Page 34 - Cornelius Hedges Story

21 The Cornelius Hedges Story

In a letter to his Parents, Cornelius wrote about life in early Helena:

Dear Parents
I presume you have not forgotten your boy in the Rocky Mountains
& would like to hear from him & know of his welfare. I am
comfortably situated in this city where I have been since last
winter. I am still practicing law though business has been rather
dull of late - I have held my own & been steadily advancing since
I have been here. I have a third interest in three lots on Main St.
On two of which we have houses. One we rent for $30 a month &
we rent part of our office where we are to the county for $75.00 a
month. We rent the other lot without improvements for $30.00 a
month - I have two cabins of my own besides that rent for $10.00,
a month, one - the other is not finished.
I have 300 feet of gulch claims to which we have been running a
Drain that has cost me already $400. In gold & it is not finished
yet. I don’t know as the claims will be worth anything but hope &
think so - I have about 10,000 feet of Lode claims that may prove
rich but nothing is known yet - In fact nothing is sure here but what
one has in his hands. Perhaps I couldn’t sell all I have here for
$1,000 but I know I wouldn’t take $5,000 for it.
I am going to stay here one year more & see what I can do in that
time. If I can’t make any-thing in that time I shall come home
anyway - I have seen about as much of the mountains as I desire
without I get some good pay for it. It is a hard life at best, full of
self-denial & hardship. Living is very high without any luxuries -
We hardly ever see any fruit - vegetables are scarce - potatoes are
pretty cheap now, only 10 cts a pound, milk is 25 cts a quart &
butter $1.75 a pound - Flour is $24.00 a hundred - So we live -Yet
there is some constant excitement. Everyone expects to make a
fortune any minute. . . .