Helena weekly herald., 1880-01-15

An Interesting Letter From Captain T.
G. Bailey.
SURVEYOR GENERALS OFFICE
SALT LAKE (ZION) CITY. Jan'V Z 1880

TO the Editor or the derald.
find the HERALD a welcome visitor, which
I always read with much satisfaction, as 7
desire to keep posted on Montana affairs.
with view of returning to the Territory at
no distant day, if everything continues to
''pan out" as it has during the past year, as
so creditably set forth in your splendid Ho1I.
DAY HERALD.
l am concerned, in small way at present,
in stock raising in Montana, and | read the
various articles on that important interest
with great attention, and derived much infor-
nation therefrom. Col. Sanders ''Attempt
to Join the Highwaymen, Peter Koch's
eastern Montana,"J j. w. Hannays "New
Years Eve, 1862" Col Wheeler's "Unpub,
lished Chapter Annie II. Barker's Ground
Tower in the West" John w. Eddy's Con
clave," John Potter's "Land of the Shining
Mountains" Frank P. Sterlng's Public
Domain" Pilgrims "Lion Hunting Along
the Yellowstone" and most of your other
articles, were particularly interesting and in
structive, on account of their historical,
literary and other excellencies, their orignali-
ty and vast fund of information.
tell the mining men here that there are
better mines ''lying around loose" in Mon
tana than many in Utah for which fabulous
prices have been paid. For example: The
Old Telegraph Mine, which sold for $3, OOO,-
900, the ore of which only averages about
$40 silver to the ton. Such ore as that in
Montana would be considered worthless, yet
Mr. Holden realized an immense fortune out
of it. But they, the miners, reply, "Montana
is too far away from home" This cry is
the only present objection anywhere raised
to your vast and magnifcently endowed Terri
tory, but that cry, ere long, will be changed
into general ''Hurrah for Montana ~ as the
railways reach you. The two railroads and
the Missouri river will make competition in
freight, which is an advantage that Utah can
probably never boast of. Such competition
will, of course, cause cheap transportation,
and in this Montana will have the advantage
and the people are sure to find it out in due
time, and flock to the Territory by thousands.
like Montana and her whole-souled citi-
zens, and probably should have been in Hell
ena to this day had not Gen'l Kimball, 1.-THE
old war horse" offered me large surveying
contracts in Utah, which induced me to come
to '.Zion" and try my. fortune with the
'Saints." l have no reason to regret the
change as so far have been pleased with the
climate especially, have many friends, good
health, and prosperity. Society is little
mixed, however, and this is the bane of res
idence here. There are no politics in which
a Gentle can engage; no lively campaigns;
no stump speeches in favor of this or that
candidate. The leading Mormons nominate
and the Saints step up and vote as they are
told.
Last August change in the chief clerkship
in the Surveyor Generals office here became
necessary, and being solicited by Gen'l Salo-
mon, our Surveyor General, to accept the
place, telegraphed to my brother, then in
Illinois, to come out to ''Zion" and assume
charge Of my land Office business. He con-
sented and came at once, whereupon | aC-
cepted the position offered me, and so feel
more at home with my brother and family
than I ever did before since coming to
''Zion."
The business in the Surveyor Generals Of
flee is ''booming." There were 135 mineral
surveys made since July 1st, 1S79 against
11S during the previous year; we have six
clerks in the office, and are still unable to
keep up with the current work on mineral
surveys. One claimant, not long since, made
application for 90 surveys in one day on iron
claims. The mining interests in Utah are
lively enough. The snow, and cold, stormy
weather of the last few weeks does not cool
the ardor of the eager miner. He pitches in
with as much vim as though it were midsum-
mer. Park City is thriving, and will be The
Leadville of Utah. The Ontario Company
are panning out the silver at the rate Of $780,
900 per month.
Had the time, as | have the desire,
would write you often on matters of interest
to your readers, but my duties tie me down
so closely that when leave my desk am
too weary and have no inclination to write to
any one Lewis and Blake, the butchers from
Helena, are here. Frank Taylor met dur
ing the Holidays in ''Zion" interviewing the
"Saints." He will have quite an item 10
charge as ''wastage" in balancing his accounts
for 1879.
In conclusion, am pleased to remark tnAs
my thoughts run back along the dim pain o.
years to the many pleasant, gay times ENJOY
ed with the good soclable folks of Montana
and shall ever hold my old friends there
ir, of, orH nrls.