The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-11-27
BUSINESS AND GROWTH.
The Railway Systems aud Public and r RI
Yate improvements.

The Railway Systems aud Public n p RI
vate improvements.
Az said before, it Is only within the past
two or three years that Butte has begun to
throw off the habiliments of o mining
camp and taken on the Rarb of a city. But
the Transformation ia rapidly taking place.
Corners on the business streets formerly
occupied by one and two story wooden struct-
ures have and are giving place to modernly
built and handsome business places. Dur
ing 1890 there was expended in new Etruc-
lures and improvements in the business
section of tho city very nearly q million
dollars. Had not the stringenoy occurred
in the money market when 1t did, as much
more would have been put into this class of
Investments during 1891. But even as it
was, tho good work did not cease. One of
the handsomest business structures in the
state is the new Owsley block, built
of pressed brick, six stories in
height, in which nothing has been left
u ndone that would make it attractive and
convenient. Though not yet fully COM
pleted, already q portion of the store space
is occupied, and the other is leased. The
Owslsy is the finest and most costly building
put up during 1891, but there are a half
dozen others, either just completed, or nearly
so. ranging in price from $4,000 to 100000.
which will have the effect of greatly chang
ing the looks of the city. Beside the bust
ness blocks, in 1880 something like half a
million was put into private residences and
probably 100000 the present year. Much
of the latter class of building was done by
Investment companies, and the results have
been em%inently satisfactory, proving, as
they put it, that Butte is becoming a city
Of homes, instead of a transient stopping
place. There are three building and loan
associations in the city, and they are prov
ing no small factor in building it mp. Dur
ing 1882 there promises to be an amount of
building equal to that in 1890. Jas. J.
Hill and Marcus DAILY are credited
with the intention of improving one of the
most important corners i'll the business Sec
ton with a building which will excel
any in the state. Owners of stores, who are
now receiving big rents for properties which
do not come mp to the city's requirements
recognize the fact that to retain their ten
ants, or to rent these stores at all, they
must give what others proyide-handsome
modernly appointed structures. Already a
half dozsn orders for plans for five and six
story buildings have been given to the
architects, and the prospects are that if
Messrs. Hill and DAILY carry out theft inten-
a dozen moro owners Of business
property will be compelled to follow
their lead. As with the business structures
SO with residences. Experience has demon
in Butte that a home with a bath, hot and
cold water, warmly built and conveniently
u 70 ouho " VIVA heA- . kSoAU c11nL l
and n good rental, while the poorly con-
structed, badly arranged and old time
house remains empty. Next year the ball
in this direction will be started by one or
W. live men, and before the building sea-
son closes q hundred frst-class houses, at |
least, will be added in the residence dis
tricts.
The business of Butte. moi including the
mining, amount to between fifteen and
twenty million dollars annually. To at
tend to the WANT of the merchants as we'll
as the mining men, there are two national
banks and three private institutions. be-
sides a savings bank. Their aggregate onp-
ital is $1,000,O00 and the surplus So. 600, 600.
The deposits amount to S7,000,00 0 and the
loans 50, 100000. There is probably but
one other city in the country that can make
so favorable a showing, in proportion to
the population. Besides, there is a loan
and realty company with q capital of
$500, 600 fully paid up. The Union Pacific,
Great Northern and Northern Pacific fur
nish ample transportation facilities, giving
n sixty passenger and freight trains on
these three roads and on the Montana
Union arrive and depart from Butte daily.
As to public Improvements, Butte is we'll
supplied. There is a consolidated street
railway company, operating two electric
minute shedule, making the suburbs easily
accessible. as we'll as the depots
and other parts of town. The
company's system is about ten
miles in extent. There has recently been a
consolidation of the water interests and if
the new company carries out the plans now
outlined the water question will be forever
settled in Butte. The superintendent told
the writer that nexs year his company
would e1pend a million dollars in extending
and lettering the service. Engineers
Of supply, one of which con
templates driving a tunnsl through the
mountain for a distance of 5000 feet.
Twenty million gallons daily is the amount
of water the new ompan says it will fur
nish Butte with next year. Th mains now
used by the ompany are from five to twelve
inches, and the pressure in the business
section is lao pounds. Under the new sys-
tenn the large mains will be twenty-four
inches in diameter, and nothing less than
six-inch pipe will be used.
There are two electric lighting and power
companies, the Silver Bow and the Butte.
Though separate organizations, they ere
both under the same management. Each
company has n fine plant. the combined
capacity being 260 arc lights and $500 in
candescent. They are now furnishing 1870
of the former and G,200 of the latter. The
The company also furnishes power to var
ious institutions. There is also a very
complete gas lighting system. OF public
buildings there is a 100000 court house
and a S5o,ooO city hall. G. d. q.