Montana Medicine Show: The Gregson Picnic

Welcome to the Montana Medicine Show. I'm Derrick strong. Fairmont 11 miles west of Bute was originally named Gregson Hot Springs. The anaconda leader called it the resort for workers of Butte city as well as for the thousands of toiling miners a place of rest and relaxation except for the August 19 12 Butte miners union picnic for its 6000 members and their families. The same day the Anaconda mill and smelter men's union also held their summer outing at the resort. Fourteen thousand people crowded Gregson shaded groves for a day of contests feasting and heavy drinking. Someone suggested a friendly tug of war between buttes Irish miners and anacondas Serbian smelter men. The strongest and heaviest men grabbed the rope. Whiskey and beer flowed freely intensifying the excitability and lowering the boiling points of participants and spectators alike wrote author Patrick Morris the butte team lost. Someone cried foul. Arguments led to traded punches then chaos. Everyone in both unions dove into the drunken

slugfest. Shots were fired. The crowds panicked and ran. The Butte daily minor later reported the afternoon sun was hidden from sight by clouds of flying bottles special trains hauled the wounded back to hospitals in Butte anaconda that night. Two men died at the inquest. The judge could not figure out what happened so no one was prosecuted. The theme song for the Montana medicine show is written and performed by Mike video of Bozeman from CAGE L.T. studios. I'm Derek strong. Montana medicine show is supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. A private corporation funded by the American people.