The Helena independent., 1890-04-03
Something About Helena's Demo-
cratic Candidate for
Mayor.
A Live, Go-Ahead, Energetic and
Honest Young Man Rarely
Met.
How He Has Worked His Way III, and
the Good lie Has Done
for Helena.

convention last night facetiously asked,
''the question now is, who is BrHdfordf' and
he was informed that he would know when
the votes we're counted. II has also been
said of Mr.. Bradford that he ls young
man. This is true and his superior
for business capacity. push and en-
ergy is not 10 be found
in Montana. He is a man of family and -
years of age. Seth Low, one of the ablest
chief executives of city that was ever
placed in office, was mayor of Brooklyn, n.
Y, when - years of age. All that Mr..
Bradford is he owes 20 his own energies.
lis came TO Helena in 1884 and had not
one dollar in his pocket after he
paid for a weeks board and lodging
and went TO work laboring upon the streets
of Helena doing any honest work he could
secure. He was young and brHwny and
full of energy and decided 10 make Mon
tana his home. He next secured a position
with surveying party in some unimport-
ant capacity, and being apt and bright he
soon found himself occupying an import
ant position with the party. He
took up some land on the Dearborn
and began 20 build high hopes of the future.
He went back TO st. 10 is, his former
home, and pursued his law studies for a
year. but he returned again TO Helena in
1856 and has lived here ever since, working
hard. and within the past two years has
been engaged in building the largest irri-
eating canal in Montana. The enterprise is
his own, and in its construction he has in
troduced into this country many hundreds OF
thousands of dollars. I}y his efforts large
amounts of eastern capital have been in
vested in Helena and substantial buildings
erected.
The big canal, of which mention ia made,
is the Dearborn, and in the issue of the Hell
ana Herald of March l6, 1859, it is spoken of
as follows:
The Dearborn canal begins about section
10, township Il, n, Il. W.. unsuryeyed
lands, which lie in the canyon of the North
fork of the Dearborn river, in Lewis and
Clarke county. The waters of the river are
diverted by an immense dam 23S feet long,
composed of cribs butt Of II inch logs bolt
ed together and filled with rock, the whole
being placed upon solid rock in the bed of
the stream; the canal runs thence over hill
which separates the Dearborn from the head
of Flat creek, this portion of the canal be-
ing four and one-half miles long, twenty
feet wide at the bottom, thirty-eight feet at
the top and will convey six feet depth of
water. The canal il so planned that raft
100 feet long and 20 feet wide
can be floated down by the force
Of the current and the guidance of two
men. The main continuous canal will be
and the lateral bitches 475 miles long.
Greek beds and lakes are utilized TO a very
large extent, thus saving the construction
OF the same length of canals covering yOO,-
600 acres Of land with an expenditure of
about $4,000. The supply of water is so
plentiful that, with the aid of reservoirs,
the whole 10000 acres can be irrigated at
one time.
The land covered is the best quality
known in Montana, of n sandy loan char
acter and varies in depth from two TO
twenty feet. II is bounded on all sides by
one of the finest ranges in the mountain re
gion, where stock keep fat the year through
upon its nutritious grasses. The farmer
will be charged 81 an acre per an
mum, which is very low, considering
the benefits plenty of water brings TO the
user. II is the purpose OF the company 10
extend its system 10 the great body of
land lying southwest of Great Falls. The
new Montana and Canadian railroad will
cross its lands, thus affording the farmers
easy access TO the markets with their cattle,
sheep and grain. Donald Bradford was the
originator of the enterprise and is now
manager and secretary"
This is who Donald Bradford is. For
several months past he hns ably acted as
secretary of the Board Of Trade. The posi-
tion is n thankless one, and while he has
given the work his undivided attention.
and infused new life into it and made IL
heard from throughout the country, he has
not received dollar of pay for his SER
vices, nor has he asked for any. He is not
rich man; he is a comparatively poor man
whose heart and soul is for Helena and the
whole of Montana, first, Inst and all the
time. The country needs such public
spirited men as Mr.. Bradford. He was one
of the founders Of the new Chamber of Com
merce, started the agitation for a public
lxt,tl Il l.s.
IN ANYTHING that has for its object the good
of Helena. He is heavy prop
erty owner and one of the young
men of the state who has the con-
tidence and respect Of all thrifty, honest
go-ahead citizens of the city and he would
grace the Office of mayor with that ability
which has characterized all his past achieve
ments for the good of the city, county and
state.
The opposition, which cannot find flaw
in Mr.. Bradford, is busy manu-
featuring canards but he is meet
ing them and defeating every one
as fast as il is heard All their efforts are
10 make him appear as the laboring mans
enemy but they have not yet made a charge
that will hold water. The latest is that in
the advertisements he recently had pub
llshed in eastern papers, for the interests OF
Helena, that he said 800 lnborers could find
ready employment in this city, The only
advertisement that Mr.. Bradford ever au-
thorized or was ever sent out by him il the
following, which shows the Gbsurdity Of the
charge:
"Helena. Montana. the richest city of its
size in the world. The capital OF the groat-
est mineral producing state In the country.
Population 1000 Banking capital, sur
plus aud deposits. $l0,001,OO0. Assessed
valuation. $l00O0.0O0. Actual valuation
city property, SiG.OOO,000. Splendid school
system. Magnificent hotels. Manitoba.
Northern Pacific, aud Union Paciilc rail-
ways centre in Helena. Electric
railways. Altitude 1855. Mineral
output of the state, lss9 Si1.6.6,-
93. Range output 1889 Sl00OO00O, Divi-
donds from mines. 1889, S3Ili250. Thirty
SIX million Acres agricultural lands. Aver
age crop onts per acre, 80 bushels. Average
crop wheat per acre, 30 bushels. Sure cure
for consumptiycs. Great Health resort NJ
the Helena hot springs ltqual 10 HE eele-
brated Carlsbad of Bohnemia, and superior
20 the Hot Springs of Arkansas. One
million seven hundred and seyenty-four
dollars invested in New buildings IN las5.
Send for circulars 20 Helena Board Of
Trade, Helena. Mont"