Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-05-01

conducted a drug store in CoulsOn for
several months in the early part OF
1882.
According to Mr.. Shannon, there
were several such stores during the
spring and summer and he was not
sure whether it was the April storm
or a later one which was responsible
for the incident Of A. l.. Babcock and
the cayenne pepper. The storm had
torn down the drug store tent and
several shelves had tumbled down mix
ing the contents together. The pro-
prietors, Mr.. Shannon and w. E. Hull,
finally restored order to the best of
their ability and put things to their
former places as far as possible.
1t happened, however, hat among
the spilled articles was a container Of
cayenne pepper which was blown all
over the place into whatever happened
to be exposed. The owners labored dill
gently removing the pepper wherever
they could find it. However, 1t hap
pened that quite a liberal amount had
fallen into some f1aXseed.
One day, some weeks later, Colonel
Babcock, prominent in Billings bust
ness and civic life for many years but
at that time a newcomer in the COM
munity, came into the store and asked
for some remedy for a boil. A flax
seed pOultice was a standard remedy
and as a druggist in those days usually
was expected to prescribe the cure for
minor ills, he recommended it to the
afflicted man.
Il thought / had gotten all the
cayenne pepper out of the fiaXseed,"
Mr.. Shannon said in recalling the in
cident. "At any rate, it vas all the
f1ax-seed we had and when the colonel
wanted it l let him have it. The re-
suit was that the colonel couldn't sit
down for a week. The colonel never
really forgave me for it, but I told him
he needed something extra strong to
do him any good"
At that time the National hotel, OPP
Grated by Dewey and Brown, Meadows
general store, and the Headquarters
saloon, run by j. Skillin and the scene
of many Coulson tragedies, were the
only substantial buildings in town with
the exception Of a few houses.
The newly established Coulson news
paper, the Post, in chronicling the big
storm, asserted that it was a windy
day for those having their roofs COW
cred with taxpayer and those with
shingles were disposed to gloat. Dur
ing the wind, the anvas roof Of the
big dance hall took a tumble but the
owners and patrons soon had it braced
into place again and the dance went 0 n
In a characteristic item, A. <.
Yerkes, the papers editor, remarked,
IF the carpenter, Ed E. Kelley, who
built the combination building occupied
by the Post and the confectionery store,
had been under the front when it blew
down, our hearts would not have been
sad" The editor in another item re-
lated that a wood butcher" when
taken TO task by the owner Of a store
he had built for putting the locks on
upside down, remarked that they were
left-handed locks and it would do no
good to change them.
The Shannon and Hull drug store
was next door to the big tent which
was used for a dance hall, with only
IN alley-way between. There were
only three girls connected with the
place and it was necessary to tie a
handkerchief around some mans arm,
SO that he could take the part of a
lady in completing a set.
Il slept in our tent" Mr.. Shannon
remarked, "or tried to sleep, but night
after night, until long after midnight,
| would be kept awake by the squeak
Of a fiddle and the loud voice of the
caller as he commanded grand right
and left and gentlemen swing your
partners and all promenade"
A log guard had been built around
the outside of the tent for protection
and in front was several logs high.
Once while he was sitting on this guard
in front of the store two men came
riding down the street, intoxicated.
One of them, as he rode along, was
flourishing a large revolver. Looking
across and seeing Shannon perched on
the log, he turned the gun his way
and fired, the bullet kicking up the
dust about halfway between the rider
and Shannon.
II tumbled behind those logs in a
hurry like a rabbit taking to his hole, y
Mr.. Shannon said. with a shout of
laughter at my hurried disappearance,
the two men rode on
Before going to Coulson, MI. Shan