The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-04-08
BY Joseph b. Townsend


OF the Staff Of The Daily Missoulian
II would rather thousand times
I'LL . leper's grave than to submit
myself to physicians care; I would
% soon bow to Baal as to bend my
neck to the God of medicine; I will
never submit to medical treatment"
This is the answer of Montana's
only leper to the bill recently passed
by the state legislature to send him
to leper sanitarium to be treated for
the ancient and mysterious malady
which has snatched him from an act
i've and prominent place in the life
Of his community in the prime Of his
manhood, and has banned him to a
tragic isolation.
He has faithfully served his coun-
try as q soldier and his state as a
lawmaker and now, with his beauti-
full and accomplished wife and their
faithful dog, he lives in a little cot
tage on the picturesque banks Of the
Mtssoula river at the foot of the
giant mountains which rear their
crags to the sky three miles from the
village Of Alberton.
There in the little cottage, enclosed
by double fence, and watched over
by the silent mountains he loves, o.
9. Willett will remain-unless the
laws he helped to make and defend
force him as an outcast from his own
state in violation Of his religious
faith and profoundest convictions.
And there with him will remain his
wife who was reared in the gentle
climes of the south and who has sac
rificed the society of her friends and
the happiness of liberty in order to
remain steadfast to her marriage
vows to keep him in sickness and
in health till death do us part.''
How the Willetts Live
For more than three years they
have called this place "home." with
the gates Of the world forever closed
against them. Each morning they
see the sun rise over the peaks to the
east and watch the frightening shad-
ows from the west end the day, with
an unvarying monotony which must
certainly break hearts less stout than
theirs and try the souls of those with
. faith less strong.
At the base Of the mountain to the
west some 400 yards from their door
are the tracks Of the Chicago Mil
waukee & st. Paul railroad and when
the electric leviathans glide by, the
crews wave out to the little family
near the track and occasionally drop
off papers and magazines. Willett IL
q member Of the Brotherhood Of Rail-
way Trainmen and the members Of
the crews never fail to wave q cheer
full greeting. A passing train 10 an
event which ~ watched with interest
and the weekly visit Of the man who
brings the supplies to the cottage
also is looked forward to. Across the
river q half mile the steam locomo-
tives draw the trains of the Northern
Pacific. which, under their clouds of
white smoke, may be glimpsed
through the singing pines. Their
only means of communication with
the outside is a telephone and q mail
box in which every letter is thor
oughly fumigated before 1t is sent out
by the weekly messenger who brings
the supplies over the half worn road
which ends at the gate, where glares
sign,
LEPROSY. QUARANTINE,
KEEP AWAY!
"But we are not lonesome" smiled
Mrs. Willett. mo more beautiful
spot could have been selected for
our cottage. Our mountains and
Dixie Lad here" stroking the head
of her intelligent Collie. which wag-
ged his whole body in rhythm with
his tail. ARE company for us, and
Mr.. Willett and ! find so many in
teresting things to talk about. We
often sit conversing for hours and
are as interested in our conversations
as though we had just met after a
long separation"
She has willed to share with her
husband the exile which may forever
raise barrier less penetrable than
q wall of stone between them and the
world and freedom and liberty which
you and ! take so matter-of-fact. /
can scarcely conceive Of q greater
test Of loyalty and I told her so, but
she merely shook her head and
laughed.
almost any woman would do %
have DONE" said she. my marriage
vows are sacred and It IL only q sim
pie matter Of principle"
But you must surely miss many
asked.
They Miss the Movies
A wistful expression fitted across
her face II miss my piano most. 1t
was always a sympathetic companion.
No matter what my mood. I could
always find such comfort in my mu-
sic. We have q photograph, but