Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-01-23

WHE SPORTING DtOOu OF NlOn
tanans was fired during the 5Vs
by the phenomenal records OF
running horses owned by >. H.
Iarabie Of Deer Lodge and Mar
Gus DAILY of Anaconda, both OF Wnom
bred strings which became famous the
world over and both of whom bred
raised and raced horses which won
some Of the biggest track classics IN
America In competition with the best
horses In the world.
The start Of Iarabie's stable ante
dated that Of Daily. The mighty Ben
Holiday was the best horse ne ever
owned. Tammany, Days greatest thor
oughbred, became a byWord, for Last
time and big purses. Days money
winnings from his horses were much
greater than those of the Larable
string but when the Larabie stable
was in it's prime no greater aggrega-
ton Of thOroughbredS was known TO
American tracks.
Running horses were a fad with both
Of these pioneer Montanans. They bred
and raised them and trained them and
raced them because they enjoyed It,.
Because both of them we're business
men as we'll, they tried, Of course, to
make the animals pay their own way.
Larabie Was Banker
Larabie bred his horses at the Will
low Brook farm near Deer Lodge, and
was engaged in it as early as the
eighties. Larabie was banker. He
came to Montana in 1864 from New
York, where he was born in 1845 His
entrance into this state was by way OF
the North Platte river trail and the
Bridger cutoff to Virginia City.
Six years later he was in Deer Lodge
as a member of the banking firm OF
Donnell, Clark & Larabie. His partner,
r. w. Donnell, had been a wholesale
grocer in Helena and Virginia City
from 1868 to 1869. From then on he was
the senior member of the banking firm
of Donnell, Lawson g. Simpson Of New
York city. The Clark who was menu
Der of the firm was the late United
States Senator w. A. Clark, who be-
came one of the worlds richest men
and one of its leading copper magnates
before his death.
But in the late sixties all three were
hustling, young and successful men
taking prominent part in the develop |
ment Of a new country.
Besides the bank in Deer Lodge, the |
firm of DonneI, Clark 81 Larabie had
bank in Butte which was managed |
by Clark, and which later became |
W. A. Clark 81 Bro. Larabie managed |
the Deer Lodge bank. and DonnellS |
connection with the New York bank |
ing firm gave the Montana concern a |
distinct advantage in the matter OF /
disposing of gold dust and bullion, the I
buying of which was the principal
business Of banks in Montana at that
time
Illustrating the amount Of business
transacted by the firm of Donnel,
Clark g. Larabie, it may be said that
during the year 1871. it bought sl255,-
900 in dust and bullion. In 1872 the
firms dust and bullion business
amounted to S1,100000; in 1873 to
1910 900; in 1874 to $3.50, 600; in 1875 to
$725 900; in 1876 to S65O,000; in 1877 to
$3.50, 900; in 1878 to 100000: in 1879 to
$225 900; in 1880 to $250,000, and in
1881 to s23O,000.
It is noticeable how the business ia
pered off as the gathering Of free dust
and nuggets became more difficult year
by year as the rich workings played
out The banks, however, turning to
other lines, proSpered regardless. Near
ly all Of the dust and bullion taken in
at the Deer Lodge bank came from the
Pioneer and Bear districts which had
become pretty well worked out by the
early eighties But in the 10 years from
1871 to 1881, Donnell, Clark g. Larabies
Deer Lodge bank handled a total Of
$7,075OO0 in gold dust and bullion.
All members of the firm were rich
men by this time. Larabie remained in
Deer Lodge in the banking business
after his two partners had transferred
their activities entirely to other fields.
He established the Willow Brook farm
and began to breed thoroughbred
horses for pastime.
Among the famous horses which he