The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-07-06
BIT TER ROO 7.
CAPITAL IS
HOST
HAMILTON'S FOURTH or JULY
CELEBRATION DRAW S THOU
SANDS OF GUESTS.
FIVE THOUSAND VISITORS
Hospitality Of Residents of the Valley
Never More StrikingIy Eaampifed
Than in Observation Of Nations
Birthday-Many Are Features Of an
Entertaining Day.

! entertaining LAY.
| Hamilton. July 5.-1'lle hospitality
/ for which the Bitter Root is famed
was never more strkingiy illustrated
| than today, when Hamilton entertained
the whole valley and many hundreds
| from Mssoula. The celebration that
the capital of the Bitter Root had arr
ranged was of the type that appeals
most to the American people. There
was a parade--not the "glittering
pageant of the circus, but the kind
that shows off home industry and home
] people; there was a horse bucl1ing
4 contest and there were horse races,
4 there was an automobile parade at
1 night; there were dances and there
was q ball game. 1t was in this that
/ the hospitality of the valley extended
itself to its limit; Hamilton was so
eager to make sure that all of it's
| guests enjoyed the day that the towns
officials issued cast-iron instructions
to the baseball team to let the visitors
win. These orders We're faithfully
carried out and Missoula went home
happy, for the Giants had won, to O.
Insofar as weather was concerned the
day started we'll, with sunshine and
blue skies and ended with leaden
heavens and damp streets, but the sun
and the rain were so distributed that
the celebrations program was not in
| terfered with to any great extent.
| Ths Parade.
The first event of the day was a
! parade one of the most effective ar
rays that ever frightened the streets
of Hamilton. The parade formed on
Eight street and marched on Main to
Third streets and counternarched to
| Third street and thence to the court
/ house, where it disbandetl The
American flag headed the line and was
followed by c. S. Cotton, marshal of
the day Next came the Hamilton
band, in it's first public appearance.
Behind the band came the Hamilton
fire department and the local lodge Of
Eagles came next, followed by a four
horse float carrying the usual Cod
ess of Liberty" and score or more
of school children, all girls, dressed in
White-a pretty sight.
Attractive and elaborate We're the
display floats of the Rocky Mountain
Bell Telephone company and the Val
ley Mercantile company. The float of
the Hamilton Flour Mill company was
an attractive conceit, ana the one Of
the Wheeler meat market showed a
model butcher shop on wheels
The float of the r. III. Nicol grocery
store attracted much attention, and
the one advertising the business Of
Hugh Murray. contractor, showed the
actual work of lathing and plastering.
troop of cowboys wearing chaps"
and mounted on ponies, preceded the
float of C. r. Newman. confectiener.
The float of Peterson Brothers was an
effective advertisement of their busi-
ness, as was the one prepared by
Louis Peterson.
A division of children on horseback
was followed by the float of the Bit
ter Root stock farm by all odds the
most unique and attractive of the en-
tire parade. 1t was followed by an ex-
hibt of the farms blooded stock Al
long line of driving horses, carriages
and automobiles completed the parade.
Soon after the parade before the
Grafton of the day was delivered from
the court house veranda, the following
awards for floats and entries in tile
parade We're announced For best
draft team, first prize to the Bitter
Root stock farm; for the best single
horse float, first prize to G.. T. New
man; for the best organization In line.
first prize to the Hamilton lodge of the
Maccabees; for the best team float
first prize to the Valley Mercantile
company; for the best feature float,
first prize to the Rocky Mountain Bell
Telephone company; fer the best
decorated automobile, first prize to
Wallace Johnson.
The Grafton.
The center of interest i'll the eefe-
bration shifted from the parade to the
court house, where Attorney G. S.
Wagner was master OF ceremonies.
After the Declaration of independence
had been read by Miss May Ruf the
chairman introduced Rev. L.. ]. Christ
ler of Havre. one of the most polished
ora tors of the state. The address de-
livered by Rev Mr. Christler was of u
practical sort. free from the trite
periods and strained flights of the or
dinary Fourth of July Grafton. The
value of patriotism the necessity Of
maintaining the highest possible de-
gree of citizenship for the maintain
ance of the standards of the republic
made up the burden of his MESSAGE,
which was delivered in ringing tones
that carried we'll i'll the open All. The
speech was listened to by a large audi
ence and the speaker was frequently
Interrupted by applause.
Rev. Mr.. Christler began by telling