Smyrna times., 1878-01-09
For the Smyrna Times.
Helena.

Away Off in the wilderness, $50 miles
from navigable water and 500 miles from
any railroad, lies Helena, the capital OF
Montana and the metropolis of the Moth.
west. Thirteen years ago this fall a party
OF weary prospecters camped upon the site
OF the present city. Tired and worn out by
long days of travel and priyations, and by
continued disappointments they camped
here for the night. When they had
gathered around the campfire after par
taking Of their scanty meal, it was resolved
to sink hole as their last chance right
where they then were in the morning.
Here, unexpectedly, they found the Ell
Dorado for which they had so patiently
sought.
This last chance gulch has since yielded
millions of dollars worth of the precious
metal. Although it has been worked over
several times already and is even now
being worked over by Cinnamon, yet there
is being spent over hundred thousand
dollars in the erection of bedrock fume
10 Work IL over stlIl again.
In this gulch at the mouth of a canon is
Helena.
This city, though having had to contend
with more than the usual drawback to new
cities, can now successfully compare with
Older ones. The whole business portion
having been razed to the ground three
times in quick succession by fire, is now
composed of One-story fire-proof buildings
1t has the life and activity, and does
the business of our Eastern cities of twenty
thousand inhabitants. It's population is
between three and five thousand perma.
nent and several hundred floating.
Like most Western cities it is truly cos.
mopolltan. Sauntering out of the hotel
and down the street, before you have gone
hundred yards, you will have met repre.
sentatives of almost every nation. In fact
as a Helenese ~ has it, the population is
composed of heterogeneous combination
OF multifarious incongruities."
The bulk Of the population, however
consists of Jews and Cinnamon. Bat
must not forget Lo, who can be seen sitting
on the sidewalk playing the truly Western
game Of cinch A large part of the veal
timer portion consists of professional gam
blers, Of whom there are said to be over
one hundred. Here for the first time saw
the game OF faro and saw hundreds Of dol
lars change hands in a few minutes.
Helena's school faculties are good, having
besides very fine grade school, numerou.
private educational institutions. There ar,
several churches of different denomina
tions, but they have not had the effect o
convincing the business portion that Sun
day is not as good as any other, especiall,
Tor business. She has a very good circulat
ing library we'll stocked with choice work,
10y eminent authors. Two live daily news
papers keep tho people informed upon the
topics OF the day, local and otherwise.
Whenever telegraphic communication !,
uninterrupted, which is seldom, the wires
being down more than half the time, the
morning paper here contains the same
news as that contained in the New York
dailies of the same date.
There are numerous mining camps within
a short distance from the city and | EN-.
pIoyed my time very proftably in visiting
them and learning the nodus operandi of the
different kinds of mining.
On the whole l was sadly disappointed
in Helena-fnding town where | expect.
ed to lind a city; finding cottages where l
expected to find mansions, etc.
As | rode out from the town in the gray
dawn of the early morn, l had not a
single regret for what was leaving behind.
Dec. llth, 1877. G. TB