The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-12

eight live in Helena. In a new country like
Montana, the most profitable business that
a city can engage in is developing the
natural resources of her tributary country,
because by SO doing the town gains control
and reaps the benefits of any business that
terprise may create. For instance the de-
velopment of q mine in Montana requires
machinery ~and>supplies of all sorts, and of
course, if Helena capital and Helena men
control the mine, it is a sure thing that
that they will purchase their machinery
and supplies of Helena firms. If the de-
velOpment of the mine prove a profitable
transaction, as it usually does, and the
mine is capitalized and sold to eastern or
English capitalists, the result is that, be-
sides securing a certain amount of trade,
the Helena people interested in that par
ticular venture have made a profit. and that
profit will certainly be used in developing
some other mine or enterprise, and the
thing goes rolling on like a SNOWFALL, in
creasing with tenfold rapidity at every rev.
olution.
The majority of people do not realize
that this is thew way to build a city, and
that this quiet process is going on continu-
ally but they insist upon some tangible evil
dence in the shape of a great public enter
prise. They do not realize that towns can
be built, as some of the mushroom towns of
the west have been built, almost in a day,
but that a city requires time to grow. n
that the surest and best growth is the result
of the extension of the business interests
of the place. These same people insist
upon comparing Helena with Winnipeg,
Bismarck and other boom towns that
reached a population of eight or ten thou
sand, before the country around them, upon
which they relied for support, was produc-
ing a single dollar.
Towns grow rapidly up to ten Thousand
np0nlp and then thpv cfan1 ati1l until their
channels of trade with the surrounding
country are developed. IF the hannels of
trade do not cover sufficient area the tow
grows no more and can never hope to be-
come a city. Helena has taken twenty-five
years to establish her business relations
with her tributary country, and has Just
reached a point where she will commence
to reap the reward in the shape of a rapid,
steady, substantial growth.
Helena has a number of men in her bust
ness circles who are evidencing their faith
in the future of the city by investing their
money in enterprises, that, unless the city
grows to $4,000 population within five years,
their Investments would not bring so cents
on the dollar. Col. Broadwater is the most
notable of his class. He knows the Rocky
Mountain country from Mexico beyond the
British line as no other man knows 1t.
Most of that country he has covered on
foot, and he knows Montana, her resources
and possibilities better than any other man
in the state, md with his full knowledge
of the country, he has invested in the city
of Helena, in the Hotel Broadwater, cleo
trio railway line, electric light company and
buildings on Main street. certainly three
quarters of a million dollars. This money
has been invested by him within the last
two pears in enterprises that, as | said be-
fore, unless the CITY grows to 3d.
600 within five years, will not be
worth 80 cents on the dollar.
These Investments, made by eastern men
or by Montana men who had made their
money by some lucky strike in a mine,
would not carry much weight. But made
as they were by u man who earned his
money at the hardest kind of hard work,
and who knows Montana and the Rocky
mountain region as no one else knows il,
must inspire any thinking man with great
confidence. Ii | knew nothing else except
of Col. BIoadwater's knowledge of the
| country and his investments in Helena, |
would feel that | had a sufficient guarantee
of the future of the city. OBSERVER.