It is 1909 and quickly approaching the end of the year. Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is just around the corner. And yet there is news. Brace yourselves to become all agog and atwitter at the antics in this neck of the woods!

Victor Griggs, late of Illinois arrived here last Saturday and assumed the duties of Chief Booster and official of publicity for Havre and the Milk River Country.

Mr. Griggs was occupied Saturday evening in a meeting of the business men and Monday started out to learn everything he could about this area. He has opened offices in the City Hall. Mr. Griggs says about Havre itself, “It is a beautifully situated city and I find it so healthy that the physicians of the city do not have any patients. I expect to be one of the busiest men in this part of the state and as a public servant I will not be affected by any pressure but to do a good job in getting people to come here to live.”

Florien Carnal has guaranteed the expenses of the Fort Shaw Indian School football team so they will soon be able to play Havre. As was shown by the defeat of Fort Assinniboine last week, those Havre boys know something about the game of football.

The Great Northern Railway has four cars at work installing a telephone line between this town and Williston. Telephone operators will take the place of telegraph operators.

“Such ignorance is inexcusable,” exclaimed Aunt Hysteria. “My nephew Pearce has been going to college and when I asked him this morning whether he knew anything about Homer, he said that it was a hit that was good for four bases.”

The coal man has a jingle in his pockets and a swagger to his walk as most of the boilers in this area are run by coal. Matter of fact many were taken from Fort Assinniboine when the post closed and are in basements of many large stores, making steam to run the radiators and keep the people who live in rooms above the boiler warm.

All that costs money. Lou Lucke reports that he is happy to have a large family as they can make the run of nine blocks from his house to his store on cold nights while he is snug in bed. His children fill the boiler with coal, make sure the water is on to the boiler and trudge home at thirty below zero making those cold cold sounds as the bottom of boots hit the snow in the street.

Meanwhile the sad ice man has left the country completely as no one wants any ice and will not need any until summer.

Too bad one man makes so much off of a season and another man makes nothing.

For now Thanksgiving is over and children are wondering if there is to be a Christmas tree in their Christmas future? Lots of time to get one yet as traditionally they are not decorated and brought into the house until Christmas Eve.

It has been reported that F. A. Buttrey is having a train car of Christmas trees brought in from Kalispell. If that is the case there will be a tree for most everyone in Chinook, Havre and everywhere along the Milk River