The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-09-02
A TRIP UP COUNTRY.
Deer Lodge Valley and Butte.

Deer Lodge Valley and Butte.
A fortnight ago a cleanup of Butte placer
dust suggested few thoughts which found
their way into these columns. We had not
been I'm Butte, nor Ave miles up the Deer
Lodge Valley, in two years, and sketched
what we deemed vision of the future for
the valley. Some days latter we had occa-
sion to visit Butte, and to our surprise found
already the vision half realized. The con-
version of what two years since were arid
looking wastes and untitled commons into
beautiful farms, glorious in abundant har-
vests, and pretty homes, was revelation OF
gladness we had thought was yet the future,
and was most pleasing surprise. Where the
road had meandered recklessly through open
country 1t was now circumscribed by we'll
kept enclosures the cactus and bunch grass
had given place to waving grain and cult
waited grasses, and here and there neat cabins
or neater cottages, with gardens, trees and
flowers, greeted and glaidened the eye. The
valley is settling rapidly, and bears the mark
of industry aud thrift. The improvements
made are substantial, and the lands are
splendidly productive. We noticed, how
ever, an omission IN the system of improve
ments that we hope will be supplied. There
IL too little tree planting. Here and there in
the yards are a few small trees, but otherwise
their cultivation is neglected. Our farmers
are neglecting an important interest. The
canons are full of young cottonwoods and
balm of Gileads. A dozen of them can be
dug up, trimmed, removed and replanted in
day. They would grow luxuriantly along
the irrigating bitches, and a weeks work each
spring and fall-time hardly missed-would
make a wonderful change. In three or four
years they would begin to make symetrical
trees the force of storms would be broken,
the rainfall would be increased, the drouth
would be less liable. Trees combine both
beauty and utility. The cost of transplanting
l. small their subsequent care merely NOM
inal their benefits incaleuable. Why don't
our farmers plant trees?
Butte is too much of subject for n local
paragraph. 1t has sprung from hamlet to a
city, from an unimportant placer village to a
great productive quartz camp, with rapid
ity that Is astounding. 1t seems but short
| time since its little cluster of cabins on the
slope was all there was of Butte, except
here and there on the bleak hillsides wind
lass and little dump of dirt and ore. Now
it is a solid center of many splendid edifices,
six or seven thousand people, and has its
| wings spread to Walkerville and the Silver
Bow mill, covering distance of three or four
| miles. Looking up from town where then
scraggy pines projected from the crags and
points, one sees scores of substantial and at
| tractive brick and wood residences perchesi
on the projections or nesting in the hooks
| Every available building spot is utilized
| Growing the SUBMITS are gigantic mills and
| hoistIng works, and there the iron fails with
| thunderous blows are threshing out the har'
| vest of silver and gold, while in the valley
| far below lines of heavy smoke, drifting away
| like streamers from the tall stacks, show
where the smelters are turning out monthly
| a thousand tons of ba;e bullion. Butte IS Q
| phenomenal" camp. There has never beer
a true lead sunk on in the camp that proved
| barren; there has never been reverse IN
| its fortunes there has never been day since
| rs when the tide of prosperity turned back
| No other mining camp on the continent ha'
such history. Its bullion shipments are fifty
| thousand or sixty thousand dollars week
capital il flowing in eagerly seeking invest
ment; owners of property realize handso mt
sums, and are content, while investors stock
| up at ten or twenty times the sum paid and arr
| soon producing dividends on those amounts
Laborers are paid good wages; merchants
sales are like those of jobbing houses manu-
facturers have orders greater than they car
fill, and although colossal buildings are loom
ing up and every street Is impeded will
building material, the great sorrow that ha
seized the people il that they cannot get ma
terial to construct with, and builders have
now in hand all the work they can complete
by midwinter. IL the high price Of unim
proved ground, the furore tor building, war
rauted by the facts? Is business remunera
tive and in healthy condition? Is the boon
ut too high n pressure TO be safe or to con
tlnue? We do not know Butte is not sub
iect to the ordinary rules. Butte is Butte
Last year the assessment was two million
dollars; this year IL is four millions, and tn,
Assessor will have to stop soon or 1t vii
reach five millions. immigrants are still
fiocking there. They must have shelter ant
food. The representatives of money are Their,
eager for investment, and every mining en-
terprise gives employment TO more peopl
and seems to be remunerative. There is
limit TO this, but where IL it? We are no
writing mp an anal ytical article on the Silve
City. We are merely expressing that sur
prise with which its salient features impress
those who have been absent two years. w
had but day in the camp; an hour or two
to look about. Mayhap before long bette
opportunity may come to know and sa..
something more of Butte and its people thar
IL here written. There are two things i
Butte that have not changed-two things on
of all the muhitude-old friends and tn
hotels. These seem to be immutable, co-eS
Istent and eternal.