The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1883-02-22
Gen. j. 8. Brisbin's Lecture.

"HOw TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL CITY. /"
In his predatory remarks the
lecturer expressed his pleasure at
meeting the people of Billings, "the
magic city Of the plains," and he
would have been even better
pleased could he have addressed
them as the people of Yellowstone
county. When he again appeared
before them he would have that
privilege, for he fully believed that
the erection of a new county was
ensured. He was expected to in
form the audience GLOW to make a
successful city," but when he had
contemplated the full knowledge on
that subject, which the people Of
Billings had already cvinced by
building so fair a city, he shrank
from the self-imposed task.
If he remembered Alright, in the
month of May last the first build
ing was erected on this townsite,
and now we had a city of nearly if
not quite 1000 people, with
churches, chool-liouscs, newspa-
pers, social organizations and all
the appliances which belong to
well established town. He mar
yelled and was astonishcd at this
wonderful growth, but it led him to
the conclusion that we could and
would build a city on the site of
Billings. He saw signs here of a
yet more rapid development. In
the years when he had led mill
tary force up and down this coun-
try in pursuit of hostile Indians,
when there was not a civilized hab-
itation within many miles, he had
this point as gcograph-
ical centre. When Coulson was
founded he had looked for the
growth of a city and had only been
disappointed insofar as the centre
of prosperity had been transferred
to Billings, mile away. With the
regions of the Judith and the Mus
selshell, the Big Horn and the Lit
tie Big Horn, the mining regions to
the North and to the South, and
the magnificent valley Of the Vel
lowstone stretching East and West,
all looking to this town as Il centre,
he could not see how our prosper
ity was to be retarded. The coun-
try tributary to Billings was equal
in area to an ordinary State, and as
great as that which had contribut-
ed its wealth to build the city of !
Cincinnati, Ohio.
One suggestion he should make
for the benefit of our people and of
our town was to stand well togeth-
er and prevent every species of
schism in our ranks. On union is
strength; in division is weakness.
Avoid petty feuds, factional differ
ences and disagreements of every |
nature. Less than twenty live men
by joining their forces and working
hand in hand built the city of Chi
cago, and he believed that ten or
twelve men by pursuing like
course could make of Billings a
city-"well, half az large as Chicago;
that would be large enough"
>Laughter.)
This and the next year, would,
he believed, witness a still more !
rapid progress in the city of Bill
|ings, than had been experienced in
the past, and by the close of 1884
he fully expected to see q popula-
ton of 10000 inhabitants in this
town. We might rest assured that
could his word build for us city |
Or erect the new county which we
desired and which was our right,
those boons would be Immediately |
granted. But we had already eN-
hibited such intelligence in "mak-
ing successful city, that he was
sure any suggestions from him
would be useless and even imperti-
nent, and he felt it would be more
interesting to the audience if he
proceeded to tell them something
Of the stirring events in which he /
had participated during his life on
The frontier .of the great West.
He loved the West, and thanked
God that it was a portion of our
native land-that the West was our
heritage. His first Western exper-
cncc was many years ago, when
with his family he reached ohey-
enne, then termed Hell on
and was assigned to duty
It Fort Russell, a collection Of huts
with a flag flying over them. Then