The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-03
BUTTE CITY As It IS
How the Great Mining Camp Looks
to a Casual Visitor From Over
the Range.
It's Marvellous Increase in Popu-
lation and Property
Values.
Things That Butte Lacks-Its Business
Blocks and Dwellings Still the Rich !.
est Camp in the World.

-SsO--
est Camp in the World.
There is probably no city in the west that
has grown and prospered during ike past
three years as has the city of Butte. Then
the city claimed population of 10000, and
now the city directory compilers say that
$4,000 is the population of the greatest
mining camp on earth. And there is hardly
any doubt that this is true. Butte ia a great
camp. It is always lively and everybody
who lives there is not there for his health.
They are all after the almighty dollar, and
all Butte's merchants are making money
fast as well as people in every other branch
of business, except the newspapers--except-
ing, probably, the Inter Mountain. A gro
ceryman of Butte said the other day that
he made $4,000 last year and expects to
make $40, 600 this year. Five years ago he
started in business with q cash capital of
$1,OOO and to-day he is worth $4,000. The
years profits of one gambling house we're
$50 900. Nearly every married man in
Butte lives in his own house and on his own
lot.
Not man in Butte will fail to assure
the stranger that the camp is good
for fifty years yet, at least, that enough ore
is already in sight to guarantee this asser-
ton. Yet it is strange that these men who
intend to remain there as long as there is
money to be made are satisfied to live and
do business with such uninyiting surround
ings. There is, but really one first class
residence, and Butte cannot claim bust.
ness block that is substantial or attractive,
but several are promised. A great deal of
building is in progress. but it is all of the
plain and cheap character. A granite stone
in Butte building is rare thing. Galvan-
lied iron answers this purpose. In some
quarters of Butte dwelling houses are
springing up like mushrooms, but they are
all cheap one-story cottages. On the west
side, in Missoula gulch, few presentable
residences are in course Of construction.
And as for hotel, we'll Butte hasn't got
one that can claim the name, and no town
in the country offers better advantages and
assurances of better profit, for even good
second-class hotel. than does Butte. The
city has a splendid sewerage system,
hurry to take advantage of it. Butte has
q cable railway and two steam motor
lines and an electric railway in course of
construction. 1t also has two electric
light plants and many other conveniences
to be found in large cities. It also has
eight newspapers-three dailies, three semi
weeklies and two weeklies, the Standard
being counted as Butte paper. There has
been no effort in Butte to introduce mod
ern sidewalks. But Butte is full of life
and activity. This is only natural when it
is taken into consideration that the differ
emit mining and smelling interests distribute
monthly among the miners and business
channels of Butte a sum of money very
close to 10000, or nearly $40 per month to
every man, woman and child in the place.
There are, however, great many idlers at
Se.re. And they are mostly strangers, many
of them class that won't work and who
will bear watching. ~e'-~,z So ,.--55@
Three years ago and less, nobody in Butte
would talk real estate. Such thing as a
real estate speculation was not to be en-
but they paid attention mostly to mining
matters. But a great change has taken
place, and in two months time property has
appreciated in value all the way from 100
TO 500 per cent, and since the ''boom'
ru s been the 9sa camp The several s1 fortunes IT. ss
Smokehouse litigation gave the first i'm
bpetus to any activity in real estate and now
the town talks of nothing else. the mining
interests seemingly being a secondary con-
federation. Yesterday a 100000 deal in
Main street property was contaminated.
Butte is the lack of interest displayed by
the owners of the old Centennial hotel cor
ner in utilizing it. It is now nearly three
years since the hotel was destroyed by fire,
and the charred ruins of the historic struc-
lure still stand, disgrace to the neighbor-
hood and an eyesore to Butte citizens,
while all around it extensive improvements
are going on. The Centennial corner is to-
LAY the most valuable piece of property in
Butte and would make an excellent sight
or big commercial hotel. Another vaiu-
Pble piece of property, on Broadway, still
months ago, which is hidden from public
gaze by huge bill board. It is understood
hat this is to have large business block
before snow flies.
While Butte has had an unprecedented
rowth in five years, her mineral resources
nd no one can tell when they will have
cached the climax of their greatness. The
nine has yet to be found there that has not
ald for Its development and made its own
rs rich. The biggest thing IN Butte just
low ls the recent developments in the
roperties of the Butte q Boston company,
be shares of which company have greatly
dvanced in value within the past week,
nd which rise is said to have increase the
alue of the Davis estate $1,OOO,OOO. The
naconda mines are again being worked,
nd long train loads of ore are now being
Suite d Boston company is enlarg-
ag Its smelling plant, all the
uge quartz mills except the Blue
Bird are pounding away on
re from hundred mines and the camp
ever was more prosperous. But there is
Dom for big imp ovement iii Butte in its
usiness center. AS it is everybody there is
Apply, healthy and independent satisfied
live under any roof where a profitable
usiness can be transacted, and totally OBJ
yious to convenience, much less elegance or
ny of the comforts that go to make life
leasant. Butte is building up SO rapidly
lat it will not have place to put the capt.
1l-when it gets it-and the puzzling feat
re of this situation now is that they don't
now where they are going to put that pub
c building which Mr.. Garter has promised
ut 30 far failed to secure. 1t is limited
lat the owners of the Centennial corner
ould like to sell their lot for enough to
ave about $50. 600 for the erection of the
nxiously awaited government structure.
MOhair and French chaIlies Soc at Sands