.. Wharton was not in his
office and his language professor would
not talk.
The benches up among the three where
| the electric lights did not shine bright
ly enough on the summer evenings to
| make the seats undesirable are all over
! turned now.
| Whether this has been done to prevent
! their being occupied by young people
| who might wander out to the Gardens
| even in cold weather does not appear
The tent-like building where the mer-
ry-go-round afforded delight for hun
dreds of children is left a shell, the
horses which teetered to the music as
they were whirled around the circle hav-
ing been sent to their winter quarters.
All in all the Gardens are pretty we'll
| deserted, but to one who has a proper
eye to business there is a suggestion.
! about them of further improvements for
another year.
On all sides, despite the barrenness,
| are the evidences of the Workman's
hand. ..
Pleasure has given way to the trades
and preparations for new comforts ut
the popular summer resort are bcir:
made daily.