The searchlight., 1912-12-13
THE FIRST REPUBLICAN PAPER
STARTED IN VALLEY CO., MONT.
OUR CHRISTMAS NUM-
BER

pleasure this week in presenting to
ITS readers this twelve page Christ.
mas Number. This paper has
ever kept pace with the growth oi
Culhertson since the issue OF No. I
Vol. l., on April "a, 1909, nearly
eleven years ago.
When the Searchlight first made
its appearance Culbertson con-
tanned about hundred inhabitants Is
and was the only posto.fice in East.
era Valley county, although post
Offices were established at Plenty.
wood and Bsinville during the
summer OF 1904.
At that time the whole territory
comprising Valley County was a
prairie wilderness OF unsurveved
government land, sparcely settled
by horse and cattle ranchers, COW.
boys and sheep men. together with
their natural enemies, the stock
thieves. The famous Jones and
Dutch Henry gang OF horse rust
lers used to come to Culbertson
during the summers OF 1904 and
1903 and make things lively for
our citizens by their drunken ca
rousals, usually ending up by
smoking up" the town, wrecking
the bar rooms, etc, having a gem
eral good time.
The Searchlighi was the third
paper started in Valley County,
and was the only Republic paper
issued during the campaign of
1902, when the Republicans of the
county scored their first victory.
Tins paper at once began an
active compaIgn for the settlement
OF Eastern Valley county by farm
eIs from the east. To tins the
rdncheTs were very much opposed,
and not much IN that line was aC-
complrshed until 1904. when the
CulbeItson aud By Muddy Immi-
grafton Association was formed.
Through advertisements IN the
Searchlght Tor business men TO
come to CulbeItson the first bank
was opened IN September oi that
year by h. y. Slette. Auton Eek
horn and b. Il Larson. Tanner
X Best also opened for business
that year. Several other new
business enterprises were opened
IN 1904, as direct result OF the
Searchlgnt's efforts. BY the end
OF the year the town had doubled
its population aud all were pros
porous.
The Stockman's Hotel and the
Valley Drug Store opened on
Thanksgiving Day, I9o2, and were
destroyed by hre on the night Of
Thanksgiving Day 1904. Just two
yeaIs later. Inc Presbyterian
Church was also built about that
time.
The growth since Jan. !, 1909
has been gradual but substantial.
lie town has never had a boom,
but as the settlers came and the
country developed, rhr town aud
the Ssarchhght have kept pace
with that growth.
AT the present time Culbertson
IS an Incorporated town. has cement
sidewalks throughout the business
and main residence portions. Our
handsome brick, cement and stone
business blocks are the pride of
Eastern Valley county. Our water
works system is about completed,
which includes a complete hre de.
partment equipment. Our Evans
Hotel rs the equal oi any hostelry |
IN the county and our three big
establishments are
among the best equipped in the
state OF Montana.
We have four we'll known attor-
neys, two physicians with wide
regulations, tve resident ministers
Of the gospel, three lumber yards,
two merchant tailors, a big clothing
and shoe store, seven places of
liquid reireshment, three farm i'm
plement houses, three automobil-
agents, one large gsr.g-. several
agents, the best EQUIP
ped drug store in Valley county,
Two real estate firms. thu best t-Ie
phone system IN the great north
vest, two mod. Ia up Io-date news
papers, Two big livery stables,
hree restaurants and two bakeries,
,ne OF which need not take a back
'eat from any in the county. Our
Opera Hall - large aud commodi
'us and our CulbeItson orchestra .
s equal to all occasions
The bank statements from our
~0 big banks show nearly four il