The Helena independent., 1890-01-02
Bright Prospects ard Enterprising
People of the Metropolis of
Southern Montana.
Fine Public and Private Buildings
1.-The Standing of the Two
Banks.
Big stores and Large Stocks which Cam, {
lie Surpassed Ia ANY other Scc-
tion 1f the state.

hope and promise. tr!fe over 0C0 is the
population of this place, all happy and c, !.
icnted people, who have ON deposit with
ocal banks something like $5O),O0, The
assessed valuation Of the city is 81 .0O1O01,
slowing the ratio per capita 90 be-
500. Dillon is situated in the famed
i,eayerhead valley. which never knows
severe winters. Its elevation is little more
than 400 feet, and nj this writ
Ig the hills surrounding the city
re laid bare OF the night snow
fall as soon as old Sol appears in midday.
The Beaverhead river passes through tie
town. This stream claims the distinction
II being the headwaters OF the longest con
tnuuus source of fresh water on the face Of
the earth. il has been measured and shown
30 he 400 miles in length-greater than th'
Amazon. Ii flows into The Biz Hole, which
ioins the Ruby. and at the confluence
ljraverhe I'd forms the jefferson, which with
the Gallatin and Madison. nj Three Forks.
make tue Missouri. Tue latter flows into
the Mississippi, wAich has its mouth at the
Gulf of Mexico.
Dillon presents cheerful appearance to
the visitor, aud II is difficult 10 say which II
It's most attractive feRture-its fine brick
business blocks. its beautiful residences or
It's broad streets. Nearly every brick build
ing here is yellow. but that is the color OF
an excellent quality 0. brick manufactured
here. Among Dllon's population is to +,
found many of Montnna's prominent citi-
zens, good society and M orderly people
throu ghout. There has only been two hang
ings in Dillon. Harding, the only legal case,
nd Jessrang. who WAS lynched by an in
gnant people several years ago. He was
TAX, from jail. His crime was the muir
dering of a rancher, robbery and then
burning his victim together with his housv:
a crime very similar 10 that for which
I GoddH is row serving q life sentence. There
are only seven persons in the county jail.
The bul.urng improvements of Dillon
have been quite limited during the wear. the
most important enterpri-e Of this kind be-
ing the construction Of n SG1,'oJ coult
house winch WIS completed few days ago,
II now being furnished and will be re lds
I Tor occupancy in f,w days. EX-G1v
! White built an elegant residence at cost
I of 5000. hut the home Of w &. Orr which
| cost 5000, Is one OF the most elog Mt I b
seen IN Montana. Ii has beau iinl rrouuds
surrounding il md plenty of shade trees.
4 wing was added to tie high school build
NJ alio. this building ~ III the center OF
/ large block enclosed 10y an iron fence.
Tho school house Is lar ~ nnd spacious. two
stuiis high. and cost sgl,0D. Among the
elegant private dwelling, of Dillon are
I hose Of tho Hon. {. Y. Feeder. j. X. III D.
sop. u well TODD ranchcr aud director Oi tine
Dillon National bank: Mayor l.. G.. Fyhre,
F. u. Grow. A. :. Rife and Hon. DR. Pick
~ u. M"niann : the name OF the NAM
street but II it generally called MAIN
street. This is Il very long aud wide thor
nehfare upon which all the business of the
town is conducted. II is Just about fifty
wards from tlse Union Pacific railway which
I p Uses tLrou IN the city. Il the east side Is
{ G Carrnie hotel the larges, of its kind in
the Place. At the extreme end Of Main
street Is the Urge impl ment establishment
Or the A. j. Davidson company, of which
eX-GOv. White is the head. Adjoining
dis is the First National bank When
your correspondent entered this tue genial
ex governor WIS acting ns cashier.
nut found time 10 talk. His resi-
lpnce Is M the south end of town
nd he has u wall twice j ~ of n ont halt
4 mile. But he makes the journey with the
lgility Of youth, and seems 10 like il. He
does n LARGE business Ht the bank. and ham
dies IN average of $2O,0OO per day. This
institution ia tie financial point for large
portion of eastern Idaho. Gov. White has
rot acted ms cashier. he said. for n number
u wears. and when | entered he vas busying
limself to find Sl.UO lie WIS that much
,liort in his accounts Of the previous day.
rhe banks quarterly statement is just out.
and is llHttering showing of its sonnd
cLn l.t,on. Its paid-up capital is 5000 !;
] fustIs TYIttsldnn al dams
its subject 10 check. S25I 20l.D,
and demand certificates of de-
post to the am 4 of Slll.119.l2
lis loans and discounts foot up S2if.O3 i.39,
n Il il has due from other national banks
! $l27 ,G7779. The total Tesou crs foot up
Sl3l l,4j620. Gov. White is Il man os 0flairs
and il is Doubtful II he will be able 10 find
time 20 go 10 the senate. lie would rather
20, however. than see the warhorse get the
stolen glunl.
Tie Dillon National is the other banking
institution here. Its officers are Geo. NJ.
Brown, president: j. B. Crow, cashier and
! Is. J. Moore, nssistant. II IL capitalized also
& S5O,0DO, ard Is In healthy financial CON
dition. IL carries about $1,000 individual
deposits. THIS place is well supplied with
business hous,s. l.. c. fAhrie a Co. have
u large wholesale and retail grocery house,
| dso Il. w, Poindexter 4 Son, each occupy
I
conduct fruit and grocery store; File
/ Bros have the old' dry goods establish
nent IN Dillon. or dry goods merch nts
NE Kaufman d Co. and the u. n. Lewis
/ Mercantile company; the latter handles
clothing and furnishings this establish
ment Ia about to be sold 20 a New York
man. The Dillon implement company, of
which j. r. Morse IL manager is among the
large institutions OF Dillon; also the Dillon
Gram aud Lumber company, managed by
/ W. III. Snead. There are two drug stores,
owned respectively by Mr.. Stiles and Mr.
/ White. Ed. Ray conducts nn extensive
variety store, known M the Bee Hive. Wm.
/ f. Eastman alsu has novelty store. Tue
! furniture stores here are extensive houses
md carry elegant supplies. These are the
| Dillon Furniture company, q. Il. Paul
manager, and the o. T. Morse store, the
.atter being the most important. There
smith shops. faro tables,
,leven saloons m.S five churches,
representing the Catholic Rev. Father
i0es. pastor: the Methodist, Rev. Mr..
Nilks. pastor; the episcopal, Rev. Mr..
Hooper, pastor; the Presbyterian. Rev. Mr..
COMPTON, pastor. All these have handsome
.harch buildings. There is a Lutheran
congregation also, but they have no church
Office. In the matter Of public halls Dill
ON is very wellequipped. Flrstis the opera
louse. with seatinV capacity of COO; Darts
iall, u ed for dancing, etc.; the Masonic
| all, /. %. y. i. hall, city hall, court
louse and high school room. The secret
societies having organizations here are the
Iasonic, Odd Fellows. Good Templars, A.
}. e. w., knights Of Pythias and w. G. 4.
|