davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
INDEBTECNcGS

The published statement of st.
Paul Pioneer Press that "Montana
owes 1856, liz .O4" is an injustice to the
Territory. Montana is virtually out
of debt and don't owe a dollar which
she cannot pay upon Presentation Of
the claim. The counties of Montana,
according to the report of Governor
Crosby, owe, in the aggregate, the
above named sum. The amount
nearly p per cent.of the taxable prop
erty of the 1erritory-would cut but
little figure if 1t were distributed
among the several counties in pro-
portion to the taxable wealth of each.
But unfortunately it Is not. Some of
the counties least able to bear it labor
under heavy Indebtedness. The in
debtedness of Custer, Missoula and
Jefferson is a little over 4 p # cent. of
their assessable property. That of
Choteau and Madison a fraction over
8 per cent. These are not very alarm
ing figures; still they are sufficiently
large to suggest to the Commissioners
Of those counties a prudent and eco
n0mical administration Of their Fl
nancial affairs.
According to the Governors report
the Indebtedness and assessment of
the several counties are as follows:
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
Attempted Incendiar!sm.

NEW YORK, Dec. l4.-At halc-past
eleven O'clock Wednesday night, the
Waterman at the Casino theatre.
corner Broadway and Ttlirty-ninth
street, discovered a box filed with
shavings, paper and rags, saturated
with oil, in an unfinished proscrniun
in the uppertier, and q ligh'e ed candle
burning in the center of the box. Tue
police arrested Edward Rough, a
stage carpenter, who was discharged
the day before for disobrdiencp of or
ders. When confronted by Rudolf
Aaronson, lessee Of the theatre, he
confessed his guilt. His mot We was
revengeat being discharged. He made
preparations with great care, aid
lighted the candle just As tue curtain
rung up for the last act. He sup.
posed the candle wculi burn an hour
before it reached the cOrnbu,tib
The opera "B.ggar Student is being
performed at the Casino, which is
said to be the handsomest theatre in
the county. An audience of 1900
people were present Wednesday
night. The audience and members
OF the comnauy had left the theatre
when the fire was discovered,
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
Situation at Hue.

PARIS, Dec. 1.-THE government
l. without information relative 10 the
reported revO. ution at Hue and the
poisoning of the Annamite king. 1t
Is well known, however. the kings
position has been a very difficult n
since signing the tire ,ty with the
French. Ei.ht hundred French
troops occupy the forts at Hue and on
the river and seven gunboats arr in
the stream The government there
fore has no fear for the safety of lis
troops there.
The deputies to-day discussed esti-
mates the foreign off e G4rvi,le
Reach referring to III position otthe
Frencn rrsidents in H ytI criticized
the concuct of the French consul
during recent events at Port Au
Prince. Prime MiniS.er Ferry re-
piled the Hlvtian government ad-
m't'ed its responsibility in toe ut
Ter and has undertaken to in itmnlty
French sufferers. France w,uEt Sc
the indemnity fully paid and an in
v~e3tlgatiun into the conducJ of the
consul instigatt Il.
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15

exhausted. 1t is always safe to bank
upon agricultural counties.
The Indebtedness of Silver Bow
county is put down at $4,000. AT
the time the Governor prepared bis
report those figures may have repre-
sente ! her full Indebtedness. They
do not now. What the exact In
debtedness is, however, cannot be ar
rived at just at present. The crafty
ing increase in the assessment roll
gives assurance that whatever that
Indebtedness may be it will not he
beyond the ability of taxpayers to
handle.
But as for the Territory it Is out of
debt. It don't owe a doll n it cannot
pay, which is more, we believe. than
any other Territory In the Union can
say. To what extent the people of
the Territory are indebted to the
Democratic party for the f1attering
showing those who have noted the
extreme caution of Democratic legis-
latures in making appropriations may
answer.
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
Paris Notes.

PARIS, Dec. 14.-Rospail moved in
the chamber of deputies that the
French embassy to the Vatican be
abolished. The motion was rejected,
1926 to 1911.
|: ALI the members of the senate COM
mittee on Tonquin credits are in IA
vor of granting the credits. Bar be-
lem St. H'laire is president of the
committee.
La France, a newspaper, states
three b~attali"ns have been ordered to
prepare to embark for Tonquin the
23d and volunteers have been called
for to form three more battalions.
These battalici- will form a brigade
under Gen. Lesguilles.
The La Temps says Gen. Millot
will be appointed commander Of land
and sea forces in Tonquin with TO-
600 men, not including those on board
the f1otiIla.
A dispatch from Saigon says there
IL no reason to doubt that King An
nam was poisoned by the Chinese
mandarins.
Champeaux. a French resident. is
fortified in his citadel at Hue with
l0O marines.
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
BEN BUFFERS CANDIDACY

Governor Butler has announced
himself as a candidate for the Presi-
dency, but whether as a Democratic,
Republican or Independent candi-
date advices at hand do not state. 1t
is presumed, however, it is the Dem
ocratic nomination he seeks. Ben
Butler Is neither a fool nor a crank.
He is a man of brains, and there Is no
use in denying the fact. He knows,
as well as every other observing man
knows, that he has no more show to
be elected President If the United
States next year than Greeley had in
1872. Greeley received the nomina-
ton at the hands ola Democratic
convention. and gathered to his sup
port the great mass of the leading
Democrats of the country. Butler
cannot approach this, and ne knows
it. He cannot even become a dis
turbing element in either of the ma
tional conventions. His defeat FIR
Governor of Massachusetts deprived
him of that power. He knows or
ought to know this also. He does
not approach nearer being a repre-.
sentative Democrat than he does of
being q representative Republican.
Both political parties are aware of
that fact, and Butler is not ignorant
of it. Then, why does he announce
himself as a candidate for the Presi-
dency? Simply because he has some
private pique, and revenges t. graft
fy. The old time Democrats of Mas
sachusetts bolted his last nomination
tor Governor and worked against
him. He proposes to punish them
by heading the Massachusetts dele
CATION to the National Democratic
Convention as a candidate for the
Presidency. IT Butler held the
power in New York that he does in
Massachusetts he could harm the
party. AS he is supreme only on his
own dunghill he can do no more
than to assure to the Republicans a
State which the Democrats are will
ing to concede to them. Buffers
candidacy Is harmless.
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
WANTED.

More offices. 1t will be noticed by
those who have observed the nature
of the bills introduced thus far In
Congress by Republicans that a
large number of them provide, di.
rectly or indirectly, for the creation
of new offices. The object Is so plain
that he who runs may read 1t.
There Is little danger. however,
that any asu materially increas.
ing the patronage of the President
will become q law at this session.
There is a Democratic House in the
way of all such enterprises. But
even if there were not. the people
are already heroically differed and
taxed to the limit Of their patience,
if not of their purses, to support the
long retinue. Hence any measure
intended to impose more officers upon
them would meet with a protest that
even a Republican House would feel
compelled to heed.
Let us see for a moment, what these
bills or notices of wanted" mean.
There are in this country, in round
numbers 100, 900 ffice.holders. These
with their dependents, adherents,
strikers and hangers on, make up q
trained army of at least, 500 900 men,
ready and willing to work for and
Ito vote early and often" for the
party in power. The elections dur
ing the past twenty years fully attest
this fact. Still in the face of it Re-
publican Congressman are conspiring
with all the various means at their
command TO augment this army to
such strength as to perpetuate the
rule Of their party. One of the most
dangerous bills for this purpose is the
one recently introduced in the Sen
ate providing for the purchase of all
existing telegraph lines by the Gov
eminent, and to be ope rated by the
Government. The title of the bill
should be amended to read, "A Bill
to Perpetuate the Power and rule of
the Republican Party" For this is
just what it means.
Again 1t is proposed to raise the
Agricultural Bureau to a distinct de-
partment. If this could be done sew
eral hundred more soul-bought adher-
ents would be added to the strikers for
tie party in power. With this end in
view the heads of the several depart
ments have asked for an increase of
their clerical force. Offices, offices,
more offices, is the constant howl of
the ruling party. If 1t were listened
to and the demands granted about
every third ma in the country
would be an officer or an employe Of
the Federal Government and our re-
public become the worst ofice-rid-
den country on the face Of the globe.
1t is time to Call a halt, and for the
Republican party to take down Its
sign "Wanted, more Offices" The
voice ofthe people and a Democratic.
House demand it.
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
No Hone for Cd 1nneIl.

LONDON, Dac. 14-The Duly Tee.
graph understands that the Home
Secretary has decided that on NJ
grounds will he interfere with the cx-
ecuti' n of O'Donneli. In reply to the
request of the American Government
to postpone the execution pending in
quiries in References to O'DJnueii's
citizenship. answer has been s-nt
that the Government has carefully
considered the whole matter and is
convinced NJ reasonable GROUND has
been assigned to warrant a stay Of
execution.
Earl Meath has written 8 letter to
John Trent Hamilton (Conservative),
NJ P, from Dublin county. sub-crib-
ing the name of the address and APP
proving l. ,ri Rossmore's coniurG as
a protest against the eXecrab!e princi-
Piles of the league.
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
Railroad Matters.

DENVER, Dec. 14.-Col. Dodge,
general manager OF the D. & r. G.,
in speaking of the reported alliance
between the Chicago, Burlington g.
Quincy, Northwestern and the Dem
yer u Rio Grande roadsi in opposition
to the U. P t,ipartite poo, said while
no overtures Leading to such a comni.
nation had as yet been made to his
road, yet in view of the recent action
of the L. P. such an alliance Was not
altogether impossible, but he was in
clined to the opinion that differences
would be adjusted as the U. P. could
hardly afford to discriminate ag 4inst
the Burlington and Northwestern es-
pecialIy so, while these roads were
doing considerably owe 50 per cent.
of the west bound competitive bust
ness of the entire pool.
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
Amendments to the Chinese Re
striction Bill.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14.-Members
of the Pacific Coast Congressional
delegation held a meeting to-day for
the purpose of agreeing upon q
series of amendments to the Chinese
~retriction bill. There were present
Senator Dolrh. of Orrgon, Represen-
tat,ves, Summer, Glasscock, RISE.
Grams, Budd, Henley and Fuller, OF
& litornia, Cassidy, Of Nevada. and
George, of Oregon. The committee
was in secret session from 2 u. III. to
7. n. m. Amendments were decid d
upon which will be embodied IN q
bill and lie introduced In the House
by Henley next Monday. They pro-
vide for q passport system substan
TALLY Identical with that contained
in the vetoed 20 years bill. All Chi
nese will be required before leaving
or entering the United States t" pro-
vide themselves with certificates con-
tanning a detailed description of
their personal appearance witch
must be exhibited to the custom
officer at the port of entry or de-
parture. Special custom officers are
to guard the frontier of British Co.
lumbia In order to prevent the un-
lawful immigration of Chinese from
that country. Every constable, dep
uty sheriff, sheriff. and justice Of the
peace along the border is to have the
power and authority of United
States marshal TO make arrests for
\ violation of the Restrictions Ia W.
The application "merchant,' under
which so many Chinese have recently
entered the United States, is to be-
clearly defined and held applicable
not to peddIers, hucksters ETC., but
only to persons actually engaged in
bu siness as the word is popularity I'M
derstood. In view of the recent de-
cision of a Boston Judge to the effect
that the present law does not apply
to Chinese that are British subjects,
it is proposed to amend the law by
providing that no native of China
can enter the United States except
under legal restrictions. A number
of regulations of miner Importance
relating to the enforcement of the
proposed new provisions was also
unanimously agreed upon, and the
eutire series of amendments will go
before the House as the work of the
whole Pacific Coast Congressional
delegation.
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
A Fatal Riot.

PrTTsBURa. Pa, Dec. 1.-the
Commercial! Gazette's Newburg, Pa,
special says: A serious riot took
place last night at Blue Mountain
tunnel near here between Italian
aud negro laborers. During the night
two of the latter broke into a shanty
containing provisions and wee dis
covered in the act. An alarm was
given and about one hundred Italians
attacked the negroes with shotguns
and pistols. The negroes being un-
armed returned the assault with clubs
and stones but were finally forced to
seek shelter, after four of their num-
Der were wounded. One of these is
fatally and the other three quite Sc
riously injured but will probably re-
cover although their bodies are filled
with shot. This morning tue rioiing
Was renewed and the negroes were
driven away. Everything is now
quiet and no further trouble il appre-
hended.
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
ST.. ANDRE VS. DAY.

The annual banquet of the Gale.
DOMAIN Society was held in one OF
the great hotels Of st. Louis on the
evening of the 30th ult. The Presi-
dent Of the Society ia Mr.. D. Craw-
ford. Its Weep President is one OF
Butte's most enterprising business
men, MI. Alex. ]. Leggat. Mr..
Crawford is one of the most snbstan-
tial men of st. Louis. of large BUSH
ness experience, and commands a
trade which reaches to every portion
of the country. Among the guests
was General Sherman, who respond
ed in a very happy speech to the toast
"The Army and Navy" MI. Craw-
ford made the opening address before
the society, in which he briefly re-
viewed the history Of the organiza.
ton Of the society and its objects. As
is we'll understood by many the So
ciety is incorporated under the laws
of Missouri, tits objects being first to
cultivate feelings of mutual friend
ship and respect among Scotchmen
in st. Louis, and to commemorate
st. Andrews Day and other histori-
cal and national events such as the
society may approve; and second, to
raise a fund for the purpose of assist
ing worthy Scotchmen and their
families who may be in need of aid"
Among the kilograms received and
sent by and read before the Society
Was the following from its worthy
Vice-P President in Butte:
BUTTE CITY, M. T., Nov. 30.
Dugald Crawford, President Gale
DOMAIN Society, st. Louis, Mo-
From the silver-ribbed and copper
fastened mountains, from the gold
hecked gulches. from the cattle graz
ing hills, and rich producing valleys,
the Scotchmen of Montana send a
st. Andrew greeting to the Caledo-
mans and their guests of St. Louis.
ALEX. J. LEGGAT.
heply:
ST. LOUIS, Nov. 30.
Alex. J. Leggat, Esq. Butte City,
Montana. The C%aledonian Society
of st. Louis, sends its hearty greeting |
to the the Scotchmen of Montana !
and drink their health, an fac yersel
it says: 1--WE miss yer sair an spier
will ye no come back again? Better
lO'ed We Gamma be even in the silver
and copper-fastened noun
tains of Montana than among
yer ain kith an kin in yer ain auld
st. Louis. D. CRAWFORD.
Prest. Caledonian Society.
The proceedings of the Society oc-
cupy a whole page of solid nonpa-
rell in the st. Louis R.publicun.
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
LIE WIS AND A COUN-
TY COMMISSIONERS.

The action Of the County Commits
| sioners of Lewis and Clarke county In
refusing to recognize the soundness
/ of Judge Wade's recent decision on
| the printing law will receive the en-
dorsement of all right thinking men.
The Board Is composed Of Republic
cans who are in accord with their
party in its political belief, but
as good citizens and officers worn to
observe the provisions Of statu.
tory law they feel compelled to ignore
q decision barren of justice, but rich
in the elements of partisanism. The
gentlemen comprising the Board
held that their services belonged to
the comfy and not to the politicians
Of their party. In taking this emf
nently proper stand the board has
doubtless incurred the hostility of
the Herald and the little clique of
small-fry politicians at the Capital
who hoped to see a rival newspaper
robbed of its rights, and as far as
such robbery would serve to accom-
plish 1t, shorn of its power to injure
their political aspirations. That
they are foiled in this is a cause of
congratulation for Republican, as
well as Democrats.
The printing law was passed for
three purposes. First, to make the
rates for county printing uniform
throughout the Territory. Second,
to make those rates much lower than
they formerly had been and to keep
them at low figures and third, wrest
the county printing from the hands
of a journal that uad always charged
three prices for it. Under the law
contracts have been made with Ger
tain Territorial papers to do county
printing. All these contracts have
been faithfully performed and
new ones entered into. Much
of the county printing is
figure work and required on the
part of the contractor a large outlay
of money to equip his Office with fonts
of this type. besides the extra amount
of leaders and nonpareil which must
also be kept on hand. The hide
pendent of Lewis and Clarke county,
the MINER of this county and other
papers of the several other counties in
the Territory have provided their Of
fees with extra material to enable
them to fulfill their printing con-
tracts in a workmanlike manner and
are under heavy bonds to thus per-
form it.
The Lewis and Clarke County
Commissioners DOUBTLESS took all
these things into consideration, as
we'll as the undoubted binding force
eff the Printing law. when they re-
fused to allow the claims of the Hell.
ena Herald for printing matter en-
braced in the contract held by the
Independent All honor to the Lewis
aud Clarke county Board of Commits
sioners. In their we'll advised action
they paid a tribute to justice it sell
dom receives in this corrupt, venal
age.
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
Ex-senator Spencer was a very i'm.

Ex-senator Spencer was a very i'm.
portant witness for the Government
In the late Star Route trial but he
managed to keep out of the way of
those in search of MIN until after the
close of the trial. He then came
over from England and was finally
arrested in Nevada for contempt of
court. Ex-senator Kellogg is now
under indictment for completely in
Star Route frauds and the main wit
ness for the Government-Walsh-
is playing the same game that Spen-
Ger did, he cannot be found. OF
course Kellogg will be acquitted and
a serenade a la Dorsey will doubtless
follow.
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
Japan Notes.

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. IA. - The
Yokohoma associated press ad vices
state the Russian Government re-
leased the British steamer Stowe
seized when poaching upon the
Alaska Commercial Campany's seal
ing grounds.
The Japanese government is indig-
nant at the imposition practiced ut
the Boston Exhibition. The exnib-
its described by the Boston journals
as rare collections of ancient his
torical works of art were modern
manufactured expressly for sale.
The government had nothing to do
with the exhibit. Valuable private
collections sent by English amateurs
failed to reach OH time,
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
he several counties are as follows:

From the above 1t will be e tina,
Lewis and Clarke leads in assessable
property, followed by Silver Bow
Custer, Gallatin, Deer Lodge, Mis-
soula, Choteau, and Meagher, Madi.
son, Dawson, Beaverhead, Jefferson
and Yellowstone in the order named
With the exception of Lewis and
Clarke taking first place and Dawson
jumping from the last to the seventh
place, the relative positions of the
several counties remain about as they
were last year. The increase In tax
able property this year over 1882 is
about sl3, 1000 900. within $4,000, 900
as much as the whole amount of as.
sessible property In the Territory in
1879. Thegreat bulk of the increase
is in counties through which the Nor
'hern Pacific passes.
A few years of the prosperity
which has attended several of the
counties during the past twelve
months will enable all of them to
wipe out their Indebtedness if their
affairs be administered with pru-
dence. Take the case of Missoula
county, for instance: In 1879 her
taxable property amounted to bat
$735 5O7; her warrants were down to
almost nothing, and she was consid-
cred bankrupt. To-day she occupies
the sixth place in respect to taxable
property, and her great resources are
scarcely touched. The value of her
timber alone would pay the aggre-
gate Indebtedness of all the counties
q dozen times over, while her great
agricultural resources can never be
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
AN RULE.

Is it not just a little singular that q
journal which draws its life and sus-
tensnce from Federal patronage, and
which would long ago have gone the
way of all earth had not the appli-
cants for mineral patents in Summit
Valley district kept 1t alive by pay
ing two prices for publishing their APP
plications tor patents, should have
the hardihood to refer to competition
for county printing being barred out
by reason of the MINER having the
contract to do 1t? The Inter Mountain
has a much better thing then the
MINER has in the matter Of printing
favors. It's two to four columns of
mining Applications" a single one
of which the MINER can moi get even
fit bind itselfto publish them at hiatt
the rates charged by the Inter Noun
tain, prove the statement. The
AnterMountain gets three or four dol
lars from its printing franchise where
the MINER gets one for county print
ing. In view of these facts it would
seem the less said by our
contemporary about competition being
barred out under the printing
law the less attention would be d.
rected by the public to the fact that
all competition is barred out in the
matter ofpublishing notices of "Min-
ing Applications" in Silver Bow
County. Nc wonder the frenzied ap-
peals of III cotemporary to miners to
patent their claims are unheeded by
so many mine claimants. They pre-
fer to represent their claims from
year to year rather than be compelled
to pay tuo prices for publishing
their applications for patents. If
the printing law is unjust, the rule
or practice that compels miners to
publish their mining Applications"
in any one given journal without the
benefit Of competition is infamous.
Our contemporary may put that in its
pipe and smoke it.
The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
The Armv

NEW HAVEN, Dec. 14.-The men,
oers OF the Salvation Army were dis
charged from arrest The Judge said
to the captain of the army he did not
believe they would he interfered with
"a singing. praying aud exhorting
from the steps of the old State house.
put they must not parade the streets
beating drums, etc. Tie chief of police
SAYS the army will have to obey the
orders of the mayor.