New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-10-18
MINING IN MONTANA.
YIN.


prhRS LAWYERS. DOCTORS AND ENrkRrs-MoR-
AIS OF THE TOwN-ITs LOCATION AND GENERAL
APPEARANCE.
trrop 4 STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRiBUSEl
Butte CITY, Mont, Sept. 27-The stranger
who. four years ago, strayed 50 far away from 'ne
more freouented lines of travel in Montana as TO
visit Butte found only one of those most melan-
choly of ali sights in this far Western country
deserted mining camp. Tue wonderful deposits oil
silver ore the development OF which now promises
TO make this one of the most important mining CEN
tres of the entire Rocky Mountain region were GER
tanly know TO those remarkably shrewd and obser-
want men, the early prOspectOrs. AS early as lSOl
mining district had already been organized here
and several hundred claims had been StaAed out
Even the men who camped on Baboon Guch IN the
sr,,ng of that wear cannot claim the honor OF being
the first discoveries of the hidden wealth oil Butte
for II Is said they found. during their earliest eN-
poratons prospect hole sunk four or i've feet deep
On what Is known rs the Original Lode discloS-
ing the silycr-bcarng ore and near it were found
elk horns which had been used for Cads.' VINO
the adventurous pioneer IN Butte was. or what the
date of his visit will probably never be known.
HE WORK was evidently several years old II lo6+
and while he must have known something OF the
richness 81 the mine he discovered, he also knew
how utterly worthless al tha. time was any lode III
Montana that required expensive machinery for TIE
reduction of its ore. he never even staked ont a
claim.
For few months in 1864 there was genuine
mining excl cement here. The town was laid out
many cabins were built. and men who were here IN
those times will point out the curious stranger
the site OF the drinking-sloons, the gambling
houses and the most popular dance-house. bu
even the men Of So were ahead OF the times. Inc
richest silver mine IN the camp did not ana cou'd
not be made TO Weld ITS owner DOLLAR w'th the
lack of facilities that then existed for reducing or
selling the ore: and during the following Winter
when rich pacers were discovered at SlFer Bow,
seven miles down the creek of that name there was
a sampcir from Butte The cabins that lined lis
streets were deserted the saloon keeper moved hs
stock of liquors. the gambler ms chips and cards,
and the proprietor Of the hurly-house his dancing
rlrls 10 the more promising town. and tins place
went to decay. A few men fingered about their old
hsunts like uneasy ghosts and one or two. with
urboundcd faith in the ultimate development OF the
nnrs and their fabulous value, persevered for ten
Years doing enough work each season 10 preserve
their possessory titles. But the majority allowed
tkcir claims 10 lapse.
The revival in Butte began in 1S74-'15. As
nearly as can learn there was never stampede TO
the revivng camp. few prospector came here
FROM other parts of the Territory, and began 10
stake ont claims The reports OF the rich ore fonnd
Oh the Original aud Trevona Lodes attracted the at
teatioa of capitalists in the Territory and during
the following Summer two small mills. one of ten
stamps and one of five. were erected In the Sprin
ofls75. also. the Walker Brothers. a very wealthy
firr of salt Lake City who had previously been n-
tercsied IA some If the largest and most profitable
miaiLg operations ia Ctah. began TO develop the
Alice Nine about a mile and halt above Butte, and
about the same time Judge y. }. Davis and others
took ont rich ore from mines which they bad
aecuired The erection of mills and aTaStfas, The
sinking Of shafts and driving OF levels, and the
Shipment of the richer grades of ore the East and TO
Europe for reduction, gave employment 70 good
rnany working men. and with theIn OF course, came
merchants hotel-kecpers, hQuor-dealers, gamblers,
LAWYERS. doctors, experts-ln snort men of every
occupation who thought that they could turn an
honest or dishonest penny IN the new and proms-
Ing mining camp.
Butte has grown to its present proportions grad
uxIY and without any % those reactions which
oyertake almost every successful mining town some
tiae in il early history Is present population Is
about $500. and large proportion OF the people
have come here TO remain permanently. bringing
their families and establishing homes. Good schools
hare been organized, aud brick srhooihousc, which
with its furniture is said to nave cost $4,000, has
becu erected. The number of pu lis enrolled is
about 800. Religions societies have been formed,
aud a branch of the Young Mems Christian Assocla-
ton has been established, with large comfortable
resding-room. in which are 10 he found nearly all
leading new Spapers and periodicals of the coun-
try. There are two banks, both doing large and
YER profitable business. one daily newspaper and
two kl,es two good hotels, and the merchants
I'm every branch of trade have large and carefully
selected stocks of goods.
While Butte affords many of the comforts and
lu1nres OF Eastern civilization, while it offers good
religions and educational advantages and refined
societV il also has the vices OF mining camps. Of
gambling and drinking there appears 10 be no end,
and dance-hOuses and other dens of INF amy seem 10
DE very literally patrOnZed. he gambling houses
am told have done an unusually profitable busi-
ness even for a successful mining camp. Many OF
the best mines here are owned by OLD prospectors
and followers of new mining eXcltements VINO
would nave sold ont long ago and gone away hut
for the fact that their properties have required the
investment OF no capital for their development but
have Welded large incomes from the start. Some of
these have been regular fTequenteIs OF the
gambling-houses and having plenty of money, play
high. suppose these vices are inevitable IN every
mining camp OF any SIZE. ana the Only thlng that
the respectable citizens of such city IL Butte
can expect do, for long time at least, H. 70 drive
them under cover and out OF SIGHT. There Is not
yet. probably, pubic sentiment strong enough 10
do even that.
Butte is situated in the foothills on the western
SLOPE of the main range OF TIE kOcky Mountains
and about twelve miles from the top of the divide.
Silver Bow Creek. one OF the small stream IN winch
the Deer Lodge River has Its source rlses m summit
Valley "A few miles south of this place, and flowing
north parallel with the main range, which T. here
very steep and rocky, with sharp top Ike the roOf
of a house AT least 800 or 1000 feet above the
intervening country, turns - the west opposite The
city. The bars of this creek were Tor MANY years
the Of profitable placer operations, espe-
cially few miles below, but the gold has now
been all washed out, and very little pay
glOund" remains. Going up out OF summit val
ley toward the north, one mounts succession OF
cTa-s-cuVcred foot hills not steep but broken
al intervals 10y outcroppngs of granite lodges or
piles of granite bOulders. About halfway from the
the of the first OF hills Is SIT