The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1931-12-18
(By Charles Gordonl

would help materially in bringing
about greater international trade
How much it would mean to Mon
tana, only the oldtimers know.
In 1891, Neihart was a boom
silver mining camp. 1t lies about
so miles southeast of Great Falls,
up in the tops of the Little Belt
mountains. A branch of the Great
Northern ran then from Great
Falls to Monarch, distant about IS
miles from Neihart. The trip from
Great Falls to Neihart was one
to be remembered. The coaches
were filled with a ~nondescript
crowd of men, "standing-room only"
and the train with a grinding noise
labored up the steep grade in the
rocky canyon and around the
sharp curves at 10 miles an hour.
At Monarch the line ended and
the remaining IS miles were made
on foot, stage or wagon.
Silver then was SIPS an ounce,
now it is 80 cents an ounce, and
the ore in the mines there ran
heavy in silver. Everyone carried
specimens of silver ore, ruby sill
yer, native silver, etc. Practically
everyone gambled in mining stock
or real estate. There was no
chance to lose while the boom was
IN Tho poipac wara NOT daan hut
showed rich ore. On the hill-sides
one could see huge piles of what
looked like pure silver. In other
places there were piles of lead so
soft that it could be cut with a
knife. The gulch where the camp
was situated was narrow and build
ings were scarce. A lot 25X100
would quickly sell for $3.50 to $500
and corner lots up to $1,000 The
late Tom Carr and his partner
who owned a claim in the level
part refused $4,000 for the sur
face ground. Restaurants and ho-
tells did a rushing business and the
rooming-houses and hotels were
crowded. Saloons never closed.
There were no monographs in
1891 and live musicians on real
pianos played Little Annie Room
ey'' and "The Good Old Summer
Time" to the thirsty patrons.
When the branch railroad open
ed for business, on the first train
was a gambler named "Jew jake
who was going to Niehart. Just
before it started the city marshal
George Treat, walked into the
coach and engaged in conversation
with Jake. They got into an alter
cation and in a twinkling their
guns roared. When the smoke had
cleared away, the marshal, Jew !
Jake and a looker-on named Joe ,
Lessard lay shot. The marshal and {
Lessard died later from their in E
Jake recovered and was lat :
Or shot and killed in a poker game +
1t Landusky. n
Every saloon then had owe it's {
door a sign, Licensed Gambling
House" One evening a crowd was n
watching a faro game when the il
own marshal, Martin O'Brien h
in and joined the lookers-on. h
Charlie Wooster, in the lookout
chair above the game suddenly r
shot him through the heart. He II
hen jumped down, lined everyone q
the bar, after which he walked Il
tut into a heavy now storm. The !,
)ody was placed On a poker table
md four deputies sworn in. Not
him in the other saloons, n
hey visited him cabin on the out r.
.kirts of the camp. Peering through h.
he window, they saw him lying In
n his bunk, a lighted candle by
lis side, also a revolver. 1t was in
ark and showing heavily and the ii
our deputies in a body crashed m
he cabin door and seized Woost- n
r before he could grab his gun. to
here were other shootings, as in sc
II western mining camps. III
A saloon-keeper had the first fo
ank in the camp, his safe where III
e deposited the miners savings.
me night the bank was robbed mr.
f the money and so far as is ca
nown, nothing was ever recover mr.
Il,
Women were scarce, homes were as
sw, wages were high and unem- re
loyment was unknown. Gambling ur
ras the main recreation. Even if tn
ne place was crowded., silence SD
about the games. The deal ur
r always seemed remote, detach- ua
unmoved. But in his little draw an
r on his side of the table, with err
S stacks of yellowbacks and lii
reenbacks and gold and silver, al
OH could see the glitter of a sin tn
ter blue4black revolver ready for di,
Sc. Poker games with $1,000 on tn,
lie table were not uncommon. me-
The stores did a good business is
nd farmers sold their produce
,adily at pleasing prices. The sill thi
sr smelter at Great Falls ran at pie
III blast day and night, employ rex
G hundreds of men and piling
Ire silver bars outside in the tn;
zen. There no trucks then lif,