The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1911-07-12
A PATRIOTIC CELEBRATION.
Big Crowd Of Visitors Enjoy Fourth
In This City.

In This City.
Several hundred visitors responded
to the invitation of the Fort Benton
Commercial Club to spend the Fourth
OF July IN this city, and participate In
the celebr alton Of the nations birth.
day. They came from all parts OF the
surrounding country, sod from the
expressions Of satisfaction volunteered
by many OF the visitors it IL believed
they had q very enjoyable time.
A salute at sunrise announced the
arrival of the glorious Fourth, and
from that hour until midnight there
was something doing throughout the
day. A feature OF the salute was the
sinking Of . big barge In the middle
OF the Missouri river, that had been
anchored there as . stage for the fire.
works display. One of the boys threw
. stick Of giant powder too near the
barge. and the explosion practically !
wrecked the vessel.
A band concert In the city park by
the Second Regimental band, Mon
tana National Guard, brought out the
crowd and started the program OF en-.
tertainment. The band furnished ex'
cellent music at its concerto, and at
various times throughout the day.
A ball game between the Fort Benton
and Highwood teams attracted quite
q crowd to the Old Fort grounds. The
visitors, who we're mostly ranchers,
played very good ball. but were beat.
en- by q score of four to one
Then came the horse races at b etrack
at the south end of town. necessitating
a hike of about two miles for those
who wished to witness the several
events. Most of the crowd got to the
race track, however, and enjoyed the
sport. The result:
Half.mile race-First prize to Geo.
Elliott's "Butcher;'' second to Frank
Adams "Victor."
Quarter.mile race-First prize to
Homer Shepherd: second to John Nc.
Cauley.
Half.mile cowboy race-First prize
to William Rowe; second to John
McCauiey.
A second band concert at loo p. m.
In the city park was to have been fol.
lowed by patriotic exercises and an
GRAFTON by Hon. w. Meigs, OF Great
Falls, who was here to fill the engage
ment. There was such q high wind
and dust storms, however, that speak.
ing in the open air was considered
impracticable, and the feature was
consequently abandoned.
The baseball game between the
Great Falls Independents and the
Fort Benton team, generally regarded
as the most interesting event of the
day. was Witnessed by an immense
throng of spectators. The visitors
made q start that brought dismay to
friends of the local team, but the stu.
alton changed later in the game.
There were wild plays and errors
on each side, the result being a score
of IL to 10 in favor Of the Fort Ben.
ton team with 90 inning yet to be
played by the latter.
The cham battle by Company M
took place from the east end of the
Missouri river bridge at a time when
the baseball game was at its most in
teresting stage, and there vas COM
paratively q small crowd of spectators.
There was one casualty during the
battle, one OF the boys being slightly
wounded by q bayonet.
The bucking contest failed to bring
out the necessary number of entries,
only one broucho being presented for
bucking honors. A special prize was
offered to the owner, who gave the
crowd q pretty good exhibition of
bucking stunts.
The balloon ascension and high dive
were postponed because OF unfavor-
able weather conditions at the hour
designated for them, but the two SEN
satioual feats we're performed by
Professor Bernie WILDER about $3.50
p. m. in the presence of q large crowd.
Street sports in the evening, from
700 to 900 O'Clock, afforded amuse-
ment TO a big crowd of visitors and
local residents. These we're followed
by a fine display of fireworks from a
sandbar in the river, and q grand ball
at the opera house-these features
y closing one of the most successful
celebrations ever hello in this citv.
t For summer diarrhoea ia children
always give Chamberla aims Collie,
} Cholera and Diarrhoea Remedy and
: castor oil and a speedy cure is GER
tain. For sale by all dealers.
HELENA, July 4.-Petitions are be.
ing circulated among the stockmen OF
Montana praying congress to pass a