Montana oil and mining journal., 1940-04-27

ports a fine open winter, during which
( he is splitting rails, says he has just
/ finished fencing 80 acres and 300 more
/ to look after. you, Of course, hear
nothing but OIL" he ventures. The
writer, on account of bad roads, had
an awful time making trip to Marion
to pay the taxes for Chicago man,
"wllo owns 5000 acres of land" and
who pays tax of $780," Wages are
low this year, he states. Ranch hands
receive only SIS month. But 1t Is
getting worse" Later on we read that
ranch hands receive only $12 month,
and there is scarcity Of house serV-
ants.
From Boston, Ia, comes an invita-
ton to the Ohio man to come west
land hunt deer. The Indians" he
and fish which they wish to sell. There
are lots of good looking girls among
them" he says. TEL any Of the boys
who want a wife that they might do
worse than to come out here" He then
turns to calves. 81 was offered $25 for
mine" he says, but think can get
$50 If take it to the fair"
A writer In April, 1858, makes the
first mention Of railroad. II started
through" he says, ''the slough IS bad.
The cars now run into this state 40
miles from Dubuque. We can reach
them in two days without a load or
three days with load. The valleys are
dry, the raises are something awful
BY fall, though the railroad will be
As miles from Shell Rock, and we viii
be able to make it in one day"
Land Price Boosted
From Harmonton, Ia, comes a la
ment that land that could be bought
for $18 q few years ago sells for $50
now" Charlotte Cushman, the actress,
has bought tract from a Chicago
firm that had put up glass factory
but failed. The writer, who came west
by way of New York, where he stopped
one day, says 1t cost him $3.50 from
Philadelphia to Washington" In 1860,
80 have signed petition to have the
postoffice transferred from one side Of
the river to the other and for the ap-
pointment of the writer as postmaster.
He Is sure he viii get the job because
he has the signatures of ''a majority
Of the patrons Of the postoffice." The
writer like a large number OF others
has goods shipped to him to Dubuque
from the east. He loads them IN his
wagon and peddles them, made $50
In three days" he states. He acquired
another watch which he traded for "a
COW, breaking plow, q grain cradle, a
SLftA4Cg . o44zen dA1Q u bO1 W my
But the pioneer was q cripple COM
pared with his father IN the trading
field. The pater, it is stated, traded
q horse and harness for six acres Of
land, mostly timber, q good log house
and stable" He also traded a carpet
for q COW and a pig, and now has
everything except a stove. News Is the
problem. They subscribe for the Cleve-
land Herald, The Ledger, the Chardon
papers, "and don't get copy once tn
three weeks"
In 1890 letter states: 1--WE are get
ting excited over the southern rebel
lion" The family had removed to Ber-
I'm. There Is no school near 50 am
teaching Frank at home" she says.
"We took Willie to Dewitt to have
his likeness taken but the man who
does that work had gone" Iowa has
some newspapers now. "We take the
Gazette and the Jefferson
she states
william B. Carter, mead Of the
Carter Livestock Co., Of Beaverhead
to whom these letters were
written, came west to Virginia City
he accumulated some capital and |
became a freighter between Virginia |
CITY and Salt Lake. He later acquired /
a ranch and became a stockman. BE !
passed away many years ago. His /
ranch was six miles from Dillon on
the Twin Bridges road