Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-07-13

One by one the old land marks OF the
town are disappearing end soon when a
Butteite is chaperoning his pilgrim friend
about the city and showing him the sights.
he will have to content himself with point
ing to the Big butte or a visit to the grave
oil "Seven Up Pete" il he desires to show
him something old and historical. I'M
provement and progress is the decree and
rapidly is everything which acts as a link
between the Butte Of the placer days end
the Butte of the present disappearing, and
before long only the old pits and bitches
dug by the first miners 10 their search for
gold will remaic and even these are slowly
cavipg and filling up and they, too, will
vanish as does everything built by man. To
the and the lover OF the past this
may occasion a twinge OF sadness and regret,
but to the wideawake, rustling and energetic
citizen it is q source OF pleasure and salts
faction, for with every disappearance OF a
relic OF thep past comes an evidence OF the
| present and a harbinger OF a future. Every
remnant OF a ''past glory" which is swept
away 10 supplanted by a more substantial
token OF the presents PROSPERITY and un-
bounded faith in the future. The log cabin
| of the pioneer must give a. to the pala-
| tial residence and business block OF the
successful business man of to-day, and
even as his modest attempts at architecture
are supplanted so in turn will many of the
structures now being reared be supplanted
by better and costlier ones.
One of the reminders Of the good old
days." a little cabin below the Comique,
which has been doomed, was torn down
yesterday, and could it's old, decayiDg logs
and tumble-down roof of CLAP boards
and dirt speak, many is the strange and
thrilling tale they could tell. and many the
valuable hints they could give to the future
historian OF the city. The cabin, long since
valueless and broken down with age and
the storms OF many years, was among the
first, if not the very first. houses built on
the present site Of Butte City, and has done
excellent service and more than fulfilled it's
mission Of usefulness and convenience. 1t
has been put to various uses, and besides
sheltering it's original builder and owner it
has done service in almost every capacity
a building is capable of. Originally used as
a house, it next had the honor of being the
first court house OF the city, and some OF
the most able and brilliant attorneys and
counselors of the territory have caused it's
narrow walls to ring with the sounds OF
their fiery oratory and eloquence.
From being a temple OF justice and the
| dUOuo " l0dTulDS duu dCuucu, IL DtCdIu6 d
vulgar and common grocery store, and
where once were heard modern Ciceros the
swish Of the grocery clerks broom was
heard as he s%prinkled the sugar SO as to
increase it's weight. Tables and shelves
that once were filled with tones OF rare
value and priceless knowledge, afterwards
bore the weight of strong cheese aud canned
goods OF doubtful quality Instead of re-
sounding with the pleas and arguments OF
notable barristers, the little room was
made to buzz with talk. of busy traders
and in the long evenings OF the winter was
filled with the habitual grocery store
loungers, who, perched on nail kegs
and counters, told stories more or less
embellished with the fruits OF vivid and
active ~imaginations, aud Of rather strained
morality. 70 such "base uses' was the
shack put for seven or eight years, but the
measure OF it's degradation WAS not yet
complete, the last and crushing load of
infamy and shame that unfeellng man
could attach was yet to comet was
rented to a Chinaman for a wash house,
but like the hardy pioneer and ''old
timer" it was, it never whimpered, and
boreits disgrace without a kick. But it's
career is over, and it's sheltering qualities
gone forever. Its logs will make good fire
wood and it's creaking door may possibly
be called upon to perform similar duty for
q stable or ont hnnse. and like the man
who built it, it will soon be forgotten and
unknown.
Seven years ago the cabin and lot passed
into the possession of Curtis & Majors and
they continued to rent it to Mongolian
tenants until finally it became so badly
demoralized that not even a Chinaman
could be found who would occupy it and
it's demolition was decided upon. In it's
place a handsome two-story and base
ment brick store will be erected. George
Fitchen who owns the lot adjoining, will
also put up a similar block and has joined
with Messrs. Curtis & Majors in the con-
struction of a parti-wall.