montana

My good friend Jack Puckett turned 98 years old last month. He is such a great storyteller.

As the 69th Legislature winds down, Gianforte’s power to modify and nix legislation moves to the forefront.

Ah, the ability to turn lowly metals into gold. It’s called alchemy, and my pocketbook could use a massive infusion of it, today. Too bad it was discredited, once and for all, in the 19th century.

It’s Spring! It’s finally arrived! I have the fever! These are the days when one should feel as lighthearted as a Shakespearean quote: “The cuckoo-buds of yellow hue do paint the meadows with delight.”

They're musicians, maybe. Or possibly, imaginary creatures best lured from a small boat on calm waters. Or maybe they're aggressive spotted quadrupeds. If only our intrepid columnist had a fancy dictionary ...

Missoulians have always loved music, especially band music. Within a few years of the city’s establishment, the Missoula Coronet Band was formed. The band, wrote the local paper, was “progressing finely, under the instruction of the efficient teacher, Professor A.B. Charpie."

I had never met such a man before. He grew up on a cattle ranch in Montana. He graduated from the Journalism School at the University of Montana (“MSU” at that time) in 1950. He was a hero of the Korean War, awarded the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for Valor for bravery for “leading his men to rescue soldiers trapped behind enemy lines.”

Jim Harmon writes, "As for those Christmas cards – they may be old fashioned, but I think most folks still enjoy receiving them in the mail."

Jim Harmon writes, "Today’s column seems more like a “Meanwhile” segment on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert than my usual fodder of old newspaper stories."

“DUFFY vs THE CATS” was the headline, describing the warring parties: Anaconda Prosecuting Attorney John H. Duffy versus a neighborhood covey of cats, a flock of felines, owned by Johnny Horn.