Old Missoula

“He created a Good Deal of Excitement Yesterday

Turned Out To Be All Right

A Missoulian Reporter Ran the Scandal Down and Found There was no Scandal.”

This article  titled Daly’s Chinaman appeared in The Daily Missoulian on October 10, 1894 – 10 Oct 1894, 1 – The Missoulian at Newspapers.com

“Considerable comment was caused on the streets yesterday by the sight of a Chinaman (with a pigtail as long as Billy Murphy’s pull) busily engaged in washing the windows of the Anaconda-for-the-capital headquarters in the second story of the little red, pressed-brick building on the corner. Not that there is anything unusual in the spectacle of a Chinaman washing windows in Missoula; but that one of the “foul Cataians” should have been employed by the Anaconda capital committee to do a job of that nature.

Readers of the home organ of the Anaconda company will remember the abuse that that paper has been heaping on the heads of the inoffending Celestials; how it has been saying that anybody employing a disgusting, cheap-priced Chinaman was an enemy of union labor and of the American working man. So, as said above, there was a good deal of comment on the window-washer and his job. Not that any one went so far as to say that any of the Dalyites in Missoula are opposed to union labor. No, indeed! It seemed to be the prevalent impression among the onlookers that the Missoula Dalyites do not discriminate in their enmity to labor – they have just about as much use, personally, for one kind of labor as another – which isn’t very much.

In the apprehension that some of the more prominent servitors of Mr. Daly in this town might be unaware of the sacrilege that was being done to the tenets of the “old man,” a Missoulian reporter made a point of calling on them, informing them of the facts and courteously requesting to know what they thought about it.

Mr. “Billy” Murphy was the first approached. “Billy” was in excellent humor; softly smiling and calmly smoking (between smiles), with the fire end of his cigar pointed towards the expectant heavens, which almost seemed to be reaching down to fold him to themselves. But he had nothing to say on the matter in question; just intimating that talking wasn’t his long suit. So the reporter left.

Mr. Crutchfield was the next. This protuberant little gentleman was not at all averse to talking. He said that while to the public eye it might appear somewhat strange that an Anaconda committee should employ a Chinaman to do its window-washing, there was, in reality, nothing inconsistent about it. “You see,” he said, as he obligingly pushed up a leather-upholstered chair for the reporter, “Mr. Daly’s policy is different in different towns. In Anaconda, for instance, and as you doubtless well know, his policy is strictly an anti-Chinese one. Here it is just the opposite – as it is, also, on his Riverside ranch. He is a gentleman of so broad and liberal a nature that he can compass all sorts of policies. No, indeed; there is nothing strange about the matter at all. Call again.”

Colonel Ramsey was likewise cordial. Evidently he had on his Flathead face, for his countenance was as open and genial and convincing as ever a countenance could be. “You had better see Mr. Matts about this matter,” he said, “as he is our mouthpiece on all such subjects. Whatever he says is all right.”

So off to the worthy senator. He was found standing on the sidewalk in front of the entrance to the little red, pressed-brick building, placidly revolving something within his eloquent mouth which one unacquainted with him might have mistaken for a Cud, but which, in reality, was his Voice. “I am indeed grieved,” he replied to the reporter’s question, “that this matter should have attracted the attention of the idle public. But, alas! It is only in keeping with the well-known character of the citizens of this miserable village. As I have said before, these fellows are forever meddling with other people’s affairs and quarrelling, like dogs, among themselves. That they should have taken up the question of a Chinamen at work on our windows is, therefore, not surprising. Inasmuch as you have done me the honor of requesting my sentiments on the incident, however, I will give them to you frankly. Before employing this Chinaman we consulted Mr. Daly in reference to the feasibility of it. He replied that ‘as for feasibility he didn’t know nothing about feasibility; but that if a Chinaman was any cheaper, then, b’gosh, get a Chinaman; you can use the difference in the capital fight.’ Those, I believe, are Mr. Daly’s exact words and I give them frankly. And therein lies the real reason for our getting the Chinaman to do the work – we’ll need our money in the election. For, notwithstanding that Me and Marcus have always stood by Missoula county, I am afraid that, unless we put up our money, Missoula county will not stand by Marcus and Me. Good day.”

Mr. S. G. Murray was not to be found at his office. His office-boy thought he was over at “headquarters” figuring out how much it cost (the other fellow) to join Mr. Daly’s club, and incidentally trying to estimate how many votes Helena would really get if he were to keep his promise (made two years ago) to deliver to her the vote of Missoula county.

C. F. Reardan was not inclined to talk.”

Molinelli & Nesmith were the proprietors of the Missoulian in 1894. Lambert Molinelli, the editor, had worked in Butte and Helena before coming to Missoula in 1889. He died in Missoula in 1901.

His obituary in The Missoulian said he was very popular in business and social life. He was a member of the Montana Press Association, Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the Knights of Pythias.

One of his pallbearers was A. L. Stone.