Chapter XXXIV: Conclusion

“All’s well that ends well,” says the proverb. Peace, order and prosperity are the results of the conduct of the Vigilantes; and, in taking leave of the reader, the author would commend to the sound sense of the community, the propriety of maintaining, in readiness for efficient action if needed, the only organization able to cope with the rampant lawlessness which will always be found in greater or less amount in mining camps.

At the same time, let the advice be well understood before it is either commented upon or followed. Readiness is one thing; intermeddling is another. Only on occasions of grave necessity should the Vigilantes let their power be known. Let the civil authority, as it increases in strength, gradually arrogate to itself the exclusive punishment of crime. This is what is needed, and what every good citizen must desire; but let the Vigilantes, with bright arms and renewed ammunition, stand ready to back the law, and to bulwark the Territory against all disturbers of its peace, when too strong for legal repression, and when it fails or is unable to meet the emergency of the hour. Peace and justice we must have, and it is what the citizens will have in this community; through the courts, if possible; but peace and justice are rights, and courts are only means to an end, admittedly the very best and most desirable means; and if they fail, the people, the republic that created them, can do their work for them. Above all things, let the resistless authority of the Vigilantes, whose power reaches from end to end of Montana, be never exerted except as the result of careful deliberation, scrupulous examination of fair evidence, and the call of imperative Necessity; which, as she knows no law, must judge without it, taking Justice for her counselor and guide.

Less than three years ago, this home of well ordered industry, progress and social order, was a den of cut-throats and murderers. Who has effected the change? The Vigilantes; and there is nothing on their record for which an apology is either necessary or expedient. Look at Montana that has a committee; and turn to Idaho, that has none. Our own peaceful current of Territorial life runs smoothly, and more placidly, indeed, than the Eastern States, to-day; but in Idaho, one of their own papers lately asserted that, in one county, sixty homicides had been committed, without a conviction; and another declares that the cemeteries are full of the corpses of veterans in crime and their victims.

Leave us the power of the people, as a last resort; and, where governments break down, the citizens will save the State. No man need be ashamed of his connection with the Virginia Vigilantes. Look at their record and say it is not a proud one. It has been marvellous that politics have never intruded into the magic circle; yet so it is, has been, and probably will be. Men of all ranks, ages, nations, creeds and politics are among them; and all moves like a clock, as can be seen on the first alarm. Fortified in the right, and acting in good conscience, they are “just and fear not.” Their numbers are great; in fact, it is stated that few good men are not in their ranks, and the presence of the most respectable citizens makes their deliberation calm, and the result impartially just.

In presenting this work to the people, the author knows, full well, that the great amount of labor bestowed upon it is no recommendation of its excellence to a public that judges of results and not of processes; but one thing is sure; so far as extended research and a desire to tell the truth can effect the credibility of such a narrative, this history has been indited subject to both these regulations, since the pen of the writer gave the first chapter to the public.

If it shall serve to amuse a dull hour, or to inform the residents of the Eastern States and of other lands of the manners and habits of the mountaineers, and of the life of danger and excitement that the miners in new countries have to lead, before peace and order are settled on an enduring foundation--the author is satisfied. If in any case his readers are misinformed, it is because he has been himself deceived.

As a literary production, he will be rejoiced to receive the entire silence of critics as his best reward. He knows full well what criticism it deserves, and is only anxious to escape unnoticed. And now, throwing down his pencil, he heaves a sigh of relief, thankfully murmuring, “Well, it is done at last.”

J. M. CASTNER,

Mayor of Virginia City,

AND

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE.

Will Attend to all Claims and Collections,

And also to the preparation of

Legal Papers, Affidavits, Conveyancing,

=ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF DEEDS, &c.=,

And generally to all business entrusted to him by persons out of the City.

Office--Over the Idaho Restaurant, two doors from the office of the Montana Post, Virginia City.

Virginia City, Montana, October 23, 1866.

IDAHO

RESTAURANT!

Two doors from office of Montana Post,
=VIRGINIA CITY,= - - - =MONTANA.=

TABLE ACCOMMODATIONS EQUAL TO BEST IN THE CITY,

And best of Liquors dispensed at the bar by Jos. McGee.

ALSO, ACCOMMODATIONS FOR A FEW NIGHT LODGERS

Good Clean Beds. Charges Moderate.

Oct. 23, 1866. =J. M. CASTNER, Proprietor.=

GURNEY & CO.’S BOOTS AND SHOES.

Constantly on hand an immense assortment of the above well known custom-made

BOOTS & SHOES,

Mining Boots, English Cap Boots, Light and Heavy Sewed and Pegged Calf Boots,

GENTS’ GAITERS, SHOES, SLIPPERS

and all varieties of Men’s wear.

LADIES’, MISSES’, BOYS’, & CHILDREN’S

SHOES,

BALMORALS & GAITERS.

RUBBER BOOTS

Manufactured expressly for the trade.

ARCTIC, BUFFALO and RUBBER OVER-SHOES,

at their old stand,

Wallace St., Virginia City, M. T.

=D. H. WESTON.=

The Tri-Weekly Post!

PUBLISHED EVERY

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday Morning,

By D. W. Tilton & Co.

D. W. TILTON, BEN R. DITTES.

Office, corner Wallace and Jackson Streets, Virginia City, and No. 52 Bridge Street, Helena.

Terms of Subscription:

One Year, $16 00
Six Months, 10 00
Three Months, 6 00

The Montana Post

BOOK and JOB

PRINTING OFFICE!

CORNER OF WALLACE AND JACKSON STREETS,

VIRGINIA CITY, - - MONTANA TERRITORY.

ALL KINDS OF FANCY

AND ORNAMENTAL

PRINTING,

Executed with Neatness and Dispatch.

We have the latest improved

POWER PRESSES,

Together with a large assortment of

NEW STYLES OF JOB TYPE,

Which enables us to do work

_IN BETTER STYLE AND MORE EXPEDITIOUS_

Than any other office in the Territory.

We have on hand a large stock of

BUSINESS CARDS!

Of every style, size and variety.

To which we invite the attention of all.

The Montana Weekly Post!

Virginia City, Montana Ter.

PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY, BY

D. W. Tilton & Co.

D. W. TILTON, BEN R. DITTES.

Office, Corner Wallace and Jackson Streets,
_VIRGINIA CITY, - - - MONTANA_

Terms of Subscription:

One copy one year, $8 00
do six months, 5 00
do three months, 3 50

The POST is issued every Saturday, and contains

Complete and Reliable Intelligence!

From every point of the Territory.

Anything that relates to the Mining and Agricultural interests of Montana, will always be found in its columns.

► All persons should send a copy of the Weekly POST to their friends and relatives in the States. It will be sent from the office of publication to any address.

Transcriber’s Notes

Minor errors or omissions in punctuation have been fixed.

Page 6: “sojurn in the gulches” changed to “sojourn in the gulches” and “sedate inhabiants” changed to “sedate inhabitants”

Page 8: “source of “difficulites,”” changed to “source of “difficulties,””

Page 11: “deringer” changed to “derringer” and “all prevading” changed to “all pervading”

Page 14: “ruffians and marauder” changed to “ruffians and marauders”

Page 20: “under the serveillance” changed to “under the surveillance”

Page 25: “was jound naked” changed to “was found naked”

Page 31: “unfortnuate pair” changed to “unfortunate pair” and “preceeding them” changed to “preceding them”

Page 33: “to strike to the” changed to “to strike to thee”

Page 34: “devine origin” changed to “divine origin”

Page 37: “Friends, however, interferred” changed to “Friends, however, interfered”

Page 38: “to wary to fall” changed to “too wary to fall” and “sieze hold of them” changed to “seize hold of them”

Page 41: “assassinnation was” changed to “assassination was”

Page 42: “lover of whiskey” changed to “love of whiskey”

Page 46: “twelve o’clock M.” changed to “twelve o’clock P. M.” “would be enable” changed “to would be enabled”

Page 47: “wollen scarf” changed to “woolen scarf”

Page 48: “double-barrell” changed to “double-barrel”

Page 53: “wandered what had become” changed to “wondered what had become”

Page 55: “ows its euphonious appellation” changed to “owes its euphonious appellation”

Page 56: “seasonable conviction” changed to “reasonable conviction”

Page 58: “two Road Agent” changed to “two Road Agents”

Page 59: “You’r the man” changed to “You’re the man”

Page 61: “tremenduous roar” changed to “tremendous roar”

Page 69: “friends, sweetharts” changed to “friends, sweethearts”

Page 70: “burry Dillingham” changed to “bury Dillingham”

Page 76: “of coarse” changed to “of course”

Page 77: “eithers of the robbers” changed to “either of the robbers”

Page 78: “the milenium” changed to “the millennium”

Page 80: “ceasless and active wickedness” changed to “ceaseless and active wickedness”

Page 82: “embryo or the order” changed to “embryo of the order”

Page 83: “Demsey’s Ranch” changed to “Dempsey’s Ranch” and “emergining half drowned” changed to “emerging half drowned”

Page 86: “little experience prevent” changed to “little experience prevented”

Page 89: “far to astute” changed to “far too astute” and “befor Ives” changed to “before Ives”

Page 93: “exhile from Montana” changed to “exile from Montana”

Page 94: “acqueous sympathy” changed to “aqueous sympathy”

Page 96: “was ubiquitious” changed to “was ubiquitous”

Page 102: “to strong for” changed to “too strong for” “one of the crisis” changed to “one of the crises” “they were to strong” changed to “they were too strong”

Page 104: “matters to extremeties” changed to “matters to extremities” and “simpathies of all men” changed to “sympathies of all men”

Page 105: “possossion of a citizen” changed to “possession of a citizen” “Romain said” changed to “Romaine said”

Page 111: “enlivend the spirits” changed to “enlivened the spirits”

Page 114: “his quondom” changed to “his quondam”

Page 116: “calm and quite” changed to “calm and quiet” “lantarn and some stools” changed to “lantern and some stools”

Page 117: “A lable” changed to “A label”

Page 120: “there red perplexity” changed to “there read perplexity”

Page 121: “the of charge” changed to “of the charge”, “to accouut” changed to “to account” and “caused alleged received” changed to “cause alleged received”

Page 124: “Dueth John” changed to “Dutch John” and “close wacth” changed to “close watch”

Page 128: “chained own” changed to “chained down” and “without much strugle” changed to “without much struggle”

Page 130: “preceeding chapters” changed to “preceding chapters”

Page 134: “for repentence” changed to “for repentance”

Page 139: “addressed a gentlman” changed to “addressed a gentleman” and “Arbor Resturant” changed to “Arbor Restaurant”

Page 141: “hung in pnblic” changed to “hung in public”

Page 144: “dis dying regards” changed to “his dying regards” and “to hang to long” changed to “to hang too long”

Page 147: “GEROGE SHEARS” changed to “GEORGE SHEARS”

Page 149: “instantly siezed” changed to “instantly seized”

Page 150: “two hundred and fity” changed to “two hundred and fifty”

Page 154: “its perpetratration” changed to “its perpetration” and “Magruder” changed to “Mugruder”

Page 159: “the neighberhood” changed to “the neighborhood”

Page 161: “therunto belonging” changed to “thereunto belonging”

Page 162: “off the trial” changed to “off the trail”

Page 163: “have forgotton” changed to “have forgotten”

Page 164: “to hard” changed to “too hard”, “six time” changed to “six times” and “had everything been manged” changed to “had everything been managed”

Page 171: “what was intendend” changed to “what was intended”

Page 173: “seemed imposssible” changed to “seemed impossible”

Page 175: “his enemey” changed to “his enemy”

Page 178: “if ho” changed to “if he”

Page 179: “attendeant surgeons” changed to “attendant surgeons”

Page 185: “rode of with him” changed to “rode off with him” “regailing themselves” changed to “regaling themselves”

Page 186: “unanimously condemed” changed to “unanimously condemned” “wagon-boss order them” changed to “wagon-boss ordered them”

Page 187: “burry him” changed to “bury him”

Page 193: “impared his usefulness” changed to “impaired his usefulness”

Page 195: “diggins struck” changed to “diggings struck”

Page 196: “overpower by superior” changed to “overpowered by superior”

Page 197: “I am the gentlemen.” changed to “I am the gentleman.”

Page 207: “consciense oppressed” changed to “conscience oppressed”

Page 209: “loose his brains” changed to “lose his brains”

Page 217: “eroneous constitution” changed to “erroneous constitution”

Page 218: “been recommeded” changed to “been recommended”

Page 220: “sdeuction of” changed to “seduction of”

Page 222: “came to Calfornia” changed to “came to California”

Page 223: “believed the accoent” changed to “believed the account”

Page 224: “gang of mauraders” changed to “gang of marauders”

Page 225: “caused a by wound” changed to “caused by a wound” and “In Helana,” changed to “In Helena,”

There are two chapters labeled XII in the original and no chapter labeled XXXII. This has not been changed.

For a portion of the original book, Aleck Carter’s first name was spelled Alick. This has been fixed to reduce confusion.