The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-26
IN ALDER GULCH.
THE PRESENT AND "reminiscences Of The PAST,
STAFF CORRESPONDENTS OF THE INDEPENDENT.

. OF THE INDEPENDENT.
and his companions tried the hrst nan a,
art ana found gold they little dreamei
that the richest Rulch in history had beeu
discovered. Fairwether made stake and
went to Frisco to spend it. He Certainly
succeeded, for he came back to Alder feys
months later with suit Of clothes and y
box OF sardines. In the meantime the big
gest kind Of q stampede for the gulch hsd
taken place: People came there until th,
population had reached nearly $1,000, ani
there was continuous settlement of houses
on both sides Of Virginia and down ma
Rulch for several miles. It was almost &
solid street from tho front Of the
die9lngs 70 Virginia while that city was 4
was worked for seventeen miles bv tson S..
ands OF men who labored BY day and turned
the town into scene of revelry by nicht.
1T was the liveliest mining camp cver
known In the west 20 far Is life Il con
ossnsd ... ssi d nv friend. Butte to-day is
Il ID. Of course, moro than abeurd 70 te,l
an old-timer what Virginia City was in the
old days. but il may be interestinRto glance
at the Virginia Of to-day. Hardly 4O0
people now live in the once famous town
where Thousands gwarmed. How these live
would be something Of problem to the
among them are several old-timers who
left years ago but have recently returned to
pass remaining days In the scenes OF early
triumphs and discouragments: The min.
ing population is. still there. but in small
numbers and is mostly employed by several
companies operating the placer grounds
tired tradesmen and miners and q
few acti We business men.
But for its general deserted look and the
evidences OF destroying time the town,
am told, presents much the same appear
ance as OF yore. The miners who left with
fine brick court house which stands on nj.
slight elevation a. you come into the town
from the west. and to his eye the school
housewould be . feature of new en-
terprise. Otherwise there is nothing new.
The pretty little residence of Sam Word is
still the most attractive in the city and the
Masonic temple the finest builing in Monta-
ma whom erected, remains tho most substan-
tial. Compared with fifty or dozen more
building in Helena ia like comparing Rob-
homo to q Vanderbilt's man
sion. The windows are tightly bolted and it
seems to have the air Of forgotten great
stone building. once the famous Ed sol
house. every stone Of which could
tell a story Of tragedy. II was the
greatest gaming place In all the west.
Every gambling device known to human
ingenuity was theirs and the ceiling was the
limit to all bets. Woman faro dealers,
with jewelry. were to be heard shouting,
Gents, make your Rame.' Everything
vent, and went with vengeance. Dis
putes were settled az personal matters and |
sach man held the other personally. re-
'ponsible." A little incident in the Ell Sol |
border justice. One evening Hugh Mo
Quaid was leaning against the bar chatting
With party Of friends when new arrival |
oined the party. He was . pretty fair
ookinR fellow, with bright blue eyes,
lark mustache and goatee. He wore the
Usual flannel shirt and buckskin trousers,
lround which was belt containing a pair
Il navys. He wanted to know If the gem
lemen he was talking to was Hugh Mo-
luaid. and on receiving an affirmative an
wer he said that he was q friend OF Judge
Tom Law, an old friend of Hugh's in
:. Beidler and Leroy Southmayd came in
he room. They glanced curiously at the
tranger and x, calling Hugh one side,
sked:
lis that man friend Of yours?'
well no, never met him until now but
70 AuOW0 6ov0I6A 11louU6 OI mine III xQ6QO.'' |
well, .you toll him to get q horse and get
ut Of this town right away, his name is on
he vigilante's list"
Hugh told the man what he had heard.
he stranger pulled his revolvers and lay
~ them on the bar, remarked, 81 have
omet to this town to stay and no damn vigil ,
antes are going to drive me out" When he
outhmayd. Well. the matter was dropped
1st then and the party dispersed. The !
ext morning Hugh was going up Daylight !
ulch when his eye met an apparition. !
here hanging to grim gallows Of 4 tree
ae the dead body of his friend of the ,
WIS name and he does not know to this !
ay what was hung for.
This is but one Of the many incidents in
with the history Of the Ell Sol. 1
was owned by Hooper and Hinson, and I
funny thing once occurred about the firm !
anne. When the place was opened they .
anted to purchase an elegant new sign, {
copper insisted that his name should go 4
rst and Hinsen insisted on his q
ght of priority. Finally. they got down to 4
sses and had fight, in which Hopper I
lme ont q winner. This settled the case, 5
40 the pride Of Virginia. The glory Of the = !
l Sol long ago departed, and the little
aiding 10 now devoted to the quiet pur- !,
Its OF trade. Another famous gambling y
,use was No. 10. which 10 now a little Il
hite frame building just above Contents a
'rner, on jackson street. This was more q,
a private resort, and was frequented by +.
10 swell gamblers from the states and the !,
'ast. There were fewer bags 81 dust than q
the 81 Sol and more double eagles. =
Almost across from the Ell Sol Is little q
anne building that will ever be pointed to Il
it'll interest by the old Virginian, though i
ere ID nothing particularly attractive Il
,out it Tho closed doors and windows e
ID the dull wood color of the walls and Al
Of might suggest something Of history =
an imaginative historian. On one side
the edge of the roof il slight projec- ~
~ covered with piece Of tim. In that O,
Hiding and over that beam that e
q see projecting were hung i've despera- ot
es ut one time. They were Boone Helm, a
Ok Gallagher, Frank Parish, Haze Lyons Il
q Club Foot George, i've AZ tough fell q
~ ~ ever breathed the mountain air. n
le committee held meeting soon after y
. execution Of Ives, Plummer, 6tinson 70
d the others and decided to cloar ont the =
ner bad men. These men were named as =.
, next to 60 and no time was lost in de- ~
ring matters. Pockets were posted in -
Dry section Of the Rulch and then the y y
lcers started out to arrest their men. rs
lile the Inhabitants began catherine -.