The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-31
A TALK WITH MR.. WHINE
Helena Has a Magnificent Future II
Her Citizens Will Unite
for Work.
The Denver Syndicate Has Impor-
tant Plans for, tho City's
Prosperity.
He Thinks h City Government Should
Adopt n More Liberal Policy
with Investors.

Mr.. Peter Winnie, after an absence Of two
months, returned to Helena yesterday.
During his absence he visited the large cities
of the east in the interests u his company
and in this way heard much about Helena
from eastern investors. Mr.. Winne's syn
dictate is interested in Helena to a con-
siderable extent. Within the past year
these capitalists have invested $250,OO0 i'll
real estate and improvements and they pro-
pose to continue the investments under
certain conditions. The handsome new
building On Broadway III trout Of the Mer-
chants has been completed, "a new electric
road has been constructed and the fine new
suburb of Lenox has made great progress
under the energetic direction of Mr.. Winnie
and Wallace d ~Thornburgh, who represent
the syndicate. These improvements
mean more for the prosperity of
the city than most people imagine.
In the course of a pleasant chat
in his room at The Helena last evening Mr..
Winnie said: During my visit east 1 found
that Helena was much better known than |
had anticipated, and very favorably known
too. / was asked many questions about the
city and found q general disposition among
investors to look into the resources and
prospects of Helena. / find that Denver and
Helena went through the recent financial
panic in better shape than the other cities of
the west. This was because of the sound
financial basis in both cities. They had the
reserve force behind. Helena has the loca-
ton and the natural advantages desirable
for a great city. 1t is the residence and
financial center of Montana, and if handled
right will always maintain it's prestige. l
do not favor booming, but rather aiding a
sound and sure growth. Now you want
to know something about u plans.
We have invested q great deal of money
here and we will! iavest more if we receive
the right sort of encouragement. We ex-
pect to give actual value to this town
for all we receive in this way, but if the
Gown is to grow in prosperity the citizens
must unite in putting their shoulders to the
wheel and keep things moving. Helena
needs two things: more unity among the
citizens in the way of enterprise and a more
the first proposition. This city has in it's
population a number of croakers who ap-
p~arently believe that the end of Helena was
reached when the last gold was washed out
of Last Chance gulch. They cannot see the
progress of the city and they appear
unwilling to render any assistance to those
who come here from other places to invest
their money. l heard of a case to-day
where a man from the east came here to
look at a piece of land down IL the valley.
He liked the property and was satisfied with
the price until he talked with a merchant
ly induced that man to believe that the
price was too high and he left without in
vesting a dollar. What sort of home en-
terprise is that? We had croakers in Den
yer, but not SO many in proportion as there
are in this city. When the public spirited
people got together and worked night and
day to build a city they succeeded in driv-
ing these croakers to the wall or bringing
them about to join in the work. Now, Hell
ena needs efforts of this kind and surprising
results will follow. Concerning the city
government, l will say that a more
liberal policy from that quarter is
quite as necessary. l don't propose
but our syndicate was not treated right in
the matter of grading our road up Fifth
avenue. The council likewise acted wrong
in tie Broadway grading. Now, then. when
money is being spent Literally to build
street railways, make streets, build up ad-
ity of the city in other ways, it is discour-
aging to meet with such inexcusable oppo-
sition as this. Our people are not COM
PEELED to carry on this work, and we
certainly do not propose to fight against
many such obstacles. for there are other
uoluS lOE luNthJulouts i ul5uGlOn tlGS6
matters to show the way our people are
feeling about the future. We have plans
for the coming year which will be carried
out if the investors are assured of the right
encouragement. We are thinking of run
ming our road north towards the
university. OF course this construction
would benefit property owners all
along the line and they naturally
should be somewhat interested in the
matter. We have other plans. have been
looking up the subject and am satisfied that
sugar beets can be raised protitably down
in the valley. The manufacture of starch
from potatoes l believe can be profitably
carried on. These Industries can be started
and carried on without any great outlay of
money 80 that in the possible event of
failure little would be lost. Now these
things will bring people here and more
people are needed in Helena. If my COM
continues its Investments 1 will spend
a good part of my time east in inducing
people to come to Helena. Now that the
legislature is working l hope that a bureau
of immigration will be established to bring
people to Montana. I will spend a month
in Helena and before l leave l will find out
just how the city government and the
citizens in general propose to treat people
who como out here to invest their money.
If my investigation is satisfactory our work
of improvement will go on, otherwise it will
stop"