The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-29
IN OLD MADISON COUNTY.
The Years Record in Mining Has
Been a Remarkable One.
BIG RAILROAD TRAFFIC
The Cars Crowded With Passengers.
Christmas In Twin Bridges-The Tree
at the Methodist Church Re-
joiced the Little Ones.

Special Correspondence OF the Standard.
Twin Bridges, Dec. 27.-As the min
ing yea of 1898 draws to a close II Is
patent TO all that the record made by
Madison county is no mean one. N
that IL is bound to attract those who are
seeking reliable investments in mining
properties goes without saying. While
the mines of the Kiondike have been the
rage Of the world the past year. the
BOOM" for such IL has developed, is
now on the wane and mining there Is
getting down to a business proposition.
Through all the different mining ex-
elements the past few years the mines
OF old Madison have been moving stead
lily along M Offering their fortunes to
those who would accept them. With but
very few exceptions the mines OF this
county and. especially the Tobacco Root
range. have increased their bullion out
put and shipments nearly double the
past year. and those who ave remained
with their mining properties instead of
going to the frozen north will in the
future be handsomely rewarded.
The mineral belt of the county con-
tains hundreds of good prospects prac-
~ !. - Ut efI tot -
a proper way to capitalists. will be
worked and classed among the pro-
ducers and dividend payer The coun-
try Is full of moneyed men who are
looking for just such places as the To-
bacco Root range. and when once they
are interested one OF the greatest mining
districts in the state. barring Butte. will
be opened up. When the showing made
I'm the past and the comparative. ease
I'm which the belt can be ~traversed. to-
gether with the fact that the Northern
Pacific road taps the mineral region on
either side of the range and that Twin
Bridges has In operation a first-class
smelter. Is k into consideration, II
Is cas- to foretell that next ear will
witness redoubled activity among mine
owners and investors.
There is a great and almost continu-
Gus chain Of ledge matter extending
from Virginia Cty to the Mayfower. a
distance of so miles. with here and there
such well-known mines as the Kennett.
Bertha, Easton. Letter. Montana. Caro-
lima, Armour's Mayflower, Sunrise. Clip
per. Revenue. Lucky Boy. Monitor and
the properties OF the Garnet Mining
company, besides the noted mines at
Rochester and Silver Star. These mines
are no exception to the rule. but have
h advantage OF capital N expert
enced men to n and bring them up
To their high standard.
Everyone thai travels over the North
ern Pacific from here to Butte can be
heard to roar about the crowded condl-
ton of the accommodation train. The
car is damned full going and coming.
and a passenger Ii lucky IL he can find
standing room in the passenger depart
ment. One traveller was heard to re-
mark the other day that he was COM
PEELED to stand up from the Bridges to
within 10 miles of Butte. The increased
passenger traffic Is very gratifying to
the railroad officials. and IL Is possible
they will give us better service I'm the
spring. What causes all this travel is
hard to tell. Some of the wiseacres last
summer asserted that one train would
be sufficient. but from the very begin
ming the officials say the railroad be-
gan doing business that exceeded their
expectations. The freight business is
good. too. From 3 to 10 cars of freight
are brought i'm every train a day and
the shipments OF ore from this point are
simply astonishing. The statistics given
are very small compared with towns on
the main line. but nevertheless IL fol-
lows that the company had an eye to
business when they constructed their
branch line and connected the valley
with Butte n the outside world.
Christmas was very appropriately OBJ
served I'm Twin Bridges, the principal
feature being family dinners where
members OF the family were reunited
probably for the first time since Christ
mas, 1897. Quite a number INDUCED a
little too much in the cup that cheers
n some We're too friendly with Tom
n Jerry. The little folks had been
patiently waiting the past few months
for Christmas and Santa Claus and they
were well repaid for their patience. as
the tree and exercises Saturday even
ing were the most beautiful that had
ever been produced in Twin Bridges.
The Nj. T.. church was only about half
large enough to accommodate those who
wished to attend the exercises. The
church was handsomely decorated. the
tree was a beauty and the literary pro-
gramme was first class. Every person
present received something. More than
200 sacks of candy and nuts were dis
tributed and two pailsful of candy were
given out by h handful. Apples fol-
lowed in solemn silence and then came
the distribution of presents contributed
by friends. They were many and val
liable. Santa was I'm evidence and made
sport for the young folks. The pro-
gramme rendered was as follows: Mu-
sic. choir: prayer. pastor; song. con-
~gregation: solo. THE First Christine :
Eve" Gay Pollinger: recitation, Flora
Vreilman and Mortimer Lott. jr.: solo.
Lena Newell. The Flower Firl:' song.
sleigh-ride. chorus: solo. Rock a Bye.
Baby" Alma Cline; recitation. George
Gould: song. Edie Eichwald: solo. Mrs.
George HARRISON: song: congregation:
solo. Bright Stars, Tell Me-" Helen