The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-10-29
PRACTICAL JOKE
OF GAY NINETIES
RELATED BY GEORGE MINER, RE.
TIRED NORTHERN PACIFIC
TICKET AGENT
Event Furnished Capital City With
Many Laughs During Early Days,
But Caused Much Embarrassment to
Joker as Well as the JOked.

A practical joke that furnished
Helena with many laughs during
the gay nineties but which caused
embarrassment to the joker as well
ago by George Miner, retired
Northern Pacific ticket agent and
former opera house manager at
Helena.
Principal characters in the joke were
j. Duke Murray, theatrical advance
man. who took j. H. Remington, man
ager of the old Ming opera house, and
ride that turned into a hike and later
a retreat before arms.
Began at Bal
Murray happened into Helena in ad-
vance of the Milton Mobiles theatrical
company. DAILY was there at the same
ing the John Mcguire circuit of houses.
Their business, of course, was with
Remington, manager of the Helena
theater, then known as the Ming opera
house.
Murray was a demure acting and
looking individual, so much so, in fact
that he was generally known among
his theatrical friends as the Rev"
Despite his demure looks and actions,
however, Murray wa not exactly in
the maiden stakes, but was a pretty
lively young fellow, and as a practical
Joker he never overlooked a bet. He
was a hail fellow well met and a thor
oughly good sport in every way.
Murray, DAILY, Remington and a
couple of other theatrical advance
agents made the rounds of Helena.
saloons run by August Fack and
Maurice Weiss and viewed them from
different angles from in front of the
mahogany.
Then someone suggested that they
take a trip to the BroadWater hote!
and ~natatorium, three miles out of
Helena: Murray: Remington and DAILY
seurS had grown weary, and left the
crowd. The three boarded the trolley
a which a up the valley to the
Broadwater. DAILY and Remington had
spent all their money and it was only
with the understanding. that Murray
bear all expenses that they consented
to make the trip.
Presently the conductor came along
to collect the fares. Murray paid his
fare only. Daily and Remington re-
minded him that he was to pay for
them, also. Murray turned a cold
shoulder, pretending not to know them.
A heated argument ensued with Muir
ray declaring to the conductor that
he had never seen these men before.
Why should I, a perfect stranger
in this town, be expected to pay the
fare of any hobo who happens to board
the car simply because he claims to
know me?"
1t was a question which the conductor
couldn't answer, so, after listening for
a few minutes longer to the three
cornered argument, he stopped the car
and put Remington and DAILY off. All
this had taken time, and the car was
more than half way between the city
and Broadwater when Remington and
Daily were unceremoniously dumped in
a desert of sand and sagebrush, with
night coming on and not a cent in their
pockets. When the car had gotten
around the next bend, Murray decided
the joke had gone far enough, so he
got off and started to walk back to
where he had left his friends. He met
them plodding painfully along al I'M
ballaSted track.
They greeted him with much violent
language. and would have beaten him
except for his promise that they would