Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1893-06-03
fFor the Observer.
Letter fro Nh Major IL. +.
Jones.

m
MELENA. MONTANA. May II.
Editor Orange County Observer:
Dear S.r-So many strange and
new >ceues have L.en ~itnesse1
since leaving North Carolina lha, II
is hard TO know where TO commence
in giving q des ripiion oi them, but
As my ,iuie aliI no, permit my tell
lng OF many. | viii say ie" words
about this, the capital of Montana
|, is a place OF some T. or l4,uoo
Inhabitants, very prei,ily located
right at The loot Of MI. Helena,
hich rises about 300 feet above
aud immediately over locking the
town on the West. TO the north
there il a beautiful valley, level a> q
floor, and stretching away |" the
foot hills, about Is miles distant,
beyond which numerous ranges OF
mountains can be seen, more Or less
wooded with pine, aud nary stiii
covered with SNOW, making alto
getier a very pretty aud Interesting .
view. Ihe valley is 10 q consider
able txten, under irrigation, aud 1t
is sinp,y wonleriul what crops
these .audS .. uduce, wherever they
can get water upon them.
The site OF Helena was, in The
early days, one vast placer mine,
aug you can still see, III all direc-
tions, great piles OF rock, gravel, &c,
that have beeu washed over and
over :or gold; but they were long
since worked out, aud nov there IL
very little mining done in this imme-
date vicinity.
Tue city has many very handsome
public aud private buildings aud is
the home vi quite a number OF mil
: lionairee, who made their fortunes
out OF the placer mines, bu, at pres
enl 1T seems very dull the mer-
chants al! complain of poor trade,
, and there are a good many houses
Tor rent in various portions OF the
town. The Northern Pacific, Great
: Northern and Montana Ceutra, Rail
Roads all come in here, aud the
} Burlington fls sand 10 be Leaiiuy Tor
t this place too. So it will always he
a point OF Importance. The hard
: times through this section, are at
d tributed to a very hard winter,
n causing heavy losses TO stock, aud 10
II the low prlce OF silver, which hasEed
to the closing down of many mines
aud the consequent throwing out OF
work of nuu:erous miners, team
: slers, DC.
One OF the attractions is the cele
J. bra'ed Helena hot Springs, situated
IN a little canon, about three mi es
west OF the city !; they have there ;
beautiful and sp'eudidiy equipped
- hotel, the "froadwa,er," right in ID.
IS valley, with high mountains a
= around and IL the middle of a law,
that has tie loveliest turf that y.,
: can imasine e. Near the hotel there
= is an imme use n@atatOrium in which
u il The swimming lool, which the,
d Claim to be the largest body OF nd,u
!. raj hot water im,he world it is 10,
1900 feet, tr,mf4 TO 10 t.et dec,
with a ten p%erature OF $50, and is
- most delightful place to bathe an'
p swim, as know from experience
,e Water runs in by pipes from q spring
Is l = miles distant ; at the spring i
:, has a temp erature Of 16Oe, and Ia
:, to be tempered with cold water. |
u contains sulphur and other minerals
ae and IS a fine medicinal water aud il
4 supplied TO all the rooms IN lh,
;. hosel.
Yesterday | went up to Morvs
. vile; it is only II miles from here
re but il 1000 :ect atotc this place. |
i is a mining camp aud is the location
ir Of the celebrated Drum 1ummurr
gold miAe, ole Of the riches, in tn,
Jnitcd>State~ | wish | had time |.
: tell you somethjrg abou, II, bu
'e have not.
g, Am going to morrow up to Grea
r Falls and Fort Benton away ~
4 ror,l.
a An doing very we'll in a business
Z "2y. tut teeA lonely enough ava,
is of here by myself May write ayai,
! some time or other. Remember IN,
G TO al! trends Yours very truly.
II III. =. JONES.