The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-10-27
MARCUS DAILY
How The Great Copper King
Made Montana Famous
Richness IF Butte Hill Surpasses
Treasure of Monte Cristo.


Montana Of the knights of Columbus,
= is writing "rhe Story of Montana" Cor
McClure's Magazine. In the Septem-
Der issue he describes Marcus Daily
and his connection with the great cop
per mines of Butte. Mr.. Connolly,
who is well known on the Coast
through his connection with the
knights Of Columbus. writes with rare
power and with thorough knowledge.
We give a few paragraphs below:
1t was the discovery Of copper that
gave to Montana the name of the
Treasure State. Around the Butte
hill, which during the past fifteen
years has produced one-third of The
copper supply of the world, has GEN.
tered one Of the most fascinating con-
hicts and at the same time one OF The
most corrupt political and CONNER
cial conflicts. known to history. This
struggle between mining kings Of lin
ftless wealth made hundred of mon.
and ruined thousands; it perverted
the moral sense of entire communities;
it placed scores of prominent men
within the shadow of prison walls; it
destroyed promising political careers,
scroll of state and national fame. 1t
sent nondescripts af1oat upon the sea
Of national politics, corrupted the ma
chinery of Justice to the core, and
placed the law-making power Of the
state upon the auction block
Fifty millions of dollars annually
has been the average output of this
marvellous deposit of copper which
lies within 600 acres OF mountain
the area of u good sized farm. Nine
hundred millions of dollars in twenty
years is the offioial government esti-
mate Of Its product. Another humid
dred millions has doubtless failed OF
accounting, Or has been lost to COM
putation in the general riot of produce
ton. This was the prize around
which was waged during later years
the most prolonged and bittre strus.
gle ever Witnessed in American poll
tics.
The richness of the Butte hill sur
passes the treasure of Monte Cristo,
and the story of the crimes and pas.
sions which seethed about it makes a
narrative almost as romantic as rhe
adventures of Edmund Dantes. Miners
into Butte and within a year have
ridden out In Pullman coaches, indie
pendent:y rich, bound for the allur!ng
cities of the Pacifis Coast. Had the
government Of the United States with
held this strip Of territory instead or
parting with it to it's discoveries for
five dollars an acre. it could have paid
off the national debt. Its total output
would have carried on the wars Of
Napoleon.
1nseparably linked with the discov-
cry and development of this treasure
trove Of the hills is the name of Mar
Gus DAILY, one of the most remarkable
men who ever came to the West, and
one of the two great protagonists
whose personal feud is a large part
of Montana's history. Through the
treasure of the Butte hill, DAILY was
suddenly elevated from the ranks OF
the miners to the most powerful sway
any individual ever achieved over a
western American community. No
'multt-millionaire ever came into closer
contact with all the elements of a
turbid and unblending population, or
exerted such influence upon them.
Around him We're his old companions
Of the mining levels of the Comstock
lin Nevada, whom he had known in his
early struggles. DAILY was big hearted
and generous, and he assisted these
cronies by giving them temporary leas-
es on partitions of his property, allow
ing them to enter the ground and take
out wealth enough to live in luxury
for the remainder of their days. Oft
times he did not know or care how
much they took. These men in turn
eniulated the generosity of their pa
iron, and Butte in time became known
for many an odd tale of extravaganza
and mary touching story Of chart
ty. -''"'
DAILY was a man of medium height
and stocky figure. splendid, full
rounded head topped well-knit body
His eye was marvelously clear, and mis-
voice, in conversation was low and
mellow. His feet were small and his
hands, despite the hardships Of his
early lite, were delicate and shapely
as a womans. He had had no early
advantages. He was born in Ireland
and Left that country when he was
not yet fifteen. He sold newspap ers in
New York and later obtained employ
ment as messenger in mercantile or
fbanking house in that CITY, where he