Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-02
Hotel Gossip

''That interview with Col. Firch,
which appeared in the Inter Mountain
the other day, regarding Montana's in
efficient mining laws and their impo-
tency in protecting poor prospectOrs
from claim jumpers with money to fee
lawyers. is all right" said a man from
around Pony this morning, conversing
with friend in the lobby of the Butte.
"But there is another abuse which
should be aired, and that is the black
eye which some INSCRIPTIONS shylocks
in the brokerage business give to fair
mining propositions upon which stock
certificates are issued in order to de-
velop the mine.
In various ways these sharks get
hold of q block of stock, usually not a
great amount. Some holder is hard up,
and dispOses of it at a small figure.
Say the shark buys it for 10 cents-it
may be worth 40 cents. The incorpor-
ated company is striving to maintain its
market value. Then comes the shark
with a proposition to sell to the COM
pany at that price. The treasury of the
company may be in no condition to
accept his proposition. Nearly all the
funds realized through sale of it's stock
certificates have been expended In
opening up and developing the mine.
What is the result? Unless the COM
pany complies with the demand of the
shark broker. he advertises in some
way that he has stock for sale on the
mine in question at 20 cents, or some
such figure. If he finds a buyer at
that price, of course he doubles his
money over the price he paid to the
first seller. In this way the mine gets
a black eye, it's stock drops, and in
vestors neglect to look into the merits
Of the proposition. Thus it is that, in
many instances. delay and hardships
are inflicted upon men who are doing
their best to develop the mineral wealth
of Montana
Miss Minerva Dorr, the star of the
pic asing comedy, at the White Horse
Tavern" is at the McDermott. The ac-
tress is an entertaining conversational
ist and story teller. This morning she
narrated one of the most providential
escapes from accidental death on record.
Some years ago Miss Dorr was on IA
train from Chicago to Kansas City at
the head of a prominent company. In
the same company was young lady
named Grace Leslie, who had the lower
sleeper directly opposite Miss DORIS. In
the berth over Miss Leslie was a lady
who snored more or less with the accent
on the more), and as Miss Leslie was a
light sleeper, it disturbed her greatly.
and she asked Miss Dorr to change
berths The latter. being of an ex-
tremely agreeable disposition, consent
ed and the change was made. In less
than two hours landslide occurred and
a large rock came through the window
into the berth that Miss Leslie occupied
and which Miss Dorr had left. killing
the former instantly. This incident
proves that Providence ntervene:, to
prevent harm to some, at least, of me
children of this sphere.
w. p. Campbell. Billings, is auto
graphed on the McDermotts register
Northern Pacific. enjoying a short vaca-
ton, part of which was spent in Minne-
sofa and Iowa. His wife resides in the
latter state. in Brewer county. Mr..
Campbell reports Iowa as probably the
most prosperous of the grain producing
states of the west from an agricultural
standpoint. He says the farmers, through
the sale of their products. are making
more money than the merchants. al
though the merchants feel the good eff
fects Of the prosperity of the farmers.
More cattle are raised and more horses.
Mere attention is paid to breeding from
blooded stock. Horses of the Percheron
breed have been imported from France,
and there is an inclination to replace the
scrubs on the farms with valuable ami
mails.