The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-01-22
HOW FAIR WEATHER
SPENT HIS MONEY
ALDER GULCH DISCOVERER WAS
ANOTHER COAL OIL JOHNNIE
AND DISSIPATED FORTUNE
Was Principal Factor in Observance
OF First New Years Day in Vir-
ginia City; Bought Drinks For All
and Distributed Gold Dust on the
Streets.

IL hCdtlltF WAS the
principal figure in the first observ-
ance of New Years day in Mon
tana. That was in Virginia City,
90 years ago. Aside from Bannack
there were then but few scattered
settlements in Montana. Perhaps
outside of Bannack and Virginia
City there not 500 whites in
Montana. The weather was bitter
cold, the half dozen thermometers
registering go degrees below zero.
A great celebration had been plan
ned, but the cold weather kept the
citizens inside. This meant that
the celebration was held in the half
dozen big gambling houses and
dance halls.
FalrWeather was very popular in
these places. The fact that he was
the discoverer of the gulch, and the
author of much prosperity, made of
him a marked man. He was very
prodigal in his expenditures, too,
and was another Goal Oil Johnnie"
in throwing his money away. Whis-
ky cost SO cents gold a drink, and
Fairweather would go into a saloon.
put his poke of gold dust down on a
faro layout, and turn a card for $500
or $1,000. Whether he won or lost
was all the same to him, and he
would then call for the drinks for the
house, an invitation that might cost
him several hundred dollars. His
bar guests served he would then go
another saloon and repeat the per-
Torrance.
Won a Small Fortune
He went into the biggest of the
Virginia City gambling houses early
New Years eve and put $1,000 in
on the high card. Two aces
out of the faro box, which
meant that his bet was split, the
bank winning half of it. He asked
the limit be removed, the look
put nodded, and he let his $500 worth
Of dust remain on the high card. 1t
won. That meant that he had won
back what he had lost. He let the
$1,000 remain on the card. He VOL
His betting stake was then
$4,000. He nodded to the dealer to
let it stay there and won again, and
his bank roll was $4,000. He want
to bet the $4,000 but the dealer
H~oO hA11 Sob IL OCI " pA,UUU anu
ne lost. He made ha~lf-a-dozen big
pets, as large as the lookout would
stand for and finally quit the game
after 20 minutes play with about
$4,000 to the good.
Then he proceeded to put his win
lings into circulation. He went from
saloon to saloon, and bought good
cheer for everyone. About midnight
ran out of gold dust and had to
go to his cabin for more. He again
increased this by making a few lucky
at faro, and the celebration con-
inued far into the morning. 1t was
that his expenditures for
young camps entertainment ran
veil above $4,000, but a pleasant
ime was had and there were several
hundred expensive headaches the
lext morning. But the first New
day in Montana's colorado had
'een observed, fittingly or uniting
y - depending entirely upon the
'oint of view.
Scattered Gold on Street
On New Years day he continued
celebration. He mounted the
est horse he could find and rode up
nd down the streets of Virginia
'ity, scattering gold dust on the new
? fallen snow. Behind him followed
crowd of several hundred people
ollecting the raw gold he was throw
ng away, and he seemed to get as
luch fun out of it as did the CLEAN
rs.
~Fairweather's fortune did not re-
lain in his keeping very long. After
very cleanup he delighted in getting
i'd of it as quickly as possible, and
hen it was gone he would go back
work in his sluice boxes. Finally
anne the day when the pay streak
IN out, and the d~iscoverer of Alder
ulch, which produced $1,000, 900
gold, was penniless. He made a
effort to find other diggings in
lie neighborhood, became discour-
5ed, and, a short time later, died
ithout means and his friends took
p a collection to pay the expenses
his funeral.