The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-10-28
STRANGE, WEIRD TALE.
Man Who Alleges He Is From Helena
Gives Out Some Dreams.

Man Who Alleges He Is From Helena
Gives Out Some Dreams.
Some of the stories that are printed
in the eastern papers about Montana
affairs are interesting reading to
nome people. One of the most recent
OF these displays of ignorance is
made in an issue of the Arkansas
Gazette of October 1. The story is in
shape of an interview with a man
giving the name of D. D. Book, who
says he is mining engineer, and
gives his residence as Helena. He
was asked about mining in Montana,
and what he said in reply to the ques-
ton is as funny as one of George
AIDES fables. Here it is:
| Mining in Montana? Well, that's
a hard proposition--not figuratively,
but in fact" said Book. ITS hard
thing to say, but the mining industry
in Montana has seen its best days.
All that remains of the good old days
is tens of thousands of boom schemes
that are not worth the taking, if all
pay for them is the recording fee of
$3.50 at the county clerks office. OF
course, there are some good mines in
the state STILL Around Helena the
principal one is Bald Knob, which, l
believe, first and last has paid some
thing like sixty millions. There is
the famous Last Chance and a few
others which are paying pretty we'll,
but the real truth of the matter is
that the mining has been overdone
and he mineral is giving out. OF
course, from time to time there may
be further discoveries of pay dirt,
maybe an enormously wealthy mine,
but the state in general is becoming
exhausted.
Helena itself, you know, is stu
ated in an old mining gulch that was
famous for it's production. The city
lies right in the bottom, with the
long rises on either side. This has
brought about a queer state of af
fairs there. When the gulch was first
worked years ago for its gold, the
implements of the trade were exceed
ingly crude, and as matter of
course much placer gold was lost
and still remains in the dirt which
is under the houses and principal
streets. Utopian as it may be called
elsewhere, but when a man wants a
cellar under his house in Helena he
does not go to any expense himself.
There are hundreds of placer miners
who are more than willing to under
take the digging of the cellar for the
gold they will find in the old rubble.
The city doesn't pay anything when
it wants a sewer laid neither a gas
or electric company. The placer
miner is ready to take on the con-
tract for the excavation to get the
leavings of gold from the first miners
who built the city.
Despite the truth of what I say
Of the wildcat schemes and the lack
of good pay dirt, Montana is at the
height of prosperity-from another
source, however. Cattle and sheep
have brought wealth. A common la
borer gets not less than $3.50 day,
Wnll0 the lndH Ine ledSI 0Ap0AI III
any trade gets from 81 to Sc per day.
This is not out of proportion, as
} would SEEM for the price of food,
clothing and the necessities of life
are proportionately high. Seventy
five per cent of the people are high
livers, and all the miners and cattle
men, as soon as they get their money
blow it in at the first place they
strike, and then go to work for
more"