Helena weekly herald., 1889-05-30
From the Daily Herald Of May 25.l
MONTANA'S QUARTER CENTURY.

To morrow will be the 25th anniversary
of Montanas separate existence as pOlitl-
cal organization, and tine citizens OF Helena
aud vicinity are invited to meet at the
Opera House this evening for sort of an
impromptu general celebration Of the
event in moderate and inexpensive fash
ion. There will be music and few short
speeches 1t was at first proposed to get
up an old-settlers banquet for the occasion,
but as there is to be grand gathering Of
the Pioneers during Fair week which will
involve considerable expense and provide a
banquet on large scale, it was thought
better that this anniversary, which inter-
ests more recent settlers very little less
than the Oldest settlers, should be open
and free to all.
IF any State in the Union can afford to
celebrate a silver wedding anniversary,
surely it should be our own Montana,
which out-ranks all in producing the white
metal, and which by established custom fur
nishes the name and the appropriate crown
for quarter centennial unions.
Montana is prominently cosmopolitan
community. 1t is union, not of two, but
of many, for there is not State or Terri
tory in the Union and scarce country in
the world but has here its representative,
contributing in some way and to some
extent to the gro With and prosperity of our
State
In the twenty-five years that have passed
Montana has made bright record for her
self. At first, Montana was an unmeaniDg
name that caught the fancy of General
Ashley, chairman of the Committee on
Territories in the House, but the labors of
our people during the past twenty five
years has given it a Significance and
charm that is recognized to the remotest
corner of the civilized world.
The fabulous wealth of our placer mines,
our Alder Gulch, Last Chance and Mon
tana Bar, was heralded all over the world
duu uIOW tuC lAOoo hd'ShVuAOuo "a
all nations, not always the mos. law-abid-
ing, moral and thrifty classes. Oar great
wealth was for time our misfortune. Our
most successful miners packed their golden
stores on the backs of mules and pulled out
for Goods" country, where most of them
spent their substance in riotous living and
only returned when dead broke.
All the worst desperadoes in the country
were soon here to share in the treasures of
OF our mines without the labor of digging.
To establish law and order and secure safety
for life and property among such disorgan-
lied and desperate elements was no Ordi-
nary experience in the upbuilding of new
State.
Our situation, too, was 80 far north and
interior that we were the last of all the
Territories to be reached by railroad. This
prevented the coming of permanent settlers
and outside capital is always more timid
and less venturesome than immigrants
Both labor and capital have been scarce
and high. Other sections more accessible
drew away the tide of settlers and capital
lists seeking early returns on their invest
ments. Our people were compelled to Gre
ate their own capital, to develop their
mines and show their wealth before any
outside capitalists would even come to look
at them. 1t was long, weary, and some
times losing fight against tremendous odds.
But those had faith, courage and patience
to work and wait have had their reward
We count our millionaires already by the
score, and will soon be scoring them by the
hundred. As a producer of the precious
metals we have worked our way to the
front of the procession.
Now we are about to don the toga Uirihs
of State sovereignty and have representa-
tive star in the field of glory on our coun-
try's banner. 1t will soon be the brightest
star of the galaxy,
Counting what we have achieved against
such great odds in one short quarter of
century, what may we not reasonably hope
to accomplish in the next twenty five
years, masters of our own resources, and
with our doors wide open to settlers, with
wealth in our soil, our mines, our very
atmosphere and sparkling water courses.
Heaven wreathed our crown, and her own
sons will place it on the fair brow of their
proud mother-Montana.
Trr 70 ho ~ 1oofioD