The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1864-10-01
From PrickTy Pear,
MONTANA Cry. Sent 12 l26I

| l-csgr on MONTANA pe H.A: CITY, Sept. is, 1864.
EDITOR TOR Posr :---Since writing nv last,
have moved farther down the creek and an
making my headquarters at the toll-eatt
on the Benton road and kept by Jesse
Crooks. There we made the acquaintance
OF Mr.: Merrill, our county Recorder. MT
Merrill is one of the first settlers in thi,
part OF the country, and is known far and
near, as an honest, upright and thorough
business man. Thus he will make a good
ohcer, and if what everybody saws is true,
me is the right man in the right place.,
Montana City is new town, only sur
veyed last week. 1t already contains eight
houses finished and fifteen are being built.
while twenty-five or thirty will be COM
menced shortly. Thus YOU see, from the
rapid progress we are making, there soon
will be city here, which, for business,
wealth and population, may ss;ere long rival
Virginia and other of its older sister towns.
Inc city is being built upon q large level
ana beautiful piece of ground, some 2miles
,oeiow the tol-gate and where the Benton
read leaves the creek. twill possess many
advantages over the little towns started
farther up the creek-in fact, this is the
only location where a town of any size could
be successfully built. { Being in, central
part OF the country, the county ,seatl will
probably be removed hither, as Gallatin,
the former one, is totally depopulated.
, The timber, water and pasturage is better
here than We, have seen elsewhere. The
climate is more genial-scarcely any
snow falling during winter, while far
ther up, towards the head of the creek
and Boulder valley, much falls, and winter
holds longer. Placer mining pays very we'll
while gold and silver lodes abound. \ y
Prickly Pear gulch extends for eighteen
or twenty miles from the head, down a creek
of the same name. All the bars seem TO
pay well. The bed OF. the stream has not
yet been properly tested. Some have gone
down almost to the bed rock and got good
The water impeded further
Several companies are making
to g feel for the rock" and if
the bed Of the stream be properly opened,
we do MOI seoswhy there will not be good
diggings found. r2-"-o ..'..,- -. a.|
The Grampian, Fanny, Silver Bones, Eu-
reka and Superior, are considered among
the richest lodes yet discovered. The Bay
State, Courtright, America and other lodes
may also prove good.~ The company owning
the Grampian lode intend having a mill in
operation in, the spring, possibly this fall.
Mr.. Merritt brought from Iowa with him,
. saw mill, which is only three miles above
Montana. The mill will be in operation
shortly, and from. tho splendid timber
growing here, lumber can be furnished at
cheap rates. Thus building
as well as mining will be much facilitated
by Mr.. MerrilPs enterprise. The nlant;fpI
supply of timber and the great demand will
undoubtedly make n saw mill paving IL
stitution. More anon. Yours in haste.
,s.H'-. 49,. III ;.... .'.fzs RovEH. a
, I'VE are obliged to our friend sc Rover %
for his communication and reg sret that want
Of space conpels US to omit some para
graphs not of strictly business nature.
Our correspondents must be kind enough
"a communicate facta only and tbos. =.