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Show MONTANA'S OLDEST -JIUBJOAt GOESDEC. 30 Picturesque Scene of Early, History of State Fades ! Away. ! j By Associated Press. i IIEI-ENA. Mont., Dec. 27. Statewide, State-wide, prohibition goe Into effect in j Montana at midnight of December i this year. With Ihe p.ipring of the ha- j loon there will disappear one of tlie f ptcturemine instit ut ins tt the West, j At one tune the smloon wa an imprt- ant feature in the social 1 fe of the, hardy pioneers of the Treasure state. In the early days, when men were I blazing Thf WPt'rn trallw. ttie-sntonn j follfwed them and, as a rule, waf Bmons the first industries to set up : atiil transact business in the communi- I ty. With a canvas for a top and a board bridging two boxes for a bar, h'Kopitaltty at ho much a drink was dispensed to tho argonauts. COSMOPOLITAN CUSTOMERS. As communities pi spcred the owner -f the saloon or "halfway huiiae" waxed prosperous lit iy oportiun. The barkeeper's bar-keeper's was a strenuous life, for those who tunic lit tho fher he dispensed Included miners, rttwhnyn, Indian fight- era, cattlemen, sheepmen, tha rcne-j?ode rcne-j?ode and the ne'er do well. Itevolvers more often than not were tre arbiters k f disputes. The barkeeper's armament sfcw lay on the bar within handy reach and in full Bik-ht f the perhaps too ebul-lirrit ebul-lirrit customer to remind him that there were limits within which he must confine con-fine his celebration. Cowpunchers. after months on the prairies looking after cattle, free of restraint and their pockets full of ; money, rode Into town scarcely dis- ! cemable In a cloud of dust, punctuated j with the flash of fire and report of re- i volvcrs. Iike a tornado they swirled ! up to the front of the saloon, reined 1 their ponies back on their haunches; and sometimes rode in through the ! swinging doors. These were profitable days for tho barkeeper, but he must i needs be a diplomat If his place remained re-mained intact. CARD 8HARKS. Hard on the heels of the saloon came j the gambler with the tools of his trade. Then followed the dance hall adjunct. with brought with It the "orchaetra, ' such as it waa. or the automatic, musical mu-sical machines. All were part and parcel of the saloon. Some of the modern saloons In the state's larger cities were elaborate in their fixtures, furniture and riecora- tions. t.ntil a few years ago Unite had" a buffet whose entire floor was Inlaid with imitation dollar coins, entirely natural in appearance.' Bartenders in the state, with other saloon employes, number about JVOOO at the prenent time. A large percentage of saloons will continue in business either with soft drinks or lunch, or both: or as bowling alleys, pool halls, or shooting gallerifs, and it Is thought Jnoat of the saloon employe will tic retained while the experiment la being tried. Several of the larger breweries will turn to making art'fidnl tee. Others. ' It is planned, will dry egeiahle. |