The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-02-16
in "A PASSING MANNER:

} ~ IA IA "a WAN y
+ pressed the greatest satisfaction at
the success of the Japs. Some were
men born in this country, but this
made no difference. They were all
Jews and not ignorant of the manner
in which the people of their creed and
race are treated in Russia. They
know all about the prosecutions ana
mascsacres of Jews and the memory
of the atrocities practiced upon them
rankles in their breasts. Good, l
hope he will think of Kishineff when
he reads this" was one of the COM
ments made by a chevalier of the
grip as he read of the destruction Of
several Russian w%arships, at the
same time passing comment on the
car.
1t is so seldom that the pleasures
OF a sleighride are to be had in these
parts that when the opportunity comes
it is embraced by everybody who has
a sleigh or can afford to hire one.
Cold as it was last Sunday there was
no lack of those brave enough to face
the elements for the sake of the doubt.
full u to be had in sliding about on
runners. The sight Of them with
cheeks aglow and eyes sparkling with
delight vas one pleasing to behold,
even to those who preferred to hug the
stove and tala rleasure in a different
form. One crusty, old fellow at one
of the hotels was heard to remark that
he considered it a species of insanity
that would induce n one to leave
a comfortable room for the sake of
sitting and freezing. eff ever l feel
as though nothing short of a sleigh
ride will do me-" he said, "Tll sit
down on the curbstone, take off my
shoes, hang onto a strap and hire
some kid to throw chunks of snow
and dirt into my face The com
parison may not have been so very
wide of the mark, but there are only
a few persons with red blood in their
veins who do not occasionally long for
a ride in a sleigh.
OF course, all her enemies must
now acknowledge that Billings has
grown into a real city and that the
time is not far distant when she will
take rank with the largest and best
in the west. But there was a time
when her ambitions were greatly in
excess of her actualities and like ey-
cry one, whether individual or com
munity, whose ~pretensions are out of
all proportions to their ability to make
good, she came in for considerable
criticism, some kindly intended and
altogether friendly, some of a different
sort. Among the recent visitors in
town was a gentleman who had not
been hera since the days when this
was the terminus of the Northern Pa
= - i
cilc. He was among the first corners
and backed his confidence in the flu.
ture of the Magic City by literally
investing in realty, for which he paid
prices not then justified by existing
conditions. To some of his a%cquaint-
ances he was relating incidents OF
those early days. His first entry into
Billings was from the west. having
come from Helena, a trip then made
by stage. It was early in the spring
and the roads were all but impassable
and the coach was loaded with mail
and passengers. Night came and
Billings was still a long ways off. For
one of his fellow passengers he mad
a typical eastern tenderfoot. a man
had invested literally in one of
the numerous additions to the town
site. He had bought his lots from an
agent and had never seen them. Late
at night the stage stopped at a sta
tion to change horses. The eastern
man got off and began to ask CUES,
lions OF the driver as to the distance
to Billings. The answer was that
they were already in Billings, when
he asked, "Fow far is it to the Head
quarters hotel?'
Wen. sir" was the reply, you
Keep down this street SO miles
and then turn to your right
At The first corner you come
to.' No further questions were ask
cd during the rest of the journey.
Alleged FALSE PRETENsE.