The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-08-15
MEN WHO MADE THE STATE.
An Old Montanian Recalls Some Interest
ing Historical Facts.

An Old Montanian Recalls Some Interest.
ing Historical Facts.
To The Independent.
| have just returned from a trip &c
northern Canada and for the first time
have heard the sad news that two Of YOU
great financial institutions have been com
PEELED to suooumb to the financial strin-
genoy.
AS an old Montanian. warmly interested
in the state Of which l was 80 long q
resident, l cannot refrain from saying a
few words about the men and institutions
whlch have been the foundation OF all
Montena's wealth II advancement. A
copy of the Butte Inter Mountain of a re.
cent date. which is before me, contains
this sentiment: Whatever may be the out
come of the present trouble, sam Hnussr
will have the heartfelt sympathy of the
good mon Of this state because he has
always been enterprisinR. pubic. spirited
and liberal in his business relations. and
because he has opened mines, built rail-
roads and utilized his Energies in such O
way. that the people received much Of
the benefit, moro, tho sequence shows, than
he received himself"
1t is gratifying to know that public senti.
ment as expFessed In the allows paragraph
Ia with your noble institutions and tho men
tAASLas Ii Vie uOuE OF uu-
~ye'sit5. The leople OF Montana indeed owe
them C. debt of gratitude. There has not
boon a step in the states progress that these
men have not stood willing to aid. Take
the enterprises alone with which Gov
Hause' has been identified. My recollec.
tion goes bnck nearly thirty years. think
it WAS in 1864 or 1865 that Gov. Hnussr and
his associates built the frat smelling fur.
mace in the territory on the Rattle Snake
river, in Beaverhead county. Hundreds 81
thousands OF dollars were put into this err
tstp;i se.
The following year they erected the first
silver mill in the state at Philir sburo. which
has been in continual operation ever since,
and was the beginning of the development
OF that famous diatrics. The Granite vaa
the offspring of this enterprise and was yur.
ohashed by individuals of the same com
runy. Millions of dollars wore added TO
the wealth of the territory as the resnlt NJ
these undertaking..
In 1866 the toll road from Flint Creek to
PhliipsturR was constructed by Gov. Hsuser
and his business associates, and in the same
yenrthey oraanized the Frat Nntional bank.
of Heenn, with a capital of 800, 600, This
was followed a few years later by the estab-
Missoula; then the First National bank. OF
Fort Benton. and later. by the First Ma
tional bank. of Butte.
Ihen came the railroad building era, The
first line built by tho citizens of the ter j.
tory was that from Helena to Wickes. The
Northern Pacific company declined to nm.
dortuke the work until Gov. Hauser and his
associates agreed to grade, b idgs and tie
tho road mt their own expense, and to take
Their chances of getting their money bacl,
from freigtts created by the buildinp of
the road. This first road resulted in the
building or tho smelling plants of the Hel-
ena d Livingston Smelling and Reduction
company at H"lena and their works at Cor.
BIN AMI Wlckes. The various plants of
this company mp to the present time have
cost over 81, GOO, O00. and | understand they
are now paying out, or We're n month apo.
s3j0,0G0 per month. Tho SUCCESS of the
road TO Wickes lei tho Northern Pacific
company to extend the line to Boulder and
thus more country was opened to Develop
ment. Tue immediate working OF the
mines. and the consequent traffic on tho
road that followed this extension, led to
the Hauser syndicate. They built the road
to Rimini and to Silver City. md later
from the Notthern Pacific mp to Philipsburg,
some fifty mile. At tho same time they
MISC hnilt the road from Missoula up the
Bitter Root valley about the game distance.
iiauser and Corbln also constructed
tho line from Junction up to the
CGur d'Alene country. also the 5rst mill
that was ever built in that country. Tho
building of this road and mill resulted in
the DEVELOPMENT of a new dist: lot and the
employment of thousands of men.
Later on, in 1879. l think. the Hauser
syndicate took hold OF and completed the