St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-09-25
RICH MEN OF MONTANA
How the Big Bonanza Kings Acquired
Wealth in the Rich Mining
Districts.
Early Experiences and Political. AS
piratfOns of millionaire Clark.
Who Heads the List.
Fortunes That Gov. Hauser, Sam
Broadvater and Tommy Cruise
Have Gathered in.

| 1ttOSNN&
for silver and copper have knocked the
bottom'' out of Butte City and other mining
camps, and persons engaged in stock rails
ing have learned that some Of Montonas
cattle kings are seeking pastures new for
their herds. Don't believe all you hear
about Montana or any other remote terri
tory until you have thoroughly investigated
the reports and discovered the motives
which prompt their circulation" said a
hotel visitor yesterday. While it is true
that Montana is not as prosperous as it was
several years ago, it is still the most invit-
ing OF the Rocky mountain territories. 1t
| retains all the elements upon which it's adj
vancement was built, and the causes for
the present depression in business of all
sorts can be removed. Butte City is no
longer
| THE BOOMING CAMP
it was couple of years ago. but it retains
the principal factors Of its phenomenal
progress-mineral and men. Two OF three
of Butte's big mines have been closed but
not permanently.
The Anaconda company, employing at
least $500 men, suspended pelatons be-
cause it found that it could not pay high
wages for the extraction of silver and cop
per ores while the market price for those
metals remains at its present low standard.
The wOrkmen would not accept reduction
in wages, and the company followed the
only course left open to it. Its eX-
ample was initiated by several smaller
concerns, and Butte was placed I'M
der the cloud which is now resting upon it.
But the men who built Butte are not Of the
temperament to remain inactive while there
is work to be done. 1t is safe to presume
| that ways and means for resumption OF
work throughout the camp are being dis
cussed, and it is safe to predict that before
the end of the year the problem of Butte's
prostration will be solved and the cause re-
moved. There are millions and millionaires
yet to be made in Montana"
Montana has been rather prolific of
mushroom millionaires,' has 1t not?"
Not exactly prolific, but it has manu-
| featured several of them. The wealthy
men of Montana are, without exception,
self-made. but they are not as numerous as
is generally supposed.
| MONTANA's MILLIONAIRE's
can be counted upon the fingers of one
hand, and none of them jumped from
poverty to affiuence IN a day or in year.
Their ascension to great wealth has been
slow.
1.-The wealthiest man in Montana is W.
| A. Clark, OF Butte. 1t is estimated that he
can clean up from four to five millions, and
he is constantly increasing the
pile. He has taken every dollar
of it out of the ground. Twenty
four years ago he accompanied his parents
from Virginia to the wilderness. He was
| then mere lad, but the accumulative trait
was strongly marked in his character. He
began his battle with the world as clerk in
store at Deer Lodge, then the only town
in the territory. This store sold everything
in the line of miners supplies, and in short
time young Clark became acquainted with
every gold-hunter in the territory. The
miners intrusted their surplus dust to his
keeping, asking for no better security than
his word of honor that it would be produced
when they wanted it. At the end of a few
years Clark was conducting store of his
own, and his popularity soon drove his
rivals into obscurity. In partnership with
Ed Larabie he started the first bank in the
territory, and it stands and fourishes al
with miners and handling of ores and metals
gave Mr.. Clark practical knowledge of
MINES AND MINERALS
that was more valuable than course Of
study in mineralogy would have been. The
funds Entrusted to his bank he invested
wisely and well, and the success of some OF
his ventures surprised and disguised many
of the veterans in mining who had backed
their judgment and lost in speculatiOns thai
held forth greater promises than young
Clark obtained. When quartz-mining was
commenced at Butte he was one of the first
! 49, nd hah hoo
satisfied himself that Butte had future a
branch of his bank was established in the
camp He purchased prospect holes and
corner lots. and all of his purchases subse-
quently proved to be trumps. Now he owns
some of the best-paying mines in the dis
trict, and the real estate in his control is the
most desirable in the city. Every important
business enterprise in Butte owes its birth
and maintenance to some extent to
w. A. Clark and his finger is in every
mining, mercantile, political or charitable
pie-bake in Western Montana. He is
about 45 years of age, and has been married
several years. In politics he is a Demo
crat, and hard worker. He spent last
winter in Washington urging upon the adj
ministration and congress
MoNTANA's CLAIMS
to statehood, and it is intimated that he has
the senatorial bee in his bonnet. He is
chairman of the territorial Democratic COM
mittee, and just now is conducting one OF
the hardest battles his party ever had in
| the territory.
.'Mr. Clark's career is, with variations,
that of a majority of the men who have
grown rich in Montana. Gov. Hauser is
said to be worth couple of millions, and
it has taken a quarter of century's hard
work to make them for him. He is lead
ing spirit in all the important business en-
terprises of the East side, and is looked up
to as a parent by the old timers of the en-
tire territory.
'Sam Broadwater, of Helena, is another
veteran of the frontier. His pile is sized up
at million and half. Railroads are the
hobby which Sam is riding, and he is riding
it to win. When the first locomotive of the
Union Pacific snorted in Butte some eight
or ten years ago Sam was among the piO-
neers who focked from all parts of the ter
ritory to stare at it, and it is said that he
fell in love with it then and there When
he returned to Helena he began to draw
railroads on paper, and now he has three OF
them in full swing, locomotives and all, and
more building.
For many years Tommy Cruise delved
and dug in MOntana'S soil in a vain search
for mine. AT last he found one. 1t was
THE DRUM LUMMoN,
near Helena, and after working at it until
it was presentable to expert inspection, he
sold it for 81, 500, 600 to an English Syndi-
cate. Tommy pocketed his money, re-
tired from actual labor, married a hand
some and accomplished young schoOlmaa am.
and in his Goth year settled down to the
enjoyment of life.
"a. j. Davis is president of the Second
National bank of Butte. 1t is said that he
has reached the four-million mark, but no
body can estimate with any degree of GER
tainty what he is worth. Mr.. Davis is the
most taciturn man in Montana.
'.Jim Murray of Butte owns the entire
town site, and will soon be classed with the
millionaires. He is bachelor, and has
more friends than any man in the district.
The mayor of Butte is II. l.. Frank, He
brew. He is wholesale liquor-dealer, and
has an interest in all the leading saloons OF