The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-11-20
WHEN DAILY CAME TO BUTTE.
He Came as a Miner just Twenty
Years Ago.

Twenty years ago this month a
sturdy looking man of about 30
years of age wearing a canvas coat
and carrying a roll of blankets a.
lighted from Gilmer and Salisbury's
stage coach in front of the old Cen
t%ennial hotel and walking up to the
desk where "Doc" Beal, the land
lord, was surveying his guests with
a critical eye, he threw his blankets
On the floor and inscribed on the no.
tel register in a legible hand the
name of Marcus DAILY and his resi-
dence as Salt Lake, says the Inter
Mountain.
Mr.. DAILY was ushered into the
dining room, and after a hearty sup
per he asked the landlord to be as
signed & room. He was tired out,
he said, after the long stage ride
and he wished to have a room to
himself. Mr.. Beal replied hat his
rooms we're all full and that there
was but one vacant bed in the house
in a room in which we're three beds.
Mr.. DAILY then inquired if there were
another hotel in town, and Mr.. Beal
directed him to the Clifton house,
the site of which is now covered by
the Gold Hill dump.
The next day Mr.. DAILY returned
to the Centennial hotel, and after
greeting Mr.. Beal inquired if he
knew where he could secure work.
Dennis O'Leary was then sinking
the Parrot shaft and Beal said he
could get him a job there but the
young miner replied that the shaft
was very wet and being troubled
with rheumatism he could not accept
the Job. Later he secured work at
the Alice mine in Walkerville, then
owned by Rolla Butcher, and after
managing to make an inspection of
every portion of the mine he made a
trip to Salt Lake and returned with
the Walker brothers who purchased
the Alice property and installed Mr.
!, DAILY as manager. Then it was dis
covered that Mr.. DAILY was an expert
in the employ of the Walker broth.
, ers and that his plan was to secure
work in the mine as an ordinary
miner so that he would have a better
opportunity of making a better in.
D spection of the ore bodies. The fol
lowing year the Magma Charta wa.
C purchased from Wayne Barnard anc
e others for $4,000. In the spring o
rs, the big strike was made in the
: Alice, and before the knowledge o
it was made public the Alice compa
ny had purchased all of the adjoin
ing properties or the great Rainbow
{ lode. The news of the strike sprea,
rapidly and this discovery was al
important factor in bringing capita
:, into the then struggling minin!
camp.
In May, 1881, Mr.. DAILY purchase
g., tue Anaconda from the Hicke,
:, brothers for 100000 and in June @
that year transferred it to j. L
Haggin, who is now a guest Of Nj
a DAILY. In 1888 r.. G.. Chamber
er purchased the St. Lawrence fc
re $l62, 500, the two mines being tn
parent ones of the present great Ar
: aconda group.
:. There have been many change
, since that day in November 20 yeal
ago, Butte has grown to be the mo:
prosperous mining community o
n earth; its mines have made possibI
g the foundati on and prosperity of i
y sister city, Anaconda, MS we'll a
contributing a share of their gres
wealth to the prosperity of almo'
every town and hamlet in the stat
From prospect holes its mines hav
developed into colossal deposits
mineral, in the extraction and trea
of ment of which thousands of men fin
t. employment at good wages.
as Butte is making history now at
n, rapid pace and the chronlcler
W events 20 years hence will have a
interesting story to relate.