Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-06-20
CHURCH BUILDING IN MONTANA.

We believe it is the history OF wester
towns that as soon as they begin to loor
: up in importance and people begin to cor
: slider them permanent in character, th
building of churches and school houses
commenced. Such. at least, has been tn
experience of most of the towns in Mon
tana. Butte may perhaps be properly con
sidcred to some extent an exception to tlii
rule. for while being the second town il
size in the Territory and fortunately hav
ing an excellent school building. it has III
to the present time no church edifice
Noticing by the Butte Miner that step.
were being take =. in Butte toward building
a church. the estimated cost being stated al
5000 and the amount subscribed for the
purpose being $4,000. wewere led to recall
| TO mind the result Of similar projects in
other portions of the Territory. We
thought of the experience Of Virginia City.
where church edifice was started. and IN
an unfinished state was wrested from the
society that commenced it, simply because
the cost had not been taken into consider
alton. We thought of the experience of
Bozeman-of Helena-of Missoula-of
Deer Lodge-and of Sheridan; and in view
of the fact that few. if any. Of the above
places have their churches finished and paid
for, notwithstanding the fact that they
have had help from other portions OF the
Territory and from the East. we fe-t it our
duty to warn Butte, that she might escape
such an unpleasant experience. We did
this in all Kindness, but realizing its inn
portance, we advised them to buy their
own sermons and prayer books, preach
out doors, or rent a hall, ''but never at
tempt to build ten thousand dollar
church with the sum Of $4,000 on paper
The Miner does us great injustice. not
only in misquoting us on the subject and
what we said. but in call
nc what we wrote "uncalled for ridicuie
Of worthy project" and in saying ''lr the
COURIER could find no word of encourage
nent tor so laudable an enterprise, it might |
It least have had the decency to say moth
ng against it,"
ID one word against the project; but, on
he contrary. said in the article with which
he Miner finds fault, 1T is a worthy and
audablc enterprise; What we did say.
vas against building $4,000 church with
2, 900 in subscriptions and $4,000 in hope.
We will take the amount the Miner esti-
mates the church will cost, and what would
Ne thought of man with $4,000 capital who
would erect $4,000 building when he
new there would be no revenue derived
rom the investment? Wouldn't every
very man call him fool? And yet when
community or a society erect building !
n the same plan. would you bestow I'M ,
tinted praise on them? If so, we ask to s
e excused, preferrin2 rather to praise t
he men who base their calculations on Z
hat is in sight and cut their cloth accord {
Ugly. S
1t may be very nice when speaking of
ur church to say lit is the largest and best :
| the Territory" but would it not be far e
etter to be able to say, while aknowledg- S
lg that it is not as large or beautiful as e
ome in the Territory, that I'll IS paid .for9" S
We could not. have been guilty of throw a
g cold water on the church building pro- c
ct. for next to school house we believe !
church to be one of the best ornaments f
town. and we knew Butte had the a
hool house. 4
We wish it to be distinctly understood s
lat we have no issue with the Miner, nor ii
it'll the good people of Butte, in regard o
this laudable enterprise, and yet we n
aim that our subscribers there and else fl
here are justly entitled to our best e.
oughts and suggestions on the subject p
Hiding is not. strictly speaking. 1l ocalE, ;
rtainly not an individual or private en- Il
rprise. 1t is not by any means unusual o
call on other communities for assistance in
completing such undertakings, and we
uld, without difficulty, name generous p
arted men who have contributed liber- az
y toward the erection of nearly every r.
urch ediiice in the Territory. So that in
IS view Of the matter, church building en-
comes a public enterprise in which all ST.
more or less concerned. to
The Miner would have us believe that pr
, means and methods Of doing business en-
Butte are extraordinary and exceptional isl
tn that flourishing camp; that. in short, hi
! millennium has been ushered in, with st:
tie as the initial point, be
"Where names and sects and parties fall. by
And the NJ. 4. Church is all in ALL lis
lear it: ''When the final appeal is made RI
contributions toward the church fund. an
citizens will only remember that assis- th
ce is required tor an institution recog- de
ed as the friend of moralitv.-as the Ia,
de towards an upright course and so
per life. and without waiting to enquire sal
the particular tenets or doctrines to be ma
nlcated in its teachings each one, be he phi
holic or Protestant, Israelite or Chris ~. y!
|, devout believer or nationalist, will 70,
tribute according to his means.'' the
We only trust that the most sanTline Sal
of the Miner may be realized. pr
we have to say, and all we intended to
mate in our previous remarks, is that D.
history and experience of the people az,
Montana in church building does not w.
rely furnish or Justify the glowingly on,
ltiful anticipatiOns of the Butte Miner. H..
h. perhaps, one or two exceptions. we ~,
eve all the church ediiices are. or have ~
l. suffering under serious pecuniary oa, u
although nearly if not t",.
ave received very material assistance ~" 'N