Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-09-04

gulch. while not the first discovery
Of gold in Montana, has always had
. deep interest for Montanans familiar
with the history Of their state. II was
Alder Eulch gold, they remember, that
sidney Edgerton used in Washington
70 convince the congress that the area
east Of the range of mountains known
as the Bitter Root, was amply
equipped 10 bear the expense of self
government. They remember that for
years all Of the leading men Of the
state were in some manner connected
with the Virginia City area; that
every prominent lawyer Of the terri
tory and later Of the state had
Served time" in Virginia City.
To read the names of the early day
business and professional men of
Butte and Helena is to read a list of
former residents Of Virginia City. w.
A. Clark, a Bannack as we'll as a
Virginia City man, trader, a freight
er rather than miner-after he had
made his first 81 OOO"-built the toll
road between Virginia City and Butte
the road that gave its name to Toll
mountain. Judge A. ]. Davis, a banker,
an investor, a broker, got his start
in Montana in Virginia City. Col. w.
F. Sanders, George Stapleton, w. Y.
Pemberton, and dozens of others were
active members of the Virginia City
community. Virginia City is the site
OF the first territory-built capitol
building dts Madison county court
mouse now. Virginia City was the
home of many of the outstanding
members of the Vigilante organization
and also of large number of road
asens' ~ was the lrst bonanza gold
uaiip VI ti'e ihIermounIain region;
no one car, say positlVely now much
gnu was TAKEN from peheath the SANDS
vi Aioei suich.
A Direct Appeal
1t is because of these facts that
matters pertaining to the past of the
glorious little mining town that did
SO much for its state and for the west
nave direct appeal to that division
all matters pertaining to the history
OF their home state. The facts are not
always obtainable largely because
by mining communities had to do with
mining locations; records of towns
That grew up one year and died the
"NN> AAos AN6hAe St es-' AAAAEoA Soilt
In the absence OF recorded history
the trailblazer, born romancer,
whose stories OF his prospective wealth
when l GIT the capital to work the
lead would challenge the greatest
achievement OF Aladdlns lamp was al
ways ready to supply details out of
whole cloth. Mark Twain Is said to
nave Identified prospector as "a liar
This elaboration in connection
with details, has played a part In the
history OF every important mining
camp, and some OF the COW camps of
the west. Virginia City has been sim
gularly free from it chiefly because
such men as Thomas Dimsdale, N. P.
Langford, Col. w. F. Sanders. Judge
Henry N. Blake, Capt. j. H. Mills and
the files OF the Madisonian have made
many of the facts connected with 1.-The
mining capital of the sixties" available
to the general public.
Among the few points of difference
between residents of Virginia City to-
day-due to the fact that second
generation has replaced the old trail
blazers-are the locations of past and
gone historic buildings, and the point
NASAC 6oiu Wdo AAoe uLoSoSSlCu III
Alder gulch; this latter difference hobs
up occasionally in spite of the fact
that the A. j. Davis family of Butte,
in compliment to their ancestor, Judge
A. j. Davis, erected a monument in
Alder gulch after careful investiga-
ton, on the spot where Henry Edgar
washed out his first pan of dirt. The
contra element declare Ihat the 1lrst
goio was 1ouna, not IN Alder gu!ch
puG IN moonlight gulch' swallow de-
preston that runs east ana west
ttrougl virginia Guy anotner point
OF dlt1erence ana one that Will, In all
pIopaolll1y, never oe solVeo 10 the sat
lslaction Oh those participating, IS the
origin Oh tIe Vlellalte notlce 5f-u.
me spot WHERE ne llrst louno sola
III Aloer gulcn was pointed OUT by
f1ehry EDGAR during a convention OF
tne society Oh montana MOI Pioneers IN
vrgllla Clty IN 1883: Althougn ne mad
peen absent from Alder gulch more
Inal % years ne was ape 10 walk
oirectiy 10 the spot where thaI epocn-
i MAE evenC occurred on May TO-
1905, dG ABOUT 4 O'CLOCK IN Cfle alter