The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-12-27
BUTTE CITY.
A Townsman's Impressions OF q Western
Mining Place.


of Western camp life aud the doings of
former residents Of this place who are now
seeking fortunes there. Mr.. Palmer brought
large number Of valuable and beautiful
specimens of gold silver, lead copper and
other ores with him.
Mr.. Palmer left town for Butte City last
February and secured work in the Moscow
mine, operated by the Parrott Mining Com
pany and Of which Benjamin Tibbey, also
former resident of this town, is general super
intendent. Subsequently Mr.. Palmer assisted
in opening "The Miner" mine, which is
under the same company and superintendent.
Mr. Palmer had an inclination to go West for
about 35 years and finally last winter he
made arrangements and took his departure.
He agrees with the Republican daily news.
paper, Ai1er, of Butte City, when it says the
place is the greatest mining camp on earth
Butte has population of $4,000, which
consists of almost every nationality on the
face of the globe, including seven tribes of
Indians and large per centage of Chinese.
The city has a reputation for being tough
place, but Mr.. Palmer says it is due to say
that the citizens are among the most law
abiding and respectable to be found. 1t is
the influx of toughs from other mining
places that gives the city the reputation.
There is a large floating population and most
of ii is made up of some very hard charac
ters of western life. There are scores Of
western towns that have no churches, but
Butte, to the contrary. has church for
every denomination and even the Chinese
have their joss houses. The people also take
great interest in the welfare of the public
schools. 1t has fourteen large school build
ings and an excellent corps of teachers
Four additional buildings are in course of
construction. All the buildings are large and
beautiful. As an evidence of the progressive
and energetic spirit of tho people it need
| only be cited that in establishing their public
works they brought the water over thirty
miles to the place and the system for dis
tributing the supply is of the most approved
kind.
There has been one great drawback to the
city for years, but the prospects for doing
away with it are of the most encouraging |
character. For the past five years there has |
been much complaint by the people against
the smoke arising from the smelters in the
vicinity of the city. Various plans for abat
ing the nuisance have been suggested and |
finally one has been adopted. 1t provides |
for the erection at each smelter of steel |
stack 500 feet high, which will throw the |
smoke above the level of the roofs in the |
city.
Mining camp as Butte may be, Mr. Palmer
says that the boarding accommodations to be |
secured there are as good as any offered by |
any state in the Union and at board n
houses and hotels the best meals can be SO.
cured for twenty five cents.
The mines about the city arevery numerous
and the population is so dense that there are |
always ten men on hand to fill vacancy. |
The mines are conducted on very safe plans
and all are well timbered, especially the |
Parrott mines under Superintendent Tibbey, |
and these mines have more air to the foot
than any others in the northwest This is |
their reputation throughout that section of
the country, and it is generally recognized !
to be due to Mr.. Tibbey's constant study of
plans for ventilation and the safety of the |
men with regard to timbering.
Wood is the chief fuel at Butte and sells at |
So a cord for the soft material and So for the |
hard Coal is not used extensively on ac-
count Of its cost and Pennsylvania anthra |
cite leads in popularity and price. 1t sells at
$lS per ton, while Rock Springs, Wyoming,
coal is sold at $l3
A frst-cass shave costs 25 cents, but
coon" shave, which is received at the hands
Of negroes and consists of two draws Of the
razor and a swipe with the back of it, may
be had for 10 cents, and Oar you are, sab.
Nextl"
Pennies are curios at Butte. A Eve cent
piece is the lowest denomination Of money in
use. Many people have been led to the be.
lief by stories of those who have returned
from there that beer is an exceptional beyer-
age. Such is not the case with Butte.
Eastern beer is sold in all quantities and at
cents a glass, but Western beer is the favorite
aud sells at two bits (25 cents for two
glasses.
The gambling houses are the curse of
| Butte, but for the past four or five years the
people have been trying TO rid the town of
them by securing legislation and it is ex-
pected that the people will secure the relief
at the next session OF the Legislature. The
city has an efficient paid police Of about l40
men and one Of the best paid fire depart
ments in the Northwest At the recent
state fremen's contest the Butte companies
carried off all the prizes but one and made
worlds record for fast time in getting to a
designated point and coupling hose.
There are many former shenandoahites in
Butte. John Davies, who graduated from the
High School of town few years ago and
taught school at Turkey Run, has been there
about two years. He secured position as
school teacher in a suburb called Burlington
at a salary Of 500 per month aud about two
weeks ago the School Board of Butte elected
him as assistant TO the superintendent of |