Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-12-18

cisco to spend the winter In May,
1865, he returned to his claim.
While on prospecting expedition IN
the mountains he met Jesuit priest
accompanying party Of Indians and
was told by the reverend father that
there were rich gold placer mines in
the Blackfoot country east Of the
mountains In Montana. AS the party
was headed east, he decided to &C
company them across the range. He
arrived in McLellan'S gulch in Deer
Lodge county, Sept. 8, 1855. He did not
remain there. however, but proceeded
on to Helena, where he engaged in the
practice of medicine.
He remained in Helena the better
part of year, then went to the town
of Blackfoot and located. In 1868 he
was elected by the democrats to a seat
in the territorial council, representing
the district composed Of Deer Lodge
and MiSsoula counties. He was re-
elected to the territorial legislature 10
different times, serving as preSloent OF
the council in 1871, 1875 ana 1877. In
1869 he was appointed by the president
of the United States to construct the
penitentiary at Deer Lodge, at which,
as stated, he afterwards served as
physician and surgeon. He resigned
from that post in 1882, but continued
to live in Deer Lodge most Of the time
OuIlllR BllE IGAlld4lnCA IA lilo AAANs
In 1877 DR.. Mitchell and DR.. MusSig-
brod were awarded the contract for
the care of the insane Of the territory,
at that time few in number. Seeking
a location, they decided that Warm
Springs was ideally situated for their
purpose and they obtained ground
there and erected several small build
ings. There the institution, now be-
longing to the state and considered one
Of the most modern and UP TO date in
the country, is still located, possessing
facilities and equipment which no
doubt would amaze It's founders If they
could but stroll through 1t and compare
it with the simple plant with which
they begun operations.
They retained the contract for the
care of the mentally afflicted for many
years until the asylum was taken over
by the state. BY that time 1t had de-
veloped into q commodtouS institution
with every facility available for the
treatment of mental disorders and with
a capable staff Of specialists in attend
ance, and with several hundred pa
tents.
DR.. Mitchell was one of Montana's
three commissioners to the worlds
Columbian exposition at Chicago in
His interest in politics never waned.
In 1895 he was chairman Of the ter
ritOrial democratic central committee
and at the national convention, to
which he was a delegate, he was one
OF the committee named to notify
Grover Cleveland Of his nomination as
the party's candidate for president Of
the United States. Needless to say, DR..
Mitchell was exceedingly active in his
support of Cleveland. who was elected.
In 1892 DIR. Mitchell went over to the
PEOPLES party and was nominated on
the Peoples party ticket for state sem
ator from Deer Lodge county. He was
the party's county chairman in 1894
and 1895, a delegate to the state con-
ventions in 1894, 1895 and 1888 and an
alternate to the national convention in
St. Louis in 1895.
In the summer of 1895 DR.. Mitchell
suffered an attack of mastoiditis. Al
though he sought the services Of skilled
specialists, they were unable to arrest
the progress of the disease and it
caused his death at his residence at
Warm Springs, in October, 1898. He
was buried at Deer Lodge, where his
funeral was the largest that had ever
been held in that city to that time
In November, 1871, DR.. Mitchell was
married to Miss Mary Ellen Irvine Of
Kentucky. The wedding occurred in
Deer Lodge and was notable society
event, the festivities accompanying
which were participated IN by scores OF
the doctors friends from au over Mon
tana. The Mltcheli's had several
children.