, 1923-05-06
SHELBY STANDS ON ITS HEAD
ON News OF FIGHT CONTRACT
between DEMPSEY and GIBBONS.

SHELBY. Mont. May 5.-United
PressD0Every man in Shelby IL
standing on his lead tonight. for the
articles which will match Jack Demp-
sey, heavyweight champion of the
world. and Tommy Gibbons. the st.
Paul flash. for n world bout here
next July 4th. were signed in Chicaao
today and the word flashed to all this
section OF Montana.
n oil towns entire population.
three thousand of them when they're
all ut home. has rome brilliantly mad.
II seemed too good to be true when
the whole country was talking about
a world bout at Shelby. It was n
rainbow, Just like oil for this country
at one time was e rainbow. But
strange to say, the rainbow has
turned out to be solid substance and
Shelby Just cannot seem to get used
to It.
II there is anything in spirit.
Shelby will put the fight over"
The town knows that the articles
have been signed and forfeits posted
IN Chicago by representatives OF the
American Legion posted here and
that is enough for Shelby. The sign.
ing was tho crack of the whip. the
stroke of the gong. that set re-
strained energy into vigorous action.
Shelby started tonight to make the
light next Independence day a sue.
cess so far as its citizens can make
1t so.
Shelby. or as It is better known
in the railroad folders. Shelby juno.
ton, has lees than 100 real buildings
but there are more than 500 tents
dropped on a rolling plain-with more
dropping every day-at q point 2,4oo
miles from New York City, and 30
miles from the Canadian border.
1t is on the main line OF the Great
Northern railway near the junction
of h north Inc south branches,
the north branch running from Great
Fails across the Canadian border al
Swee Grass to Lethbridge. Alberta.
bess than a year ago Shelby was
nothfng but n cause for profanity
from travellers forced to change
trains there. Today nifty producing
oil wells n many more hopeful
companies drilling within a Is mile
radius. have established the swiftest
moving camp in the west. 1t is
lighted and heated by natural gas
from a huge ''gasser'' nearby. There
are three or our business blocks of
stores IN the town but 80 crowded are
n and other business
men that generally one finds three
or four businesses crowded together
In one store. or n shack. hurriedly
built of rough lumber. BY day the
room will be a barber shop, drug
store. real estate office, oil company
and card room all in one but Mt night
everything is moved back to make
room for sleeping cots.
The business of selling sleep 10 the
hundreds of strangers coming and
going here every day is Shelby's
pressing problem at present. The
town has three hotels. all crowded.
Their halls and Easements are
damned with cots at night. barely
allowing some OF the occupants 10
pass. church pews. billiard tables,
every fiat surface hat affords n rest.
ing place at night. Some OF the
sieepers are forced to the accommo.
dations because they are broke but
many money TO spare IL they could
lind n bed to buy. OIL and stud or
draw poker, both for high stakes,
are the principal industries.
The chamber OF commerce is head.
ing n movement of the citizens 70
provide accommodations for the ex.
pected thousands attending tho
fight. Many hun.
dreds of tents will be erected ana food
and shelter Will be provided for all.
Great Falls. 100 miles away, with OK.
cellent transportation facilities, will
also harbor many of the f1rht fms