The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-24

EAN HERE YEARS AGO SPEAKS
OF THINGS AS THEY
WERE.
Helena as Mining Camp-All Goods
Brought in by Team-Trouble
With the Indians - Great
improvements to Be
Seen on All Sides.
(Special to Inter Mountain

lie ena Aug. s4.--"When | was in
business at Fort Benton as a member
of the finn Of L. g. Baker & Brother,
says George \. Baker. of 81. Louis,
the terminus OF the railroad from Co
rhine was at Dillon. ;t.d we staged it
from there to Benton. a distance of
about 80 miles, and went out the same
way. Much f!eishting was done by the
same route, bat most of the freight
came w the river.
When l came here IN 1868 the freight
for all the Montana merchants came up
the river ana st. Louis was the main
source of supply. Helena was a MIN
ing camp. a lively. active town of 5000
or 10000 inhabitants. for that was in the
palniest days Of mining on Last
Chance gulch.
From the arrival of the first boat
cary in May. Benton was lively place
for two months. From the departure of
the last boat it was quiet until the
next spring, except for the first month.
when we We're getting the light teams
away.
Then commenced the trade with the
Indians-Piegans. Blackfeet, eros Ven
tres and CroWs-wAo came with buff
falo robes and furs. Sometimes the In
dams Would appear somewhat hostile.
and we would have to be very cautious
in trading with them.
Men would often be picked off by
them while looking after cattle or goins
on the roads to trading posts.
AT that time the Northwest Fur
company, Carroll & Steele. I. c. Power
4 Brother and our own firm were the
principal ones trading with the Indians
and each firm sent out outfits into the
camps of the different tribes. their am
bition being TO get the greatest number
of robes and make the most successful
trades with the Indians.
Sometimes the shipments on the ar
rival Of the boats in the spring would
reach nearly 100000 buffalo robes. be-
5sides immense quantities of all kinds OF
furs ana the hides of elk. deer and an
telopa They were shipped TO St. Louis
and sometimes sold there. sometimes
shipped direct to New York, where they
found a better market.
Il find a great Improvement both at
Benton and in the new town. OF Great
Falls which has grown up since l was
last here: also in Helena. both in the
business houses. residences and streets.
.-' One of the most marvellous things to
me- in coming up the Great Northern
from the entrance into the state and
along Milk river, is to see the ranches,
stock cattle, sheep herds and the vast
area of hay land on what was formerly
considered arid country for 200 or 30U
miles, and did not support any vegeta-
ton whatever
Il regard Montana as state OF Won
lerful future development; Irrigation
has advanced wonderfully. l think cap
ital is becoming more inclined to irrlga-
ton securities.
1T looks as though. if the project OF
the ConradS on the MarlaS river l.
successful. it will be quite an incentive
to others, and l cannot See why there
should not be a great deal of money in
vested in irrigation
THE lands are productive, vastly so
More capital is seeking investment, be-
cause the country is full of money anc
anything which promises success vii
bring capital"