The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1880-11-17
A lively Description Of the Doings in that
Camp, by our Special Correspondent
Dicks Dicacious Dietion.
GALENA Cry, Nov. 7th 1880.

To the RIVER Press:
At your request, andaccording to promise
made you on leaving Benton, that during my
winters %sojourn in this newly discovered
Eldorado, I would chronicle for the RIVER
PRESS such events of local interest as might
occur, will attempt to make good my promise.
The impression made upon the visitor as
be first enters the Barker District, whether
by the new wagon road recently opened by
Messrs. Wright 6 Edwards, or by way of the
steep trail over the Divide, draw from him
EXPLANATIONS of agreeable surprise, and force
him to the conclusion that he is in a mining
camp Of no mean %pretensions. He is at once
greeted by q scene of busy, active life; around
him he sees scores of men engaged in building
for themselves and others large and comforta-
BILE cabins to be used as winter quarters;
skilled carpenters are heWing smooth the
great pine logs, or putting the finishing touch
to some larger building intended as a bust
ness house the coming spring; he hears the
sharpclick of the prospector's pick as he hunts
for the hidden treasure, the ring of the wood
mans ak; and the crash of falling pines all
tend to convince him that the bright future
and rich results expected from the Barker
District are not to be denied.
While in Benton and before I had seen with
my own eyes the bright prospects Of this now
famous mining camp, I had often heard the
expression used 'sthatJ If the Barker District
should come up to expectation and pan out
good etc, }" but now having seen it and add
ing to my belief the testimony of scores of
old miners who have been in all the import
ant mining-camps of the West, there are no
more ''Jif8' in regard to the future of the
Barker District. 1t is bound to be a big
camp. There are mines enough already de-
veloped and being worked daily which will
place it second to no other camp in the
Territory, to say nothing Of the scores Of
leads only partially developed, but which
promise as rich in mineral wealth as those
already established on a paying basis. It is
the prediction Of everyone [ meet That next
year will see q stampede TO the srker Dis
trict never before equalled ia Montana, and
som even go SO far as to predict that
it will, ere long, become a second Leadyille.
Three cities have been laid out in the Dis
trict, viz: Galena City, Hughes City and
Leadville, the first two of which have been
surveyed and plated and many good lots
taken. The third, LeadVille, is beautifully
Io0nfn1 cr a clnpsrnc horoh or, 4bn v-oc4@csIn
of Galena Creek and opposite Galena City,
but has not yet been surveyed and plated.
Mr. John Lilly is to be Recorder and is now
in Benton making the necessary arrange
ments. From the advantages which Nature
has given it, Leadville will, sooner or later,
become the favorite building site Of the
camp, and already some Of the bonanza
kings imagine they see, in the misty depths
of the future, their stately broWn-stone fronts
(more often known as 'Sair-castles') rising
in all their architectural beauty and colossal
splendor(N
Owing to the depth Of snow in the gulch,
prospecting for this season is over, and moth
ing will be done in that line until spring
opens; but those who have tunnelled their
leads or sunk shafts upon them continue to
push their work with vigor, regardless OF the
snow. Men and teams are arriving daily,
bringing in their winters supplies with then,
and it IS estimated that over one hundred
men will winter in the camp.
A meeting was held the Monday evening
before election, IN Hughes City, to nominate
candidates for the offices of Justice of the
Peace, Constable and Road Supervisor. AS
there were but three vacancies to be filled,
and so much good material on hand TO choose
from, it became evident that ome of the
many aspirants for the several offices were
doomed to disappointment. After some half
dozen names for each office had been pre-
sented to the chair, the friends of the candi-
dates became noisy, and no ballot was taken.
It was finally decided that the best policy
would be to mike no nominations, but let the
boys vote fur the men they thought best
qualified to fill the offices. Mr.. C. q. Collins,
of the Bank of Northern Montana, Fort
Benton, who was present, was then called
upon for . speech, AND. responded in bis
usual eloquent and mastery style. Mr.. Col
Inns spoke of the bright prospects which he
believed awaited the camp in the near future.
He had, be said, formerly been q miner him
self, as several Of his hearers could testify,
andhad worked side by side whit some before
him, in the same ditch, twelve years ago.
lie had travelled over nearly every foot Of Old
Meagher, and loved and reYered her. MT only