The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-08-05
Montana HumOrist Would
Have Realistic Western
Exhibit at Worlds Fair

Calamity Flat, Mont, Aug. 2, 1892
To the President
Christopher Columbus Show
Chicago, Ill.
Dear Sir: / see by the press that
you are On the point of giving one Of
our western miners an opportunity to
show on your exhibition grounds how
mining operations are carried on in
the mineral producing states. He is
allowed by you to sink shafts, and
also 100000. He will run levels, and
probably his face before the thing is
in working shape. He will put in
hosting works, &C., &C., and in order
to perform all this will be called upon
to employ real live miners from the
far western (Illinois) quarries. Any
how, the scheme is a good one and
will tend to enlighten the dukes and
dukesses Of decaying empires and the
dudes and dudesses of our own ,glOri-
GUS republic who would make the
rounds Of this embryo mine. A fit
ting place here to put on the finish
ing touches of any mining education
they might be troubled with. In adj
ditiOn to examining the mine work
ings, they could step up to the secre-
tary's office and glance at a state
ment of the monthly dividends de-
clared, which they will find sum total
ling exactly the amount received by
me after 25 years scratching in Mon
tana's gulches and ~rock-ribbed hills.
As intimated above, I heartily en-
dOrse the scheme, and you may go
ahead with the same. However, I
have a still more brilliant, dazzling,
and instructive one, which / now pro-
coed to roughly outline:
"West as She Was''
/ desire to show the Indian problem
as she is and principally as we have
seen her out here when not on dress
parade.
To commence with, / desire you to
set apart for my highly moral and
very instructive working tableaux at
least 100 acres Of land. / will not
insist upon its being located at the
lake front, but if you have a large
distillery or overgrown brewery in
the rear It will answer fully as well
as a lake and cannot but help the toni
ensemble-and possibly result in set
ting in motion countless other happy
toots. On my part I agree to furnish
a full regiment of cavalry Q,20O
men) and a company Of infantry &c
men), both to be regular army organ
izatiOns and to be selected by me amd
the secretary. Said troops will be
furnished, as an old military friend
Of mine, Corporal OfDowd of Fort Nc
G%uinniss, who has powerful influence
with the war department, assured me
only yesterday that he could get thai
number detailed for the occasion. il
he could get one. SO that's settled
/ simply furnish officers and men
The government will furnish all need.
ed supplies and transportation for tn,
same.
/ have also secured 100 pioneers @.
the mountains, men who have beer
grossly out Of luck in their search fol
the precious ores, and those who havl
en busted from their homes BY th.
government to make way for mill
tary, Indian and national mark reser
vations. No bald-headed man ha.
been accepted in the above contingent
tor reasons which win IS plainly Wis
ible before the end Of this documen
IS reached. These pioneers viii PEI
then tarss from Montana To you
show, furnish al their supplies an.
erect log cabins on the tract you Sc
serve for me.
I also provide 75 Indians. haIf o
them to beeof the male gender and Cd
half % b 81 TIE fsmfnin
ex have carefully selected
braves end their bfavesaes.
aeHiAf 80 catherine nfIu thnes m