The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-19
Cooper, OF Bohemian, So
leotsd a. the President for
tho Coming Year.
In tho Evening --Organixation Of
Society 70 Perpstuste the Deeds
OF Mothers and Fathers.

khose locks vera not gray. But they oil
boxed hale and hearty and gave promise OF
butting in many more hard blows for the
commonwealth Tor which they have done so
much. One thing that strikes tho outsider
kho attends the meetings Of the Montana
pioneers 10 the fact that they all meet on
he, Same level and each ono 10 simply an
'old-timer." There are no political differ
noes, no religions creeds. Tbs man Wit but
dollar to his name is just az cordially
kreeted % the millionaire, aud there is an
Inhibition Of fraternal feeling such 20 can
30 witnesseda At no other public meeting
held in tho state. And how the pioneers
cherish their membership In the A%ssocia-
ion, and what q great honor do they feel it
hat their names are enrolled on the
fscords OF the association! There il not n
lmonR them who would give their member.
hip and record az q pioneer for the highest
political office in the gift Of the state of
Montana.
At the meeting yesterday Hon. Samuel
Word, president, presided. The first bust
less transacted was the report Of the sec.
tetary. which dealt with the proceedings OF
he meeting in 1891. The following new
members were elected: H. A. Milot. j: B.
|Whitsun, H. N: Hill. T. .: Pease, Ira Ny
Bro, A. Gibson. Mr.. and Mrs. E. J. Harris,
d. Il. Quigley, Massena Billiard, Mrs. G. r.
Nan Wart, G. w. Cook, Charles Carleton,
q. L. Hodge, F. w. Conins. Thomas Neill,
Patrick Woods, and L. 9. Anthony.
Quite Z discussion followed on the ques-
kion Of what made a person eligible to
membership in the association, and il was
the associations constitution krovidinR that
all persona who arrived in what are now the
imits of Montana before the end OF the
Eear 1864 were eligible to membership.
President Word, just before the election
Of officers was had, following the custom of
b short address. After abiding to the fact
khat he had not prepared q set speech for
the occasion, he said: II wish to return to
The members of this association my thanks
Tor the honor they have conferred upon me
in selecting me to preside over the associa-
zion for one year. 1t ia an honor I esteem
greater than any political ons chat could
been honored from all time down to the
hi esent, and their names have been handed
down to be revered, while their deeds Of
bravery and acts of sacrifice are never al
lowed to be forgotten. Christopher Column
bus was a pioneer. he fathers who landed
who settled on the lower Atlantic coast
were pioneers. And they HAYS made the
greatest government on thst face tof the
earth. While Montana ID but ia ~hersyouth,
she. too, has her pioneerstYthe men who
trampled down the sage brush, who faced
death ut the hands of the Indians, who suf-
fered privations and h~ardehips of every
kind, but who have the satisfaction to-day
of knowing that they laid the foundations,
good and strong and deep, OF u state that
is one of the greatest in the union. No
other state gives to the world the
wealth = that Montana does. Others
may produce more wheat, mora corn or
turn out more manufactured articles, but
it is Montana hat leads them all in the
amount she produces to purchase these
products. We may be proud of Montana,
The rising generation, and the generations
70 come, will be proud, not only Of Mon;
We made civilization possible, ".
made railroads possible. we made
churches possible, we made schools possible
And greater than all We came to an almos
barren waste and we made homes possible
for every man, woman and child here to
day. You, pioneers, do not know and d.
not appreciate your lebors. Let it be HOPED
that our names will 20 down to postsrit,
az the men who buildsd a great empire.
"As the leaves. of the soses fall" con
tinued the speaker. 80 one by one We art
passing away. Doubtless ere another yea,
passes some Of US who meet here to-day
will have gone to our last hcme. Here ar.
tho pictures (poiatinR to those of Jane
Fergus, G. A. Broadwater and Col. w. w
De Lacy that were placed i'll front Of hi
desk) of men who were not only old timers
but who lived among US so long that "
feel their loss as keenly as We would til
death of a brother. And they we're brothers
There was an old man. James Fergus, o
noble impulse. and strict integrity, whom
knew personally and we'll, whose memoir
will live for years to come. There was ar
other. G. A. Broadwnter. whom, I first kne,
when he was making a struggle for e~xistenc
in Montana. You all know how by hard Wo,,
he p, ospered until he beanie = power 70
good, not only in the state but beyond it
to his friends, to his home and to Montand
And here was another. W. ". DeLaoy,
pioneer who was one before no came I
Montana. His name will not only b
handed down by our ASSOCIATION, but b
will 90 on the records of the government a
a pioneer and will ever be known as tn
man who fixed the meridian base line G
Montana. He was a man whose heart wa
az big as his head, and whose genial greet
ing we who have been in tho habit Of re
ceiving, 80 sadly miss. We know not whic
of us snail! cross the river before anothe
annual meeting; but We do know that "
will not be forgotten. Peace to the ashe
VI uAOn0 VIM A0Vo puosoA u.n yooA3 IA
may God bless their posterity." .
At tho conclusion of President Word
address the nomination and election Of OF
ticers was in order. s. T. HAuser nomi
mated Walter Cooper, of Eozaman, fe
president. and he was unanimously chose,
He was escorted to the platform by Wn
SpraRue and McNsill. Mr. Cooper thanke
the members Of the association for th
honor, saying no one could appreciate th
compliment more sincerely than himself.
The following e-presidents were the
chosen: Choteau, A. b. Hamilton; Gas
cade. Ira Myers; Fergus, Andrew Forgu
Deer Lodge, h. r. Kenyon; Gallatin, X. |
Mendenhall; Jefferson, W. 9. Whale,
Lewis and Clark. J. II. Sanford; Madison
j. T. Connor; Meaeher. Alex Gibson; Mi,
soula. W. G. Berry; Silver Bow. Geo. v
irvine, H.; Yellowstone. Pau McCormicl
Park, W.. NJ. Wright. No nomination
were made for Custer or Dawson.
Col. G. d. Curtis WAS unanimous
elected secretary and Cornelius Hedg'
treasurer.
The executive committee consists of Il
president. secretary, treasurer, Hom'
Hewins and Nicholas Fritz.
Messrs Steele, Sutherland and Hedg'
we're named az u committee 10 hnve printt
500 copies OF ths bylaws and CONSTITUTION
TO contain in addition tho names mud poS
Office addresses of all the membe q. and
concise history of the association. II
secretary was instructed to request all Il
vice. proaidents TO notify him whenav
a member died in his county, 90 that
raoord NJ decAanel raNn,hera could be ker