Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-09-06

for two or three little sisters whom
she advises and assists in their fresh
man activities. Miss Dyer, a member
of Sigma Kappa social sorority, is also
active in pan Hellenic council and is
4 member of the staff of the Kaimin,
student daily newspaper.
consigned to eastern centers during the
season of 1901. 1t is also the greatest
mutton shipping point on the Northern
Pacific railway Other exports are cat
tie. horses. agricultural products and
building stone About 5000 horses were
purchased here last year by. the re-
mount department Of the British army.
Large Commercial Interests
THE commercial interests are larger
than in most cities OF several times
the size Of Billings. One firm pays
nearly $4,000 annually in freights,
half that amount. There are three
wholesale houses. and several very
large retail firms Billings as rail-
road center will ultimately be the
wholesale point of Montana. The four
banks have an average deposit OF ST.
100000 All the banks then in Billings
stood firm through the panic OF 49,:
Although this anonymous writer
seems to stretch a few points. espe-
ciallv when It concerns the weather
and similar statistics. the facts that
he brings out on Billings all seem 10
be true ami his enthusiasm may be
pardoned when it is realized that Bill
tings has made good even beyond that
writer's widest dreams. In less than
40 years Billings has grown IRON
village of 5000 to a genuine city. Inc
growth has been such that the proud
boast of the Billings booster OF l9O2
that the city's water system could take
care of population OF 5000. now
seems ludicrouS However, it was this
enthusiasm and this ability to keep
one step ahead of the times that was
responsible for Billings growth.
Had Up to Date Laundry
Examples of this spirit may be seen
in the industries of the times in Bill
lings. Among the thriving business
houses was the steam laundry owned
by Erickson & Scott. In 1902 it boosted
the latest equipment ana machinery
and that it was capable OF turning
out the firest work from st. Paul to
Butte.
The building was on First avenue
north and Twenty-siXth street. Built
of brick, it was 100 feet long and As
feet wide. w. j. Scott. one OF the own
ers, planned the building and arranged
the machinery in two lanes the entire
length of the building. Huge boilers
power were placed in the rear. There
also was an apparatus for making all
the soap used in the laundry. SILKS ana
delicate fabrics were washed by hand.
Included in the service was the re-
pairing of clothing in the same man
ner as it is done today at most modern
laundries. Speed was their specially
and laundry sent in the morning was
delivered washed and lroned In the
afternoon This one-day service caused
Billings to be favorite stopover with
the travelling men of that period.
The laundry had branch agencies
in every town east OF the Dakota line;
west to Livingston; on the Burlington
to Sheridan, Wyo.. and on the Cody
branch to Red Lodge.
Another one of the enterprislng
business houses in Billings in 1902 was
Chapmans store, owned by F. s.
Chapman. This store made a specially
of manufacturing saddles and was ia
nous among the range riders OF the
day Experts were employed to turn
out all types of designs from the most
exquisitely carved and handsomeiiy
decorated saddle down to the plain
variety. ,...
Chapman's also carried in addition
to saddles and harness wide aSSort-
ment of bits, spurs and brides. The
steel bits were often inlaid with silver.
There also were fancy WHIPS ana lOUNH:
Besides these there was variety OF
Indian goods such as belts, moccaslns,
pouches and war bonnets. The attrac-
ton of the Indian goods to tourists
apparently was not realized as they
were advertised as very useful to those
who care to wear them"
The electric light and waterpoWer
plant was situated mile from the
city on the Yellowstone river. Its
power was obtained from the river by
means of a system of turbine wheels,
having a capacity of 100000 gallons
daily The electric light station. run in
conjunction with the water pumping
plant, furnished current for 1880 in
candescent and rs arc street lamps.
It was equipped with three generators
of the three-phase type and one arc
machine.
Beer without Biliousness"
The Billings Brewing Co. was an
other important business establishment
in the early l900s. It was built of brick
and turned out $4,000 barrels of beer
annually in kegs and bottles. Their
boast was that the method Of prepare
ton never causes biliousness."
Officers Of the company were Henry
Mueller OF Butte, president: Phil
drein. secretary and manager. and