The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-02-11
PASSING OF 6uTTE'S RQAoHouSES where
HIGH REvEL WAS HELD m THE OLD DAYS

The road houses of Butte will soon
be numbered among the things that
were, relegated to the musty pages
of history along with the accounts
of the first gold discovery in the
Highlands. the Nee Perez war, the
lynching of Sheriff Plummer and the
great explosion.
Under pressure of prohibition q
number of these one time scenes OF
wild revel and high jinks have al.
ready given up the ghost. Others
have been in difficulty with the fed
eral prohibition officers. A few pass
ed before prohibition, under the pres.
sure Of competition.
The automobile brought Gregson
Springs and other localities so much
nearer the state metropolis that Cry.
stall Springs, once popular with
Butte's amusement loving crowd as
plunge and dance hall, retired
from business years ago.
In the last decade Crystal Springs
was popular resort. Charley Ian
glois maintained bus line from
Butte to the springs and the plunge
and dance hall were we'll patronized
Good hours were maintained and the
frantic shout Of the old French
plunge attendant at 1890 "Heh you
Pass on de watair. Pass on de wa.
tair. De bus she goin' leave at IL
o'clock" was we'll known call to
late bathers. It was his method OF
inviting them to get out of the plunge
and dress for the trip home to Butte.
BY midnight the lights were usually
out.
The old time road houses were
never so wicked as those who only
knew them by reputation thought
them to be. They were never quite
so innocent as their benign daylight
appearance indicated to passers-by
There was dining and winning and
dancing but in an orderly manner for
the most part.
In the afternoons the road houses
in the old days were patronized by
the family people of the city, who.
returning from a drive or a picnic
stopped to water a horse and slake
a human thirst or two or, perchance
participate in dance. At night the
crowds were more mixed. Then the
gay and festive throng occupied the
scene.
When politics were in season can
didates and their friends made fire.
Quent excursions to these thirst en-
poriums and then 1.-The bride was
off" so far as drinking and barroom
carousal were concerned. Money
flowed in and liquid refreshment
flowed out. while the welkin rang
with shouts for the success of the
particular political party or candidate
that was paying the bill.
The profits credited to road house
business tempted more than one ad-
venturer to risk a term in states
prison through holding them up. The
Nine Mile was the scene of two such
attempts, in one of which the pro-
prietor. an ex-policeman, nearly sew
en- feet tall and weighing nearly 800
pounds was shot in the throat by the
highwayman. He was compelled to
sleep sitting for two weeks to prevent
strangulation from blood flow, but,
much to every ones amazement ex-
cept his own, he recovered.
Against one road house proprie-
tor there is now standing federal
lien for $4,000. The property is in
the hands of others. Government
suits will be instituted to determine
the real ownership.
The days of the road houses that
dispense 10y water" are numbered.
1t is asserted that these houses can
not exist as soft drink establishments