Celebrating History: Lots of local news

By Emily Mayer

This week’s Havre Plaindealer edition 100 years ago was packed full of local news.

Former Havre Mayor Louis Newman was running for mayor of Great Falls and had secured the Democratic nomination over the incumbent mayor. Louis “Shorty” Newman, not to be confused with Christopher “Shorty” Young, was elected the first time to shore up the city of Havre’s finances. A partially built sewer system had been constructed, but no water system existed to make it operate. Newman found the finances back east, thus ensuring Havre had an operating water and wastewater system for future growth. His second campaign was a “Clean Up Havre” campaign after comments about Havre’s appearance and vices visible to visitors, namely James Hill’s Great Northern Railway officials, were made for Havre to straighten up or the division point would be moved out of Havre. Hill wasn’t joking. Newman listened, or at least heard enough to make sure much of the vice wasn’t as visible on Main and First streets, and enacting ordinances such as “no spitting on the sidewalk,” which remained in the Ordinance Code Book until the 1990s, when I served as chair of the Ordinance Committee and worked to have this, and other obsolete ordinances, removed from the City Code book.

The Plaindealer’s editor wrote a very nice editorial about Newman’s work in Havre and wished him luck on his campaign to the south.

The primary election results were in for the city of Havre elections.

Third Ward Candidate Unopposed is Assured

of Success

Monday the city election will be held to select one alderman for each of the three wards of the city of Havre. There are contests in two of the wards while C. B. Cruzen is the only candidate in the Third ward. If the primary vote is any indication, the greatest interest will be in the second ward where F. O. Kaste was defeated in the primary for the nomination on the independent ticket. In the first ward, R. M. Rathbone, the candidate on the Citizens’ ticket received 13 votes at the primary to the 6 botes for C. S. Hanson. Opinion seems to be evenly divided as to whether this ratio will be maintained in the election Monday.

In the second ward, P. C. Barrett received two more votes than Jestrab, but it is claimed that many of those votes which would have gone to Kaste, the defeated candidate, will go to Jestrab in the election. Because there will be a greater need than ever this year, for a business administration of city affairs the candidacy of Mr. Jestrab is attracting considerable favorable interest.

School elections have historically been rather tame, but not 100 years ago in Havre.

SCHOOL ELECTION WILL BE LIVELY CONTEST

This afternoon occurs the annual election of trustees for School District 16 and considerable of a contest is promised between the factions now in control and what is regarded as the T. J. Troy forces. The terms of C. C. Brundage and A. E. Wilkie expire and opposed to them who are up for re-election, are Dan O’Neill and O. L. Whitlock. Dr. Wilkie was appointed only a short time ago to fill the unexpired term of W. S. Hedge who found that the pressure of his own work prohibited him from continuing in office. Mr. Bundage has been in office several years and under the present board the schools of this district have compared most favorably with any others in the state. T. J. Troy was the former superintendent of schools but denies emphatically that his interest in the present campaign has anything to do with a desire to become superintendent again. He admitted that he dew up the petitions presenting the names of O’Neill and Whitlock and the signature of E. J. Huston was the first one secured by the says it is not a non-partisan league move in any shape or manner. He appeared resigned to the persistence of rumors that his efforts were inspired by a desire to head the city schools again but he rather convincingly stated his position that he could not afford to give up other interests for the job.

A feature of the campaign was a digger which appeared around town reflecting upon the present school board, which was sighed a “Committee” of which Mr. Troy owned to being a member. This was followed by a somewhat similar reply by the school which appeared in the morning paper and was distributed around town in the form of dodgers The statements by both sides will probably have a negative rather than a positive effect an tend to weaken instead of promoting the interest of their particular candidates, and it is not likely that any of the candidates will approve of the efforts put forth in their behalf.

In other news regarding elected officials, newly elected County Attorney Stranahan found himself in a pickle, as he failed to follow state statute regarding filing information documents charging for a crime committed against the state. The lengthy article has been condensed below:

CONTEMPT OF COURT STATUTORY PROVISION

Attention of Court is Called

to Law Which Applies to County Attorney

“When a defendant has been examined and committed, or admitted to bail, the county attorney must within thirty days after the delivery of the complaint, warrant, and testimony to the proper district court, or after such leave, file in such court an information charging the defendant with the offense for which he is held to answer, or any other offense disclosed by the testimony. In case the county attorney fails to file the information within the time specified he is guilty of contempt, and may be prosecuted for neglect of duty as in other cases.” Reciting this statute, Attorney J. P. Donnelly startled the audience in the district court last week by calling the attention of the court to how this particular statute applied to the case just finished. It was the trial of Leon E. Johnson on a charge of grand larceny in taking mortgaged property out of the county without the written consent of the mortgagee…

No action was taken in the matter or comment made by the court at the time the contempt statute was brought to his attention.

A county attorney not filing the proper paperwork in time according to state law is guilty by state statute of contempt of court. Gee, sound familiar?

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Studying history is necessary to avoid repeating past mistakes.”-George Santayana.

The Havre Women’s Club also held their elections. President was Mrs. G. J. Bonine, vice president was Mrs. W. C. Holt, Secretary was Mrs. F. F. Runkel and treasurer was Mrs. George Hulfish. Various committee chairs were elected, and 16 new members were voted in to this very active and progressive club. Outgoing President Mrs. Berthelotte was thanked for her work, especially due to the fact so many of their projects had been hampered by the Spanish flu epidemic.