The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1881-12-28

isfence, but published in 9 frame Guiding
on Franklin street, and was now owned Dy
McElhinney s. Co. / asked after its former
nroDrietors. and learned that C.. ii. Spencer,
convinced that his talents were better lifted
for a sheep ranch than a newspaper, had
| gone back to his old business that d.. Il,
Buck had long ago relinquished the editorial
tripod. had turned his attention to his law
practice, at which he had attained both for
tune and a fair share of fame. and was now
one Of the justices of the Supreme Court OF
the State. w. H. Hunt was married and
settled down, and was now q postmaster at
some place in Louisiana. j. j. Healy, who
had been defeated in the Democratic county
convention in 1882 for the nomination for
assessor, had, in 1888, gone north to revisit
the scenes so wildly depicted in the series OF
Years among the Blackfeet," and while on
the road had been surprised and killed by
Bad Bull and his band.
Getting off the car at the lower end OF
| LOWEe" j. lOQHu= n4SClI DSAC4S ottA haSS
hotel, which | entered, and found that the
genial Tom Todd was the proprietor. Mr..
| Todd was in the office, and after recalling
myself to his recollection, and witnessing
his astonishmert at my story, | learned from
him the present condition of many old-Ilne
friends. Among other things he told me
that T. C. Power & Bro. and Murphy, Neel
& Co. were exclusively wholesale, w. II.
Todd having succeeded to the retail business
of the latter firm, and ':Johnson s. Author
to that of the latter. A change had also
been made in the firm name Of the parent
house, it now being ''Power Bros. q Hill,
Mr. Hill looking after the interests OF the
steamboat line, while Mr. john Power, who,
with his family, occupied q handsome resi-
dence on 1.-THE Heights" managed the mer-
camille business. Genzberger & Kohlberg
had purchased Cans g. KIein's interest IN the
clothing firm and were doing an immense
business, both at Benton and Barker, as were
also Hlrshberg s. Nathan. John Hunsberger
was Mayor Of the city, and Joe Rasln the
City Treasurer, Billy Rowe and Geo. Houk
were railroad magnates; Pat. Hughes and
jim Matkin were travelling in Europe, while.
Hi. Wright, a millionaire, had developed as
one of the greatest linguists Of the age, and
was now IN China, perfecting his previous
knowledge Of the language OF that country.
John W. Tattan was Speaker Of the House
Of Representatives, and George Crane, Post
master, vice Flanagan, removed.
But it would require 8 volume to relate all
I saw and heard which evidenced the won
derful strides that Benton had made IN
wealth, population and commercial import.
ance within the ten years, and | will only
speak Of q few Of the events which had tend
ed to make her what / found her--the first
commercial city in the Great Northwest.
TIE first OF these, in the order Of time,
was the immense mineral wealth which the
steady development Of the mines and the
successful working Of the ore of the Barker
and adjacent districts had disclosed. Tue
first smelter in the camp, the machinery for
which had just arrived when I left Benton,
had proved a complete success, botn as re-
| CARDS its working and the profits accruing
therefrom, and this fact, together with many
new and rich discoveries, had induced CAPT
tai to take hold in earnest. Othar works had
been erected, a railroad built from the head
Of navigation to the camp, and the work Of
what. had been a Struggling collection Of