The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-04-13

At midnight I took a turn abou
town, and found Is men sleeping OF
the floor at the Harrington hotel: q
at the Great Northern depot, and
understand the church had big
group sleeping in pews. Many of the
residents, who have rooms, rent them
out and make good side money at q
dollar night. The barber who
shaved me, told me he had managed
to make room for five a night, which
increased his income $3.50 a month.
Bob Stewart, / think his name was,
who runs cigar store, news stand
and employment agency, paid $50 a
month rent for the small frame build
ing he was located in. I asked him if
he didn't think the rent was high.
NO" he replied, 81 don't think SO;
have a lease and I have refused
5000 a month for it. You see, rent
a part of this for real estate office
"a part for a barber shop-another
section for a card room and down
stairs / sleep eight or ten persons
every night; besides what make in
my business I think I am doing
very we'll"
IT saw lot of fellows sleeping on
billiard tables and in the depot last
night" I said. Were they sleeping
there because they were broke or be-
cause there was no room"
For both reasons" he replied.
Some have money who come in here,
and some are just boomers"
Old-Timers' Hospitality
Down the street met Butte old
timer. His greeting was effusive.
wait here minute or two," he de-
handed and parked me in a little
shop. In two minutes he was back
with soda pop bottle full of moon"
which he assured me was the best
moon had ever "flopped my lip
over" He paid SO for it hate
was hard to scorn his hos
so / went through the form
ality of taking a drink. He and his
friend finished it. But the spirit of
old Butte was there. He meant we'll.
Some of this may seem irrelevant,
but behind these small incidents the
reader should get at least side-lights
On Shelby. The town is not fragrant
" open. The courthouse is on the
main street. | understand they were !,
very open for a while and
The sheriff went around and told
hem to put on the soft pedal or cut
t out altogether.
I did not see any liquor sold over
he bar, and no real open gambling.
After midnight found a poker game
hung up my coat and moved in.
There was a driller from the fields
! typical boomer who boosted OF /
he number of jails he had been in;
railroad man; bootlegger; man !
Who seemed to have unlimited money, {
tut who rarely spoke. 1t was quite
typical Western game, i
nd they were all good players. The :
axe wasn't exorbitant. Every hour T
r so we Clipped in blue chip for a +
ew hands and bottle popped up /
rom somewhere. I was travelling 7
incognito" gang called me /
Shorty" which was perfectly salts '
actory. Nobody knew anybody else. n
was cash game; nobody wanted a
} cash any personal checks. = II
shorty" No Tenderfoot +
Whe n someone referred to
Shorty" as tenderfoot, told them 8
the first time visited Shelby 20
ears ago, when there was only about :
Tree houses and two of them were
aloons, and there was a ring of sad
le horses around both front doors. II
asked them if any knew Jack Con- 2
ely, who used to run the hotel, or Il
nth, after whom the Guth building 81
still named in the center of town 50
My little Swede remembered Con- b
ely, and 1 felt as proud as if l had IL
on a pot. AS the players went CT
'oke or got tired and left their seat, E
ere was always someone to sit in. tt
quit trifle worse than even, hay nj
g had perfectly good time. al
Nobody tried to "mooch" me on the &C
reefs of Shelby, and L was there II
'out 80 hours. q az
Here are some facts about Shelby: hs
range as it may seem, it is not a
cen paper camp. No one is dash bt
g madly around trying to sell you co
stocks. The game has got beyond an
at. Some groups are being made WI