The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-09
The Congregational College Conn.,
mittee in Helena Less Than
Four Hours.
Delay on the Great Northern and
Hurry to Reach Liv-
ingston.
They Are Shown Many Attentions In u
Short Time and Meet the Board
of Trade.

the location of the Congregational college
did not arrive in Helena until seven O'Clock
last evening. They had to leave at 1O:4O at
night, so their stay here WAS less than four
hours. In that brief space of time they
were expected to see the Land which is Of
fered for the site and to view and listen to
tho many advantages offered by the capital;
and all this by twilight and darkness.
The committee which paid this flying
trip were Rev. W. 8. Bell, G. s. Appleton,
j. Il. Sanford, and Rev. Il. D.. Kelsey
OF Helena; Rev. H.eC. Simmons of
Fargo. N, D.; Rev. W. s. Fowler and A. W.
Miles, of Livingston; Rev. 8. A. Wallace, of
Billings; Rev. 0. G. CLARK. of Missou!a;
Rev. Il. Corey and @. M. Webster. of Great
Falls, and Rev. Il. B. Howell, of Butte. or
these twelve one has no longer any vote.
That is the Rev. L. ID. Kelsey, who resigned
that privilege. The seven which was re-
quired as 4 majority of twelve is still re-
quired with the eleven remaining. This
will make it necessary to have the full vote
of the committee outside of the four from
the competing cities of Great Falls and
Livingston. The member of the COMMITTEES
from Billings ia said to favor Livingston.
This makes it look as though the committee
as at present constit uted would be unable
to arrive at a decision unless local preiu-
dices are laid aside.
When the Board of Trade thought the
committee would get in promptly at 2:3O D..
M, they had arrangements made to drive
them at once to the grounds offered for tho
college, entertain them ut the Broadwater
aud at The Helena, and show them about
the place and have them meet some of the
representative business men. Tho new
that the train would not get in before seven
O'Clock necessitated n shortening of the
programme. When they arrived they we're
pleaded with to stop over q day and give
themselves An opportunity to see the local
ity or else keep on to Livingston and return
later. They were all anxious, howeve~. to get
to Livingston and did not care to return.
The Board of Trade therefore made the
best Of a bad situation. Immediately on
the arrival of the train the committee were
taken in charge by f.. r. Wallace, Il. II.
Floyd Jones and G. W. Cannon, and driven
out to whore the $50 acres subscribed for
the college, about a mile and a half be-
yond the Broadwater, are located. 1t was
growing dark, and what was seen had to be
viewed under difficulties. From there they
went to the Broadwatsr, where they were
shown the beauties of that magnificent
establishment by Manager Campbell and
back TO the city, and arrived at the Board
OF Trade rooms about quarter before 10.
This, of course, demonstrated short work in
the matter of consultation. There were
present to meet them n. M. Parchen, presi-
dent of the Board of Trade; Major r. @.
Il. IL. Howey, John ]. FAINT, T.. G. Wallace,
Homer Hewins, Joseph Davis, Walter
Matheson Sam Schwab, Judge N. ". McCon-
nell. j. r.. Porter and many others.
After Il hurried introduction Rev. i. D..
Kelsey made a few Introductory remarks,
regtettina deeply that four hours of day
light had been lost, and that there was NO
time to show the visitors the most beauti-
full city in the Rockies. He was glad, how
ever, to have been able to show them some
thing of the beautiful valley. He regretted
that they did not have the time here that
they had at Great Falls, where everybody
hsl q chance to talk.
Rev. II. Q. Simmons, of Fargo, was called
on. He said the committee were all sorry
their stay must be SO short. 1t was too bad
that the Great Northern had combined with
Great Falls to keep them out of Helena by
daylight. After some very complimentary
yemarks about the bigness of things in Mon
tana, be said that the Congregational
college, like all others, proposed to begin
by getting the best it could and then work
ing up. The Conaregationalists had never
made u failure. There were special reasons
why they should make Il success in a great
state like Montana. A college in order to
succeed must be loved by the people around
It,. The Congregational church loved its
colleges. No matter whers a college was
fees for it. and if the committee decided to
come to Helena they hoped to plant it
among friends. But wherever it should go
it would be worth having, me its work
such as no one need be ashamed OF.
Judge Mcconnell, on behalf Of the Board
of Trade, said this was a great big subject.
Tho committee were not doing themselves
or the cause justice to hurry through Hell
ena in this way. Everybody knew there
would be local prejudices in Il matter of
this kind. Il could not be helped. But
local pteindices must stand aside when a
when you Law the foundation stone of a
young institution" he said, you have to
depend on local patronage for awhile"
This. he said, they would find at Helena,
capital or no capital. It's destiny was &C.
cure, because her people would mako her
great.
Mayor Kleinsohmidt said he could assure
tho committee that if they selected Helena,
the people would welcome the college,
and endeavor to demonstrate that
they had not made any mistake
II the site. The value of the land
must be in proportion to the population of
the place. He asked the favorable consid-
Grafton of the committee and regretted that
they had not had an opportunity to see tie
CITY by daylight. Their late nnu snort
visit took Helena at q disadvantage. In
conclusion the mayor said that the land
offered near the CITY was sufficient to en-
dow my college. and Helena would guar
nntee as liberal patronage as any place
could give.
+. X. Wallace said the Congregationalists
had chosen Montana AZ the place for 4 col
lege because it WINS Il great state. In
Twenty-Five years it had enriched the world
by over 400 millions of treasure. No one
could deny that Helena, through its great
Influence, was the capital and centre of this
vast empire. 1t was the wealthiest city on
the face of the earth according to popula-
ton. It was the social centre and the
place to come, and it invited the college to
locate here.
Major II. G. Walker asked Mayor Klein
schmidt, as a banker and u business man,
what was the present value of the land Of
fered. nnd what it would be worth when the
first stone of the college was laid.
Tho mayor replied that the present value
of the property WAS about 10000 When
the foundation of the college was laid it
would be worth $500 an acre more.
Il. IL. Floyd-Jones said n college located
here would have advantages that could be
secured Nowhere else -thnt Of associating
with an older civilization. All the great
lecturers, all the great musicians came
here. The big courts were located here.
Helena bore tho same relation to this state
the entire United States.
II. H.. Howey said Helena had other nd
vantages besides those mentioned. II had
Al. tt..-aA 4 l.. -