Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-04-27

Coxey's disciples: Sixty Coxeys board
ed freight at Nampa this evening
I The train is held" Troops were or
dered to Nampa from Walla Walla
! just In case.
And from Havre, May 26: 1.-THE
| CoxeytteS are flocking to Havre. More
than 20 are here now, cumming on the
town. They came in via KaliSpe1, one
or two at time"
Meanwhile, as papers more or less
limited at the time, the men who had
been taken at Forsyth by the troops
and returned to Butte and then Hell
ena, were released of the charges. The
whole affair was absurd, and 1t was
manifeStly impossible for the state to
mpriSon 800 or more men for stealing
a train, especially as no damage was
mentioned as being done. And besides,
these men were unfortunate working
men who could not get jobs. The
people sympathized with them and any
effort to punish them might have
meant more serious trouble.
Helena Had Problem -.
Helena was stuck with more than
300 hungry men. The buck had been
adroftly passed when the men were
ON to Helena. Municipal officials
scratched their collective heads. The
railroads were distinctly hostile toward
providing any more free Transporter
ton. The men were costing the city
money to keep them. Couldn't they be
passed along somehow? But where?
Some unmentioned man In the cap
ital city had bright idea. F'ulfillment
would cost only small portion Of
what rail fares would, and Helena
couldn't be accused Of not doing her
share for homeless men.
The council asked advice. They
called in William Sprague, agent Of
the Helena relief committee helping
the Coxeyites. He agreed 1t was feast
bic, and Helena prepared to sponsor an
expedition.
The city was to provide materials
and food. The Coxeyites, under the
direction of a man named Hogan, their
leader, were to go to Fort Benton,
build flatboatS, and float down the
river to its mouth Helena
out Of mighty tough problem. Since |
the railroads were out, the Missouri |
river would answer.
Mayor Weed OF Helena wanted to /
make sure that Fort Benton did not |
the move. He said: I'VE |
nope that the people of Fort Benton /
win understand that it is not the in /
,ention of the city of Helena to unload
.hese unfortunate men upon com
nunfty less able, in point Of numbers,
20 care for them than ourselves"
And the River Press of Fort Benton,
N May 30th, reported: THE Coxeys
ire coming. Rumors to that effect
nave been published in previous is
iueS, but now 1t seems an assured fact
hat the Montana disciples Of General
coxey win congregate at Fort Benton,
md build boats here, and then float
,aily down the old, historic Missouri,
rom the head Of navigation to the
mouth. The record of three stolen
rains in Montana shows how wild the
SOxeytteS are in their determination
o go east. The 300 or more of Coxey-
les now under arrest or herded In 1
arious part Of the state must receive
ONE disposition of their cases and
moderation Of their condition, Helena |
annot afford to hold them until No ]
ember on the capital proposition, "a {
eference to the political fight over 7
)cation Of the capitol and the only 1
ray out OF the matter seems to be TO {
end them to Fort Benton, give them {
Material with which TO build boats, be- I
low upon them two weeks provisions,
nd let them take their wild ride down !
he Missouri, which Is now booming \
long almost bank fun.
Just think Of I'll Boats and grub /
Finished. and free water passage for 6
YER $500 miles, with nothing 10 do