Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-09-09
A Glimpse of Montana Life

A Glimpse of Montana Life.
HELENA, Montana, Aug. 20, 1886.
E'tltOr Tri6une:-I have nothing
particular to do this morning, so /
thought | would write you few
lines, as | have not said anything to
you for a long time. | don't know
how long.
This Is country of contrasts: To
day | am in the metropolis of the
Rockies-street cars, fine hotels,
great business houses, and palatial
residences; yesterday | was in the
widest part of the mountains, saw
deer, bear, and many wolves, and
amused myself shooting at them
with Colts six shooter-at the
deer and wolves, let Mr.. Bruin
go his own sweet way. | hadn't
lost any bear.
That was over around New York
Gulch and Eldorado Bar, where
twenty years ago so much gold was
to be found. There still remains
the old relics of that great excite
ment: gulches washed out by hy-
drauIic pipes, and the old fumes
winding for miles along the rugged
mountain sides-they must have
cost mint of money-and away off
in the mountains in a widning of
the gulch lay New York. A few
scattered log huts where now live
some old-timers and their families
are all that remains of a once boom
ing camp, The gold is gone, and
with it fled the masses, | stopped
all night with the family of an old
fellow who came there in '64 or 5.
"Along that gulch," said he, "there
were once two big hotels, dozen
saloons, and as many stores. All
night long they were open and boom
ing. We polled 400 votes at one
election, and the yigilanters were
kept busy, | tell you, keeping things
in order" | looked and nothing,
not trace, remained of its former
righteousness. The pine trees creep
ing down the mountains side to the
gulch below sighed mournfully.
The little brook rippled gleefully
over It's rocky bed, seeming to say:
Men may come, and men may go,
But flow on forever
But enough families remain to
form a school district numbering %
children, and they pay good wages
10 the man who will consent to live
up there through the dreary winter
months shut out from the world.
The trustees looked at my small
form and said: ave have lots of
big boys who are hard to manage.
They will wipe up the floor with
you" But carelessly mentioned
district school had taught down in
the valley. "Did you teach that
SCHOOL," cycling me doubtfulIy.
"Y es." "Well, mister, guess you
can run this one. Wen give you
$40 and you can board around"
GLOW did you manage 'em down
that way?" "Well sometimes |
threw stove wood at them, some
times used club, and kept my,
self sort of distant like by the kind.
! " influence OF a six-shooter." But
between you and me and the gate
post | did nothing of the kind.
When boy got unruly | would
simply ask him to step out ON the
floor and have it out. Only one
stepped. | struck him twice aud he
couldn't study for two days. Moth
ing like mountain air for muscle.
The fair is running in Helena
now and there is great crowd from
all over the territory. | was up to
the grounds yesterday, and though
/ Helena is town of fifteen or twenty
thousand inhabitants, this fair does
not compare with the South western
Wisconsin Industrial Associ alton as
knew it three years ago But they
bet much higher here on the races.
There will be thousands Of dollars
in one pool. | never saw so much
money IN a crowd in all my life be-
fore, $50 and 500 bills flew around
like ten cent pieces. They trotted
one race yesterday in 2:2S, aud run
a mile and half in 2:o7, I 1916.
So they have some pretty good
horses out here. The vegetable
display does not nearly compare
with that on exhibition at home, but
the cattle and horses do. They have
very fine stock out here. One thing
a man notices in this country is the