Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-02-14

was Esq. Orison Miles In 1865. SQUIRE
Aalles used TO hold court In the cabin
where ne lived, cooked and slept. and
many celebrated case Of those early
booming times came under hts judicial
cognizance.
The first formal trial under the
squire was over the jumping OF a town
lot. Neither the law nor evidence was
very clear In those days, and while
the magistrate was cropping around In
a legal haze the ntigants got together
and gave the property In dispute TO
the lawyers who sold it, and divided
the proceeds. 1t was the squire who
performed the first marriage ceremony
IN Helena, joining q runaway couple
from the Boulder valley. Nav 4. 1ses.
Before the organization Of the city
OF Helena questions Of camp import
ance were settled by town meetings.
One such gathering was held In Feb
ruary, 1857, when the value Of gold
dust, which at that time varied SO
much that great dissatisfaction existed.
As q result the value OF dust known
as first quality mill retort was def
initely fixed at SIG an ounce: Silver
Bow dust, SIG, and clean gulch gold
dust free from rock and impurities, s18
From such meetings sprang the
Board Of Trade, which was Organized
In 1877 at time when all the country
east Of the Rocky mountains was
plunged In the miseries which the
panic entailed.
The first meeting was held Nov. IL,
1877. H. M. Parchen was named presi-
dent; @. W. Cannon, vice president:
George w. Fox, treasurer, and Mai.
Robert @. Walker, secretary. The first
important business transacted by the
board was the adoption of a resolution |
protesting against the heavy tax i'm
posed by the government for timber or
wood cut in the territory.
Board Promoted Road
Records of the board show that It
was instrumental in promoting road {
construction to Butte, in surveying and
mapping surrounding country, In es-
tabhshing news communication. with
the outside world, in lettering mail
service and various other public enter
prises.
The telegraph first gave Helena
with the world in Septem-
Der, 1867.
The greatest day in the history Of
his city was July 4, 1888. The people
we're called to celebrate the national
birthday, to welcome the first regular
rain to enter the city and to witness
'he departure of the first bullion train
'ver the Northern Pacific railroad.
Preparations made for celebrating
he occasion were elaborate The pro-
.ession was formed at the upper end
Il Main street under the direction of !
chief Marshal Thomas P. Fuller and |
lis aides. City Marshal Deegan and
lis police, mounted and in uniform,
nd the Helena Silver Cornet band,
headed the column. Promptly at the
irst stroke Of 10 o'clock that morning, I
he marshal of the day gave the COM S
nand to march forward and In a mo- c
1ent the whole cavalcade, reaching 9
ar above the head Of Main to Bridge {
treet, was in motion to the stirring l
trains of patriotic music !
In the line of march was the fire :
apartment, gloriously arrayed in :
olors and In decorations, dignitaries
the city, territory and nation, borne )
I the finest vehicles Of that era, and ?
oats representing civic and religious
Enterprise in the city.
Marching to the depot they beheld D
lie grandest spectacle in the history 4
Last Chance gulch, the departure
'om Helena of the first bullion train, p
arrying a million pounds of silver tt
1llion from Montanas mines. al
The train was composed of SO new Ell
oxcars bearing large colored placards, d
lscribed: N
IN. P. r. R.-1,OOO,OOO pounds Greg :,
y bullion from Helena, M. T." =
AS the two ponderous engines, gaily 81
ecorated with bunting steamed away III
I'm tneT rlcnly lauen cars, cannons hi
,omed over the shrill whistle of mines
Id engines and the shouting Of the "
crowd and the strains of
lie band GO
=