The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1883-07-18
FROM A RAMBLER.
From Diamond to Townsend-Fourth Of
July Races and Dance-The New and
Growing Town on the Missouri
Vaney-lood Crops.
DIAMOND CITY, July 8, 1888

Editors Of RIVER PRESS:
The water season being about over, to
get rid of the blues and dull times a few
of us concluded to make trip to the
valley and on to Townsend, our new
town, in search of pleasant places, pros
peritv, peace and piety. One of my
companions had never seen railroad,
and but one state, in thirty-three years.
We took the stage or county road, as
it is called, to get out Of the gulch. The
Boulder hill has about six feet grace 10
the rod and with one or two exceptions
every hill on this road has as much
grade. And as to the bridges, Why,
there is not perfectly safe bridge On
the road. The bridges are built OF pine
logs and pine poles for covering, with
dirt enough on them to break them
down. And when one of them looks
unsafe or breaks down another similar
one is built on top of the old one. After
reaching the valley we find better roads
and good plank bridges over all bitches
and gulcnes, showing that the money
belonging to the road fund has been
used to better advantage.
Passing by the farms of Chas. Barker,
Johnson, Buckingham, Morgan, Estes,
Frank and Harvey Keene, we note that
that the prospect was never better Tor a
good crop of wheat, oats, barley and nay.
Considerable improvement is notice
able at Canton. from which seven miles
of beautiful road brings as to Townsend.
) Nowhere in Montana can be found a
r nicer location for a city. For mile or
more around the ground is as level as
: any one could wish.
! Here we spent the afternoon OF the
S grand old Fourth of July. There were
i no guns, no fireworks, no eagles, no elo-
! auence. We witnessed one horse race
) a 900 yards dash for purse OF Sl0o-ln
which Sleepy Dick came in lst, Dexter
J. od Ginger Sd and Red Bird 4th. / do
+ not believe would be far wrong IN say
# ING that there were q hundred vehicles
) came to town that day to see the iron
,fl horse. the races, and the dance at night.
is The large hall, 36xS5 feet, built and
8 owned by Tierney & Marks, was dense
i ly packed, and everyone seemed to De
" proud of the day, the dance, the town
le and of themselves.
Forty houses are up and partly finish
ed, and before the snow flies as many
more buildings will be put up ana m
20 ished. Judge Weston, of Radersburg,
n, is putting up two-story frame building
oe on Main street, and as soon as finished
will occupy it as business house
a. Marks & Tierney furnish all kinds o.
os building material-white pine lumber a.
h. $50 per thousand, other lumber at S2o
ha shingles at s6. The fare on the railroad
to Helena, distance of about forty
10 miles, is Sc. 25, or about one-half stag'
ST rates. Considering the small size OF TN
,ro new town, and the fact that it contains
os seven licensed saloons, one would thlnl
a. that the very air would be tainted witt
all drunkenness, but such is not the case
T only noticed two harmless old drunk
lin ornamenting the sidewalks with tnel
" presence. I understand they were Oh
"a timersswho had been talking of goin
no west and in their joy or sorrow ha
;th fallen asleep in delicious trance. In
- farmers can get almost anything here
,ed from garden rake to saw mill OF
mt threshing machine.
oa-I The post office has been moved frof
,od Centeryille to Townsend. The railroa
,,ed bridge, for this year, is safe from drlf
III wood and high water. | understan
ov that the railroad company offer to shl
IL grain or flour to Helena for fifteen cen
,ua per 100 pounds; this would be abol
&C. thirty-five cents per 100 pounds cheapt
than the farmer could haul it in wagon
Western Meagher county has now tW
rival townsville White Sulphur Spring
7ho and Townsend. Let US hope that
lay soon as the road through Cooks pass
ing finished the friends of each town wi
en- kiss and make up, at the very latest 3
ele. fore next election.
ich When T returned home / found that
,ap- photograph artist had been here takir
yer views of the town. Diamond must
md trying to fasten onto boom; if it is n
6 a that, what is it? T would suggest that
gan few views be sent to Boston to some OF
and interested ia the comic almanac bus
800 ness, as there would be millions in it.
ard RAMBLER.