SCENES INCIDENT TO BUTTE'S GREAT CELEBRATION OF ST. PATRICK'S DAY / Irish, German and Austrian Societies Unite in Tribute to St. Patrick's Memory

# SCENES INCIDENT TO BUTTE'S GREAT CELEBRATION OF ST. PATRICK'S DAY ## Irish, German and Austrian Societies Unite in Tribute to St. Patrick's Memory *The Butte Miner, Thursday morning, March 18, 1915, p. 1, cols. 3-5.* *The boxed heading stands over two photographs spanning cols. 3-5, captioned (upper) "Leaving St. Mary's church, where m ass was celebra[ted]." and (lower) "Head of the parade marching dow n Main street." The article follows under its own headline.* Aided by summer weather, HiberniansIrish societiesAncient Order of Hiberniansin America from 1836The largest Irish Catholic fraternal order in America: sick and death benefits for members, St. Patrick’s Day parades, and steady support for Irish nationalism.More in Key terms →, members of other Irish societies and of German, Austrian and Hungarian organizations united yesterday to honor the memory of Ireland's patron saint. There was not an incident to mar the day and all united last evening in declaring the celebration to be the greatest in the history of Butte. Thousands of Butte wore sprigs of shamrock, many being fresh from the green isle having been sent by relatives and friends. The downtown streets were thronged with people from 10:00 o'clock until noon, waiting for the parade. Sherif[f] Charles S. Henderson and all of his deputies paraded the streets prior to the coming of the marchers. It was rumored, and the sheriff received many letters to that effect that opposing factions to the Irish and German planned to break up the procession. The sheriff was on hand to frustrate any such attempt. ## First Line of March. At 9:00 o'clock in the morning the Hibernians met at their hall on North Main street. At 9:30 the members of the German and Austrian societies assembled in front of the German hall, from where they proceeded north and joined the other celebrants at the Hibernia hallIrish societiesHibernia HallThe meeting hall of Butte’s Hibernians and a venue for other Irish societies; meeting notices name it again and again.More in Key terms →. At a few minutes before 10:00 o'clock the parade proceeded to St. Mary's church, where high mass was celebrated by Father M. J. Hannan, who was assisted by Rev. Father Callopy of St. Patrick's church, Rev. P. J. Crowley of Helmville and Rev. Father Connolly of St. Joseph's parish. ## Main Parade Starts. At a few minutes past 11:00 o'clock the main parade started from the St. Mary's church. The procession was down Wyoming street to Copper, west on Copper to Main and south on Main street. About 2,000 men were in line. The Fife and Drum corps from both Butte and Anaconda were out. Members of the Irish VolunteersIreland: movements, law & landIrish Volunteersfounded 1913The nationalist militia formed in Dublin in November 1913 in answer to the Ulster Volunteers. A minority of it carried out the 1916 Rising; it became the Irish Republican Army.More in Key terms → from the two cities, in compliance with Mayor Smith's orders, marched without uniforms or rifles. James J. Murphy headed the parade as marshal of the day. He was assisted by W. P. McCarthy, Maurice Egan and John Doherty as aids. Maj. W. E. Deeney of the Irish Volunteers headed the two companies on horseback. Dr. Fred Burgman and Joseph Brosevich headed the German and Austrian columns. Rev. Father English of St. Mary's church delivered the sermon in the morning. The speaker referred to the feeling between the Irish and the Germans. He declared that Ireland, through its missionaries brought the Christian faith into Germany and aided in showing the people of the Rhine the way to Christianity. The time is approaching said Father English, when the Germans may favor the Irish by assisting them in breaking the chains that bind the emerald isle to England. Father English told of St. Patrick and the effect of his coming into Ireland. "When Patrick died," Father English said, "the faith which he had established was firmly embedded in the hearts of the Irish people, and not alone did they retain the faith, but they became its standard bearers, its apostles. "Not immediately, however, did they commence their great mission of evangelization. Like a stream, which in the springtime slowly rises until it bursts its banks and floods the country, so did religion in Ireland gradually grow and develop until the confines of the country were too narrow and it overflowed her shores, spreading over the greater part of Europe, expelling everywhere the pagan deities of a renewed and resurrected paganism." ## In the Afternoon. Judge J. J. Lynch, who presided at the big meeting held in the afternoon at the Empress theater, referred to the order of Mayor Smith by which the Irish Volunteers were forbidden to appear in their full regalia. He declared the order of the mayor's to be an unjust one. Judge Lynch in his address gave some points in American history to show that when this country needed fighting men and soldiers who would willingly die for the stars and stripes, the Irish were the first to respond and could be found among the first ranks and among the first brought to the hospitals and to the graves. He also referred to the Germans, declaring they were good Americans. "Germans and Irish have fought side by side for this country since the battle of Bunker hill," said the speaker. "They will continue to fight for America whenever America demands their services." In speaking of the order against the apearance of the volunteers in uniforms, Judge Lynch declared that if the time ever comes when the liberty of the United States is threatened and the president needs fighting men, the members of the Butte and Anaconda companies of the volunteers will be the first to respond and the first to die for their country. H. F. Pissot, speaking in behalf of the Germans, expressed thanks for the invitation extended to the Germans by the Irish in the celebrations of the day. Friendly relations have always existed between the two nationalities, said the speaker. He expressed the hope that such relations shall remain until the end of time. ## N. J. Larko Speaks. Speaking for the Austrians, N. J. Larko told the asscemblage that the name of Ireland was treasured in the hearts of all Austrians. He referred his hearers to the Austrian history as proof for his statement that Austria owed much to the great Irish heroes who came to its aid in times of distress. Mr. Larko said he hoped that the united celebration of St. Patrick's day will continue as the yearly custom in Butte. The program for the afternoon closed with the presentation of the Irish drama, "Kathleen Mavourneen," by the St. Mary's Dramatic club. Dances given in Pallas and Hibernia halls and at the Coliseum under the auspices of the Hibernians last night attracted large crowds and proved enjoyable social affairs. *[Text checked against the page scan at 3x (the Larko lines at 6x), 21 Oct 2026, starting from the tile-by-tile page reading of 20-21 Oct 2026. Replaces a stub whose names were misread. Kept as printed: "apearance", "asscemblage", "Callopy", the broken spacing in the captions. The article ends on page one.]*