Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-09-21
A VISIT TO MONTANA.
Mr. p. N. Morris Writes Of Hh Recent
Trip to Butte City-saw Many
Persons he Knew.

lo tue Eoitor OF the Leufer
MEXICO, Mo-, Sept. 14.-As per your
request 1 will jot down few items Of
my trip to Montana, my objective
point being Butte City, the largest
mining city and center in the United
States, IL not the world. The popu-
lation OF Butte Is estimated ct from
81, 900 to $4,000. No other city is like
IT.; there is not q tree In it, and the
pine growth on the mountains all
around it are dead, killed by the
smeke from the smelters and reduc-
tion works in and around the city.
This smoke is worse during winter
and early spring. 1t is SO thick and
dense that 1t is dangerous for teams
and ore wagons on the streets on ac-
count of collision. Many people leave
the city and horses have died from
the effects of breathing the smoke.
They have excellent horses there; l
saw only two pair Of mules In the
city; did not see an ear Of corn; 1t
is not fed to horses. They would not
know what corn 10 for, and would not
eat 1t.
Oats grow there to perfection, 90 to
so bushels to the acre, and are very
heavy; 40 pounds to the bushel is the
legal weight. Barley is q valuable
crop in the Jefferson Valley; timothy
and alfalfa is the main hay crop. The
yield is heavy, but all are irrigated
crops. The oat crop has not yet been
harvested, and the third crop Of alfal-
ia is now being cut.
There are In and around Butte
within a radius OF Ave miles about s..
900 mines. Out OF this number only
about 150 are now being operated. At
present about 5000 miners are en-
ployed; each miner receives &S.50
per day and works hours, called q
shift. The copper mines are the most
valuable. The Mountain Gave"
mine is 1000 feet deep. In the lower
level OF that mine the men work
almost naked it is 60 hot.
Carpenters, brick layers and stone
mssons receive from % to es per day,
there being but about 4 months In the
year when building can be done; they
work on Sundays; the same is true of
miners.
W. A. Clark, the Senator elect from
Montana, lives in Butte. He owns
nearly all the street car system, many
Of the mines and much of the most
valuable real estate in the city. A
prominent citizen told me that Mr.
Clark's wealth was estimated at from
eco, 100000 to s2oO,Ooo,OOO. His copper
mines in Arizona are estimated at
s4O, GOO, 900.
Marcus DAILY comes next and James
Murray third as to wealth.
Business houses in Butte rent high.
An ordinary business house In the
best business street rents for froms250
to $500 per month.
There are many Missourians In
Montana. John Y. Batterton, at one
time county school commissioner Of
| Audrain, lives in Deer Lodge, forty
miles from Butte. saw him in Butte.
He was President OF the State Con-
vention OF the Christian Church. He
was overjoyed to see me and had q
thousand questions to ask about Mex
loo and Audrain county friends. Oy
Winscott and brother, William, are In
Butte and doing well. Mrs. Kate
iTerbeyille, nee shryock, also lives
there.
DR.. John W. Reed and family re-
aide In Butte. The doctor has just
returned from two yeara' soiourn In
Dawson City, Alaska. Mr.. Reed sent
his regards to his old frisnds and said
while he failed to strike 1t rich be did
not regret bis trip, but would not ad-
wise anyone to go there. He saw o.
P. Jones . few days before he left. BE
said Mr.. Jones talked of staying an.
other year. MIR. Reed also spoke Of
meeting Mr.. Wylde, Of Benton City.
What were my Impressions Of Mon
tana7 Well, to give you an idea Of
my observation of the mountains, val
leys, rocks, rivers, the snow, the beau
tiful mountain streams, the climate
and fishing excursions, camping oni
to catch trout, etc., I would have tc
write q pretty good sized volume and
l beg to be excused.
P. NJ. MoRRts.