The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-02-26
A Recent Acquisition to the Histori-
. cal Society That Is Full Of
Interest.
Picture Of thess United States az
They Were Nearly Forty
Years Ago.
Montana Did Not Then Appear a. a Po-
liticsl Division, Not Ewes Torrito-
rlally-Wsndsrful Growth.

torleAi society, mas jest adde's TO th0 treas
urea under als charge an old pictorial mar
of the United States. 1t was presented
ths zocicty BY r.. M. Cobban. ESQ, OF Butte.
II was published in 1853 by Horcs Thayer
a. Co., Of New York, and il a very valuable
acquisition. Writing about it to IHE In
DEPENDENT, Col. Wheeler says:
"a mere glance at it shows the wonderful
changes that have taken place in tho polit-
lcal divisions of our county since that date
only thirty-nine years aRo-as we'll a. in
the illustrations which adorn the map. Then
there were only thirty-two states, and the
only territories were Minnesota, Nebraska,
Oregon, Titan, Now Mexico and the Indian
Torritory-six in all. From that vast and
almost uninhabited country have since been
carved ont and created twelve now states.
viz: Colorado, Idaho, Kansas. Minnesota,
Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Da-
kota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington
and Wyoming, and the territories left are
Arizona, New Mexico and the Indian terri
tory. Alaska had not then been bought,
but belonged to Russia, and, of course,
does not appear on tho map. The total
population Of the whole United States and
territories at the census of 1850 was but
70. 1856. against q population Of g., 622, $50
in 1890.
The portraits of the first thirteen prssi-
dents Of tho United States are found across
the top Of the mar, Washington, John
Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, John
@. Adams, jackson, Van Rorsn, VIM, fl.
Harrison, Polk, Tyler, Taylor and Fill
more. Since then We have had ton presi-
dents, Pierce. Buchanan, Lincoln, Johnson,
Grant, Hayes. Garfield. Arthur, Cleveland
and now Harrison. Three of these presi-
dents were elected a. Independents, ny
Ter. who succeeded w. H Harrison; Fill
more, who succeeded Taylor, and johnson,
who succeeded Lincoln. al OF whom be-
came defacto presidents because of the
deaths OF the persons who ha6 been elected
to the office. Washington and jackson
served in the revolutionary war, and Jack
son and Harrison were generals in the war
of 1872. Taylor and Pierce were generals
in tbs Mexican war, Grant was commander
in-chief. and Hayes, Garfield and BENZ.
Harrison were generals in ths war of the
rebellion. SO that nine Of our presidents
became known moro as soldiers than as
statemen before their election to tho pres
idency. if you except perhaps Washington,
jackson and w. H. Harrison. The sons
of John Adams. and of W. Fl. Harrison
have been elected az presidents.
Ihe landing Of Columbus in 1882. and Of
the Pilgrims at Plymouth rock in 1920 are
depicted on the margin Of the map.
The naval battle between the Constitution
are spirited sketches. The battles of Palo
Alto and of Monterey in the Mexican war
are also represented. The familiar picturs
Of the signing Of the declaration of indie
psndence. showing the portrait of zach
signer, and Of the old senate chamber and
house Of representatives are we'll illustrated
commerce is the small pictures of a steam
ship on the Atlantic and ons on the Pacific,
apparently destined for New York and San
Francisco respectively. Agriculture is rep
resented very modestly by a collection OF
old-fashioned implements in use in 1850.
cradle, fail, tanning mill, hand rake,
pillow, harrow snd roller. Not q more mod
ern implement ID to be seen-no steam
threshcr or pillow, no steam grain scpara-
tor, no patent harvester or mower or drill
or cultivator. There is no picture OF q
railroad train, telegraph or telephone line,
or Of horse or electric cars. Yet those wers
the good old days of yore, when a good
farm hand received his board and IS per
month. But comparatively few lines of
railroads are drawn on this map. A short
line west of the Mississippi from New Or
loans and one west of the Missouri at St,
Louis are all that point toward ths Pacific.
where now half a dozen continental lines
cross the continent. What = revolution in
social, civil and industrial life has been
made since this old map was published in
The OWL war had not been fought.
We produce more agricultural crops. more
of the precious metals, more cotton, and
more of the comforts of life and paw
better wages, give women better employ
md have more free schools than
nation in the world. But | must stop, for
If a retrospect of the past forty years
brings much to mind, soma one or many
Will write for the Columbian exposition
and make, perhaps, greater contrasts for
the history of our hundred years past. I
study tho old maps and old books and
YOU will learn lessons of wisdom"
Ladias' and children,s faat hlac,- q .ulo.s aa+