The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-01-28
out of the window by the collar Of

out of the window by the collar Of
his coat.
Later the boy became the most
famous cartoonist in the world and
is known today to millions as cud
Fisher, creator of Mutt and jeff. His
father. A. A. Fisher, was the sales
man who disposed of the pianos ana
made the sale nine days. wonder,
and the firm that ordered the pianos
was Orion Brothers, who now Oper-
ate q chain of music stores in Mon
tana, including establishments at
Butte, Anaconda, B0Zeman and Great
Falls.
Story of Orion Brothers
There is much of romance contain
ed in the histories of many of the
pioneer business houses of Montana,
and not the least romantic Of these
stories is that of orion Brothers,
Shortly after Lees surrender at
Appomatox courthouse ended the
great struggle which threatened
death to the Union, q musician and
his gentle little wife left Council
Bluffs, Iowa, and. in a prairie school,
ner," drawn by oxen, endured the
hardships of the long journey to vir-
ginia City, mecca of the emigrants
to Montana. Seventeen years later,
two years after the death of her hus-
band, the brave little woman was
carried over the brink of the Great
Chasm by the Angel of Death, leav-
ing a great void in the lives Of her
six sons. The mothers last wish was
that her sons never be separated by
the golden lure of business or the
mystic call of adventure. This is
the story of how that final wish was
fulfilled.
It also is the story of how the firm
name of Orion Bros. became known
throughout the northwest; of how
success was wrested from seeming
defeat; of how the mothers influ-
ence, long after her death, continued
to shape the destinies of her sons
through their love of music.
Today the chain of music stores
business in excess of 100000.
ITWenty-seven years ago. In the panic
Of 1S93-94, ruin was faced. The de-
sire Of the brothers to realize their
mothers hope prevented the long
list of business failures during the
panic from becoming longer, for
they realized. that II the final account
of their business venture was written
in the bankruptcy records, they each
would seek new fields.
Form . Band
When their mother died, the Orion
brothers - AL, WIN, Fred, Walter.
Jim and Van-cast about for some
means of fulfilling the wish express
ed Just before she answered the final
summons. . Van solved the problem.
Easily the, leading musician of his
day In Montana and born leader, he
naturally assumed the responsibility
for keeping the brothers together
which his mother had shed in death.
Van called the brothers together.
I'VE are going to form band" he
announced. Fred. you play the
tuba. win. you will play the tenor
trombone; Walter the alto. Al and
/ viii play the cornet. Jim will play
the bass drum" Having implicit
faith In their oldest brother. the
others readily acquiesced. The in.
struments were ordered shipped by
Iexpress on Tuesday. They arrived
Friday. Saturday night the "Ortou
Bros. band" played at a dance. Ye,
four of the brothers had never be.
fore played any musical instrument
with the exception of the old-time
Idulcimer.
| Endowed. with rare musical talent
heritage from their father, 1t was az
natural ~ 1t is for . babe to cry for
tts mother. In passing, something
should be said of the father Of this
musical family.
The father was a master violinist
LOT the old school, with the masters
true love for . fine instrument
Within . few short weeks after his
arrival in Virginia City he was
known to every miner: prospectol
and trader In the district as ''Orton
the best fiddler in Montana" beina
called upon to play at dance after
dance ~ soon % his talent became
known. He early taught his son
Van. how to play the dulcimer. the
AX