Bismarck weekly tribune., 1889-09-27
WILL MONTANA DO HER DUrYs

T. G. Power, republican candidate for
governor of the new state of Montana is
we'll known throughout the northwest.
When boy he walked across the state
of Iowa with a surveyors chain in hand
at a salary of $16 a month. AS his earn
ings increased he was enabled to pur-
chase small stock of goods with which
to commence business on the banks of the
Missouri river. Increased sales, at good
profits, justified by the hardships Incl
dent to frontier life in an Indian coun-
try at that day, enabled him to soon
branch out in business. He possessed a
keen judgment of men and localities and
found little difficulty in establishing
profitable stores at way points through
out the territory of Montana, and as his
business increased his lines were thrown
across the boarder and extended through
out the British Northwest territory,
where he successfully competed with the
great Hudson Bay company for the trade
of that great region. The immense vol
ume of merchandise sold by his many
branch stores necessitated his operating
so-ealled "bull teams" or "prairie
schooners," which he branded "P"
(block p and engaging in general over
land transportation business. His bust
ness increased until his wagon trains
could be seen at any time, winter or sum-
mer, on the highways or in the mountain
passes of Montana and the British North
west territory. He started short stage
lines with the "P" trade mark and as the
business increased his lines were extended
until '.Block P" stages were operated
on hundreds of miles of road from
Helena to Benton, from Benton to Bill
lings, from Judith to Benton and from
Junction City to Fort Maginnis- in sum
shine and in blizzard could be seen on
the thoroughfares Of Montana, anywhere
east of the Rockies.
In 1875 when the Missouri river was
the great artery of commerce in Mon
tana, Tom Power started the Benton
'sP'' line of steamers with one boat, in
creasing the number from time to time
until they outnumbered all other lines.
His feet of nine steamboats,, named for
the principal cities of Montana, such as
Butte, Helena, Benton and Judith, carry
rying the "P" trade mark between their
smokestacks, well known by the inhabi-
tants of every river town in the western
country, from Benton to the Gulf Of
Mexico, and on the Yellowstone, Big
Horn and Missouri rivers. Many United
States officers and soldiers, old trappers
and freighters in bygone days have
hailed with delight the arrival of the
first steamboat before the days Of rail-
roads in the northwest. When the rail-
road whistle was first sounded in Mon
tana, Tom Power was first to welcome it
as the dawn and advance of civilization,
and has since aided in extending the iron
arm throughout all portions Of the terri
tory. As the friend of the farmer his
company built the first elevator con-
structed in Montana at Bozeman-
the finest and largest west of Minneapo-
lis. He has also built elevators
and warehouses at Belgrave, Bismarck
and many other points along the North
ern Pacific road and Missouri river carry
the "Block P'' trade mark. His fine blocks
OF buildings on the main streets Of Hell
ena built OF native Montana stone
monuments Of home product would do
credit to any city in the land. His pure
bred cattle and immense stables at Sun
River and in the Judith valley will bear