The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1907-08-16
WHY They LEFT Town
Man and Wife From The City
Found Local People cIannish.
NONE OF NATIVES CALLED.

The Wife, Being sociable Body, Shed
Tears, and the Husband Advised His
Friends Never to Buy Property
There--An Opportunity ignored.
"Going to leave us q
4 am-We are" replied the man to
whom the station agent had addressed
the question. sYes, we are going to
move away
Sorry to lose you" said the agent.
The man had just bought railroad,
tickets for himself and wife. Their
household furniture was being placed
in a freight car down the side track.
The pretty little town in lovely val
ley of the central west had been their
home for four months.
Thought you folks had settled down
with us and intended to stay here
said the agent.
Eyes, so did l." replied the man.
Look here, Jim" he continued, you
have been quite friendly to me, and If
you like I'll tell you why we are
leaving this town. You are young
man ana d bachelor, and this is not
your native place, 50 it won't give any
offense IL I tell YOU
"Why, don't You like this town."
"You bet I do-iike 1t fine. So does
my wife. We both like the place, but
we are too lonesome here-that is, my
wife IS. Being man, 7 can 60 around
and get acquainted and keep out Of
the blue dumps. Besides. have work
enough to keep me busy. But the lit
tie woman got so lonely here that she
couldn't stand it, SO we are going back
to the city. My wife, you know, was
raised In a town about this size, so ii
Is not the smailness OF the place that
counts; it's the chi11iness.''
ssPretty warm today"
ooh, don't mean the climate, Jim.
We've been living here four months.
We came down, as you know, intend
ing to stay. We had picked out that
house on the hill yonder and were Just
about to buy it last week and settle
down for good. But went home one
evening last week to the rented house
where we have been living and found
my wife In tears. New, she is pretty
sensible woman ana is not addicted to
salt, salt tears. asked her what was
wrong. She said that since we came
here only one woman had called upon
her, and that woman Is not native of
the valley; she comes from the other
part of the state. The fact is, Jim. the
people in this toWn-those who We're
born and brought up here-don't seem
to want to fraternize with outsiders
who come in. They appear to be afraid
Of strangers"
cts too bad" said the agent
eyes, it is-too bad for the town. I
have often wondered why this place
didn't grow. used to pass through
here frequently when was on the
road and was attracted to the place
by the beauty Of the hills and the
pleasant little homes saw Then
we decided to locate, and had In
mind half a dozen friends in the city
who also wanted to get into some
place like this. felt sure that could
induce most of them to come down
here and buy property. All these facts
/ told to number of your citizens,
and the real estate men in particular
seemed highly pleased. But not one of
them, either as a matter Of business or
In mere human friendiiness, seems to
have limited to his wife that she ought
to pay a social call on my wife and
make her feel that she was welcome in
the town. At any rate, not one Of the
natives has called"
"I'm sorry" said Jim.
i so am l." remarked the man out
bound "But don't purpose to make
my wife live in place where the
women are so inhospitable and I'M
neighborly. Some towns are this way.
though fortunately not many. sufd-
Gent unto themselves are the people
thereof. Well, so be it. II this little,
Old burg likes to lag along and keep
a. fence built. Of icicles around itself,
all right. There are others. We're go
Ing to one of the others. And IL you
ever happen around our way Gull and
see us. Goodby and good luck"
This little episode happened last
summer. The man who did most OF
the talking told the present writer
about It He said that he could have
brought about the sale of half a dozen
homes in the town to friends of his IL
he had remained. But he went back
to the city and gave that town such a
black eye in reputation that those fell
lows now tell the story with loud
laughter every time they have an op-
portunity.
There may or may not be moral In
this little story. If there Is a moral,
1t Is so plain that no billboards are
required to present 1t to the attention
OF those who may take heed and profit
by It.
Recipe For Good Tossn.
Grit, vim, push, snap, energy,
schools Ynora 1ffy r4sfYyrhaa haryunnY