The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-25
MONTANA'S BIG MEN.
Broadwater'S Closest Friend
Tells of His Deeds.
LED THE VAN OF ENTERPRISE.
One OF tho Leading Men of Helena Talks
OF the MilliOuaires OF His City
and Their Feats.

William ]. Fuchs, of Helena, Mont, is
stopping at the Rainier for few days on
a visit TO his old friend General Man
ager Shelby, of the Great Northern.
he has been spending several weeks on
the Coast, visiting all the principal cities
and meeting old friends everywhere he
goes. Mr.. Fuchs is one of the principal
agents in keeping Helena at the head of
affairs in the Northwest. Although not a
wealthy man himself. he has the conf
dence Of men of unlimited means He is
the secretary, treasurer and ruling spirit
of the Commercial Gu of Helena. an or
ganization which has as many millions as
1t has members. He is also secretary and
treasurer of great number OF large
business enterprises whose headquarters
are in that city, but whose field of oper-
atoms extends all over the Northwest.
For many years he was private secretary
and confidential man of the late c. 4.
Broadwater, Helena's most enterprising
citizen, and also secretary of the Montana
Central railway. He also takes an active
interest in Montana politics, although not
q candidate for Office, and in a quiet way
wieids powerful influence in favor of the
Democratic party.
at was a sad day in Helena when the
news was quickly circulated that Broad
water was dead" he said last night. "You
who have never lived in Montana have no
idea how this man was esteemed at home.
He was only a plain citizen. but he was
eminent in his role. He was wealthy, but
he used his wealth generously to build
the state and city which had made him
rich. He was the foremost man in
every enterprise of public nature, and
whenever subscription paper was circu-
lated Broadwater's name was the first on
the list of signers. During my long and
intimate service with him ! learned his
character thoroughly, and l can say
never knew a more quiet or lovabie man.
/ never heard him utter an upkInd word
to or of anybody, and when he died 1 be-
lieve there was no man who was his
enemy.
"He was a man of wonderful business
capacity, and, although he was magnifi-
Gently generous during his career, he left
an estate worth several millions. He came
to Montana about thirty years ago, a
young man without distinct purpose. He
first started butcher shop, and from that
drifted into the cattle business and from
that into freighting, in which he
made his first large profits, although
he was always interested in live stock. He
organized and was at the head of the cele-
brated Diamond r Freighting Company.
whose trains of merchandise were to be
found on every road leading to and across
Montana, from Utah on the south and the
Missouri river on the east to the British
possessions on the north. Upon the adj
vent of the railroads he went into the mer-
camille business on large scale, having a
large warehouse in Helena and an interest
in the post traderships at Forts Assina-
boine, McGinnis and Custer. He then
started the Montana National bank at
Helena and was its president until the day
of his death.
'On the extension westward of the Great
Northern he became associated with J. J.
Hill in his enterprises and built the Mon
tana Central and other branches of that
system. and was also president of that
road until he died. He was largely inter-
ested in the TOWNSHIP of Great Falls and its
public works, and he also became inter-
ested in coal and silver mines throughout
the state as we'll as live stock ranches. In
1888 he carried out his idea of utilizing the
famous hot springs about four miles from
years before for a song. At the cost of
half million or more he built a fine hotel
and the largest and finest natatorium of
its kind in the world, 350xl50 feet in dimen-
sion. The surrounding valley he trans
formed into beautiful park, built a car
riage road TO the city, as we'll as an electric
car line. He was also the largest stock
holder in the Helena electric railway, the
gas company and also the electric light
company.
SIN politics he was Familiarity styled one
of the Democratic Big Four in the state.
the other three being Sam Hauser, Joe
Clark and Marcus Daily. His interest in
politics was purely patriotic. He never
sought office for himself, but was liberal in
his donations TO campaign funds. On the
day of his funeral the entire city mourned
and nearly every business house and pub
lie institution draped its buildings in tes-
timony of its grief.
although Broadwater was the chief,
Helena has great many rich but gen.
erous, whole-souled men. 1t is perhaps the
wealthlest town for its size in the world.
With less than 10000 inhabitants, it is the
popular belief that il has more than
twenty millionaires, while there are a
hundred who are worth from $3.50, 900 to
100000. The wealth OF these men is in
vested all over the Northwest, in gold, sill
YER lead and coal mines. in ranches, in
lie stock, in real estate, in timber lands,
in mercantile companies. in banking and
loan institutions and public works Of all
kinds. In fact, these men don't know how
rich they are Their investments reach from
the Missouri river TO the Pacific coast, and
a great deal of it is helping to develop