News you can use
News you can use
by Emily Mayer
Many in Havre today don’t realize that before the current Hill County Courthouse was built, after Hill County itself was created by splitting with Chouteau County, several County offices shared space in Havre’s City Hall, then located on the northeast corner of Fourth Avenue and First Street — now it is just another parking lot. After the County moved into its new digs, the city decided to make a few changes to its building. This article was published in the Hill County Democrat in its Sept. 30, 1916, issue:
NEW CITY OFFICES ARE READY.
Mayor T. W. MacKenzie, City Attorney C. A. Rose and City Clerk Mr. R. X. Lewis will be “at home” in their new offices at city hall next week. Mayor McKenzie was moving in his furniture yesterday and everything will be in order by Monday.
Before the new court house was ready for occupancy and county officers were stationed in the city hall, some of the city officers had to maintain their offices under their hat and on the street.
The office formerly occupied by the clerk of the court has been subdivided in such a manner as to give the mayor and city clerk each a light and convenient office. By removing the toilet to another part of the building and rearranging the hall space, two fine offices have been provided for the city attorney.
Carpenters, plumbers, kalsominers and office furnishers have been at work on the changes for nearly a month and the public will find it convenient to find all of the city officials easily accessible.
“Kalsominers” is another word for whitewashers; whitewash being an inexpensive paint made from slaked lime and chalk. The phrase “at home” was also used during Victorian and Edwardian times to let visitors know when homeowners would be available to visit or do business at their residence and at what time. Many ladies’ calling cards, precursors to today’s business cards, would let the receiver know when she would be “at home” for visitation, or to traveling salesmen to conduct business, that day usually being Wednesday.
The Democrat’s “Havre Locals” news also stated:
Judge Pyper and the city engineer will maintain their offices on the ground floor as at present.
In case anyone thought the I. W. W. was done with Havre, well, it simply must have been our turn. Because they were still here and up to no good. This article was published in the September 27, 1916, issue of the Havre Daily Promoter:
I. W. W. Members Make More Trouble
Two hundred members of the I. W. W. were unauthorized passengers on a freight train that passed through Havre yesterday. Forty members of the organization stopped off here to round up a square meal if possible, but they had not counted upon Havre’s police efficiency. They were promptly rounded up and escorted to the city limits.
It is the belief of the county peace officers that members of the organization now sojourning in Montana are banded together in an effort to prevent the harvesting of grain. When work is offered it is usually declined and where it is accepted it is apparently only for the purpose of urging other workers to quit work.
Accidents to farm machinery and the destruction of threshing rigs are attributed to members of the organization who apparently are operating under orders from the central body.
Sheriff Loranger has recently been compelled to swear in special deputies at Hingham, Chester, Rudyard and other points to the westward, and these have been kept busy in preventing depredations.
The Sept. 29 issue of the Promoter contained this Wobbly news:
Frank Myers Bound Over
Frank Myers was transferred from the city to the county jail yesterday where he will await trial in the district court on a charge of “carrying concealed weapons within the limits of an incorporated city.” He was given a preliminary hearing before Judge Pyper and in default of a $500 bond was given into the custody of the sheriff.
Ed. Thompson, of the Great Northern special police force, testified to finding Myers with several others in a box car in the local yards on the night of September 24. He was seen trying to conceal a loaded revolver behindthe inner lining of the car and was placed under arrest.
The prisoner in his testimony denied ownership of the gun and professed not to know who did own it. He confessed, however, to the charge of trying to conceal the weapon, and admitted that he belonged to the order of the I. W. W., that he had been drinking on the night in question and that his home was in North Dakota.
This North Dakota Frank Myers is not to be confused with Havre’s Frank Meyers, who married Simon Pepin’s daughter and whose name is often misspelled “Myers” in newspapers past.
In more pleasant news, here is an entry from the Plaindealer’s Society column:
Woman’s Club Notes
The Woman’s club will hold its opening session of this year Tuesday afternoon, October 4, 1916, at 2:30 in the lecture room of the library. At this time the members of the program committee of the Study Department will be hostesses and serve tea. All newly elected members as well as old ones are urged to be present to extend the hand of good fellowship to one another.
Mrs. Whitlock and Mrs. Thayer chairmen of the Study and Music departments will out line their respective programs for the ensuing year. Mesdames Allen, Wilkie and Wright delegates to the Federation of Women’s clubs in Helena last June will give reports of the meeting. There is a great deal to hear about which should be of interest to everyone. Following this will be the first regular business meeting of the year.
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