The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-08
Lunch baskets very cheap at The Bee Hive.
MONTANA LEADS THE COUNTRY

How Helena and the State Compare with
Localities on the West.
Mr.. A.. j.. Davidson has returned home
after spending the winter with his family
in California, looking as robust as a man IN
good health could. While in California he
divided his time principally between Saa
Jose and San Francisco, and in the latter
CITY was an eye witness to all the big events
which havs TRANSFERRED in the last three or
four months, among them the funerals OF
King Kalakaua and Senator Hearst. He
also saw a great deal of the inside OF the
late senatorial struggle, which resulted IN
the election of FELTON,. On the return trip
he stopped at various sound cities. includ-
ing Tacoma, Seattle and Spokane. he
ferring to his visit yesterday, he sand: II
spent the winter previous to the one JUST
passed in California, and was very favora-
bly, impressed with the state. On my
last visit I looked more carefully
into the business opportunities there. and l
return fully believing that Montana is the
most prosperous state in the entire union,
and the best place for the man with capital
to increase it, and for the poor man to
make a start in life. The great curse of
California is the power of the corporations.
Unless a man wears a collar and is willing
to obey the behests of the magnates, ne
cannot prosper. AS a result, nowhere are
political methods SO corrupt, Or is lndlvld-
ual and independent enterprise SO nam
pered. Now as to the climate. The most
pleasant weather they nave in San Francis
co is when it is raining. Every sunshiny
afternoon at two o'clock the wind COM
mences to blow, and as a result the streets
are filled with sand.
"On my return trip l paid some attention
to the cities on the sound, which have been
booming for a year or two. Washington
ot,4c ! l., , IIr t0yynS1tn All n1nnO tho rail-
road for twenty miles each side of the
track, towns have been laid out. In q great
many cases the only things visible are
stakes. while some have q cabin within
| their boundaries. Twenty miles outside of
Seattle you strike the suburbs, and all the
ountr is an addition to the city. Busi-
ness is very dull in all these towns, due, ]
imagine, principally to over-buildlng and
the rush of people who had no MEANS. and
could find only temporary employment
after they got there. A number OF
Helena people put money in out there sew,
property is not paying more thar
done better had they put it il
a Helena bank on interest. SPOKANE
| judge, is a little tho worst off just now OF
any of the Washington cities. l talkeo
with a number of men who have, and are
doing business, in Montana and Washing
ton, and the universal opinion WAS tina
none OF the sound cities could compare
with Helena for business this season. W.
have pursued the even tenor of our way
have grown steadily, but not beyond on.
resources, and the result is that where the
boom cities are now having a reaction
Helena will go ahead this year as it has TO
the past six. Pin your faith to Helena ant
Montana, and you will have back of you
the best city and the best state, with NOR
prosperous people in proportion to popula-
l ton than there are anywhere else in tn
United StaJes.'