Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-08-21
MONTANA MAN
NOW "DICTATOR"
OF LONG BEACH
HENDERSON, ONCE SILVER BOW
SHERIFF, MAKING MARK
IN CALIFORNIA

The dictator" of Long Beach, Calf,
is an ex-Montanan He gets things
done without a concentration camp or
a firing squad. He is a soft-spoken.
tall. broad-shouldered, elderly man
who carries his years with the easy
grace Of younger men Although he
does not belong to the pressure group
of executives he enjoys the reputation,
in southern California, Of being able
to get more work done. in less time
than any executive along the coast.
Hence, the sobriquet dictator" which
has been conferred on him by the
Long Beach press-conferred Is right
because it is not a satirical title but
one that is affectionately given to a
man who. even before the war. had
been voted 'the most useful citizen Of
Long Beach,"
The Long Beach dictator has had,
as might be expected. charge Of every
thing from preserving the beauty Of
the landscape to rationing sugar. He
has served the nation, state, county,
city and the various branches Of COM
munity activity. In proof that he has
served well, his secretary will show
you messages of appreciation, person.
ally signed, from the president Of the
United States, the governor Of Cali
fornia, the mayor of Long Beach. the
president OF the Long Beach Chamber
of Commerce. She may also show you
large Scrapbook three inches thick
with newspaper clippings compliment
tary to her employer.
The city of Butte has a special in
terest in the reputation that has been
established by this first citizen of
Long Beach because he is a former
resident of the Mining city. He still
retains his financial and other in
terests there. In Butte he is Familiarity
known as Charley Henderson. one of
the -four horsemen of the Madison"
former sheriff of Silver Bow county
and the only living ex-sheriff of Silver
Bow county.
For years it has been a custom with
citizens of Montana to accumulate a
snug fortune and then "high-tail" it
for California. This is not true of
Charley Henderson. Since he went to
the coast he has accumulated an es-
tate many times larger than he
brought to California, many times
larger than he ever hoped to see,"
according to reliable sources.
Part of his Accommodations we're
probably due to good fortune in pick
ing locality which. in those days.
was known merely as one of the Cali
fornia oil centers, small community
scattered along the shore of the Pa
cific, but which today has a popula-
ton Of more than 5000. The greater
part Of his earnings, which include a
History block in the heart Of the
business district, must, however, be
credited to an exceptional administra-
tive ability which has made him that
extremely exceptional official-a
greatly liked and cordially admired
dictator.
The time is not far distant, it may
be remarked, when Long Beach, &C
cording to present plans, will become
one Of the greatest harbors in the
world. Already may be seen, outlined
against the western sky by the rays
Of the setting sun, a string Of ships,
perched like ducks on the waves Of
the ocean. These boats are anchored
some eight miles from the shore as
the first steps in building a break
water for the coming harbor. Hender-
son, of course, could not have fore
seen the harbor but he did see that
Long Beach had strong business posi-
bilities and he acted accordingly.
AS sheriff of Silver Bow county he
set an enviable record. Like Peter
Breen, the county attorney, in the
years Immediately following the out
lawry of gambling, he took his oath
of office seriously.
Henderson's services to Long Beach
and to the nation rebound not only
to his credit but to that of Montanans
generally. David Kilroy and Henry
Coulam, well known Butte men who
recently became "CaitanianS," are do
ing their level best, as members Of the
draft board to which they were ap-
pointed by Henderson, to. live up to
the Henderson record and are doing it.
Kilroy, who was locally known as
"the live wire of the Butte Exchange
club" became a resident of Long
Beach 81 years ago. At that time the
Montana society had only few mem
bers and a treasury that looked as II
it had been trampled on by herd OF
stampeding elephants. Kilroy offered
to act as membership secretary; it was
accepted Today the Montana society
has more than 200 members and its
treasury is in healthy condition.
Before Kilroy's arrival in Long
Beach, the Exchange club but rarely
achieved the distinction Of newspaper
mention. Today, thanks to Dave XII
roy" says the secretary's bulletin, I'VE
are given publicity twice week"