Vance was amused by this odd character, and determined to learn from him what he could concerning Butte City and the claims made for it. He therefore asked, “What population have you and what are your resources?”
“Over fifty thousand people, above an’ below. You see, thar’s several thousand of us in this town below ground, workin’ away with shovel an’ pick. I reckon as how you’ll see a fair sample of our miners if you’re on the streets tonight. As for resources—why, pardner, thar’s no end to ‘em. We took out mighty near forty million dollars from our mines last year, an’ thar’s ore enough in sight to keep on minin’ at the same rate for a hundred years to come. What d’ye think o’ that?”
Vance replied that it certainly was a most extraordinary statement.
“What other towns have you in this state,” asked Vance.
“None to speak of,” was the prompt reply. “Butte City is the pertest town in any o’ these western diggings. Thar’s not another town in Montana as can tech one side of us, for money, marbles, or chalk. To be sure,” he went on, in a condescending tone, “we have lots o’ towns in this ‘ere state, sech as they be; lots o’ minin’ camps, but they are merely blacksmith-shops-on-the-crossroads,’ compared with Butte City. D’ye see that Corner lot over thar’. Five years ago I owned the ground whar’ that buildin’ stands. I bought it for $300, held it just thirteen months, and sold it for $4,000 spot cash.”
“Why that was an immense profit,” said Vance, with more interest than he had yet manifested in Hank Casey’s description of Butte City. Hank Casey smiled contentedly and expectorated an accumulation of tobacco juice with a resounding “pit-tew” on the side walk, and said: “You call that a good profit? Why, pardner, I bought stock in the Blackbird mine at twelve cents a share when the company was fust organized, and now its worth $300 a share and payin’ an immense dividend monthly. That’s what I call a good investment; but as fer that speck,” said he, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the corner lot, “that don’t amount to nothin’.”
“Do you know where Gold Bluff, Idaho, is?” asked Vance.