The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-07-09

Arthur P Curtin, dean of Montana
merchants, has decided to retire from
active business life, and spend the re-
mainder of his days with his family
in California, enjoying the rest well
earned after having been in business
As years.
All of this time he has spent in
Helena, building up, from a small
business started during the gold rush
days of Last Chance gulch, the fore
most furniture and house furnishings
establishment in Montana, if not, in
deed, in the entire northwest.
Came to Helena in 1867
Mr.. Curtin landed in Helena in
June, 1867. He came west, leaving
St. Joseph, Mo-, on the steamboat
Gudon, at that time one of the crack
steamers in the Missouri river trade
The river trip consumed 81 days. He
was three days by wagon from Fort
| Benton to Helena.
| His first employment in Helena
was with Clarke, Conrad and Curton,
in the hardware business. Next he
was employed by j. r. Boyce and
company, ~proprietors of drygoods
store, carrying also a line of carpets
and rugs. This store was located in
the building on South Main street,
Helena, in later years occupied by j.
Switzer.
Carpets His Inspiration
1t was the boyce line of carpets
that was Mr.. Curtin's first inspiration
TO branch out" for himself. He had
accumulated a small amount of his
earnings, and in the short time he
had been in Helena he acquired the
day. After they told him, as in the
terms of the present time, to Ego as
far as he liked and that they would
honor his overdrafts, he made a pro-
position to his employer to take over
the carpet department. Terms were
readily agreed upon and Mr.. Curtin
became fu1l-fledged merchant, con-
tinuing for the time being the occu-
paney of the Boyce store with his car
pets and rugs.
Historic Little Book
Mr.. Curtin still has, and treasures
highly, the little book, a sort of COM
bination day-book, bill-book and
ledger-with which he started bust
ness. The book has pasteboard COW
ers, between which there are about
so pages. His system of bookkeep-
ing" would not get very far in
mercantile office of the present time, Z
nor in the curriculum of a 1920 bust
ness college. But it sufficed for that
day and the free-and-easy conditions
then prevailing.
The first entry in the book was
of a bill of carpets and rugs sold to
William Juinn, amounting to $500.
Thence as the days went by and
business picked up" there were en-
tered accounts under names now
mostly history. Not many of Mr..
Curtin's early customers are still in
this life.
Shortly after Mr. Curtin bought his
initial stock, his increasing trade
made necessary not only larger quar-
tiers but additional lines of furniture
and complete house furnishings. So
he moved to location on Broadway
After a few years there, in 1880, he
moved to 8, 4, 6 and 8 Jackson street.
In 1895 he built the store and
buildings at present occu-
pied, fronting on Grand street
About four years ago, Mr.. Curtin
purchased a home in Piedmont, Cal,
in which his family located, he ex-
pecting to be able to spend the ma
jority of his time in the south. But
he found that the responsibilities of
his furniture business continued
heavy upon him, and accordingly he
decided to close it out.
He expects still to spend a part of
his time in Helena, however, as he
has financial and property interests,
and mercantile interests represented
In the A p Curtin music house here
and at Billings, which continue I'M
disturbed. He is an officer and dir
actor in the Union Bank and Trust
company, and director in the Bank
ing Corporation of Montana.
$50 I hope my neighbors and
business associates won't start to
build fence around Helena to keep
ne OUT said Mr.. Curtin.
Mr. Curtin is a member of the So
,iety of Montana Pioneers, and of the
Helena lodge of Elks.