Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-08-23
MONTANA.
Gold and Silver Product. Population and
Property Valuation. = Rate of Taxa
tion. - Stock Interests. = Public
Land Receipts. s.-Evidences of
Growth, etc.

The HERALD is indebted to Hon. Horatio
C. Burchard, Director of the Mint, for ad-
vance sheets from his forthcoming Annual
Report for 1882. Aside from that consider
able portion devoted to the precious metal
product of Montana, several pages are con-
spicuous as presenting other matter of Stats
tical significance and general application to
the Territory
The Director places the gold and silver
product of the Territory for 1882 at $6,92O,-
O0O-an increase over the product of 1881 of
nearly $2,OOO0OO, for the most part in silver.
During the year 1882 Montana was adver-
tised in such manner as to give better
idea of her exhaustless resources than ever
which has so long retarded progress and kept
the mineral wealth from view is partially
broken by the entrance of the Utah and Nor
thern Railroad within the Territory, and al
ready capitalists have in some cases made
personal examination of the advantages
which have been offered them for iudicious
investment. With the advent of the Nor
thern Pacific Railroad during the coming
year, there is no doubt that there will be in
cursions of men from the East with capital,
who have hitherto only regarded Montana as
an inaccessible region in the Businesses of the
great rocky barriers of the Northwest, and it
is safe to say that they will see enough to
astonish any one who has not kept himself
well informed concerning the progress max
ing in the development of its vast mineral
ranges. Still, estimates have been made of
the possibilities which may be realized by
systematic, intelligent, and persistent efforts
in dozen districts in this Territory. One
great need is more development, i'll order that
the doors of the rocky treasure-houses may
be opened sufficiently to show that there is
an abundance of material which may be
turned into solid wealth with such appliances
as may be readily supplied, and make in
vestors eager to avail themselves of the bene-
fits which need Of their assistance may
command.
During 1882 the population of ofMontana in
creased materially. At the beginning of the
year the estimated number of inhabitants in
Tue 1eTrlCOTy was fO,UUU. AT Une recent
election for Delegate in Congress the aggre-
gate vote cast was $685. which was nearly
5000 more than that of the previous election
in 1880, when the aggregate was between
$4,000 and $4,000. By very careful estimates,
made of the counties separately it is found
that the average population of the Territory
is three times its vote, or in round numbers
10000 at the beginning of the year 1883.
On the 9th of September, 1892 the county
of Dawson, the twelfth in number in Mon
tana, was duly organized, and the town of
Glendive designated as the county seat. 1t
covers an area Of nearly $4,000 square miles,
and lies in the northeast corner of the Terri
tory.
In 1880 the total assessed valuation of prop
erty was $18,6O9,8 ,802; in 1881 the aggregate
reached $24,O6O, ,8O23O, and in 1882 the un-
precedented amount Of $32, ,211 1912, which
shows in some degree how rapidly the mate
rial interests are expanding. These figures
do not represent true values, for mines are
not assessed at all the efgures may only show
relative values, and do not represent tithe
of the grand aggregate of full property val
uations in the Territory.
The rates of taxation in the several coun-
ties for the year 1882 were as follows: