The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1881-12-14
BARKER BREVITIES.
The Outlook at the Most Promising
Camp in Montana.
The Smelter Perfect Success to Date
Prof. Foss Knows no such Word
as Fail.
Numerous News Nuggets Picked Up in
the Galch by River Press"
Representative.
BARKER BREVITIES.

We will preface these notes on our trip to
in the holiday number Of the RIVER PRESS
to give more detailed revieW5of the mines
Of this district, the work that has been done
and the general prospects Of the camp But
few of the notes taken will be utilized at this
time. When we remember that the first To-
cations at Barker were made but two years
ago, the progress Of the camp in that short
time is simply wonderful, and, as many of
the miners inform US, is without precedent
in the annals of quartz mining in Montana.
THE TOWNS
There are almost as many houses in Bar
ker as ia Benton, and contracts for the erec-
ton Of additional structures are being let
every day. From one end Of the gulch to
the other, 9 distance of tvs Iiles, there IS
almost continuous line of cabins, many OF
them constructed Of hewed logs, and when
completed will be neat and comfortable
residences The principal drawback in the
way of building is the scarcity OF lumber,
which cannot be obtained at any price The
saw mill in connection viii the smelter can
not be run while the cTusher is in operation,
and as the company has had use for neatly
all they could saw, outsiders have stood
rather poor show Of obtaining the lumber
to complete their houses. Prof. Foss intends
in tew days to move the mill out Of the
smelter building to the fiat below where It
will be connected by long belt and operated
| at such times as the crusher is not running.
Another engine have been ordered and IN the
spring the saw mill will be removed to Pat
rick's ranch, a few miles down the gulch,
| where the company has several hundred
! thousand feet of good timber, much Of it al
| ready cut When this move is made lumber
| will not be 50 scarce an article. In this con-
nectlon we might state that Joe Lessard and
others propose TO put in mill near the tor
mer's ranch, ten miles from Barker, Tor
which they have now large number Of logs
cut.
\ Gold Run, the town where the smeter is
located, is fourishing. Quite number Of
houses have been erected here since last July,
| when the toWnsite was laid out, and every
| lot. we believe, has been taken. Lots on
Main street now sell readily for $50 to 500
and.can not be easily bought at these figures.
Last week Minar & Robinson paid 1926 for a
| lot with an unfinished cabin on it, the latter
certainly not worth more than $40. The
placer mining company still holds to the
theory that Gold Run is their property, but
| the owners of lots under the toWnsite ar
| rangement do not seem to be greatly alarmed
and stoutly assert that they will contest the
matter in the courts, if need be, and surely
maintain their claim. We are not lawyer
enough to express an opinion IN the premises.
The one thing most manifest is that Gold
Run is moving right on and bids fair to en-
1 ioy its share Of the boom that is coming next
spring.
| Moving on up the gulch, the next town we
reach is Meagher City, where there are great
| many houses but very few inhabitants. Pat
| Hughes lives here in the best house in the
guloh. His good lady has made i as cozy
and comfortable within as it looks from
/ without. and we can call Ia Sol. GeDzbergeT
and Jim Matkin to bear Us out il the asser-
ton that the Wayfarer is rendered royal hos
pitalitY beueath Mr. Hughes roof Meagher
CITY is beautifully situated, and every LOT
/ alone the main street. located,
Next comes Galena City, il the guleh On
/ fh34 RIGHT hand side as. we 80 On I'D the creek.