Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-08-01
MONTANA.
a Good Place to Ratse Stock, But Bad for {
Poor Nun.
lCorre.pondence Of the Globe.

i Poor Nun.
| Correspondence of the Globe.
HELENA, Montana, July 10, 1879. Helena
is situated on the south side of Prickly Pear
valley, on the foothills of Mount Helena,
and is about 1890 feet above the sea level
The actual population is about 5000, large
portion of whom are southerners who set
tied here at the close of the war. In answer
to the question SO often propounded in the
States, particularly by young men who think
of making a big trip, How are times in Mon
tana? would say that if you have capital You
will find times very good, but if without
means times are such that if you consult
your interest you will remain at home,
and not subject yourselves to the laughs and
jeers of those who by their overdrawn &C.
counts of the country inveigle you hither,
then apply to you the derisive epithet of
"tenderfeet" or pilgrim" No better place
for poor man than Minnesota. IT'S true
mon receive high wages here for few
months in the year, as for instance, team
sters receive from 1856 to $50 per month and
board, but when we take into consideration
the amount of work to be performed, the
short duration of such wages, the style of
living, the cost of clothing, we find the
wages to be comparatively small. The work
of teamster is to take care of and drive
from five to twelve yoke of oxen, or from
four to eight span of mules, cook his bacon,
bread and coffee and sleep under the wagon.
nothing to do, and unless they have been
very economical during the working season
find it difficult to provide the mere
necessaries to sustain life, as they while away
the long winter in smoky log cabin. few
men desiring to pay from 81 to $12 per
week for board at hotels during their idle
hours in winter. The cost of luxury here is
enormous, i. g., daily paper 25c., cigars 10
to 2Oc., drinks Is to 25c. $50 we've been
told by old pioneers.) Stay east, young man,
stay east, and embrace your opportunities.
The great highway TO wealth here is the
stock business, Montana being natural
home for stock, as they live the year around
by grazing, not even requiring salt, the
deposits of alkali answering the purpose.
A thousand ewes here in the spring will cost
from three to four thousand dollars, accord
ing to the average increase. At the end of
the first year the "band" will be doubled
lambs being considered worth as much as
grown sheep. The gain the first year is 100
per cent, saying nothing about the wool, the
average yield being from five to six pounds
per head. Wool brings in Helena from 16
to rs cents per pound. The cattle business
is still more remunerative, but requires
longer time to obtain return. In order to
raise good crops here it is necessary to irri-
gate extensively, which makes farming quite
expensive.
The Indians have been very troublesome
in some of the valleys the past few weeks.
A few days ago number of Indians under
took to run off band of about fifty horses
in the Missouri valley, about forty miles
from here, but were overtaken by some ranch
men, who killed four of the red skins and
recovered the horses, one white man being
slightly wounded. Last week young man
of a fishing party was killed in Lincoln
Gulch by one of "poor To-" More anon.
tsRIAHo MoTo