Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-08-15
LETTER FROM HE."S0CIAL CITY,"
A stage Rlde.-The First Town In the
TerrftOPy.-'' Old.Time MOntan.
ians.''--Public Buildings.
VIRGINIA CITY. Montana, !
August 6, 1873. (

VIRGINIA CITY. Montana,
August 6, 1878.
TIC the Editor of the Arant Courier:
y" Il is barely possible that there are othe
things as well calculated to thorough
y demoralize and drive every scribbling pre-
T. pensity out Of person as coach rid
e from Bozeman to Virginia City in on
, day, and when the thermometer stands a
81 i'll the shade, but, thus far, we hav
It neither seen or heard of anything just s.
o effective. We have not Travelled over tl,i
route for year or two, but we did no
1 find the improvements or changes so grea
e but that, without much effort we coul'
J. recognize the broad expanse and almos
q every natural object on the line of tn
r. road; while the humping and jerking o
the irrepressible ''jerky,' the clouds o
!, alkaline dust, and the scorching heat of al
!, August sun, forcibly reminded us Of by
: gone days and years when we were ''stran
gers and pilgrims to the unalloyed pleas
ures of Montana coach riding.
Certainly, there is no ague or mountain
fever that can rest complacently on dys
peptic stomach or torpid liver during sucl
an ordeal, and yet we are hardly prepared
to say that the cure is not worse than the
disease.
For several days and nights we have
been endeavoring to put on our blandesl
smiles and most winning ways, and, il
possible, render oursel: agreeable in
short, we have been trying to like Virginia
City and all her good people, but we can
not forget or overcome The effects of that
coach ride from two o'clock in the morn
ing to seven at night.
Duging short and lucid intervals, we
have sort OF indistinct impression that
Virginia City was the first town in the
Territory; that she was once the metropo-
lis and the steady stamping ground of
5000 to 10000 busy and, in great part,
prosperous and adventurous pioneers /;
and that, in certain sense, she is the
mother of us all, but the unpleasant i'm
preston of the last stage ride mitigates
fearfully against either her present worth
or by-gone greatness.
However. we will say that we have been
kindly treated and Hospitality entertained
during our stay with the dear old Moptan-
ians of the ''sccial city" Capt. Rodgers
and his amiable family will make one feel at
home almost in spite of outward circ,lnl-
stances and inward disturbances.
Somehow or other, one gets wonder full
ly attached to those ''old-time" Montan-
ians, and ut times we become almost con-
scious of a sort of exclusive and, perhaps,
selfish feeling, that regards with suspicion
and disapprobation any influx of ''pil-
grims," with whom, eventually, we shall
necessarily become identified, and who
will come in for share of our attention
and. perhaps, regard. We should like to
see all the old Montanians of '63 and ga at
least, rich and prosperous, as they deserve
to be. and, if possible. owners of the en-
tire Territory. This is no doubt selfish
feeling, bat it is a weakness that is difficult
to overcome, and, in view of mutual
struggles, common dangers and united ef-
forts for existence, during our long and
unavoidable isolation in the Rocky Noun
tains, may it not be considered an crcusa-
Bile weakness? At any rate, we would not
dives. ourselves Of the high consideration
and profound respect that we entertain
for Virginia City and her time-honored
citizens. The former, it's true, is but
faint reminder of former prosperity, but
the latter is the tried gold OF determined
end shf hssn nfHs c If a pr Saf
undergone any very marked changes or
improvements for several years, bu. during
[iiis time We are pleased to notice she has
made commendable progress in the cree
ION OF valuable public buildings. Among
''lese, are the new NJ. E. Church buildno,
winch, though not very imposing struc-
ure' is nevertheless quite substantial, and
model of neatness and comfort the pub J
&c school building, which is a large. sub :
tahtial and cOmmOdiOus brick edifice and 4
It's external and interior arrangements. 2
dmlrab-y calculated tor the purpose for s
mich it was built. Then we have tho z
magnificent new court house. which is 0
ct only the largest and most imposing S
lructure OF the kind in the Territory. hut u
ne that would be credit to any county Y
asst, even though containing population 81
laal 10 that OF our entire Territory. We a'
slted the building to-day for the first "
me, and through the courtesy of ,Jndoe "
uffiey and Sheriff Edsell We were shown II
rough all its apartments. The basement I'd
used as county Jail, and contains the WI
ost approved iron cells, keepers rooms. on
tcten, closets, and all the modern con- all
Eiences Of similar institutions. The first
or of the building, as usual, is divided
INTO county offices, to four of which
attached spacious and Well secured oo,
OK vaults for the safe keeping of county . ac =
'ds' DOCKS, papers and legal documents. ="
the second floor is the court room LIE
per, and the grand and petite iury -
ms. The court room is really a LARGO
cheerful one, about fifty feet square. :
is well and handsomely furnished: in -
:, all the rooms in the entire BUILDING -
large, cheerful, well lighted, and prop-
ventilated, and are substantially and
efully finished. We are informed that q
'st but little over forty thousand dol Of s
I'VE should hive estimated it Mt not and
thar fifty 70 sixty thousand), and it tion
AMY appears to us as the best and will
pest job done in Montana, except. den:
laps. the Bozeman graded school build. anr
ana reflects great credit on the judy -. !.
and efficient management of the 80
MY commissioners. In this lautlable G.,
,tv h.w. rn. "sn'a ana Madison spec
ken and accomplished by Bozcman eth I
= ,rv ,o.te" :" the l
doc,. "o.'oy 700 long, and form
. s,,t,,,. .;. luz" u o'ner matters to full in
the s.