The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-09-27


Personals, Etc.
From our Travelling Correspondent.
On THE ROAD, Sept. @, 1854.
Once more the roads are reasonably
good, the sky clear and the weather
warm, endowing anew with zeal the
rancher who rested during the long
spell of unpropitious weather. The
grain crop along tie Ruby is reported
good, while hay, in some localities, is
from a middliDg to a good yield.
But very few complain of a poor
crop of the latter. In stock, too, the
settlers along the Ruby river are not
left behind their neighbors, and in
some instances outrank even those
who boast of pedigrees five or six
feet long. Captain Williams is
among those who believe it cheaper
to raise q fine animal than q poor
one.
After drive of about sever or
eight miles from Laurin through a
valley dotted with farm houses here
and there the road leads through a
canyon of about two miles in length.
Emerging from this a scene at once
romantic presents itself to the view
of the traveller. Surrounded as it is,
almost entirely by cliffs, from an
angle of As degrees to a p%erpendicu-
lar, lies q plateau beautiful to gaze
upon, while upon its eastern border
is the residence of its owner, Mr..
James Garroutte. James is one of
the many old timers whose latch
string is always out to be pulled by
the wanderer, and substantial indeed
is the reception met as prepared by
the French caterer in his employ.
His inter esting family resides in
California at present, where they
will remain for some time to come
enjoying educational advantages not
to be had on the Ruby.
In my last letter I said something
regarding the complaint of some
farmers about the importation of pro-
duce by Butte merchants. While
my ears are almost caloused by this
constant din of supposed injury, I
become more and more cognizant of
the fact that many of those who
seem to find a mote in the eye of the
merchants have a beam in their own
and a terrible cross-grained one at
that. I met a man the other day, for
instance, who prided himself upon
being the subscriber IF no Territorial
paper whatever. "Prices for papers
don't correspond with eastern jour
nails. Now, there is, for instance,
the New York Sun; [ have
taken that for twelve years. It costs
only one dollar a year." said he.
But a few minutes prior to this, this
same gentleman was almost abusive
in his recital of wrongs. Instead OF
encouraging the deserving journals
of Montana as far as possible by what
patronage rightfully should belong
to them, he sends to some part of the
globe tor his reading matter because
it will cost him less than that pre-
duced at home. He would scorn the
insinuation of being illiterate. On,
no! he does take papers for himself
and family. His center table in some
instances is bedecked with such pi-
Gus and christian-Iike teaching orna-
ments as the Police Gazette side 10y
side with the Holy Bible. Dusty as
the latter may be, it lies in compan-
ionship with the well-worn pages OF
that mysterious novel of fifty-two
pages. This is the nan who insists
upon you to buy of him those articles
which you can get elsewhere at a less
figure. 1t certainly comes under the
head of penny wise and pound fool
ish.n
All must acknowledge that the
press is the lever which moves the
world. Through it and by its int1u-
n c spring into being daily new en-
terprises, giving life to that just bud
ding and propelling power to the
greet wheel of progression. With it
much is accomplished; without it but
little. The case in point reminds n
very much of the story which went
the rounds of the country press some
time since, which tells of man who
was in the habit of greasing but one
wheel of his wagon at a time-to save
expense. His memory being, al
times, at fault, he was frequently
obliged to go over the four anew.
And yet he was not happy!
AT about noon Saturday last 1 ar
rived in Virginia City. The town,
itself dead, presented an animated
appearance. 1t was the day OF the
Democratic convention, to attend
which folks had come from aEar ana
near. The body met in the court
house. Every little preliminary was
readily and satisfactorily arranged
and the entire work done in a short
time. Among the candidates nomi-
mated is H. S. Gilbert, the present IL
cumbent of the Office of County
Treasurer. Mr.. G. is one of the many
old-timers who, the longer they live
the more friends they have. He
came to Montana in '63, has been one
of the busy bees of Virginia City
ever since, and held the important
tr,,st. to which he was, by acclama-