Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-08-13

was in the spring of 1866, when he
became associated with Thomas Dims-
dale as editor of the Montana Post at
Virginia City, the first newspaper in
the territory.
Later he went to Helena as editor of
the Montana News Letter, and in 1867
he Journeyed to Deer Lodge, where he
was editor OF the Independent. He
was editor and manager of the Mon
tana Pick and Pillow for eighteen
months. Files of the paper we're later
destroyed by fire. The plant finally
fell into the hands of the stockholders,
who assisted Joseph Wright in estab-
fishing the Avant Courier, which start
ed Sept. Is, 1871. In 1877 w. w. Alder
son purchased the paper and contin-
ued its publication until this paper
Republican in 1904, and the combina-
ton is now the Bozeman Courier.
In his editorial headed Our Bow"
Mr.. Mcguire says.
I'VE know positively from personal
acquaintance and former business re-
lations that the best market in this
country for newspaper intelligence is
among those who swing the pick and
those who hold the pillow, therefore
this sheet, so long as it continues under
its present management, shall be m
phatically : the peoples organ, free
from partisan and personal shackles."
The first number Of the paper con-
tanned a little more than two columns
of local news, including an account of
a brilliant and fashionable ball on
Christmas eve at the magnificent new
hall of Ruffner and Warner" given
by the Bozeman Social club, with an
address during the evening by the
president, Mr.. Mcguire. There we're
$50 couples present and after supper,
served by Mrs. Sam Scott at the Guy
house, ther dancers returned to the
ballroom festivities until morning.
The address given by Mr.. Mcguire.
at the grand ball occupies two columns
on the front page of the paper. The
installation of officers of Gallatin
Masons was reported, with j. l.. Noble,
probate judge, worshipful master. None
of the officers listed are now alive. One
page of the paper carried items cleaned
from exchanges covering nearly every
state, and also Montana territory. An
interesting communication is headed,
Information for Settlers" dated Unit
ed States Land Office, Helena, M. T.,
Nov. %, 1869" and is signed by IL. B.
Lyman, register" explaining to the
people Of the territory advantages of
presumption and homestead laws.
There also was a column of selected
poetry.
Advertisers in the first issue of the
Montana Pick and Plow include many
names familiar to old-timerS of Gal
latin county and Montana, such as A..
Lamme & Co., Black g. Story, G.. w.
Hoffman, Blum & Engesser, Walter
Cooper, Harper 81 Finch, Wilson 81
Rich, Davis, Sporting & Co.; F. M.
Fridley, Spieth e. Drug, w. Ward, and
others.
The retail family market report gives
prices Of a number of staple articles,
including butter in pound rolls, 81;
eggs. 81 a dozen; flour, So and 81 a
hundred; coffee, Rio, 40 cents; tea, So;
candles, SO cents a pound; syrup, SO a
gallon; sugar, 80 cents a pound; coal
oil, $3.50 d gallon; soap, Is to go cents
a pound; ham, As cents and bacon As
cents a pound; canned fruit Of various
kinds, rs cents a can; gree naples,
SO cents, and dried apples, IS cents a
pound.
Telling some historical facts about
starting of the Montana Pick and
Pillow, T. B. Gray, treasurer of Gala
tin county in early days, later a teach
err in Bozeman schools, wrote from
Berkeley soon before his death in 1921
to a former pupil, Mrs. E. l.. Houston
Of Bozeman, that he was in Virginia
City as treasurer Of Gallatin county
to settle with the territorial auditor
when he met H. N. Mcguire, who want
ed to go to Bozeman and start a news
paper, but he had no money. He &C.
companied Mr.. Gray home and they
raised $4,000 from A. Lamme, Bud Nc
Adow, S. j.. Beck, w. w. Anderson,
Charles Rich and Gen. L. S. Wilson
to pay for material to start the paper.
Down the valley they raised $500 more
from M. w. Penwell, L. M. Howell,
John Culver, Phillip Thorpe and others,
these men receiving shares of stock
for their subscriptions. The machinery
and equipment were obtained and the
paper started Dec. /, 1869.
Funds were needed to carry on. the
paper and the publishing company
gave a grand ball Feb. %. 1870, Mr..
Gray reporting selling tickets for 81
and thus raising $759 that helped, with
subscriptions and advertising, to con-
tinue publication a little more than a