Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-08-18

view the fruit of their literary ac-
tivities with pride.
Entering the town from east or
west, you are confronted by this:
WELCOME TO BEVERLY
Pop. $500
Departing, the tourist glimpses
the reverse side of the same arch
way and is edited by another lit
erary CONNECTION:
PLEASED TO HAVE MET YOU
COME AGAIN TO BEVERLY
Pop. $500
Artistically and perhaps estheti-
cally the signs are intriguing, how
ever little they might seem to blend
with the sleepy tranquility of the lit
tie southern town. They are wrong,
however, in one important respect,
the optimistic Chamber of Com
merce being inclined to ignore cold
facts.
Some few persons resent an ex-
aggeration which defies the Federal
census of 1880. Government figures
proclaim to the world that the mu-
nicipality of Beverly has 4,376 resi-
dents. Members of the Chamber of
Commerce declare frequently, Off
cially and vehemently that this
count is untrue and that there has
been deliberate and unforgivable
discrimination. They appear to be-
lieve that such an undercount is a
cataclysmic thing, affecting the
well-being of the entire world, and
their assertion that sixty-five hun
dred persons reside in the little town
is merely a method of answering
this libel. IAN right" is the effect
Of their statement, well tell the
world how many people we think we
have"
These sign-boards are direct and
proximate result of the successful
launching of Cathedral Gardens.
With the Gardens completed, the
gravel road leading to them freshly
scraped, the White Star Hotel newly
papered-in spots-leading citizens
and business men conceived the idea
that tourists might come to visit
awhile. The signs were therefore
erected and casual arrangements
made to entertain few strangers.
But for some reason which Beverly
never could quite understand, the
fame of the Gardens spread over
night. There were other beautiful
Gardens in the South, many of them,
whose fame had been broadcast for
decades, but there was something
about this new place of Mrs. Ham
ilton's which intrigued the fancy of
tourists. They came not singly, but
in battalions. They descended upon
the somnolent little town and
swarmed about its streets. And
since Beverly was a considerable
distance from any large city-being
therefore metropolis of sorts-the
tourists usually remained for two,
three or four days.
They visited Cathedral Gardens in
the early morning. They flocked
there during all the daylight hours.
And, almost invariably, they re-
manned in anticipation of moonlight
nights when the Gardens reached
the zenith of enchantment. Visitors
wrote to their friends:
"Of course Cathedral Gardens are
beyond description You must see
them. But when you do come, plan
to stay few days. This is a queer
little town, but lots of fun. The ho-
tel isn't half bad and there's dane
ing every night. One good picture
house, and several places along the
roads serve barbecue sandwiches
which are worth driving few miles
to get. There are other things, too.
The proprietor will tip you off if he
thinks you're safe-believe it or not
Ito dice-game on the second floor.
Regular crap-table, and it's fun, pro-
vided you don't mind losing a little.
We have stayed five days and we're
coming back when the azaleas are
over and the lotus season begins.
They say that's going to be breath
taking"
And, on more than one occasion,
letters were despatched from gen.
tlemen tourists to other gentle
men who might become tourists.
These letters touched on another
point:
%. And in addition to all that,
Jim, old man, there's plenty Of hot
cha here. II you're lonely, meet
Miss Henkel, the beauty operator
in the hotel. She's easy on the eyes
land boy! how tropicl The rest is
up to you. As matter of fact, the
whole thing is miracle. I can't
help wondering what the old-timers
in this burg think of the jazz inva-
sion.
"P. s. This Henkel dame answers
TO the name Of Babe. What she
answers IL something else again. A
word to the wise ID foolish"
II had taken Beverly no time at
al to become tourist-conscious, nor
70 exploit IT. visitors. Robbie Morse