Great Falls tribune., 1890-01-11
MONTANA WANTS NO "pET NAME

name" that he might insert it with the
g Empire State" the Sucker State" ETC.,
received the following characteristic re-
ply from the Hon. w. F. Wheeler, IL
brarian for the Historical Society Of
Montana:
HELENA, Mont, Dec. IA, 1soO
NJ. +. Sweetser, Esq, Boston, Mass.
Publisher, etc.-DEAR SIR: Hon. Mr..
- has handed me your letter of
inquiry, dated Nov. 20, asking him to
give you the description or +" pet name Of
Montana, as New York is called the En-
pire state, and South Carolina the fal-
metto state, ETC." He refers to me for an
swer. M.-. .a.... ....s
/ answer first that MOI tAna has never
had a "pet name," because 1t never was u
pet of anybody's. 1t is like "Topsy," who
never was bern, but just "gr"wed up"
It had no father we first settlers ever
heard Of, and no mother but mother
earth. It grew up here in the great
Rocky range, right across the backbone
of the continent, and owns more land
than two New Enylands, more timher
than Michigan or Minnesota; more coal
and iron than Pennsylvania; more gold,
silver, copper and lead than amy other
state in the union, one greater available
water power ut the falls uf the Missouri,
than any other in the United States; more
pasture land than Indiana and Illinois,
and the grass is just as good in winter as
III summer, more than 5,OOO,OtW acres Of
lands granted by congress for the support
OF common schOols and GS6, sou acres fox
public buildings, educational and charita-
BILE institutions; 1900 miles of completed
railroads, 1000 miles vt steam navigation;
ID III Hstl
climate in the world, and thousand oth-
! er unnumbered blessings for which,
hope. we are duly thankful.
Before Montana had name it was in
habitea by powerful tribes Of Indians,
and very few white men, who consist
Ell mostly OF fur traders, trappers and
hunters. In 1862 the first systematic.
working of gold began at Pioneer City
and Bannack. and in 1868 the worldwide
famous Alder gulch was discovered,
which IN four years yielded $4O,OOO,OOO
in fine gold. Road agents (stage rObbers)
hard characters and nlurderers from the
east and west, over-ran the country. With
no civil organization, the people rose in
their might. and in less than year
captured, tried in peoples courts, and
hung sixty or seventy of the leading
crimtnals, thus rendering it safe for man,
WOIUSuaT Cnllu 10 go ana come nlOne un-
molestetl with their gold or silver or any
other property, and at the same time
| whipped hostile Indians whenever neces-
sary. And SO with these heroic actions,
this young Hercules of the mountains,
sprang into existence and has ever since
been able to care for himself, and needed
not to be called by .'pet names"
This evidence OF strength, self conf
dence anG unsurpassed wealth caused
congress on application of the miners, to
create by law the Territory of Montana
(meaning mountainous or pertaining to
the mountains) in 1854, and thus "Uncle
Sam" became the stspfather Of Montana,
which had grown up alone In the,wifdsr-
ness, without organized law orag0yefn-
ment, from any Of the territories 81 which
its surface was then composed. Montana
was self-planted and self.supporting
from the beginning; and now, since It has
become q state Of the Union. will main-
tain it's characteristics and supremacy.
The very name Montana" IS dear to
those who made II state, and NO pseu-
dOnym or "pet name" would be accepted,
II needs none. Respectfully,
6Z. WM n WunrY mn