The Montana post., 1869-03-26
a LErTER PROV moNrAN.


March Sd, letter uritten from Helen,
by a correspondent signing himself an
Z. w" There is scarcely truthnl
sentence in it. From a remark in the
letter he is ostensibly writing from tho
International, better kept. cleaner
and more comfortably furnished house
than there was in Omaha three Years
ago, but the probability is he is tens
derhead as well as a tendertoot and
"batching" in a "den," that if not
"ghostsbreeding" was still not barren
of shapes that walk at night:
HELENA. Montana, Feb. 8, 1869
Here am l, your unworthy correspon.
dent, this cold, wheeling, whistling
whirling night, two thousand miles
from Omaha and nearly four thousand
from home, in this dustsbegrimmed
dirty, dingy apartment, seated beside a
table, whose four unsteady legs repre>
sent the irregular angles of an equal
number of spokes shooting out from the
hub of a wheel, with a rickety pen iu
hand. q blurred and blotted sheet before
me and upon the table. In this cheer
less, un:nviting, ghost-breeding cell ofa
room, which, properly considered, cons
stitutes the gable end of a second class
hash honse." I'm writing
But now desire to talk with you and
your readers for little while concern
ing this marvellous young metropolis of
what you denominate as the"Far North
west" | shall not detain you long, for
the totterlng imbecility of the herein
IL he e..
that only about an inch of spermaceti
candle remains within the augur hole
have so ingeniously appropriated to is
use, rather warn me that to make haste
will prove virtue. But l shall have
to turn squarely around and state. what
was about to state anyway. that, BARR
ing Echo and Bryan cities, perhaps this
town of Helena is the fastest horse on
the race track 1t is thunder and
lightning all the way through-thun>
der by day and lightning by night
There are probably 1900 people with
in it's incoherently designated limits
Some people here think there are 90
600 of population, but you know how
natural it is "out west" to measure men
and things with the wrong yard stick
Every other house. almost, is a grog
shop, a dance or "hurdy gurdy" hall,
the latter being supplied with the uglis
est women. who dance all night, the
most villainous whisky, Il only know
from hearsay) and the sickliest music
ever heard or seen outside of pandemo-
MUM. These places of glittering vices
are freely licensed to deal in liquid and
other extra fine qualities of damnation.
Nobody appears to be in the least put
out by the presence of these sink holes.
so thickly dotting the sidewalk above
and below that you are liable at any
moment to run into or fall into one of
them | confess TO having been around
the circle, viewing the elephant from
several stand points, and admiring and
condemning equally his few magnificent
and his many contemplate qualities.
SIt is no disgrace, so considered here
to visit these dens, for there it is you
find your most intimate friends Judges,
lawyers, doctors -everybod in fact.
But now try and imagine yourself at my
elbow, and this accomplished, we will
swing around the circle" just far
enough to get glimpse of the kind OF
/ life one is able to find in these hell-holes
of chandeliered crime. Here is long,
low, rough appearing frame structure,
with port-holed windows along the sides,
double doors in front, just outside Of
POISONING the air with unhealthy
sounds. We enter the hall, now bril-
! liant with rows of burning candles-ior
remember iL is highland jambed with
drunken miners, the respectable element
IN the community, others who are cut,
throats, some who are professionally
nothing more nor less than handy tools
for any and all villainous purposss.
Every man, we were careful to observe,
had a fine looking pistol buckled TO bus
| side-never used, we understand, only
when it becomes actually necessary TO
shoot friend.
There are twenty>three tables in the
room or hall, which is. perhaps, 2O
feet In length; some of these tables are
large, while others are small. This
however, is all the same. for the super.
ln.endents of each are alike contemptl'
bic to the eye of a decent man. There
is game of Faro" around which Is
assembled the friends of both winner
and loser. Five thousand dollars II
gold-dust is lying in sack upon TIE
table. The unfortunate loser is hrea
with gambling rage" and is just nov
cursing song by note; the lucky "desf
er" and his infamous "cappers, Ar
alive with exultant spirits
Here, again, is keno" stand. seem
ingly well patronized; there a three
card monte" trap, at which q Roman
nosed jew is operating the tricks; her,
one thing, there another, all and eaehs
baited net to string the unwary foOL
1t is safe to cay that one Thousand men
have entered this hall toSnight; sons
have returned poorer for the visit. otl'
ers have been fed on a baited hooA,
that they may be the more easI5
caught hereafter. Probably S2OV"
have changed hands in this one placs
tonight, and there are dozens OF suS1
sinks in town But the inch Of canos
has disappeared, and the pen mu
stop. My next will contain so~'
dings."