The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1883-11-24
Rozeman and Helena.
Special Correspondence.

BOHEMIAN: MONTANA, NOV. ~, 1905
This town, or rather city, of two thous-
and population, was named from fearless
Montana pioneer, who was treacherously
slaughtered by the Indians some years ago
on the Yellowstone. 1t has an air ofrespect-
ability about it that it would not have if it
had been mining town, for there are none
of the conconitants Of that wild, reckless
and vicious life so common in a new coun-
try. There are business blocks of which
its people have right to be proud, there are
a half dozen churches, huge brick school
and court house that swallowed up deal
of money before its ambitious tower was
completed. The surrounding country that
furnishes the enterprising men of Bozeman
with plenty to do in the way Of trade, is o.
cupied by people who have taken to agri-
culture as a means of livelihood, the de-
mand of the mining camps for food and
forage making the calling one of great and
constantly increasing profit. That farming
is more lucrative than mining is illustrated
BY an incident that saw published in one
Of the papers, Of a young man who owned
a ranch in the Ga)1atin ": LEY, but who e
wife declared that she could not and would
not live in Montana. Like a good husband
he sold his ranch at once, realizing $4,000
therefor, and few days thereafter Boze-
man merchant bought the crop of oats that
he had just harvested for $500. And this
was the avails of single years attention
to business. The simple and cheap meth
DDS adopted for irrigation, while they make
the business Of farming quite laborioue,
are amply repaying in labor in the yieldir
Of larger returns. A Montana farmer
cusses the luck that gives him less than
sixty bushels of oats to the acre year after
year and this with fifty of wheat per acre,
with a good market at hand, makes the
gold mines sink into insignifcance.
From Bozeman your correspondent made
his way to Helena something like hund-
red miles away, through one Of the me st
God forsaken regions that ever laid out OF
doors. After twenty years of settlement in
and around these large and import int
towns, there was not in the whole distance
of this hundred miles, but one single viii
la; and that containing less than three
hun lred inhabitants. However, when the
stran er has passed through so much trib-
ulation to reach the place, he finds Helena
something more Of place than he could
reasonably expect Helena has probably
1000 inhabitants who have ensconced them
selves among the mountains of stone and
dirt-the debris from the extensive placer
mines that have been worked to exhans-
! tiOn. The r,rc1s have scarcely ST AIRED
room enough between the immense holes
and heaps Of dirt to admit of access to the
town by the main road, and the face of the
country round about suggests visitation
of recent first -class earthquake What,
with its ugly, scrambling streets along the
side of the hills, a deplorable absence of
sidewalks, and the miserable surrounding
of its Chinese suburb, Helena still presents
somewhat attractive appearance 1t has
remark ably comfortable hotel, in which
the guest can enjoy his morning and even
ing reading of the really spicy daily papers
and more than any city of dozen times
its size does it furnish from its amply stock
ed stores everything that the traveller needs
~ tn IA opI p1aocl,va
He can choose his religious worship be-
tween seven churches whose influence has
established its own code of morals, with
out invoking aid from the Beechers, the
| Tallmages or the Bob Ingersolls, Of the
| questionable civilization of the East. In
fact, the people take but little interest in
what is transpiring in "the States" which
| they speak Of as some far off country like
is reached when fellow can strike it rich
| on quar:z lead. To be an old resident OF
| Montana is distinction in Helena that is
scarcely less in degree than to be Wander
bilt in New York, and he who can secure
ly boast Of priority Of citizenship in a
CTOWO, experiences d more genuine prize
| in his triumphs over the hardshirs Of pio-
neer life than Alexander could have done
when he got the prize money for whipping
the world.
With thousand miles intervening be-
tween Helena and the nearest important
city, and that across the abomination Of des-
olation, its citizens are surrounded by all
the accessions of metropolitan life in the
possession of works Of beautiful art, Of
books in a well-stocked and we'll managed
library, Of pianos and other musical instru-
ments, Of costly and elegant furniture, Of
brick "A -brac, and what is the equal Of ali,
due appreciation Of these aids to mental
improvement and pleasant home life. For
ty-6ve miles away is the prettiest Of all
Montana towns, Deer Lodge, though ]
question whether that animal would select
a poin; away up four thousand feet in the
clouds for even nights lodgment. Of
this and the French Woman's Pass, and
He'll Gate and other localities Of interest,
l must make reservation for my next COM
,,o,,n;~otiOn T. G. l..