The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-02-14
SARAH HUNTER
THE LAST BUGLE CALL.


THE LAST BUGLE CALL.
Last Tuesday Mr.. Hutton was kind
enough to come again to school and tell
about the early days of Montana. This
time his subject was the old time
dances. He took us back 81 years 10
a beautiful valley where there We're
many streams that flowed 10 The Mis-
souri,; wild flowers and a ride on a
pony. The rider follows the trail 10 a
log house where he receives as his
welcome the old fashioned hospitality
as expressed by a dance He is invited
to this dance for entertainment and at
midnight a lunch is served. without
charge they did not charge for every
thing in those days.
Mr. Hutton and his stage companions,
(eight of them,) rode in stage
coach to the valley Of the Gallatin 10
homestead All of them settled there
but Mr. Hutton who lived there FOR
two years as the young school teach
err During the first part of his stay
here he attended his first dance This
however, was not all enjoyment as he
did not know how to dance, he being
handicapped by the religious ban on
dancing in the east and middle west
which was to lead to damnation and
ruin. Although his parents had gone to
dances, he was not allowed to attend
because the folly Of such had been
discovered.
To further complete this background,
Mr.. Hutton tells us about his Sunday
school teacher who was spinister-
cross and unmarried as the type goes.
During this particular episode he had
been coming down with fever and
putting his head on his arms he decided
to rest during the lecture but his teach
er did not so decree and he was ques-
toned repeatedly as to What the Phil
listines did them" Rebellious with
fever the small boy answered that he
did not care, whereuposi the teacher
reported to his superintendent father
that his own son was no other than a
rebel against God" For this misde-
meanor he had to learn the book Of
Judges and therein found out what The
Phillistines did and although most of it
was very dry he found most interesting
the story of Sampson and Delilah So
this convinces us that dancing was not
considered an asset in the east.
So we return to the Montana dance.
Growing bold, but also with misgivings,
the youthful school teacher asked one
of the Montana girls to dance. She,
being used to saying what she pleased.
told him that if he could not dance he
should stay off the floor. Therefore,
when the dance proceeded and Mr.
Hutton did not dance, his companions
finding he would not take a lady for
partner compelled him to dance with
an old Kentucky man who succeeded
in making fool of both of them. A
married woman took pity on him and
helped to make him more at ease dur
ing the rest of the dance.
About this time there were always
many more men than women SO every
woman was dancing while the men
were left "Wallflowers' Glad tidings
came that a caravan from Missouri
was on its way to this part of the
country and among its number were
so girls When they arrived, for the
first time in the history Of Montana
there was a shortage Of men in the
dances. The girls were not at loss
in this situation and they demonstrated
their dancing ability to all those who
were willing to learn.
About seven years ago Mr.. Hutton
was invited to the Fiftieth Anniversary
Of his coming to Montana but as he
was teaching in a summer school al
the time he had to send his regrets
which he did in poem form He re-
peated this poem to us thereby closing
very unforgettable speech.
SEEN ROUND.
Thelma Wilkinson clapping loudly
for Goose Borden . Butch Stolar-
czyk doing his threatening best ].
Gordon Luscher firing Gladys Rol.
seth obliging , Dorothy Sleizer goinf
visiting on Friday afternoon Joe
Schikora going oratorical Viole
Becker standing by Phoebe L;
Munyan deserving credit on her eleve,
fairy story
Lincolns birthday was observed il
various ways in the different grades
The Junior High, under the direction
Of Miss Gilchrist, staged an origina
Lincoln play.
ut is better to educate 100 people t
appreciate art than to educate on
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