Havre of the Past: First photographers and unfaithful wives

Emily Mayer

All of the October 1893 issues of The Havre Advertiser are missing on microfilm and do not resume until Nov. 2. So, for October, we will visit what was happening in Havre in 1898, when it was only incorporated for five years. The following information comes from the Sept. 30, 1898, issue of The Milk River Eagle for this, the 39th installment of this series celebrating Havre’s 120th anniversary of incorporation.

Elections were going on this week in 1898, so there were several entries of candidates and the Eagle’s obvious political slant on the candidates the favored. In local news, we find information in the “Town and Country” section of the social pages:

Marshal Gowrie’s Hotel de Bum is empty.

Newspapers back then showed absolutely no mercy toward those causing trouble in the community. “Hotel de Bum” is another name for the city jail, as was “Hotel des Rats,” which will surface in future articles.

Tuesday’s windstorm played havoc in the city. Every merchant and business man in town sustained more or less damage from the great clouds of dust.

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Broadwater-Pepin Co. carry a big stock of Brussels and ingrain carpets. Also oil-cloth and linoleum, which is fine on your kitchen floors in cold weather.

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A small, but very pleasant dancing party met at the Knights of Pythias hall, Thursday night, and enjoyed the mystic frivolity of an all night’s entertainment. Those who participated report that a most enjoyable and happy event transpired.

Charles Carroll, formerly a business man of this great railway and commercial center, lately with Charles Howell, in his excellent stand, will soon open the Bank saloon recently vacated by Lee & Grant when they made their great retreat to the Queen’s domain. Charlie has the enviable reputation of being a fine business caterer and a very pleasing, generous and hospitable host and that the wild flowers of financial success may grow, bud, bloom and blossom in his coffers, is the hope of his many friends.

“The Queen’s domain” refers to Canada. Victoria was Queen of England in 1898. Queen Elizabeth II, the current reigning monarch, is her great-great granddaughter.

Dan Dutro, the pioneer of northern Montana, now located in that provincial town, the once head of navigation on the Big Muddy, was in the city Tuesday, shaking hands with his many old time associates in the railway center. He had samples of a group picture of the delegates at the county convention in company with prominent democrats of Fort Benton, which was taken in the court house yard. They are superb in every particular and represent the highest standard of artistic photography. Prominent among those in the foreground is our won dear colonel. They are daisies and sold in Havre like hot tamales.

Dan Dutro was one of Havre’s first photographers. “That provincial town” is referring to Fort Benton, as it was mentioned in the previous paragraph. Dutro and Reed Photographers’ building is pictured, and was located on 1st Street.

In a very succinct entry, we find:

Notice

My wife, Hilda Zwycygberg, having left my bed and board, notice is hereby given that anyone trusting her will do so at their own risk as I will pay no bills contracted by her. John A. Von Zycygberg. Havre, Mont., Sept. 9, 1898.