The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-19

circuit to-day, but it was on the square
and the jockeys didn't have to be hired
and there was no suspicion of pulling.
Old Buck won and didn't have to BUY
any flour that year.
Mr.. Ramsdell took his family to Salt
Lake in the fall of 1865 to give them the
benefit of a winters schooling. Besides
his wife he had two sons, Frank Rams
dell now employed in the Union Pa
cific office at Grand Island. and Clay
ton Ramsdell, who lives on Mr.. Rams
delrs ranch near Deer Lodge, and one
daughter, who is now Mrs. James A.
Talbot. Mr.. Ramsdell remained with
His family in Salt Lake during the win
ter of 1865 and 1866 while his children
attended school. He had taken his
horses with him to Salt Lake and
traded them for OK teams. In the
spring of 1866 he came back, accom-
panied by his family, freighting up by
his OK teams great loads of provisions.
insuring this part of the country
against another flour famine He spent
the early part of the summer freight
ing up from Salt Lake and he sold the
supplies at Blackfoot, French gulch,
Silver Bow, Deer Lodge and Highland.
Prices varied, but he got as high as
81 50 for hundred pound sack of -four.
Salt had been selling at 10 cents
pound before he arrived, but he did not
get that much.
Mr.. Ramsdell landed his family in
Butte on July 10 Of 1866. having con-
Guided to remain here. The little camp
had grown some since he left it about
a year before and now about 20 cab
ins We're scattered up through Dublin
gulch. There was also cabin in East
Quartz street, where the Gulch house
afterwards stood. The only cabin on
what is now Main street stood about
where the Beaver block is now. Mr..
Ramsdell decided to put up his house
on West Quartz as there was an album
dant spring in the gulch just above
there, a spring which for many years
afterward supplied water to all the in
habitantS of Butte except those who
had their cabins in Dublin gulch, this
gulch having plenty of springs also
and a lively creek. There was at the
time Mr.. Ramsdell built, already a lit
tie cabin on what is now West Quartz
street. 1t had been put up by a man
named Weathers and stood 80 or 40 feet
west from the Ramsdell house. 1t was
torn down long ago and a brick livery
stable occupies its site.
The erection of Mr.. Ramsdells house
was started about the first of August,
1866, and it was completed in two weeks.
Mr.. RamSdell was assisted in the con-
struction by Levi Prentice, who still
lives here, and these two did all the
work. In that year there was quite
little town in Silver Bow which was
and had a court house and Jail. There
being no saw mill handy. Mr.. Rams
dell bought for $50 a log house at Sill
YER Bow, tore it down and his oxen
/ hauled the logs to Butte. Many houses
were afterward hauled from Silver Bow
to Butte in the same way. The house
was plastered on the outside and pa
pered on the inside with newspapers
and pictures. The house was 16 by
"A feet.
1T was a good. comfortable house"
said Mr.. Ramsdell land we lived very
, happily there. My wife always did her
own work and was very hospitable to
any who might come travelling this
way, whether we knew them or not.
The people were different class of
people from many we have here now.
We never had lock on the doors and
never had a thing stolen. We used
to buy our supplies over in Helena and
when we wanted provisions or clothing
I would get the oxen and the big wagon
and put all the family in and all go TO
Helena together. On those occasions
We would be gone for several days.
But we never thought of locking up the
house. If we happened to be away. peo-
pie who knew US and who were travel
ing through. would 90 TO the house.
help themselves TO grub do their own
cooking and go on their way the next
day Sometimes perfect strangers who
had been told OF Us would come 10 the
house while We were away and help