The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-03-23

though, and he loaded up with flour
and nails. With these and the plan
ing mill he set out for the journey back
to the Montana home place. In the
Snake river country, in Idaho, he was
stopped by heavy snowstorms at the
beginning of the winter season. He left
all of his freight property in the custody
of somebody there and then put on a
pair Of skis and proceeded alone over
the snow until he arrived at the saw-
mill in Ramshorn gulch.
The oxen left behind disappeared,
and most of the merchandise was never
accounted for. But the planning mill
was brought by another freighting OK
train during the following spring. The
remaining merchandise also was
brought. There were 26 sacks of flour
and two kegs of nails. The flour was
sold in Virginia City at 500 per sack,
and the nails were sold at $3.50 per key
prices computed in gold dust, of
course.
Word came of a quartz mill boiler
and engine for sale at Bannack. Hotter
went there to investigate. He found
the combination was of Is OF 80 horse
power. It had been made by the Law
renee Machine company, in 1859. The
American Fur company had shipped it
from St. Louis to Fort Benton, by
steamboat, in 1862. Thence it had been
freighted overland to Bannack. Hotter
bought this boiler and engine for ST.
200 in gold dust. He went back home,
got OK teams, returned to Bannack,
dismantled the purchased machinery,
loaded the parts upon his wagons and
transported them to his industrial CEN
ter without any mishap.
With the planning mechanism ready
for use-the first such mechanism to be
brought into Montana-the partners
felt themselves in position at the top
of the local lumber business. They
branched out and set up a water power
mill in March, 1865, at the mouth OF
Colorado creek, eight miles from Hell
ena, then a new placer mining camp
in Last Chance gulch. The home Of
flee was kept at the original location in
Ramshorn gulch. Hotter did much
travelling to and from the Helena saw
mill, to manage both places. Three
stage lines were running between Vir-
ginia City and Helena that summer,
with a one-way schedule time of Is
hours.
Lumber prices began to drop. Com
petition in the Helena region develop
ed into commercial warfare. The price
per thousand feet was cut to $lOO, to
SIS, to $50, to $40. Much of the Hol-
ter & Evenson expanding had been on
their credit; their employees being the
main creditors on account of accum-
ulated wages nue.. Ihey began 10
grumble, then they began to clamor 1or
payment. Hotter bought out EVenson
by making some cash payment and as
Stunning all Indebtedness. Then, as sole
proprietor, Hotter assembled the Rams
horn gulch employees and revealed TO
them his entire case. He INFORMED them
that by sacrificing his whole business
he could get the money and pay them,
! and If they Insisted upon payment ne
would do that. But he pointed out
that If they would stay with him, re-
curing only their board n keep and
allowing the wages to accumulate fur
ther, he and they together QUIZ whip
out the cut-price competitors and then
share the ensuing prosperity.
There were ID OF these m
ployes. They took a vote on Mr.. Hol-
ter's proposition. Seventeen OF them
signified a willingness to remain on the
job. The n who wanted his money
at once had made up his mind to re-
turn to the states. The amount due
him was $500. Hotter borrowed the
money-the gold dust money-on MS
note due in 30 days md bearing III per
cent interest for the month. Then bus
mess was resumed. .
Hard luck came when an accident
ruined the saw at the mill located out
OF Helena. Nothing could be done IN
til 1t was replaced. Hotter learned OF a
man n had two 52-lnch circular saws
on the way to Helena. He offered the
man $500 for one of them. The man
would not sell one, but ne would sell
nressed a chanoe of mind 81 that in