The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-02-11
Glimpses of Montana

en- Route. A Poultry Show. Maine
Folks in Montana.
Correspondence of The Journal
We left Bozeman Saturday afternoon
on mo L." the North Coast Limited,
the Northern Paciic's crack :train, for
our, trip to the far-famed Bitterroo
Valley in western Montana. While day
light lasted we enjoyed every minute Of
our journey through our own Gallatin
valley, past the town of Belgrade where
the light snow thatrcovered the eastern
part of the valley entirely disappeared
Manhattan, little town with city airs
and fine system of cluster street lights,
and Three Forks. the mushroom city
that has been our wonder and admira-
ton since returning to Montana. When
weswere here. six years ago, there was
a box car or two, side-tracked, when the
sale of ''city" lots was held. That was
Three Forks. Today the city is a reality,
and its hotel-built by the Milwaukee
and mentioned in previous letter-and
its schoolhouses and homes are such that
many eastern cities twice its size and
twenty times its age might justly be
proud of them. 1t is a thoroughly west
ern town, however; witness the recent
"Bar Tenders Ball." where the dances
were named for the fancy drinks we'll
known to the hosts, and which the whole
town attended.
As we began the climb for the second
divide of the Rockies twilight fell and
only glimpses of rugged mountain sides
and peaks towering above US rewarded
our straining eyes. Long before this
Billie had unpaciAed his own miniature
suit case. and his faithful and ever-pres
ent "Sambo" proved medium of ac-
quaintanceship with our porter -
chocolate man" of large proportions
who laughed till he shook at his smaller
fellow countryman, who he declared,
must be Zulu by the look of his hair.
Dinner on an N P. diner is always a
pleasure, and this one proved no excep-
ton A feature of it was ''The Great
Big Baked Potato" so widely adver
tised. The potatoes used all weigh over
pound, and are served in their skins
slit, with a generous lump of butter,
and a spoon, inside. The uniform at
tention and courtesy shown by the N. P.
dining car conductors, as we'll as their
unexcelled cuisine, is notable feature
of the diningcar service. After dinner
we spent some time in the Observation
car, where we looked over the latest
magazines, while Billie watched the
''helper," as the engine is called that
helps push the train up the grades
when necessary. In speaking of the
observation car, which is a feature of
No /, might say that had we so de-
sired we might have had in the forward
end of the car bath, a shave or hair
cut
was sorry not to see Butte by daylight,
But Butte by night is a wonderful sight.
The poem (?) was unintentional, and
a real poet is needed to do justice to the
scene. The blue-black night, pierced!by
millions of electric lights perfect net
work of them-from those near the track
on either side to tiny pin points on the
bills-and now and then the flash of the
smelter searchlights over it all, reveal
ing the outlines of rugged mounds and
barren hills for but merciful second.
We rather envied the passengers who
left US here, as the next three hours,
ride was rather tiresome for all but the
small boy, who promptly curled up like a
kitten for ''by low" and did not awake
until it was time to gather up our be-
longings and leave the train at Missoula.
One of the waiting taXis soon left US at
the door of the Palace Hotel, as we
thought it little too late to trouble our
friends that night. From our big, airy
room we looked out upon the Missoula
County Courthouse, the Catholic church,
and the Eastside schools, while from the
dining room the next morning we watch
ed the ''church parade" in all its glory.
Observation-Disclosures TO senator Cldfk-ndS
very fine street car system, with mod
ern pay as you enter" cars, which took
US within block of our destination on
the west side of the river. A warm well
come awaited US from our friends, who
were former residents of Bozeman, and
the hours sped rapidly with an exchange
of "reminiscences and of news of friends
both East and West. They gave US a
glowing account of the Guyer Hot Springs
in Idaho, near Harley, where they had
spent two summers, and we're interested
to learn If the improvements being made
there by Eana Chase Guyer's husband.
After dinner we started out in quest of
1.-THE Nice Man and Mrs. Longmaid, -
as Billie calls them, otherwise known as
Prof and Mrs. Stephen Longmaid of the
Law Dept faculty of the University of
Montana. They CHANGED to be our trav-
cling companions from Boston to Boze-
man on our trip west this fall, and proved
to be charming people, whom we were
sorry not to find at home. The walk,
however, was most enjoyable, as it led