Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-01-27
(By MRS. Nj. E. ~PLAssMANN)

10Y hnS. vi. T.. ILASSllttNNJ
4 LDER GULCH had been the center
u OF mining activity in the new terri
"A tory of Montana for some time be-
fore the discovery OF gold in Last Chance
gulch began to awaken interest In what
was transporting there. The inhabitants
OF Virginia City received the news with
mixed feelings, Theirs was the largest
tow In the territory. and 1T was gen.
orally believed was destined to remain 50
for all time. Aside from its rich mines,
1t held the further claim to precedence
Of being the territorial capital. Here the
governor would reside. the legislature
meet, n in consequence of it's new Of
fcial position, it was likely to attract
the better part of the immigration COM
Ing into the territory
With an indulgent and somewhat pa-
troni2ing air, Virginia City jewellers first
listened to reports OF the new gold field
They were %serenely confident that tho
new digginRs would either peter out, or
prove 70 be less valuable than antici-
pated. Yet withal they were CURIOUS re
garding this latest miuing venture. The
editor of the Montana Post announced
in its columns that he intended to visit
the Prickly Pear valley ana learn for him.
self what was going on there, and no
doubt secure additional subscribers.
This complaisant mood was quickly
AOilOWcd ny Oilt "a uIlhitty. 4llCIC Was
nothing permanent about q mining COM
munity. In this case 1T soon became evil
dent that there was a continuous out
flow OF the city's population toward Last
Chance, and most of those who left never
returned. The miners fiocked into the
Prtckly Pear valley In wagons; on horse
back or muleback, and 1t is recorded that
one man set out from Virginia City with
all his belongings In q wheelbarrow and
successfully accomplished the trip in five
days. The Post remarked that this was
not an original undertaking, as a man
had travelled in the same fashion from
Omaha to California. He might have
added that a wheelbarroW was less IN
wieldy than a hand cart, yet many Of
Utah's pioneers crossed the plains with
their food, and whatever extra clothing
they possessed, borne In such a vehicle.
BY whatever means they reached there,
enough men were son in the new mines
to establish a town. A letter from Mon
tana City to the Post mentions this, and
gives a description OF the mines. Prefac-
ing this it may be well to state that
Montana City was situated about ten
miles below Jefferson; was said to be we'll
laid out, and contained 30 or 100 build
ings.
The letter says:
THE town is called Helena-is about
oAo 49, 00R III liCltf lllOhbh 4 u
is some eight miles by the road. This
is the center of the present Prickly Pear
excitement, and consists of four gulches,
three of which merge into one-Last
Chance. About half q mile from this is
a separate and distinct gulch-a dry one
quite rich, though the dirt must be
hauled about half a mile to water. Griz-
ely gulch. a tributary to Last Chance, is
considered the richest. and 1t is on this
that claims are selling at such exorbi-
tant prices as you hear in Virginia. Re-
ports came in today that $l3 5000 was
offered for two claims on that gulch yes
~terday-and refused. A pair of fools, I
pronounce them. None Of the gulches
will, ! think, prove as rich as Alder
creek"
The concluding sentence of the above
letter was balm to the Initiated feelings
Of the Virginia Cityites. They might be
a tow in Last Chance, but the richness
of the adjacent gulches would never
make it a rival Of their town. Notwith-
standing this comforting prediction, Hell
ena continued to grow, until others be-
sides the Post editor and miners thought
1t might be worth while to go there.
Business n professional men soon
found 1t profitable to carry OF affairs in
both towns, n Helena eventually
proved to be the more attractive. 1t was
nearer the center OF the territory, and for
that reason furnished a better distrib-
uting point. / did not go to Helena in
1865, but my father visited 1t under the
guidance OF Nathaniel Merriman, and re-
turned with enthusiastic ccoun OF the
beauty OF its situation, commanding the
magnificent view out over the Prickly
Pear valley to the Belt mountains, and
Of the fabulous richness of its mines.
He brought with him on this trip
some fine mountain sheep horns, not the
Of his craftsmanship, but q pres
ent from a friend, and an accompanying
gift-a huge quartz crystal, about a foot
long. / do not recall seeing another its
equal in size. The horns we're also q
curiosity to us. Elk, deer. moose, ante
lope. mountain goat and mountain sheep
were often brought into the Bannack
market, n we had ample opportunity
to try the meat, while we were often I'M
familiar with the appearance OF the live
This especially applied to noun
tain goat and sheep. Once, as I rave for
merly mentioned, we tried beaver tail
soup. Either we did not understand its
preparation, or were not educated to like
1T, as we failed to find it as palatable as
a Frenchman had represented it to be.
My father never parted with these gifts
OF his Helena visit. They went with him
back to Ohio, n were In his possession
to the day Of his death.
He visited Virginia City, and was the
recipient Of q f1attering reception there.
residents turned out In goodly num-
bers, and a real band-the first In the
territory-discoursed sweet music on this
BY this time there was a decided trace
between the two cities, although the adj