The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1917-09-21
HIS SUBSCRIPTION
PAID FOR A YEARS

BILL TREMBLAY WON CONTEST
FOR GIRL FROM MILES
CITY.
Turned Over His Wad for Votes in
Newspaper Contest; Bob FLYNN
Tells of Smooth Trick Played in
Helena Contest by Sending Paper
to Ministers Over State.
w. A. (Bill) Tremblay, of Miles
City, who represents the internal
revenue department in Montana.
hunting up those who fail to renew
their licenses when required and
looking for violations of the inter-
nal revenue laws. is probably the
only man in Montana who ever sub
scribed for a daily newspaper and
paid his subscription for "A years in
advance.
Bills subscription is paid to the
Billings Gazette until 1861. AS he
is now past the half century mark,
it would seem that he is going to
receive the eastern Montana news
paper for the remainder of his life
time.
1t was in 1907 that he made the
payment. Tom Butler, now of Butte
and we'll known Montana newspa-
per man, and JOS. D. Seaman, now
editor of the Miles City Star, put
on a circulation contest for the Bill
llngs paper, giving as the principal
awards to the young woman who
should secure the largest number of
subscriptions, paid in advance, trips
to Honolulu and Japan.
This contest was won by Miss
Leona Keil of Billings, now Mrs.
Sam Gebo, wife of a former we'll
known Montanan, who is conducting
extensive mining operations with
French syndicate in South America.
and Miss Elizabeth Coleman, a pop
ular member of the younger set at
Miles City.
Cow Town Bunch Had Hunch.
In the outside district the contest
was very close between young lady
from Miles City and two other popu-
lar eastern Montana young women.
Bill and his friends were boosting
the girl from their home town and
on the last day of the contest they
got bunch that the race was close
and something had to be done to win
for Miss Coleman.
quite pot of money was raised
and Bill left for Billings with the
purse and long list of names to
which the paper was to be sent for
one year After paying in the money
and getting the votes he did not feel
just exactly certain as to victory and
SO he dug down in his pocket, pulled
out a big roll of bills and said send
me the paper for the length of time
That will pay for When the trans
action was completed he found his
subscription paid until 1851 and he
had great bunch of votes for Miss
Coleman. 1t was that final payment
of Bills that won the contest.
Recently Bill and Bob Flynn of
the United States ,Marshals office
made trip into Northern Wyoming
ny auto, going some "a miles from
Great Falls after an offender. and on
their return to the Power City they
began discussing newspapers and
one of Bills old friends told of the
contest in which Bill played such
an important part. Then Flynn came
forward with a contest story of his
own.
Bob Flynn Pulled New One.
1t happened some Is years or more
ago. Bob was looking after the in
terests of a Miss O'Boyle, who was
participant in contest conducted
by the Helena Record. He went out
and got lot of contributions in
small amounts and had about $500
in cash with which to purchase sub
scriptions and secure votes. He
wanted all the votes he could get.
So many were given for every years
subscription. Bob found out that
ministers secured half rates and he
got the names of all the ministers he
could find and had them sent the
paper, paying for each one year in
advance. By sending it to ministers
he could pay for twice as many year
ly subscriptions as by sending it to
layman and so he got twice as
many votes as he would have receiv-
ed if he had not thought of the min
lister stunt. His girl also won the
contest.
That was in the good old days.
Last session the legislature passed a
law forbidding giving premiums for
merchandise, etc., and some of the
newspaper men interpret it to mean
that the ban has been placed on con-