The Flathead Courier 1914

              f V.
I    V
THE  FLATHEAD COURIER*
\\\%W\W
'POLSON   DOES   THINGS
»»
VOLUME 4,
0*7 0
POLSON, FLATHEAD COUNTY, MONTANA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 1914.
NUMBER 40
I. 0. 0. F. LODGE
INSTALLS OFFICERS
About twenty-five Odd Fellows
braved the rain storm Monday evening
to attend the regular installation meeting of the order. In the absence of
District Deputy, P. W. Redeker, Past
Grand T. D. Bare was chosen as installing officer. He was assisted by
Deputy Marshal A. E. Phillips. After
the installation the members adjourned to the Lake Hotel where, as guests
of the outgoing Noble Grand Dawson,
and incoming Noble Grand Swart and
Vice Grand Murgetroyd, they were
treated to as fine a banquet spread as
one could wish to sit down to. After
all were through eating, W. H. Douglas, acting as toastmaster, proceeded
to call on every member present for
a speech of some sort and all respond
ed
LMDS IRRIGATED
NEARLY 20,000 ACRES OF
LAND WOULD RE UNDER
NEW PROJECT
WELL KNOWN YOUNG
MAN IS CLAIMED
BY DEATH
James Harbert and Jesse Stevens
made a trip to Fairview school house,
several miles south of the Round Butte
last Sunday, and took part in a meeting of the "Water Wanters Association." There were about one hundred
and fifty ranchers present, and by the
interest shown, they are, all very
much in earnest in the movement to
secure  water,  for  the   irrigation   of
their farms.    The plan is to petition
It was at a late hour that the the government to include their land
crowd decided that it was time to go
home.
The following were the officers installed:
N. G. E. R. Swart, V. G. Myron
Murgetroyd, Secretary H. E. Rake-
man, Treasurer A. E. Phillips, Chaplain A. B. Mathews, Warden Harry
Thurston, Conductor A. E. Phillips,
I. G. Walter Mast, O. G. George
Harrell, N. G. S. H. W. Douglas,
M. L. Day, V. G. S. A. B. Bickford
and Dr. Marshall, S. S William Bun-
zell and Ray Durkee. Finance Committee, C. P, Cowman, Geo. Harrell
and M. L." Dawson. Trustees George
McHarg, H. E. Rakeman and Walter
Mast.
KLONDIKE   MAKES   LAST   TRIP
The Klondike made its last trip of
the season, Saturday, January 3.
Last year it made its last trip on January 2. Captain Hodge expects to
take the Klondike up the river to De-
Marsville for the winter. He will
give it a general overhauling and refitting, so as to have it ready for business in the early spring.
The lake is still open, all of the ice
haying gone out of the bay. The
steamers Queen and Bigfork will make
regular trips to Somers as long as
present conditions remain.
in the irrigation projects. And as
there is about twenty thousand acres
of land that can be irrigated, but is
not included in the present plans, it
can be understood what it means.
Engineer Tabor has done enough preliminary survey work to satisfy himself that an extension of the Valley
View ditches can be made so as to include about nine thousand acres of
land, while by tapping the Buffalo
Canal, it will be possible to irrigate
about eleven thousand acres more.
The ranchers are all of the opinion
that they must have the water before
they can hope to get the real value
out of their lands, and are determined
to leave nothing undone that will help
them in securing what they want.
TAKE YOUR TROUBLES
TO HEADQUARTERS
If you think that the city of Poison
is entitled to better light and water
rates, to a regular business office and
some other considerations, try making
out a list of your complaints and sending them to Billesby & Co., 5th and
Jackson streets, Chicago. There are
several'men there who don't take orders from McDonald and are perhaps as much interested as he is about
getting the Poison plant "out of the
red.
m
MM HEW DDK
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
ELECTS OFFICERS
• At the Chamber of Commerce meeting held last night James Harbert
was re-elected president, W. H. B.
Carter, Vice President; M. A. Myhre,
Treasurer. J. L. Mclntire, W. G. Dewey, F. H. Nash, C. H. Matravers and
J. A. Johnson directors. A new constitution was adopted which gives the
power of the selection of a secretary
to the board of directors and makes a
number of other needed changes in the
Chamber.
Mrs. E. A. Hoffman of Kalispell has
purchased the Flathead Cafe. Mr.
Hoffman is here and is having the
rooms repaired and painted. Mrs.
"Hoffman will be here Saturday when
the restaurant will again be open for
business.
Shulkin Brothers are making preparations to put on a big clearance sale
commencing Saturday morning. The
store will be closed all day tomorrow
while they prepare for the big event.
See their advertisement on insidepage
The city library received, a fewdays
ago, their new invoice of books.
There are seventy volumes and they
are well selected. There being some
of the choicest fiction. In this connection, it might be well to call attention to the fact, that, some borrowers are growing careless in regard to returning .books on time.
Some having kept them until the fine
would have paid for the book. In
some cases the delinquent borrower
offering to do this and keep the book.
But the books are not for sale, and
the management urges borrowers to
return them at the expiration of two
weeks, and get a renewal if they desire the book longer. As the rule in
regard to fines will have to be enforced or there will be many books missing.
Joseph Alfred Jette died at the Bell
Hotel New Year's evening after a
week's illness of lobor pneumonia,
aged 24 years, 4 months and 7 days.
The deceased was a son of Mr. axifl
Mrs. Jene Baptist Jette, who reside as
Jette Lake, west of Poison. Fred as
he was familiarly known owned a
beautiful ranch adjoining his father's
where he resided. He attended the
dance Christma evening and then went
to the hotel where he was taken so
violently ill that there was very little
hope of his recovery from the first.
' Besides his parents he leaves five
sisters and four brothers to mourn.
They are Mrs. Isaac Pauline, Mrs.
Frank Tomphor, Mrs. Dick Connerly,
Mrs. Dave Pronovost, Miss Mary Jette
and Ameda and George Jette. All
except Mrs. Pauline were here at the
bedside to take their last farewell.
The funeral was held in the Catholic church, Monday at 10:30 a. m., and
although the day was stormy there
was a large concourse of relatives and
friends in attendance. Many coming
from Arlee, Jocko, St. Ignatius,. Ro-
nan and points north of Poison, As
the Jetty family were pioneers on
the reservation and have friends at
all these places. There was a great
profusion of flowers. . /,'.
Interment was made in the Catholic
cemetery.
EDWARD P. ELLIOTT.
METHODIST CHURCH
Subject for morning discourse,
"Man and his Maker,"
Subject for evening discourse,
"Leadership."
Mission study class meets at 6:45
Sunday evening. Prayer meeting and
choir practice, Thursday evening at
7:30.
Ladies Aid Society will be entertained at the parsonage, Thursday afternoon, the 15th. All men in Poison
who are interested in the work of the
Methodist Church are invited to meet
at the home of J. H. Cline Monday
evening at 8 o'clock.
The pastor will conduct services
""•unday afternoon at 3 o'clock at the
Valley View school house.
MILD   WEATHER  CAUSES
INDUSTRIAL UNEASINESS
The logging operations throughout the valley have been suspended,
and will not be resumed until a good
fall of snow comes. Unless the
change comes soon, serious results
will follow in the season's output of
lumber, as. the logs will have to be
left lyin" 7n the woods.      The coh-
A donation whist party for the benefit of the public library is to be given in the Rakeman building, Tuesday
evening, January 15, from 8 to 10:30
p. m. There will be twenty-five tables
and twenty-five cents a couple will be
charged for playing. There will be
a lady's and a gentleman's prize. Immediately after the . game a fifteen
cent lunch will be served. The hostesses will be Mesdames J. A. Johnson,
D. R. Brockman, H. E. Rakeman, J. L.
Mclntire, F. L. Gray, M. A. Myhre
and L. H. Johnson.
The ladies wil}> also serve a supper
the same evening from 6 to 7 for 25
cents. The menu is to be: Pork and
beans, brown bread, rolls, cake or pie,
coffee or tea. Here is a chance to
have a good time, get your money's
worth and help a good cause.
RECEIPTS FROM FIREMAN'S
m VERY SIT'ISFACTDRY
The Fireman's dance at Stoughton
Hall New Year's night was well attended, and the boys were well pleased with the outcome. They wish to
thank all who patronized them and to
especially thank Mrs. H. E. Rakeman
for the work she did in selling the
tickets. Following is a statement of
the receipts and disbursements:
•s;d;ao9}i
Total admissions  $80.00
One spectator 50
Total.... $80.50
Disbursements.
Posters    .1.50
Tickets     1.50
Music    20.00
Hall rent not yet paid ....
I
Xiaward P. Elliott, the famous mo
nologist of New York city, lias been se<
cured as one of the members on oui
lecture course. This .sounds good,
doesn't it? Mr. Elliott has appeared
on all the big Y. M. O. A. and college
courses in the country and on some of
them a number of times. The Midland
Bureau, which has charge of his western tour, tells us that he has appeared
on the college courses in Des Moines a
number of times and that the fee was
never less than $100. Mr. Elliott is a
contemporary of Leland T. Powers and
in the old days, when the Redpath and
the Slayton Bureaus were pitted
against each other in bloodless but
lurid warfare, Elliott was pitted
against Powers with all the adjectives
at the command of the agent.
In Mr. Elliott you find a dignified,
rare type of artist, believing in art for
art's sake without accessories and
.smiling Indulgently at some of the
present day antics of the newer school.
It would be superfluous to say that Mr.
Elliott's programs are wonderfully
fine. They are more than that. They
are standard, and they run the whole
gamut from comedy to tragedy, from
emotion to frivolity. Indeed, most of
Mr. Elliott's plays are comedy plays,
.and In his "Fortune Hunter" this season Mr. Elliott is putting on the most
pleasing, most laughable play he has
yet presented. Every, character will
stand out distinct The story will be
clear and easy to comprehend, and It
will be very hard to reaibse that one
takes every part, impersonating every
character.
The Lion and the M[ouse is the play
to be presented by Edward Elliot, at
the Masonic Hall, January 19th.
Mr. Elliot needs no introduction to
our people, as all who heard him a
year ago in "The fortune Hunter," will
remember him. And will be glad that
they are to have the opportunity to
hear him again. Tickets on sale at
Christenson's drug store, Wednesday,
January 14th.
MASONS HOLD ANNUAL
Poison Lodge No. 78, A. F. and A.
M. held their regular banquet and installation, New Years day and evening. The lodge met at three o'clock
p. m. in the hall for inspection and 3rd
degree work, at which time the Master
Mason degree was ably conferred.
Past Grand Master A. D. McDonald
of Kalispell was the inspecting officer
and expressed himself as being highly pleased.
At six o'clock the members repaired
to the Grandview Hotel where their
wives were already in waiting, and
one of the finest banquets ever seen in
Poison was served. The Orpheum
Orchestra furnished music during the
serving of the repast, and that they
must have made some fine music is
evidenced by the remarks of many who
said that they never played better.
When all were through eating Rev.
O. A. White, acting as toast master,
arose and after a short preliminary
called upon L. L. Marsh, who spoke
upon the dreams of an incoming master. He was followed by A. B. Bick
ford, whose subject was the dreams of
an outgoing master. A. L. Hughes
answered to the subject, "Our Wives,"
with considerable abandon, and it was
much regretted that Mrs. Hudson was
not present to respond to the toast,
"Our Husbands." Past Grand Master
A. D. McDonald was next introduced
and he gave a fine address.
After the speech making was over
the Masons and their wives returned
again to the hall, where the new officers for the ensuing year were installed byW. M. L. L. Marsh, assisted
by A. L. Hughes acting as marshal.
The following were the officers installed:
W. M. A. B. Bickford, S. W. H.
S. Hanson, J. W. M. A. Myhre, Sec,
M'. Murgetroyd, Treas., R. Henning-
son, S. D. D. Earl Evans, J. D. Geo.
A. Wade, S. S. A. Thurston, J. S.
Cecil Matravers, Tyler, R. M. McDonald.
When the ceremony of installation
was over, the balance of the evening
was spent in cards and dancing, and
all were indeed sorry when the lights
gave the warning that it was time to
go home.
A POLSON PIONEER ON
THE LIGHT QUESTION
«
GENERAL TRADE CONDITIONS
m,     „ ,       ,  . . .tinued' rcild  weather has also made
The Courier acknowledges the re- the ice  deaiers'uneasy.   But    those
ceipt of a stick of sugar cane from of the dt    and the Great Northern
contractors will be obliged to ship in
ice from the outside unless a cold
wave strikes the valley soon.—Inter
Claire Gray and Aviator T. T. Ma-
roney from some place in Louisiana.
They are still in the aviation business and are making good everywhere
Miss Doris Johnson has been quite
sick the past ten days; the result of
a severe cold.
Rev. Pringle delivered the sermon
at the Presbyterian church Sunday
evening..
Rev. Geo. W. White gave an excellent sermon, Sunday morning, on new
resolutions.
Prof. Hayden returned Friday from
Whitefish, where he spent his vacation.
Lake.
Poison's regular tax levy brings the
city about $2500.00 per year. Of this
amount the power company takes
about $2300.00 for lights and water.
Looks like they were getting their
share, without asking the business
men to advance them the cash for the
warrants.
Dr. Brockman left today for a
week's stay in eastern Montana.
Total
.$23.00
CAMAS NEWS
(From the Signal)
Mary J. Monroe, mother of Ed Stull
deceased, made proof on her son's
claim Monday. She was accompanied by Charles S. Painter and Henry
Johnson. It will be remembered that
Ed Stull met his death by being
caught in a snow slide about a year
ago, and met an awful death. The
snow slide carried him through a wire
fence on which he caught, cutting him
frightfully.
Miss Viola Marsh, who has homestead a short distance south of Camas
died Wednesday noon, December 31.
Miss Marsh has never been strong,
but her late illness only dates back a
few months. She was about 60 years
of age. The Signal did not learn
where the interment would be. This
death illustrates that the people in
this vicinity are very slow in providing for a place to bury their dead.
Duns Review says: With the approach of the annual inventory period
a general slowing down of business is
to be expected, yet more than seasonable quietness now prevails, both in
commercial and industrial channels.
Christmas sales compare fairly well
with those of a year ago, although the
activity is not general.
Although the running schedule of
steel mills is likely to be reduced before the year ends, producers seem to
be more confident as to the outlook.
Demand from the railroads is broadening and there has recently been some
large buying of pig iron; hence, the
situation appears more encouraging
and producers are less inclined to
grant price concessions.
The final government estimates of
agricultural results this year indicate
that a vast amount of new wealth has
been created by the soil, notwithstanding the decline in the yield of
some crops; higher prices more than
offset the loss in production.
Through the efforts of the Chamber
of Commerce, arrangements have been
made whereby Prof. Thomas Shaw,
agricultural expert for the Great Northern and Northern Pacific railroads,
will deliver several lectures here some
time in March. Mr. Shaw is recognized as one of the foremost authorities in the country, and takes special
interest in the subject, of the • dual
purpose cow. He is considered such
a well versed authority on this subject, that President Hill, of the Great
Northern, recently sent him on a trip
to England to purchase some cattle
with which to stock Mr. Hill's private
cattle ranch in Minnesota. This herd
of cattle is considered one of the finest
in the world.
Mr. Shaw will devote the most of
his time in his lectures here, to the
discussion of the dual purpose cow,
and as that is the subject that greatly interests the farmers of this valley,
he will undoubtedly be greeted by &■
big crowd.
BREAKDOWN AT POWER
PLANT IS REPAIRED
The breakdown at the power plant
has been repaired so that the chances
are good for no more interuption of
the service. The men at the plant
have been having a very strenuous
time of it the past two weeks and
have been working day and night trying to make a boxing that was broken
in five places, hold together. A new
boxing was secured the first of the
week and is now in place. It will be
several weeks before the repairs for
the new engine can be secured.
Mrs. M. Slack of Des Moines, Iowa
arrived in Poison Saturday to spend
the winter with her son Harry Slack,
who is connected with the Valley View
reclamation work.
Jake Buhler, who has been clerk at
the Grandview sicne last spring, left
Saturday for Helena, where he will
enter the Wesleyan University. He
is going to take a business course.
Mr. and Mrs. Hoskinson returned
to Dixon Sunday after a pleasant
holiday visit at the William Schmidt
home.
Al Ingraham and J. K. Lang were
in town the first of the week on business connected with their offices.
Prof. J. B. Stackhouse returned to
his work at Medical Lake, Washington the last of the week.
J. M. Mettler came down on the
Bigfork Monday, to look after business matters.
Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Allard were in
Poison the first of the week.
Poison, Montana,
Editor Courier:
I read with much interest your
attack on the power company in last
weeks paper, and don't think that you
treated the company fair. If you had
lived in Poison before the company got
the plant running and had to pay twenty-five cents a barrel for water, or
went out at night and stumbled around in the dark and mud as I have
done, you would know better what
the lights have done for Poison.
I remember how, (as Mr. Roosevelt would say) deelighted every man
woman and child was when the company first turned on the lights. Remembering these things and how accomodating and obliging Mr. Wall and
his men have always been, I think we
owe the company a whole lot.
Now that the town has got so far
in debt, isn't any fault of the power
company, but can be blamed to incompetent officials and the high cost
of running the commission form of*
government, and I don't blame the
power company for wanting their
money either. They have to pay out
money for wood, help, etc., etc, so>
should have their money for the lights
and water. If the town can afford to
pay her officers such big salaries they
can pay for other things to.
Hoping that you will give this as
prominent a place as you did the other
I am A Poison Pioneer
It is one of the rules of this office
not to publish an article unless the
writer discloses his name, but in this
instance the rule has been suspended
and we give "A Pioneer" the space he
asks for. For his benefit we will say
that the managers of the Courier are
entitled to membership in the Pioneer
Club, if having paid two-bits a barrel
is one of the requirements, also we
believe the Courier has always b.een
fair with the power company. They
have done a great deal for Poison, and
this paper has always given them
credit for it. Our light, water and
telephone systems have been and still
are some of the best assets the city
has.
The -paper also wishes to endorse
everything the writer has to say in
regard to Mr. Wall and the men he
has had under him. No company
ever had a better manager of a plant
than John Wall and one that was
fairer to the people and still loyal to
his employers. In fact thas paper
believes that it has been the accommodating, personal attention that Mr.
Wall has given to all matters, and
the fairness with which he has treated every customer, which has, in spite .
of the high rates, prevented any uproar, or, as "A Pioneer" styles it,
"attack" on the company.
For our rates are TOO HIGH, and
when the city pays all but $200 of the
entire tax levy for the street lights
and water, they are PAYING TOO
MUCH. And if stating so is attacking the company than the Courier has
just commenced the attack, for its intention is to keep right on until some
relief is given.
The power company's investment
here is a business enterprise, and they
are as much interested in the welfare
of the city as any other business man
or property owner. They are entitled to any benefits they may gain
by reason of the fact that they, like
the rest, "pioneered" here, and most
of the citizens will be only too glad
to give them anything they can reasonably, providing something to arouse
a bitter feeling does not come up. As
for instance, should the company really
refuse to take the city's paper in payment for service.
A. D. Maynard has the statistics
that shows the births and deaths in
Poison township. According to the
register there has been 52 births and
35 deaths during the year 1913.
Johnny Mowery is suffering from
a severe blow on the temple, just over.
the eye, from a flying stick from a
tree he was cutting down. It is feared that the skull was fractured.
The many friends of Dick Higdon
will be sorry to learn that he has been
in very poor health lately and" may
have to seek another climate.
-P. C. Cresswell has bought the
Woodruff dray and is ready to handle
anything in that line. ■   *'
Miss Edna Gadow went to Kalispell
Monday to spend the week.   The trip.
is part business and part pleasure.
i I
,?■
's-dl
- .v?