The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-08-14
Mullan, August ii.
To The Editor of The Miner:

To the Editor of The Miner:
In the last issue of the Mullau Pro
greSS reference Is made to a deplorable
state of affairs in the town of Mullan,
whereby it became necessary for a
large company of orphan children,
boys and girls, Uhe jolly Entertain
ers) to be taken through a bar room
III order to obtain food, there being no
other public eating place in this town.
knowing this to be true, / regret
that the said paper did not proceed a
little farther and state the cause Of
this apparent lack of civic pride and
progress.
Looking Back Few Years
| Having been for over 20 years a
resident of this town, and having seen
1t at It's best In the past, and at it's
worst in the present, possibly a few
of my observations may assist In elu-
cidatlng the problem of "why is Mul-
Ian thus
Like many successful mining camps,
Mullan has an interesting and ro-
mantle history, but at this time | shall
not enter into the recital of early days,
but shall refer only to changes that
have occurred within the last four
years, during which time the payroll
of the town has increased more than
double, and one would naturally ex-
pect to find conditions improved in
similar proportion Such, however, Is
not the case, as will presently appear.
Mullan's Payroll in 1909
Early in 1909 there were employed
in this vicinity about $50 men distrib-
uted as follows: Snowstorm, 20. Hun
ter 60 or 10; Morning. ESQ; Copper
King, "A to 20; total, $50 The month
| ~ payroll amounted to about s45, 900
A few additional men were employed
in working assessments and looking
after scattering prospects.
Population and Business Houses-1e09.
ton of 1867.
Four restaurants and public dining
rooms.
Three restaurants in saloons
Two meat markets.
Two grocery stores.
One general merchandise store, Othe
/ United Stores company.
One drygoods store
One clothing and drygoods, Qarge
stock, RogelD.
Two hardware stores.
/ One undertaken.
one dealer in lumber and building
supplies wood and coal
1t was a contented, prosperous COM
immunity, with sidewalks. fences and
lawns in good condition. houses fresh
" painted and plenty Of money in cir
Culation.
The hotels and lodging houses were
filed to their capacity, houses for
residence and for lodging were in de-
mand and considerable building was
going on In many private homes a
few boarders were being kept there
| by adding to the monthly income, and
many widows were thus able to SUD
port themselves and their fatherless
children
At that time the great ore reserves
| in the Morning and Hunter had not
been discovered and neither were on
paving basis. The same applies TO
| the Snowstorm. There was a fire.
quent report Of the Morning closing
down, the future Of the district was not
assured as it is now.
MulIan Today--1913
Today the number of men employed
in this district is about 73O, distrbut-
ed as follows: Snowstorm, 40; Hun
ter $50, National, 40; Morning, 400:
total, 73o A few others are engaged
in assessments and prospecting.
The monthly payroll Of Mullan
! is about 100000 By a eonserNa-
tive estimate the population of the
town has decreased to 1900. There +;
no public eating house except one in
the rear of the Stockholm saloon.
MuIIan's Business Today-1913.
One meat market Omitted Stores
company.
One grocery store (Bean's).
One general merchandise store Uhe
United Stores company.
| One hardware store.
One dealer in lumber and building
material
one second hand store, handling al
SO coal and wood
One dealer in gents furnishings.
No undertaken, bodies being trans
ported to Wallace for preparation for
burial
The Snowstorm and Morning are
outside village limits. and have board
ing houses, patronizing the United
Stores company as their base of sun
plies,
Four Years of Backward Movement
Why?
| In four years only Is new buildings
have been erected, all of these in pio-
neer mining camp style, without cell
lars and plastering, and only about
half receiving coat Of protective
paint.
In the struggle for living n o means
have been available for decorat tive pur.