The river press. [volume], June 02, 1886, Image 2

About The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
THE RIVER PRESS.
.Published every Wednesday morning
by the River Press Publish
ing Company.
CAPITAL CULLINGS.
The RIVER PRESS interviewed Mr. E.
D. Edgerton, treasurer of the Great Falls
(No. 2) Improvement company, in regard
to the present status and outlook of that
gigantic (on paper) enterprise. Mir. Ed
gerton stated that he was not pecuniarily
interested, in the project and was
led to allow the use of his name on
the representation that the company de
sired a local treasurer, and from the char
acter and reputation of the president and
.ether officers of the company he was
prompted to believe that it was a reputa
ble enterprise. Although treasurer of the
company he had yet failed to see any of
its funds. It was understood a few
months ago that the money to put the pro
ject well on its feet was forthcoming, bu t
there 2eems to have been a hitch in the
proceedings somewhere. One of the in
terested parties had lately written him
that some trouble was experienced. in se
curing title to certain land from the for
mer owners, which accounted for the de
lay in operations. Mr. Edgerton was not
without faith in the success of the scheme
if it had the required financial backing, as
money can accomplish almost anything
now-a-days. From information he had re
ceived he was inclined to think there are
worse places in the world to found a city
than at the great falls of the Missouri.
However, the company would have to
make a proper show down very soon or he
would not allow the further use of his
name in connection with it, and he had
written them to that effect. We would
draw the conclusion from Mr. Edgerton's
remaras that the Great Falls Improve
ment company is in a state of hopeless
collapse. The schemers did not start off
in a way that promised good faith or hon
esty and no other result could have well
been expected. But the fact must not be
overlooked that at some time in the future
there will be a thriving town at the lower
or great falls of the Missouri river.
The second meeting of the grand lodge,
K. of P., of the jurisdiction of Montana
was an affair that will be long an d pleas
antly remembered by all knights who
shared in the hearty reception and hos
pitality of Myrtle lodge No. 3 of Helena.
We doubt if such a well directed and suc
cessful programme was ever before carried
out in Montana. There seemed to be no
limit to the resources of the Helena
Knights and for four days it was a "con
tinual round of pleasure." It was uni
versally noted that the grand lodge repre
sentatives were a fine body of men and the
report from those who were present at
the sessions is that they were unusually
bright and intelligent. Crescent lodge
No. 4 of this city was ably represented in
Messrs. McIntire and Sullivan, the first of
whom carried off the second honors of the
grand lodge. The next meeting will be
held at Butte and the silver city will have
to bestir itself to out do Helena,
We met B. C. Kingsbury and had an in
teresting talk with him. He is still firm
in the faith that Neihart is to be one of
the leading mining camps of Montana,
and says all that ;s lacking to bring it to
the front is a railroad and the cheap trans
portation that would follow. Mr. Kings
bury is an applicant for the Butte post of
fice, and his ambition in that direction is
likely to be satisfied. A communication
from Butte in a late issue of the Indepen
dent did him great injustice. It was
charged that on his recent visit to Wash
ington he used the papers endorsing him
for postmaster to secure the appointment
of collector of internal revenue, when no
such deception was thought of, much less
carried into effect. The Butte Miner was
notified by Delegate Toole that the charge
was wholly untrue, but that paper :ailed
to state the fact and thus do justice to Mr.
Kingsbury. The location of the post of
tice when the change is made cuts a great
er figure in the contest than the personnel
of the applicants.
The Independent, under the new man
agement, has made a decided hit. Every
body speaks in terms of praise of the pa
per and it is gaining rapidly in the matter I
of subscriptions and cther business. Mr.
Dickerson, although a young man, has
achieved something of a reputation in
newspaperdom. He was managing editor
of the Indianapolis Sentinel, the demo
cratic organ of the state, in 1876, during
the celebrated and unrivalled Tilden-Hayes
contest, and the Sentinel did some good
work in that memorable campaign. Since
then he has held important positions o.,
some of the leading papers of the country
and for the past two or three years has
been a leading spirit of the St. Paul press.
Mr. Dickerson and his talented aide-de
camps ought to make th* Independent as
good a paper as the field will warrant.
Major Rogers, the "close as a clam"
railroad engineer, is still at Helena and
has been making the rounds of the mining
camps in that region. He goes next to
Butte which trip will probably conclude
his reconnaissance of Montana. The opin
Sion that prevailed here so generally to the
effect that Major Rogers is in'the employ
of J. J;. Hiil is notcrldited at the capital
and ifs moiements are ,cetainly: calcula/t.'
ed o cause doubt on the subject. He ies
carefully looking up the zesources4f.qn(n
Stanan a general way--the Ianit.9ba#pat
*4 would ot have to import4 an engleer
to do this--and it is firmly believed that
this is in the interest of the Canadian Pa
cific syndicate.
An enterprising newspaper man of the
capital sought to find out from the RIVER
PREss representative the "mission".of Mr.
S. E. Atkinson of the Montana National
bank who recentlyspent ten days in Ben
ton. We said it seemed to be a purely
business visit, probably the settlement of
the Wetzel prope:ty affairs. But the e.
n. m. shook his head and insisted that
there was something more important be
T hind it all.
Railway work in the canyon and in fact
all along the line of the Montana Central
is progressing rapidly. A good showing
is now made at the two tunnels and as
5 hard rock, where actual tunneling begins,
has been reached greater progress will be
made hereafter. A force of 200 or 300
men are at work below the mouth of the
Prickly Pear, on the Missouri river, and
as fast as surveys are completed additional
t contracts will be let in that section. The
B much talked of "freight deadlock" is not
- in the least interfering with M. C. work,
which is being pushed with vigor.
Under the influence of the warm weath
er, probably, the political pot is beginning
to bubble a little. Among a strong ele
ment of the republican party Col. Sanders
is the favorite for delegate to congress.
They argue that he has led the forlorn
hope several times and now that there is a
show of success the old war horse ought
to have the full benefit of it. Col. Mc
Cutcheon, chairman of the territorial com
mittee and a wire puller from away back,
is for Sanders, first, last and all the time.
Many think Commodore T. C. Power
would make the strongest race. Besides
these two few other namss are mentioned.
We did not hear the opinion expressed in
a single instance that Delegate Toole
ought to be re-nominated while many who
are staunch friends of the delegate were
free to say it would be to the best interest
of the party to nominate another man, one
who would be acceptable to all. Some of
these gave it as their opinion thiat Mr.
Toole's name would not be before the con -
vention.
As some of our contemporaries, off and
on, are mentioning possible, impossible
and probable candidates for the delegate
nominations this fall, we hereby register
our guess: The democrats will re-nominate
Hon. J. K. Toole. They cannot, in view
of all traditions, customs and deservings
do anything else. The, republicans will
nominate Col. W. F. Sanders or A. F
I Burleigh. And whichever of the latter is
nominated will be elected. Montana is a
republican territory, and no miore "mon
key work" like that which beat Knowls in
Silver Bow two years ago, will go in 1886.
--New Northwest.
The re-nomination of Delegate Toole is
the dearest wish of every Montana repub
lican, but we "register a guess" that the
democrats will not do anything of the
kind. If Hon. W.A . Clark will take the
t nomination it is at his disposal.
H mmm •
AFTER a conference at Philadelphia the
textile manufacturers, 150 in number, and
representing a capital of $150,000,000,
have formed a protective association for
the establishment of uniform wages, the
prevention of strikes and the settlement of
differences between employers and opera
tors. Should a strike occur in .any one
factory the mills of all will be summarily
closed until the strike is settled satis
factorily to the employer in whose mill it
occurs.
THE house committee on territories has
voted against all bills for the admission of
Dakota except the Springer enabling act,
looking to the admission of the whole ter
ritory. This simply settles the Dakota
question for the present session. - If Mon
tana rolls up a good democratic majority
this fall there will be a first class chance
for both territories to be admitted at the
next session.
LIVINGSTON has had another and a de
structive fire, making the sixth in about a
twelvemonth. Property to the value of
$35,000 in the heart of the town was de
stroyed. The little town at the gateway
to the national park has been severely
tried in this way but its people are of the
dauntless class that never surrender or
lose courage. They are already preparing
to rebuild.
THE Northern Pacific will build from
Wickes to Red Mountain, instead of from
Helena, as first announced. They have
retired entirely from the paralleling busi
ness, and Messrs. Oakes, Hauser and Bon
ner stand out in bold relief as the most
unsaintly bluffers and prevaricaters in the
country! _
COL. BROADWATER has returned to Hel
ena and the Montana Central wvill boom
anew. It is pretty safe to say that the
shipment of M. C. rails and material will
be made over th'e'N. P., and at reasonable
rates.
IT looks as it Geronimo and his daunt
less little band of savages must go. The
price upon their heads and the determined
perseverance of Gen, Miles will bring
1 their atrocious careerý to a peedy end.
THE work .of changingg the Utah &
0Northern to'a standard guage or rather
e laying a third rail, between, Garrison and
Butte is -nowin progress. '-:
9 TEi K ights of Labor are now holding
San important con ention G Clev eland,
S=Ohio .e rsenttves hfom &otaia are
in attndanc.
r for $40 a month and got
SCATI AND COCHINEAL.
HOW TfHE INSECTS ARE REARED AND
e CULTIVATED IN TENERIFFE.
Habitation and Feeding Ground of the
Insect from Whose Body Is Extracted
the Well Known Crimson Dye--Care of
the Young--Ready for Market.
The general -effect of the landscape is
that of rocky sterility, and even cultivation,
t as at present conducted seems to add to
the barren appearance, for " almost the sole
crop workel in the neighborhood of the
city is the cactus-a plant which, with its
prickly spires and its fat, bulbous, greasy,
t bulging lobes, is to me the very culmina
tion of ugly worthlessness. It presents the
appearance of dwarfishness and de
formity, and disease and distortion. But
s out of disease springeth health, and from
even this:monstrosity wealth has come to
the cultivator, for this plant is the habita
tion and feeding ground of the cochineal.
TAKING CARE OF THE COCHINEAL.
s This is the insect from whose body is ex
tracted the rich crimson dye used in color
ing cloths. The full-grown insect is about
the size and sh pe of a well fed and care
fully reared bed-bug. It is wonderfully
t prolific. The mother is placed on the
on the plant and she deposits her eggs
thereon with a profusion that passes com
prehension. I think she would have satis
fled even Napoleon, whose idea of the
noblest woman.was the ,one who produced
the most men children for soldiers. The
hatching process is brief, and the young
cochineals swarm out upon the leaf as the
barbarians descended upon Rome.
They have no,wings and their legs are
hardly worth speaking of, as the entire
locomotion of their lives is comprised
within the area of a few square inches.
That they may not be washed off by the
rain or shaken off by the wind, each leaf
with its swarming tenants is carefully
wrapped in a cotton rag which is pinned
together with thorns. _ Indeed, the cactus
plants in the season are rather better and
more 'decently clad than the children.
They are arranged in hills about two
feet apart like corn, and when they are
dressed in their white shirts, each leaf by
itself, the field presents a singular appear
ance. This is still rendered more striking
from the fact that the bugs exude from
their skins a kind of fine white powder,
and they themselves and their enveloping
rags and the green cactus, and the people
who work among them, who, by the way,
are mostly women, seem as if thoroughly
dusted with flour.
* BAGGED AND READY FOR MARKET.
When the insects have reached maturity
they are carefully brushed from the plants
into pans and placed in an oven where a
gentle roasting does the business for them,
and then having been picked over and
thus classed into the different grades ac
cording to their respective buggy minds,
they are bagged and ready for market.
When so prepared about 70,000 of them go
to the pound. During the last year 40,000
bags of 150 pounds each were shipped from
Santa Cruz. If you are to know how many
distinct individuals this amounts to, here
it is-420,000,000,000. There is bugs for you!
The present selling price is about twenty
four cents! How much is that per cochi
neal? Cipher it yourself. My arithmetic
is but finite. And yet possibly they have6
among themselves kingdoms and provinci
palities bounded by a cactus leaf with dis
tinctions of buggy rank and jealousies of
buggy peace, with emulations and strug
gles and loves and hates and pleasures and
disappointments-and all ends by being
baked in an oven and sold 70,000 for
twenty-four centsl I dare say there is an
excellent and improving moral to be
drawn somehow from all this. But I was
never good at extracting morals.
The price of cochineal was formerly
much higher than now, being from ninety
cents to $1.20 per pound, and then the
business was exceedingly profitable; so
much so that all Teneriffe farmers com
menced to criltivate it, even rooting up
their grape vines and big trees to plant the
cactus. Bat now chemists have discov
ered aniline dyes that are equally good and
much cheaper, and in consequence.the
smutty little bug has to.go a begging, as it
were. The industry for this island is a
lost one. It does not pay. Of course the
Teneriffe Spaniard devotedly believes
chemistry to be one of the devilish arts and
invokes upon all retorts and crucibles a
Ssolemn anathema maranatha.-Teneriffe
f Cor. Detroit Free Press.
The Family of the Dead Dictator.
The name of Mme. Barrios, the wife of
the dead dictator of Central America, is
frequently mentioned in the public prints
of late. It is said that she gave $50,000 to
promote the recent expedition on the City
of Mexico. She is a remarkable woman.
Rufino Barrios, strong as he was' in iron
will and despotic tendencies, had a help
meet in-his wife. He had nine children,
four of them by a former wife. All of
them have been left to the care of Mme.
Barrios, and are living with her here.
The eldest son comes from West Point
every Friday night, being a student at the
military academy there. A gentlemap
who was well acquaint'd with the affairs
of Gen. Barrios told me that the general
left property to the amount of $10,000,000.
About a third of this went to Mme. Bar
rios, and she has control over the rest un-,
til the children became of age. She is a
small woman, with black eyes and raven
hair and dark complexion. She has a
commnanding manner and speaks several
languages.-New York Letter.
The Editorial M1ind Relieved.
Editor, proprietor, and principal con
tributor of The North Pentonville Gazet
teer (dictating leading" article to his son
and amanuensis)-Our mind is relieved
at last-we had almost feared-that Prince
Bismarck-might have' taken such a
course-that we-albeit with unfeigned re
gret-should have had to oppose his colonial
policy tooth and nail-we can honestly
congratulate him-on having elected to
follow-at last-the lines we have so con
sistently laid down for him-in these col
umns-and we can promhise hiin our undi
vided support, ete., etc.-London Punch.
Inflea'ees which Help to Save.
No man can afford to let go of any in
fluence whaich helps to save him from vul
gar and commonplace. views of life; from
false types ofexcellence; from the paltry
competition which strives above all things
:after ateri l success; from the deifica
tion of 'cuirrent popular opinion; and the
desire to swim with the stream, and spread
the sales to the passing breeze.-Demo
rest's monthly.
moogy of brome Anmericianims.
,heetyrmology of manyAmericanisms is
niposible to discover. '!Boss" is taken
Sfrom the Dutch "bass" o;f jaster, and is
quite legitimate. "oom, one clever
Sperson says is derived from the niautical
phrase o boom out," applied to a yes
l tearing before the wind and the igi
Chicago Herald.
{~~~Id~
Around-. the Stove at the Country Store.
It is impossible to fully understand the
historical developement, not of Chester
county alone but of the entire state, with
out taking into consideration the part
these country stores have in shaping it. It
can hardly be disputed that it has been the
sentiment of the rural population rather
than of the city dwellers that has given
distinctive color both to general and to
local history. And it is not too much to
say that up to a late day few laws were
recorded upon the statute books that had
not been first discussed and approved in
country stores. Before the time of farm
ers' clubs and newspapers in every house
-and even now in remote towns-they
were the only places where the towns
people could get themselves into the cur
rent of human thought. They met to
talk about everything. Scattered and un
formed opinions crystalized and took
shape in debates around the stove, lead
ing to a lasting force in our civil polity.
West Chester Republican.
SHOT AT A QUEER CROWD.
An Adventure o. the Skirmish Line
Bringing Awary the Household Furni
sure.
"That reminds me," said a northsider,
"that there is now living in Chicago the
hero of a furniture scrape or adventure on
the skirmish line. In February, 1863, sev
eral brigades of Gen. Rosecrans's army oc
cupied positions south of Murfreesboro, on
the McMinnville pike. These had felt their
way after the battle of Stone river as far
to the front as it was safe to go, and forti
fied camps were established at Cripple
creek, Reedyville, and other points in sup
porting distance. Our brigade was camped
on the bluff at the crossing of.Cripple
creek, and we discovered when we had
been there a few days that we were in the
midst of a settlement somewhat divided in
sentiment.
"~One day an old gray-headed man came
to the picket line with the story that a
battalion of rebel cavalry were at Hall's
-Hills, three miles down the stream. No
one believed this until a message came
from the signal corps to the effect that a
large body of Confederate cavalry was in
our immediate front. An hour later, or
just before dark, several men approached
our picket post, and preparations were
made to receive them as enemies. The
man on the lookout came running back to
say that it was the queerest crowd he had
ever seen.
"Looking down the rough road the men
formed in line ready to fire, saw a proces
sion of men stumbling along under heavy
burdens. One man carried a table on his
head, legs up; nmother carried a mattress,
another had a bureau on his shoulder.
There were seven or eight men in line, and
each on, carried some article of furniture.
When first challenged they declined to
stop, and a rifle was fired to bring them to
a halt.
"The man in front put down his burden
and protested with great vehemence
a-ainst the shot that had splintered, one
of the legs of the table He was so con
cerned about his table that he failed to ex
plain his own conduct. But at last the
story came out. He was a Union man who
lived about five miles distant, and as the
Confederate cavalry had stolen all his
horses, taken his wagons, and threatened
to return and burn all his furniture, he
called some of his neighbors together and
they were carrying that furniture five
miles to get it inside the Union lines. They
were hot with labor, irritable and nervous,
but were determined to get their house
hold goods to a place of safety.
"Proper arrangements were made, and
in time the families were moved inside the
lines. They located temporarily between
the camp and Miurfreesboro, then at a
later date went North. When I returned
at the close of the war.I found my table
carrier in business here. I have kept up
acquaintance with him evei since, and
whenever Feb. 16 comes round we cele
brate the anniversary of the shot that I
fired at the table-leg which he carried on
his head."-Inter Ocean "Curbstone Cray
ons."
The Originator of the Stereoscope.
Oliver Wendell Holmes conceived the
idea of open stereoscopes now in general
use. He explained the plan to Joseph L.
Bates, who brought out the invention, but
neglected to patent it.
6OLD MEDAL at NEW ORLEANS EXPOSITION.
*H 41 Makes BREAD, CAKE
and BISCUITS that
DYSPEPTICS can eat.
Approved by United States
Indian Commission.
Endorsed by leading Hotels in
AK'~% the Country.
Martin Kalbfleisch's Sdns,
p~ D n 55 FULTON STREET,
POWD(EstaR lished 1829.) NEW YORK.
For sale .y Murphv Macelay & Co., Benton.
INSU RAN E !
Persons wishing absolute protection
against loss by FIRE, LIGHTNING,
TORNADOES or CYCLONES, of Stores
and contents, in towns - -also country
houses, ranch buildings or other farm
property--can obtain the same from us
in a line of undoubted FIRE INSUR
ANCE COMPANIES which we repre
sent, having i
Assets of over $45,000,000
We can furnish information of, all kinds
of insurance, whether of property or per
sons, Accidents or Life; also adjustment
of averages of losses of every description;
commuting of Life Policies and Annuities.
ASH BY & LUKE,
Fort Benton, M.T., Insurance Agents.
July 29th, 1885.
ADVERTISERS
can learn the exact cost
of any proposed line of
advertising in American
papers by addressing
Geo. P. Ro well& Co.
10 Sprice St:, New York.
end l oto for 100-Page Pamphlet.
--DEALERS IN
Staple and Fancy Groceries,
HATS, CAPS, BOOTS, SHOES and NOTIONS,
0' Our stock in the above lines is now full and complete, and we are
offering special inducements to Stockmen and Ranchmen in the shape of
reliable goods at bottom figures. We are enabled to do this by 1)uyiVjn
largely from first hands, at inside prices.
.--AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS---
We are sole agents for the celebrated Wood's Mowers and Blnders, and for thes
machines have always on hand a full line of extras. ,
The Best Hay Rake in use. Walking and Sulky Plows, Etc., Et
: COOPER WAGONS :----
Wool Sacks, Twine, and Cooper's Sheep Dip.
-We keep a full and complete stock of
WINES, LIQUORS, BEER AND CIGARS,
Both Imported and Domestic brands.
4 - :o:
HARNESS and SADDLERY-
Special attention is called to our stock of Harness, Saddles, etc., which are of the be
California and other celebrated makes. We keep a full stock of every
thing in this line required by -the Cowboy trade.
Our Dry Goods Department!
Is the largest and most complete in Northern Montana. We have recent.
secured, the services of an experienced Dress Maker from the east,
and are now prepared to take orders for Dresses and Ladies'
Garments of all kinds. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Inspection invited in all Departments :
T. 0. POWER & BRO. - - Fort Benton, ,
A. C. LORING, President. PARIS GIBSON, Vice-Pres. H. O. CHOWEN, Sec. and Treas
THE CATARACT MILL CO,
CREAT FALLS - - Montana.
Manufacturers of the following brands of Patent and
High Grade Flours:
, " I I I I I I i I I -
DIAMOND. CATARACT.
A STRAIGHT.
GOLD DUST. SILVER LEAF.
I I I I I I I I I I I Ii
ilk C4SM PJID FOR IPrHET.
70 •-.
T. W,. HALL Co.,
WOOL COMMISSION MERCHANT
N.os.46 to 52, CHICAGO, ILL.
DEARBORN AVENUE,
We think our facilities for liandling and selling Wool equal to any house in Chicago or esewhere'
have been in the trade in Chicago since 1861. During the last five years, we have handled
StV MONTANA WOOLS,
and think we have given general satisfaction to our shippers. We charge one cent per pound cO .I
which covers all expense to shipper, excepting freight and cartage. We will advance two-thirds the
of wool consigned to us onblls of lading.
We refer to Joudge Hedges and H. M Parchen. EqI., of Helena, Messrs. Severance & Co., of 0Ok;
F. D. Cooper, of Fort Shaw; T. H. Gurney, Esq, and Hon. P. J. Moore, Martinsdale; MlesSrs'
Berry & Clark of Philbrook; kr. A. J. Cowell, Choteau.
OPEN ATTESTATION:
CHoTEAU, M. T.. September 12, 18S5.
T. W. HALL & Co.: Dear Sire-My a count and
balance duly received. and am well p'ea+ed with the
iale=. I have so much the best of men at.thib point,
that have their returns from Boston4 and also~those
'that sold here, that they will not believe my Qales
without seeing my account. You beat better grades
of wool, sold in Boston on the same date, two cents
ler pound. You may exoect more patronage from
this point another year.- Yours truly,
A. J. COWELL.
Ob x meoT NasB., Sept. 21, 185.
T. W. EALL & Co., Chid go, Ill.--I am much;
peae with your .osale of Wools... It has averaged
better, I thnkthan Phtluadelp i. main aket. If I should
uay anvwbool next year, oft shpall have =dour share
of t. Please accept miy Ith k. Rspecttull
J. A. 1BE AB.
T- he abovre d Ue ý xteofO ree
~;$0#of e 1ver i~ft uwq*iWofte4 Letters
of t this -year.
PHITLBRooK, M.T.. October 5,
T. W. HALL & Co : GentlemrLenYour' Of
inst. at hand, with ace muut of s le Iand draf, i
reply would say that we are much pl1ea"1tha
sale. You have done much better for ace of
ton houses have done, for the same grad
Respectfully yours, CL.
COOK. BERRY
HEPNER, OREGON. October 1,
MESSRS. T. W. HALL & Co.: GEnle &
with check enclosed received to-day.·cents
pleasedwith your sales, as 1 received t a t P
than Iwas offered in Fort Bent mn. OIs P
buying sheep, and may have 25,000 or srct
to ship next spring, and I shall ship dir.
Very respectfully I o .s'G
. ,' , J