The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-05-09
Big DAY FOR BRIDGER
The Electric Plant Started ut
the New Goal Camp on
Clarke's Fork.
FINEST IN THE WORLD
A Grcut Enterprise for Eastern Mon.
amn~~rhe Mine and Machinery
That Operates It.

-r-,pr.~----aar
The finest and most complete electric
coal mining plant in the world WAS set
IN operation last Friday afternoon at
Bridgor, tho new camp on the Clarke
Fork, f0rtystlve miles from Billings.
Bridger IN known ~ the camp of Sena.
tor.eect W, a. CLARK OF Butte, ,who
has furnished tho $226, 600 which lave
already been expended 10 its develop.
ment under the direction of Mr.. I. p.
Mcdonald, formerly of Red Lodge, the
disoovereI OF the mine aud who oxpond-
cd every dollar he possessed to demon.
strate that II was worth being de-
volopod, When this point was reached
II capitalist was absolutely necessary. az
from 5000, 900 to $500, 900 is generally
required to develop and equip a coal
mine, md through tho efforts of Mr..
Mcdonald, who was assisted by Hon,
Walter Cooper Of Bozeman, Senator.
elect Clark became interested IN the
enterprise, This was less than u year
AGO, when the mine contained about
l,2O0 foet OF workings, since which
time these have been extended to 5000
feet, the plant has been installed, a
town Of 800 people has been established
at Bridgor aud during the next two or
three years IL bids fair to contain four
or five times that nuumber
At the present time there Is not much
to be said Of the town of Bridger,
which IL generally known as "StIing.
town" And 1t deserves the name, II
IL butt nn nithar side Of tho c0nnty
road, two miles from the mine, aud
consists of nothing but frame shnoks,
But this Is no fault Of the Bridger Coal
company, 1t has discouraged the build.
ing Of this embryo town along the
county road, prefeIring 10 delay the
starting of town until 10 secures title
to about a section of land surrounding
"Stringtown,"n beautiful level tract
on the ClRrke's Fork river, This cum
not he done at present. however, for
the reason that tho land IL unsurveyed,
II Ia now held under the homestead
laws, having been settled Oh for the
five years required to secure title, aud
when the survey has been made, which
Ii now about to he commenced by the
government the Bridger Goal company
will no doubt come into possession Of
this ideal townsito aud build upon II q
city that will be credit to the state Of
Montana, The efforts of the company
have very wisely been directed to de-
veloping the mine and of the 800 peo,
Pile now credited to the onmp Of
Rridger, over 400 Of them Nre on the
oompany's payroll and do not live In
"stringtown," They live instead IN
the vicinity Of tho mine, upon ground
held by the company ~ coal lNnd,
which Is covered with substantial
cottages for the men to live IN and tho
buildings necessary to house and ope'
rate the big plant which works the mine,
But the purpose of this article Is to
briefly describe the mine and plant Of
the Rridger Goal company, which We're
first put in operation last Friday The
event IL M important one IN the history
Of EASTERN Montana, The inauguration
Of this enterprise, which has alelady
entRiled the expenditure ct u quarter OF
a million dollars, will result IN digging
from the bowels OF the eNrth millions
Of dollars worth OF black diamonds, to
ha used for fuel and smelling purposes,
fop tho production Of which hundreds
of men will ha required, These mon
and their families must hn fad and
clothed, To do which tho wonderful
Olarke's Fork valley can ha depended
upon, " has already felt tho stimulus
of the presence of tho coal mine, which
will furnish u ready market fop MI the
farmers can produce, and II pAn he
tlnthfNlly said that tho work already
done by the hvidgep Goal company hNs
materially advanced thu development
0f tho splendid agricultural pasopppes
0f tho piph county 0f QNrh0n, " has
helped Rillings, too, and will help her
mere IN tho fntupe, This pity II tho
natural distributing paint fNp that sep'
tioH 0t tho l0Nntpy, fpQm which " an,
Joys n large trade, which will iAplease
with its further development, QNp pe0'
ple, therefore, ara Muph iAtepasted In
thu nav camp III AridgaI, give dna
credit to Nv, CLARK fQp supplying thu
MNney 70 devalap " and will he M
'NNah pleased as tho pl0M0taIs NJ thu
enterprise W saa II succeed fap hey0nd
theip mont aAnaNiNa expectations,
The mine WRs apeNad M by II tNnnel
IN tho hlsfs that skirt tho Qlavke's
Fork aud, m already stated, now e0N,
tains 1900 faot nj entries, Tho main !
slope has haen driven a,A00 teat, work, /,
lAg entries haiAG turned 0it right and
lnfl III tha nhn aud l. ihll, fnAt lnxala,