P a g e 6 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r Courtesy of The Missoulian, June 1, 1930 dent Harding arrived here," followed with the astute observation, "Helena people like whales and presidents.” The original schedule, deduced from newspaper articles, indicated the show would have cruised to Bozeman for two nights, and then Livingston on the 27-28th. However, plans rapidly changed that short-changed Bozeman. The Bozeman Chronicle made an announcement on the 23rd from the Pacific Whaling Co. stating, "Owing to unforseen circumstances, we will be unable to show the whale in Bozeman. All dates, with the exception of Livingston, have been cancelled. We must be in Chicago by Saturday [Sat. 27th]." No other explanation was forthcoming. But apparently the schedule in Chicago was changed, and with a population of over 3 million, as opposed to the mere one-half million souls in Montana - obvious financial considerations could have caused Montana to get the short end of the stick. And why Bozeman, with a population 2-1/2 times that of Livingston? Probably by virtue that Livingston was the northern gateway to Yellowstone, with many hundreds of travelers arriving and leaving by train on a daily basis, anxious for yet another tale to tell the folks back home. Colossus graced the Livingston depot for one day only on the 24th, where the spectacle was displayed day and night. Complimentary tickets were issued to the head of schools, the Boy Scouts, and Camp Fire organizations. No doubt, many Bozemanites made the trek over the pass to take a gander at the great leviathan. The Bozeman Chronicle spouted, “Give Your Sweetie a Whale of a Thrill,” and claimed, “Worth Coming Many Miles to Witness.” Upon closing, the whale bid adieu to the fair state of Montana and the steel ship sailed eastward aboard the Northern Pacific to the Land of Lincoln. In following years, one or another of the whales clattered across the rails of Montana in 1932, 1934 and 1936 in search of adoring crowds to pay homage to the sovereign of the bounding main. On an interesting note, the 1930 exhibitions coincided and probably inspired the release of the movie, Moby Dick, a loose adaptation of Herman Melville’s classic novel. Warner Brothers had cameras asea for several months in early 1930 to obtain realistic whale footage and production of the “talkie” began the end of May. John Barrymore was cast as Courtesy Yellowstone Gateway Museum
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