The daily enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1884, 1883-10-17
CLARK'S FORK.

Its Present Outlook and Future Dcstiny
Cooke City. in appearance at least,
is typical mining camp. presenting
lin itself and its surroundings all the
rugged picturesqueness that is asso-
ciated with the description. 1t is sit.
uated in narrow gulch threaded by a
swift little mountain stream along
which lies the one street of the town
with barely enough room for the two
parallels of buildings to occupy level
ground. Thence sloping up on either
side are walls of rock stored with min
eral wealth that has called the camp
into existence, and in every direction
peak rises behind peak in an appar-
emily endless maze Of mountains. The
houses that comprise the town are
without exception the dirt.covered
log shacks, that indicate lack of better
building material instead of poverty
in purse and mild architectural ambi-
ton rather than indifference to COM
fort. Except Major Eaton's, there IS
no sawmill in the district, and that has
until now been employed entirely In
cutting timber for the smelter build
ing, but will now manufacture for sale.
An abundance of native lumber is
within sight of the town, and as soon
as there are sawmllls on the ground.
good frame buildings will take the
place Of the less pretentious log cabins.
When the more ambitious builders OF
the future city of Cooke turn their at
tention to the erection of brick struc.
lures, they will not have to go beyond
the limits of their valley to find the
raw material. Not only brick clay Of
the common grade is found abundantly,
but good article of fire clay. that has
been tested and found of first.class
quality for the manufacture of fire
brick, From being small, the present
buildings are numerous and stretch out
to make street as long rs the Main
street of Livingston, though the pop
ulation of the camp Will not number
above 200, exclusive of prospectors
scattered through the mountains.
Cooke has not many Of the conven'
fences of the modern town, even in the
west. There Is no hotel or regular
eating or lodging house of any kind.
But, as we know from experience. the
visitor who goes unprovided with his
own camping outfit, will in no wise
suffer for want of food and shelter.
The good people OF Cooke City, if they
do not give their attention to the lux
uries, are plentifullysupplied with the
and freely Share them with
the unprovlded visitor. The title OF
private claimants to the tOwnsite is,
as we understand imperfect, and while
rights will doubtless be re-
spected. ground not actually occupied
by improvements cannot be held as
against the government. Arrange
ments are now being made to have the
townsite surveyed under United States
law, and lots sold by the county judge
as provided by the statutes. This will
make perfect title to the lots and pre-
vent the towns prosperity being re.
tarded Ey extravagant prices OF prop
erty. Times are good in the camp.
Just where the money comes from it
would be hard to explain, but there is
plenty of it in circulation. Every.
hing for sale is held at way up prices.
and yet no one appears to lack for 1.-The
needful" with which to bny. No
branch of business is Overdone. not
even that Of selling liquors. Every
lealer in the camp reports satisfac.
.ory business, and all done OH cash
basis. Among the leading houses are
Sperling & Co., who have
/ stock Of general merchandise and
Keep the postoffice; 5. B. Wiman who
has another good general store, A. J.
Malin, formerly clerk Of Gallatin
and though still a young man.
! resident of this country for the past
years; Julius Fox. who man.
ages Henry Franks clothing store, .
credit to. the parent establishment;
Lane & johnson, both of whom are
we'll known in Livingston, who have
ately opened saloon in the camp and
80, <roft;nn III a; = chnro nf %ho fr0a1c !.