The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1883-02-28
MONTANA MATTERS.


The masked ball in Helena Wednes-
day evening was big success.
Damon and Pythas will be reproduced
in Helena next Friday evening"
A three story addition to the lnterna-
tional hotel, in Helena, is being erected
Nearly 800 knights of Pythias and
citizens Of Butte attended the Il. OF i.
ball at Deer Lodge Monday evening
The National Park is ninetyfive miles
long by fifty-tive miles wide, and con-
tains 2,575 square miles, or 2,2oS, 5000
acres.
The fire wells and cisterns at Bozeman
are now ready for use and contain suf-
ficient supply Of water for all fire pur-
poses.
The Northern Pacific grade from the
west is completed to Missoula with the
exception of seven miles of work below
Pen d'Orielle crossing and four miles
above it.
The Fort Maginnis freight and trans
porting will be done at Custer, and to
| this end the company have erected plat
forms to receive and load the ore from
| these mines.
James King, president and superin-
| tendent of the Bell mining company at
| Butte. has let a contract to sink three
compartment shaft to depth Of 400 feet,
the work to be finished in 100 days.
A message has been received at all the
| Western Union offices in Montana IN
/ structing operators to transmit free OF
charge all messages offering relief to the
sufferers from the floods along the Ohio
valley.
Butte is to have an athletic tourna-
ment, which will last four days and be
in charge Of J. X Waite. A number OF
| fine prizes have been offered for the best
sparrer, swordsman, wrestler, cluo-
sWinger, etc.
Secretary Teller has instructed Super
intendent Conger, of the National Park,
not to allow the killing wounding, or
capturing of any kind Of fur-bearing or
game animals, nor any birds within the
limits Of the Park.
In railway circles that portion of the
, Northern Pacific from Glendiye to Bill
ings is known as the Yellowstone dlvis-
ion, and that from Billings to Livingston
as the Montana division. Billings is
also the end Of postal division.
! Gov. Crosby has written strong let
ter to the governors Of Wyoming, ldaho
: and Dakota, urging them to cooperate
' with him in the enforcement Of the
E game laws for the protection OF the large
t and small game of the northwest.
e A new kind of gas has been discovered
: by certain parties at Poplar creek, ane
Y everybody is trying experiments with 1t
t It possesses excellent burning qualities
0 but as it is very explosive ana tyfo i
+ apt to get his hand burned III testing II
0 A prominent official will form compa
S nv for the production of the gas If /
If nroyes to be all that is claimed for it.
s At recent meeting Of the stockhold
5. ers of the First National bank OF Hel
IS ena. the capital stock was increased t
IS $500 900. This with the surplus, give
t; the bank $780, 900. Messrs. E. G. PoWe
at and Fl. M. Parchen were added to tn
at board of directors. The deposits in th
q bank are about S20O0,000. The profit
'e for the past thirteen months amounte'
to the net sum of 500, 900.
George Bell, the sneak thief and higf
waymsn, who has escaped punlsnmeI
+ for his many crimes committed IN To
~ numerous towns along the Norther
ID Pacific railroad, was arrested in Living
at ston on Tuesday by Detective Smith, {
to Miles CITY. Bell robbed two men {
20 S175 on the highway on Sunday, and tn
. thief was about to be lynched when th
"a officer arrived The time has passed *
as the career of these "ten cent? heroes
good rope will spoil his romantic hlstor.
y A deaf and dumb Crow Indian was
I'd Billings last week disposing OF hid
and pelts and making purchases. u
spite his unfortunate lack OF the sense
- hearing, he is a good hunter ana owns
large number of cattle and horses i
is well versed in the sign language an
makes himself understood as we'll as ii
ordinary Indian. inere are said to
as many as twenty or twenty-five dea
mutes in the Grow Nation--quite lars
ed proportion in less than three thousand
II The editor of the Billings Post becom
ne bloodthirsty at times Hear him: "Tl
=. lipht snow which fell Thursday Mig
ne was decorated with footprints leadiI
ne from our wood-pile to that of our neig
US Dor. who, while keeping a good ii
y going, has no visible means Of replenls
~ ING said fire. A bear trap, and sever
70 seductive looking sticks heavily enarg'
~ ~ with giant powder, have been placed
~ ~ our wood-pile and we have hopes OF
III ~ coroner's inquest shortly to enllven e
n5 monotony of a winters evening"
,at M Two Billingsites undertook to run
al foot race few days ago for S1o SIC
,,g At the start one of them pushed his
- nonent over a dry goods box and tn
~ rnn the race by himself. When
ot aat reached the end of the course he turn
~ around and saw the victim making
e with the stakes. He thereupon drew
ror six-shooter and compelled the skipI
th- to stop anu ueuVei: AileI s.ooolp 1a - pi,I !
VIZ - ~, ,ro l, q bod loft hic coat and Y,