The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-10
Rnothef Montana Millionaire.
James a. Murray Planning to Give Neu York Surprise.

There is a plain little man out in Mon
tana who is planning a big surprise for
the people Of New York city. He is
bound for this town to invest a couple OF
million of dollars in theatre. He Is a
man of excellent taste and fine business
judgment. so that there need be no un-
easiness as to the style of house he will
put up nor as to the financial success of
his venture. If the house doesn't pay, he
will not be apt TO go hungry He will
have a few millions left-twenty or thir-
ty, perhaps.
The name of this little man is James
A. Murray All Montanans call him
Jim" He IS one OF a famous trio of
millionaires. but he is almost unknown in
New York w. A. Clark and Marcus
DAILY are the others Of the trio, and they
are no better known in Montana than
Jim Murray
Mr.. Murray will build his theatre in
Longacre square. He already has an op-
ton on a site there to cost 81 100000, and
will spend as muchsmOre on the house.
If the house isn't more beautiful than
any we have now, Mr. Murray will have
scored his first failure in life. John
Mcguire, veteran actor and manager and
longtime friend OF Mr.. Murray. will
in the city now, the New York Sun says.
stopping in the Gilsey house, and Mr..
Murray is expected soon TO arrive here
to close the deal Mr.. Mcguire now has
three theatres in Montana-one IN Butte,
one in Anaconda and one in MissOUla.
Beyond admitting that the house Is to
be built by Mr. Murray and managed by
himself, he win not discuss the project.
Like other miliionaires of the mining
gsraer
gravel" As a boy in Canada he heard
wonderful stories of the gold camps of
California. His people were poor, and he
wanted to be rich. An easy way to get
rich was TO go out to the coast and pick
up the gold lying around loose there.
SO thought James Murray. and, so think
ing. he started for the coast. Hard as
he found IL to get TO California without
funds, II was as nothing compared with
the hardships and disappointments Of the
mining camps. He discovered that gold
Is a very coy metal-modest and retiring,
and seldom at home to those who knock.
The big strike is always somewhere
else in the mining camps. After pros
pecting I'm California for a year. Mr..
Murray learned that the "big strike of
that particular day wasn't in California
at all, but in Montana, and he Joined the
rush to the new diggings-
He dropped his pack and made his fire
in the little plaeier camp Of Pioneer, in
what is now Deer Lodge County Here
he met his first success. He found pay
dirt" and then got other men to work
his claim for wages while he went in
for trade and big profits.
Mr.. Murray had laid the foundation for
a fortune when Butte began TO develop
as q mining camp. He also had acquired
a reputat ton as the most obstinate little
man in Pioneer" He couldn't be blufed
and he wouldn't be cheated and he didn't
scare at anything. Hence he was "ob-
stinate." He went to Butte and With sew
eral other prospectors acquired the
famous Smoke House claim, Murray put
ting up the money for improvements and
grub stake. The government issued
patent to Murray and his partners. The
town began TO boom, ard the Smoke
House claim became the center of opera
tions 1t was IN the heart of the growing
town. and the surface ground was at once
available for building sites. Outsiders
squatted on the ground, and out Of char
ity Murray permitted them TO remain
there rent free. That was mistake.
In the belief that they owned the sur
face land, new coners began to dtcker
with the squatters for their town lots
The squatters saw a chance to make
money at Murray's expense. He was the
largest owner OF Smoke House. The
squatters, with the counfvance and
sistance of some Of Murray's partners,
decided to scare Murray off. They pro-
tested his patent, reloca ted the claim. and
then began to sell the surface as town
lots. giving only quit-claim deeds to
purchasers
Murray defended his patent and warned
all purchasers that quIt-clalm titles
wouldn't hold. To some of those he had
not been able to warn he gave Smoke
House warranty deeds to their lots for
dollar. To those who defied him he sent
word that the courts would one day con-
firm his title, and that he would then
seize all improvements for ground rent.
They laughed at him and erected Zig
buildings on their holdings. In a little
while neatly all the business Of Butte
was done on the Smoke House claim. and
as proprietOrs changed hands court dock
cts became crowded with suits to quiet