The Butte daily bulletin. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1918-1921, 1919-02-26
0LD-TIMER TALKS
OF THINGS AS
THEY ARE
And Were. Sidelights ON
How Montana Helped to
Win the War; Helena a
Wonderful Village.

After a lapse of many years | PAID
visit to Helena, and observed many
changes, chief among which was the
change in the industry or pursuit OF
the Genizens OF what is now some
times referred to as the capital of
Coppers state. Thirty years ago the
chief industry of Montana s capital
was the search for nuggets-gold
nuggets. And the chief pursuit OF
those who did not search for the mug
gets was to separate the nuggets
from those who were fortunate
enough to find them--a faro layout
being the most popular and success
full separator
But all this has long since changed
The supply of nuggets has dlsap-
peared, and along with them the
various "separators," in the form OF
faro tables and roulette wheels.
In conversation with an old-timer
| was informed that for many years
past the peace and quiet of the old
time home of the golden nuggets
has been disturbed only by the state
fair and the gathering in January OF
the hosts of legislators and officials.
who did obeisance to King Copper,
whose permanent habitat is Butte,
and whose executive Offices are said
to be located on the sixth floor of the
Hennessy building.
The transformation of Helena from
the home of the nugget to the shrine
of the copper king has wrought many
| changes. The golden glow has beer
supplanted by the bronze hue, and sc
complete has been the metamorphosis
that many of the good people Of Hell
ena have the same color of our small
est coin-the penny
But lately, so the old-timer in
form ed me, the capital city has fount
new diversion. Since the start o
the big battle across the pond the,
/ have invented a new game. calico
getting the enemy Within SO keel
became the game ''to get what is re
ferred to as the 'seditionist,' tha
they hired former convict and Ger
man spy to go out among the peopl'
and tab them. This was done yer,
quickly and very numerously, ant
soon the bastile was full of human
whom the forger and former German
officer had designated as ''sedition
ists.''
About this time few chick
county attorneys had secured con
victions against some alleged sed
tionists, and the capital city got bus
and proceeded to establish a "ree
ord" for "seditionist' conviction
which all the stay-at-home warrior
might envy. In rapid succession
moving in single file, each perso
who had been designated by the Ge
: man spy was officially branded, scale
! and tucked away. 1t was a mo-
wonderful record the old-timer Ill
folded to me, but the most wonde
full was yet to come.
Acting as my guide, the old-tim'
escorted me up to, an imposing loo
ing building, which he informed II
was the courthouse, in which Il
J wonderful record had been made.
And here he pointed out to me,
one of the rooms a young man I
trial for having interfered with t
state council of defense in its co
u duct of the war.
q For three days / watched the pt
l. formance. and when a jury of |
y peers found the young man gull
IS and fined him $4,000 for interferen
N I asked the old-timer, the reas
m why, and he replied:
le well, you see, it must be Il
way; the council was organized
prosecute the war; and as there "
no evidence offered that the coun
IN did prosecute the war, the jury mi
o. have concluded that the young m
n had interfered with them. Anyw
Continued on Page Two.)