The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-01
A Prosperous Year Assured in All
the Leading Industries OF
the State.
Farms, Mines. Cattle and Sheep
Will Return Big Profits to
Their Owners.
Architects and Builders Predict a Boom In
Residence Building In Helena
Business In Realty.

ton, But that Montana has recovered
from it's worst effects, and in advance OF
other sections. there is no question. some
few people who delight IN looking on the
dark side of things predicted a month or
two ago that during 1891 Helena would
stand still; that there would be no new
buildings, and so far as the building trades
are concerned, there would be no business.
The large majority of the active business
men Of the city, however. gave 1t as their
opinion that while h season this year
might be a little backward, yet there would
be a fair amount Of building. They based
their opinion on the fact that Montana as a
whole would prosper during 1891 as it never
has before. That their view is the correct
one, a glance at the conditions throughout
the state will suffice to verify. For many
years there has not been SO much snow on the
ground at this season of the year rs now, as
surfing plenty of water for irrigation and for
placer mining. With water in the bitches,
bic crops are certain. There will be no
difficulty in disposinc of the products OF the
farm in Montana this year at good prices
because there will be agreat army ofmen
engaged in railroad building, all over the
state. As a result the rancher will have
money to spend to improve his property.
and to buy for himself and his family some
of the Injuries Of life. An abundance OF
water means a rich harvest for the placer
miners, who this season. for the hrst time
in several years will be able to work their
claims till cold weather comes, and at the
end have money to invest in other enter
nrises. The cattle man never had a better
winter and spring than just passed, while
there will surely be an abundance OF grass,
followed by fat cattle and a small loss in
the calf crop. The prospect for good prices
e. Anof ,ro nlcn Qycot1Ank. E0 tn2t the CAT
tie men will also have a good surplus when
the season closes. Sheep. too, have pros
pered the past winter. There will
be an abundance of grass when
the lambing season opens, and a
good market for wool. As to quartz MN
any man YOU meet what he thinks of the
outlook, and if he knows anything at all
about it, he will say that the year 1891 will
be the greatest in point OF sales made,
amount of precious metal produced, and
good properties opened up, that the mining
The mines Of Missoula and of Meagher
counties, heretofore without rail facilities,
will be mad, accessible to the world by the
iron horse, which will at the same time
open up to the settler rich agricultural Sec
tions.
As the state fares so fares Helena. There
IA scarceh; q corner in Montana In which
Helena capital is not interested. Her citi-
zens nave ranches in northern, southern.
eastern and western Montana, Hundreds
of her business men are interested in the
cattle and sheep industries, while a large
proportion of the capital engaged in min
ing comes from the capital city. The pros
up building by a portion of the profits,
while another pc ,tion will help in the work
of building Helena.
This feeling of confidence in the pros
perity of the state, as we'll as the expecta-
tion of a large addition to the population:
ways. The month of March witnessed more
business lone by the various realty dealers
than in the previous six months, architects
are being called on for designs for residen-
ces and business blocks, while the demand for
building permits is daily increasing. All
average business this year, at least, while
some predict d livelier trade than for some
time. F. J.: Shafer, the we'll known archi-
tect and builder, said yesterday that while
he does not expect a very early starting up
of the building business this year, yet he
feels sure that there will be more money
expended in new buildings and improve
ments than in any previous twelve months
in the city's history.
II is thought that there will not be 30
many business blocks put up in 1891 as
there were in 1890, but there will, neverthe-
less. be some erected which will add greatly
to the business portion of the city. A. p.
handsome :fve-story building On Grand
street. next his new warehouse, to be de-
voted to his retail trade. John w. ThomD-
son is having plans prepared for an eight
story Office building on the corner of Grand
and Main. Sanford & Evans will build an
addition to their Main street block, ex-
tending back to Fuller avenue.
The A. o q. w. will build on the corner
Of Sixth and Fuller avenues. the design be-
ing to have a four-story building, the lower
floor for stores, with offices above and a fir
hall and committee rooms on the top floor
That Helena will have a new opera house
before snow flies now seems to be an as
sured fact. John Mcguire and a lumber o
his rustling friends, who have thorough,
canvassed the city, said yesterday the mat
ter had assumed such shape that it coul,
be definitely stated that an opera house
which would be an ornament to the city
would be built in Helena this summer.
On the west side there will be quite
building boom. The bonds for the ne,
west side school house have been dispose
of, and RS soon as the new trustees assum
Office the work of putting up the buildin
will be commenced. 1t will cost $20,0 0(
G. N. Appleton is engaged on a number c
plans of residences for the west side, an
will do a big business in that section tn
spring and summer.
The new county Jail to be erected on til
site of the present structure, to cost $4,000
will. give employment to a number of mel
and when completed will be quite an orna
mental structure.
There il yet a good deal of work te /
done on the high school building, and
the proposition to pond the school .distri'
for 100000 carries On Saturday it meal
that amount is to be spent in finishing IL
buildings now In course of constructio
n~@ in kha / ~ 6 ,n@,r
Architects are almost a unit in the opir
ion that residence building will constitu'
the greater part of the work done this yea
Estimates of the amount which wi
be expended in Helena for residenc,
alone place it at $4,000. This est
mate is made on the basis of the amour
of work architects now have on hand, or tn
which is being figured on.
Wallace d Ihornburg will put up n nuI
Der of houses in Lenox this season, in at
dition to those now in course of constru,
ton. The firm is also preparing plans f
fifteen residences in another section of t
city, and also for a business block. N
Thornburg, in referring to the outlook We
tertay. said that he expected q most pro
porous seasons business. While he KIN
there would be more business blocks erec
ed, he was of the opinion that the grea,
portion of the building business would
confined to residences. 1.-The people
Helena" he continued, "are of a consery
tive temperament, INT will not overdo L
putting up of business houses. Just n
there are enough to meet the demand, a
all are paying nicely: Some few addition
ones will undoubtedly be built, but tn
will be no overbuilding in this line, az
Spokane and other cities west of us, VIII
thev have mora bniidinps DESIGNED for I