The Butte daily miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1885-18??, 1886-01-01
VIRGINIA CITY.
A Graphic Pen Picture Of the aT:at 7redue.
Ing Camp.
A Glimpse Of the Present Condition
and Prospects.

A List of the Producing Mines-The Bow
Of Promise for the Future.
Costly nestled in sequestered nook Of
that northern spur Of the Rocky. Noun.
tains, geographically known rs the Tobacco
Root range, lies an unpretentious looking
town. beg pardon, city, for it still proud
~ holds and cherishes that municipal dig.
nifty (which has, Mt one time, been the
synosure OF all eyes that were directed to-
ward the mountains OF the great North.
west in search Of wealth or adventure, par
ticalar!y the former: The visitors to vir-
ginia City, to-day, find it hard to realize
that here was laid the foundation OF the
immense and marvellous growth which has
marked the progress Of Montana in the
last two decades, a nd that the wealth which
built Helena, Deer Lodge, Boxeman, and
all the cities and towns III Central Montana
Butte and its neighbors, perhaps, alone
excepted, and even these were first PEG.
pied by stampeders from Virginia in the
mainly drawn from the modest little burg
OF six or seven hundred inhabitants which
suddenly meets their view as they turn a
bend in the world-renowned Alder gulch
and direct their gaze toward the rising sun.
Yet such is, incontrovertibly, the fact, and
not only this, but the money wherewith
the fertile valleys with which Montana
abounds were brought under cultivation
and converted into fruitful farms and
wel.stocked ranches was, for the most
part, obtained from the gravelly beds OF
the creek which meanders through the city,
and within seven miles OF it's corporate
boundaries. Though she cannot lay claim
to be the pioneer city OF Montana, she can,
and does. maintain that she is the mother
OF all that has made the Territory the
great commonwealth which she now is, and
zealousy resents any attempt to ignore her
traditions or wrest from her the proud dis
tinction. Had the accident which revealed
the hidden wealth Of Alder Gulch never have
happened, it is very probable that the Ter
ritory OF Montana would not yet
have had place upon the map, and her
broad acres would still have remained the
rowing place OF wild beasts and the scarce.
ly less savage Indians.
But, my dear MINER did not sit down
to indulge in speculation as to what might
have been. presume the readers Of your
holiday number are as fully competent to
engage in this sometimes pleasant. but
seldom profitable, occupation as is "Yours
truly" Neither would it come within the
category Of historical, statistical, and USE
full matter, which it is the province of
this number to convey to the public at
large.
Virginia City owes its existence to the ac-
cidental discovery Of rich gold deposit on
Fairweather Bar by VIM. Fairweather, Tom
Cover, Barney Hughes, and Henry Edgar.
Of these, the whereabouts OF only two are
known to your correspondent, Henry Ed
gar and Tom Cover, the former OF whom
resides in Missoula County, and the latter
is a prosperous vineyard-keeper at River
side, California. FAirweather, after whom
the district was named, fills pauper's
grave in Madison County, and Barney
Hughes has followed III the wake Of ali pros
pectors, and ia lost in oblivion-perhap
dead. The news OF the find was soon car.
ried to Bannock, whittier the prospectors
were bound when they made their lucky
discovery, and ere q week had passed, the
Beaverhead and Passamari valleys were
thronged with excited adventures en- route
to the new digginRs. The fabulous success
which attended them ia an ':oft-told tale"
Towns sprung up as il by magic all along
the Rnlch. and before the winter had set in
there were eight good.sized towns between
the head OF the gulch and it's confluence
with Granite Creek four miles below Vir-
ginia City. These are named in their or
der. Summit, Pine Grove Beartown, Vir
ginia, Central, Nevada, Adobetown, and
Junction. Besides these,a number OF small
er hamlets dotted the hanks OF the creek,
and to-day the sites may be seen
Of innumerable miners cabins every
where from Summit to Junction.
OF these burss Virginia and Nevada were
tween them, In regard to population, for q
long while. At one election-in 1S66-Ne-
yada actually polled 400 more votes than
did Virginia City. The center of trade,
however, settled itself in Virginia, and it