The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-12-01
TALES HEARD
IN PASSING
ING FLYING PARTIES.
TWO KINDS Of PIONEERS
Secretary Firth Classics Membership
in Recently Organized Association.
Underground Crossings.

Underground Crossings.
= Should they conclude to put their
ship" into commission and secure a
concession from the management OF
the exposition the Montana men who
are interested in aerial navigation
will undoubtedly find the venture a
profitable one. Already almost every
one of the many from this state who
are planning to visit st. Louis next
summer are including a ride in the
Benbow invention among the pleasures
anticipated. Some Of the more dar-
ing ones will probably ask a flight OF
considerable length and duration, but a
majority will be satisfied with a short
one, something like those taken in
captive balloons. Billings and the sur
rounding places will furnish a number
OF candidates for a soar and even this
, early there is talk of organizing Ely
ing parties" and Pat Lavelle will I'M
doubtedly 500 receive numerous ap-
plications for dates, as the anxious
ones do not intend to be disappointed
because of the crowds.
Court matters just now not engross.
ing his time and attention, Henry A.
Firth has Applied himself to the pleas
ureable task of creating new interest
in the Association of Pioneers OF
Eastern Montana, of which organiza-
ton he is the secretary. For several
days he has been ibusily engaged in
writing letters to men eligible to men,
bership and asking them to join so
as to be entitled to seats at the big
feed" to quote the classic language OF
Butte's mayor, the association intends
to have during the winter. In defer
ence to the feelings of some of the
members who arrived in the valley
or horseback or trailed freight out
fits, the secretary has divided the
memhe, ship into two classes. One he
designates simply as pioneers" the
other is referred to by the initials
"P. P. c. P.'s." BY the latter are meant
the gentlemen who arrived after the
railroad was completed this far and
whom some OF the Others p;rsisJ in
calling Pullman Palace Car Pho
neers. The initials are used for brew
ity's sake.
AS was predicted at the tilA> T. y
were put in, the stone and CEMENT
crossings that a former city council
in its wisdom ordered constructed in
the downtown sections are proving a
delusion and a snare. Because OF
the greater height of the streets on
either side, the crossings are constant
ly buried under inches of mud and
slush and the service of a gang of men
is required to keep them clear and
p%assable. Even with this precaution
there are times when the pedestrian
hesitates between using them or TAX
ing the middle of the street, for it
does often happen that the street is
not quite so muddy as the crossings.
AS underground crossings they are
eminently a success, but for the pur-
pose for which they were constructed
they are proving unqualified failures.
i
Notice received at the headquarters
affected verifies the reports of the
stove committee" current for some
time relative to a change in the North
ern Pacific divisions to the west. The
change is to go into effect January
1, next, and will prove decidedly ac-
ceptable to the crews running out OF
this city. On and after that date Butte
and Helena will form the termini
OF the Montana division, instead OF
Missoula, as at present, while they
will also be the eastern termini of the
Rocky Mountain division, which Will
have it's western terminus at Trout
Creek, instead of Hope. Such an ar
rangement will leave out Missoula as
a stopping place for passenger crews.
" Two or three rods and creels that
were put away for the winter are
likely to be brought out again and
made to do service in the waters to
the west of the city. The "soft'
weather of the last week or SO has
caused the ice to go and it is said that
trout are biting once more in the main
river and some of it's tributaries. Re-
ports of several good catches in the
vicinity of Columbus have fired some
of the more enthusiastic of the local
anglers with a desire to try it lust
once more before finally surrendering
for the season. The only matter OF
doubt is the ability to secure proper
bait, for flies are not as alluring at
this time of the year as they might be,
Should the reports of success continue
to come in something will have to be
done, for the temptation will prove too
strong to be resisted.
How to Prevent Group.