Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-30
Henry S. Edgar, a Member OF
the Fairweather Party
TELLS AGAIN THE STORY
Of the Discovery of Gold in Historic
Alder Gulch.

Special Correspondence Inter Mountain.
Virginia City, Aug. 3O.-Last night the
Helena and Butte contingent of pioneers
arrived and the facilities of the town
were taxed to accommodate the many
visitors. There were many glad greet
ings of old friends who had known each
other in the palmy days and a not met
for years. Enough stories of the early
days were old last night and today to
fill a book. A big reception was given the
visitors last evening at the auditorium
and the place was crowded with gray
haired men and women Major Henry
Filing, state president of the Pioneer So
ciety, presided. On the stage We're Col.
w. F. Sanders, Ex-Mayor VIM. Thomp-
son. Ex-Governor Samuel T. Hauser, A.
NJ. Hotter and other we'll known pioneers.
President Filing greeted the visitors II
introduced Mayor A. J. Bennett of Vlr-
ginia City, who delivered an eloquent ad-
dress.
Following is Mr.. Benefits address in
full:
"Pioneers Of the State of Montana,
Ladies' n Gentlemen: There are feel
ings which cannot be described, there
aIC llOUknlS wv uCGP ~
this meeting Of the pioneers of Montana
awakens such feelings and inspires such
thoughts. The gathering here in Vir-
ginia City of the men and women VINO
have made this state, With one stroke
wines out the past 35 years. Time has
indeed turned backward in his fight,
and again you are young men and women
who have lust reached Alder gulch. You
have barely brushed the kali dust from
your clothing, the taste or the bacon
and camp bread vet remains IN your
mouths. The weary horses and cattle
have been turned upon the range, the
brush shelter hastily constructed, and
the question now is: Where is the gold
which induced you to come to the noun
tains? How well you recall the bright
hopes with which you left home, the
splendid plans as to what you would 40
when fortune, having smiled, you We're
to return to the loved ones left behind
in the states. The hardships of the jour
ney across the plains are forgotten. The
attack by the Indians on the camp al
HAMS Fork or the Big Horn, or where
ever 1t was, to most Of you is a dream.
though to some few an awful reality,
for there in the hastily dug grave a loved
one sleeps his last long sleep. Ihe
scarcity of water, when for days you
YEARLY followed the trail, makes YOU
think that in Montana, with her plente-
BUSINESS of running streams, you may
have reached the promised land.
But in the early sixties, to which {
have now returned, the beauties OF Mon
tana had scarcely dawned upon you
You had not then learned to watch the
whispers which the mountains were send
ing to you. The rushing streams were
but running water, the valleys spoke not
to you of waving grain or of happy homes
to be. Your one great n absorbing
thought was of gold, gold, gold! How
much did you each want? What was
the amount which you needed to buy tina
nice farm near the old homestead, where
you could spend your days in we'll earned
peace? Or you, young mar, how mucf
before you could return and marry tina
beautiful girl, whose goodbye promises
to YOU were the inspiration which car
ried you through the dreary weeks ant
months spent upon the plains. You mus
have been successful, for the beautiful
Girl is now he gray-haired matror
whom I see sitting beside you. l shall
not recall the SORROWS and ~disappo,nt
ments which came to so many of you
in these early days, I would not by thei
recital cloud the pleasure of the presen
time, but the bars did not all pay, TIL
claims were not all good, and the hilar
ity of the camp could not drown the Sc
cret grief of those whose hopes seemed s,
slow of accomplishment.
I'm recalling those deep griefs, be com
forted. You builded better than 70,
knew. You came to the mountains t.
dig gold, and the shafts you sunk. tn
tunnels you ran, We're the foundation o
a state grander than any of your cher
cFAenMhRlE E0nrS0c 6