The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-03-01
II RIVER PRESS
THE NORTHERN METROPOLIS,
As Seen Through the Glasses Of the Trav-
cling Man Of the "Husbandman."

..Will." the travelling editor Of the Aas-
bandman, devotes over. two columna last
week to q write up of Benton, from
which the following extracts are taken
Ii is indeed. pleasant to note the advance
tia, Fort Benton, Northern Mon.ana's me-
,rOpolis. has. made. At the date Of my visit.
four yeass ago, it had but two completes
BRICK bmldiugs-the school house and 1. =.
Power s. Bros, store. The country surround
! ing vas but sparselY settled, and but little
was known of its value for growing crops.
The towns revenues from tue northern trade
! was decreasing. The soldiers, then stationed
I there, from whom came . good local trace,
were about to be removed, ape the large
transfer business from the river to wagon
trains was endangered by the prospects of
the Utah g Northern to Helena, and the nay-
iqation of the Missouri above the Falls. In
short, it seemed IS though the tow mlgght
drop into obscurity, like many railroad
towns, when the cars have passed on. But
the upper river navigation project failed, the
subsidy measure Wac defeated. and the build
ing Of the railroad was sloW. The garrison
of soldiers were rloved away, but Forts
Assinsboine and Ma9lnnis were built, and
the Barker mines discovered, giving q ssifnu-
lus to the settle meat Of the country. which
increased 60 rs 10 more than double the trade
lost by their removal.
No tn,xn. in the Territory, except perhaps
Butte. car boast OF such q quick and lasting
increase of property wealth a. Benton
Town lots that q few years ago went beg
xlug At from $15 to $40 apiece are now
worth $500 each. The investment by the
County Commissioners of y few thousand
dollars in building q small frame court house
proved q wise Investment. | am informed
that the same properly, together with other
county property, Can now be sold for enough
to pay the entire debt of Chnteau county
Investments made by T. E. Collins, w. II.
Todd and others, in real estate, about the
time the boom set in were quite as profitable
rs any. Their property can now be sold fol-
four times as much as the purchase price.
Among the new additions to the business
of Benton since my last visit is the RIVER
Press, which was started q year ago by
Nessrs. Williams. Wright s. Stevens, and il
now owned by Jerry Collins aud James E.
Stevens, Williams and Wright having retired.
} This paper has met with extraordinary cue.
cess since its beginning, and may now be
considered one of the permanent institutions
Iof Benton and Choteau county. 1t has q
good j,b outfit and turns out first class work.
MI. Collins is q very pleasant gentleman,
and he has had considerable experience II
The newspaper business, hsving spent several
years ia his native State lIndiana) as editor
Of the Wabash Courier and Loganspor1
Pharos. Mr.. Stevens, a former dttache OF
the Husbandnsan, is quite well known, and
his many friends will be glad to learn thai
during his residence in Benton he has gained
the confidence and esteem of the entire com.
mnnity. To his hard labor and his earnest
effort during the initial period Of it's exis
tence is the RIVER PRFss in q great measure
due Its present standing.