Helena weekly herald., 1878-10-24
"ROB ROYv IN MONTANA.
4 Few Moments in Helena. 1.-The People, the Busi.
ness and Other Items in Regard to this
Flourishing Far Western Thriving
City...A Cosby and Highly
Interesting Letter.
(Omaha Daily Republican, Oct. 12.]

We have at last spent few days in walks
and drives about Helena-the metropolis and
capital of Montana-and are not little sur
prised at the many evidences of her genuine
prosperity Helena is the most recently
founded of all important Rocky mountain
cities, only dating back to 1864, when mil
lions of gold treasure were pouring from the
famous Last Chance gulch, in which the city
is located. Mount Helena, named in honor
of the wife Of the pioneer miner OF the gulch,
rises high above the city on the west, while
the view eastward is across the beautiful
Prickly Pear Valley, and compasses semi
circle of hundred miles of the lofty and
romantic Belt Mountain Range. The moder-
ate altitude, 4,2OO feet, the noble storm bar
riers rising thousands of feet on three sides,
and the uudoubted influence of Pacific winds,
unite to give Helena as fine a summer and
winter climate as that of any city IN the
western mountain country.
The present population of Helena is about
5000, and a more enterprising, busy and con-
tented people cannot be found in all our broad
land Although the city has been thrice dis
troyed by fire, and large proportion OF its
population hes been rendered homeless and
penniless each time, there is not an object OF
charity within it's lmits-indeed it is the boast
of all Montanians, that there has never been
a resident pauper in the Territory. Only
four years have passed since the last sweep
ing conflagration, but we find Helena has
$4,000, 600 worth OF taxable property on the
list to-day. You may imagine that
THE CITY is PRETTY soLIDLY BUILT.
after such repeated warnings. Many busi-
ness houses are perfect fortresses so Tar as
massiveness is concerned. With brick or
stone walls two feet thick, heavy iron doors
and shutters, and vast reserves OF merchan-
disc and other property in large fire-proof
vaults, these indOmitable pioneers are GER
tainly well fortified. On the summit of
lofty bluff, overlooking and commanding
every nook and corner of the city, is the
watchtower of the Fire Department., where
keen eyes are ever looking for the smallest
semblance of the dreaded enemy. Electric
wires connect it with the engine and hose
houses; a good system of water-works, an
efficient fire department and this lynx-eyed
watch have served the city well in recent
years.
We may find elegant and tasty residences
amid beautiful lawns and flower gardens,
and deeply in love with their country that
we must confess they have a complete and
delightful little (no, 6ig) world of their own
in this splendid northland. They are homes
which in all respects would compare well
with those of Denver or Salt Lake City. Ac-
companying them are numerous and very
creditable churches, schools, libraries,
Masonic and Odd Fellows halls, good hotels,
an asylum and hospital, and two of the best
daily and weekly newspapers published in
the far-west States or Territories. OF the
latter can say that the HERALD. ably edited
and published by Fisk Bros, is unquestion-
ably Republican, that 1t has passed through
fire more ways than one, having enunciated
its principles through long series of years
when such principles were anything but pop
ular: Of course, pioneer. it was started IN
the days of
TENTS AND LOG CABINS
and its editors had three or four fights on
their hands inside of an hour after the first
number was on the streets, because of their
very broad Republican platform. In ashes
twice and in spite of this hostility in its
earliest days. we now find the HERALD doing
a business of 500, 900 year, and its fixtures,
consisting of fine steam presses, stylish type.
bindery, a commodious and well arranged
building, etc., worth from $25, 900 to $50, 600.
The Fisk Bros, like many of the other solid
men of the place haye also fine paying ranch
property and large herd of sheep. The In
dependent, also daily and weekly, is "opposi-
n''-Democra:ic-to the core and OF course
occupies good field. Kerley, McQuaid &
LaCroix, all experienced newspaper men, are
the publishers. By hard work they have
built up good business and their journal, as
we'll as the HERALD, is found in almost every
home in the Territory. You may be sure
that these Montanians are in earnest in show
ing their appreciation of home talent and en-
terprise when tell you that the subscription
price of their paper is $6 per year for moder-
ately sized weekies and $22 per year for the
dailies. In addition we find almost every
family taking several of the very best periodi-
calls of the East.
Being the great distributing center of Mon
tana and adjacent British Territory, Helena
has many heavy wholesale and retail mer-
chandising establishments and transportation
lines. The receipts of several of the houses
are about half million dollars each per an
mum. The First National Bank, across the
way, often has total deposits of
MILLION DOLLARS
and nearly half million dollars are paid out
in this busy little city annually for freights
alone. Nine daily and tri-weekly stage lines
gather here the travel and trade OF region
twice as large as the Empire State. The men
and animals thus employed are counted Dy
hundreds, the miles of road traversed running
up in the thousands, and the capital invested
exceeding that represented by good many
of the shorter western railroads. Such en-
terprises as machine shops and foundries,
planning mills, sash, door and blind factories,
smelling works, breweries and distillery add
to the ceaseless hum and solid wealth of the
city.
Sustaining all these are the tributary. min