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East Butte recollections by Don Orlich
New book chronicles long gone neighborhoods
By John Grant Emeigh of The Montana Standard - 02/02/2009
(with permission from both John & the newspaper)

Don Orlich Butte book

      Butte native Donald Orlich may be living in the Northwest, but his heart remains on the East Side.

      The retired professor from Washington State University has been living in Pullman, Wash., for many years, but it occurred to Orlich that some of his best stories about his life seem to come out of Butte.   Orlich decided to collect these stories in a memoir titled (what else?) "Out of Butte."   The memoir is not only the fond memories of Orlich's youth, but it's also the story of a Butte neighborhood most of which has been consumed by the mining industry.   He writes glowingly about old East Side neighborhoods of Meaderville, McQueen and East Butte.

      "Our community is basically buried in the overburden," Orlich said in a phone interview with The Montana Standard last week.   Orlich, 77, grew up on Cherry Street in Butte, and remained in the Mining City until the 1960s.   Since then he worked as a science professor at Idaho State University, before becoming a WSU Cougar.   In that time, Orlich said he shared many stories with his family about his time in the Mining City.   That's when someone suggested he write a book.

      Over the past few years, Orlich wrote down his memories of Butte. He sent them to an editor he knew from Massachusetts, and had the book published by University See RECOLLECTIONS, Page A7 Publishing through WSU.   The result is a large format, 91-page memoir packed with stories and old photographs of people and neighborhoods — both long gone.

      Orlich waxes about a gang he once belonged to called the "East Butte Owls."   It was not so much a gang in the modern sense, but a "boys club" of good pals from the East Side neighborhoods of Butte.   He described this clique as just a "bunch of kids having fun."   But, like a gang, the Owls were protective of their neighborhood.   He said the Owls took pride in their Harrison School, and it was never the victim of vandalism.   "Nobody messed with the school, or they were going to have to deal with the Owls," he said.

      Orlich writes about the Owls' unofficial headquarters, known as "the shack."   The shack was nothing more than an old, wooden railcar that was contributed to the neighborhood many years ago by Northern Pacific Railway.   The shack sat next to an outdoor ice rink off of Plum Street.   When they weren't using it to keep warm after skating, the Owls would stay in there for hours playing cards.   Whist was the favorite game.   Playing cards with guys who went by nicknames like "Feet" and "Porky," Orlich admitted they used many signals to get the upper hand on the competition.   "Nobody could figure out why were such good whist players," Orlich said with a sly laugh.

      Orlich was in Butte last October at Books and Books to sign copies of his memoir when it was first released.   Jo Antonioli, owner of the store at 206 W. Park, said interest in the book has been high and sales have been good.   She said people from the old East Side neighborhood have purchased Orlich's book.   "Everyone here likes to collect books on the history of Butte," Antonioli said.

      Orlich said he was in Butte last July for a reunion when he saw many people from his old neighborhood.   He plans to return to the Mining City this summer to visit old friends and see what's left of the East Butte Owls' old roost.   "You almost have a tear in your eye, because you remember how it used to be!" he said.

— Reporter John Grant Emeigh may be reached via e-mail at john.emeigh@lee.net
Published in The Montana Standard on 02/02/2009.


If you are interested in purchasing one or more copies of Don's new book 'Out of Butte',
Contact: 'Books and Books' in Butte, Montana via e-mail to booksbutte@cs.com
    OR
Contact: the man ... Don Orlich himself via e-mail to dorlich@wsu.edu

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Page created: Feb. 05, 2009 and modified: Feb. 06, 2009