The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-06-01
BY B. n. KENNEDY
Publisher The Troy Echo


When the revered President Nc
Kinley called for volunteers to steI
out and resent the sinking of the
Maine, the best American blood in
Montana responded and organized
the First Montana at Helena, accord
ing to reports of the war department
at Washington, d. c., the first regi-
ment in America to be mustered in
on that occasion.
Everything was hog wild those
days. Real Americanism was ram
pant. People crowded one another
to get in line. There was no thought
of lodge or church.
Our country is at stake, seemed to
be the uppermost thought. Finally,
members of our company arrived at
Helena, to live in tents and sleep on
straw and submit to quite ordinary
grub, without pang. Rains followed,
as did mud and other distractions,
sandwiched in between military drills
and harshnesses, apart from the for
mer life of most of NJ Company mem
bers.
Soon the routine paled and Amer
lean pride commenced to assert itself.
Finally a committee waited on me
and said: "B. N, you stand we'll in
Anaconda, why can't you tell the peo-
pie of the town that we of M Com
pany have no flag? We are of the
new outfit and have no special rat
ing, as the State Militia only had
nine companies when President Nc
Kinley called us to arms. Write and
tell the people of the old town we
would like to have company flag"
The men who asked this favor were
INTERCHANGEABLE free of the con-
tamination of white collar guys.
Please get that thought.
Being a charter member of 239 of
the Anaconda Elks, rote a few lines
to the secretary, Rod Williams, and
told him what the smelter men said.
Three days later Big Jack Hammill
and two other delegated members of
the Anaconda Elks lodge arrived in |
Helena with a beautiful silk Ameri- |
can flag for NJ Company and / had |
to go through the narrowing ordeal |
ual as prescribed by the Blue Book in
The presentation of the colors to the
company.
After a while, some months, M
Jompany's flag was. hoisted to the
.op of a pole at Caloocan, a few
niles north of Manila, and the Union
Jack hauled down, by one James
Casey of M Company.
While so hoisted it was punctured
With Filipino bullets.
A few months later members of M
Company commenced to make ready
o be discharged in Manila to enter
-arious lines of business. So soon ]
IS the IS. Zelandia started to steam
Ip homeward bound those who had
lecided to remain on the island for a
While at least, with Aguinaldo and
is neighbors, bethought themselves ]
f M Company's flag. They came to Is
he docks and with tears in their ;
yes, asked that we who planned to
eturn to the best soil and govern
nent in the world, have care of the {
company flag.
Finally we reached Frisco. Then
were made for our get
way to dear old Montana. At every
top from San Francisco to Butte, ]
lembers of the Company piled off s
D visit friends, but not before asking {
be standpatters to have care for q
he Company flag. I
After leaving Portland, homeward 4
ound, while was complying with l
fishes of ]. H. Durston, editor of the 4
naconda Standard, relative to for t
-arding three times a day bulletins q
hnnf o1rr rro oracc hon, ri ooY,o
littee, composed of Jacob Schiffman, 8
ON Donnelly and 10 Shifman, called f
n me as a last resort and stated l b
lust frame up to get the Company d
ag. Fl
"All right, lads, I will give you a
in Is minutes" On time O
ley returned and I read the follow b
lg plan of campaign to them: Fl
I'VE, the members of M Company,
st Mont, U. S. ", do hereby express 81
as our sincere wish that M Co. Flag F
,come the life property of the Hearst
brary at Anaconda for all time;
lat it never be used ON public occa-
on except of a patriotic nature, and
1der no circumstances shall it be
'ed by the state militia to antagon-
e the interests of the working peo-
e."
OF course the preamble was quite
ianimously signed by the rank and
le of the Company and the story
spatched to the Standard under -
sndleton, Oregon, date. =
Finally we reached home, Amazon o
!, and the city-bred librarian of the .
earst library was more than delight IL
with the purpose. She had fine D,
ass case made to hold the sacred IL
nblem and so far know it is there dr
t. cs
Ten years later while spending my p
cation in Seattle, Wash, met ia pc
10 Schippman on the streets and he RI
ked me to have dinner at his home. y, =