Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1893-10-19
Senator Power ON Silver.

Following is the closing extract from
Senator Powers speech on the silver
question;
Let us consider what American en-
terprise has accomplished in develop
ing the increment of national wealth
from out the barren wilds OF Montana.
, cssie -it- e4 52,ss- situz tess- -.iI.F.ths
west side of the Rockies, is the lar
gest mining center in the world, and
has risen from out the barren slopes
of mountain range into aflourishing
city OF about $4,000 people, all this
accomplished within the past decade.
The city OF Great Falls, situated at
the head of the great falls OF the Mis-
souri, river, has sprung within the past
five years from a 'prairie-dog town"
into a metropolis containing 10000
people. Here the great waters OF the
Missouri river have been bridled, and
furnish power more than sufficient to
manufacture for the whole northwest
ern country, and where the rich ores
| wrested from the recesses OF the Rock
les, are reduced to silver, gold and
copper, the latter prepared for market
in all conditions. 1t is hardly neces-
sary to indicate the older and flour
ishing cities, such as Helena, Missoula,
Bozeman, Livingston, and Others, the
progress OF which has passed into the
hist ory which chronicles the creditable
advancement OF our civilization.
So far as agricultural wealth is con-
lcerned, Montana is the fifth state in
order Of rank in the industry OF sheep
raising and wool producing. The as
sessed valuation for 1898 of sheep in
Montana for this year is, in round
numbers, S6,OOO,O0O. The assessed
valuation of horses this year in Mon
tana is, S4,5OO,OO The assessed
valuation of her cattle aggregates
S14, 100000. The total assessed
valuation of all live stock aggregates
S24, 100000, which is probably about
80 per cent less than It's actual value.
Montana exports in live stock and
wool alone to the value of about $780,
600, 900 annually.
According to reports OF the director
of the mint, the mines of Montana
produced last year gold to the value
of 80. .S91 1856, and silver to the coin
age value of S22, ,432, ,323-a total of
S25, 5,323,T ,TO9. The amount of copper
produced last year in Montana aegre-
gates 164, 300, 900 pounds, estimated
to be worth S19, ,1O5, 500.
The lead produced aggregated 25,-
715, ,19T pounds. valued at 1890, 900.
The director of the mint, in his last
annual report, estimates the value OF
the total output of minerals mined in
Montana during the calendar year of
1892 at S45, $685. ,626. Thus it will be
seen that the value of the current
stock and mining industries of Mon
tana alone aggregate the immense
sum OF $40, 0,422,626 outside of all
other industries, agricultural, manu-
featuring, and otherwise.
The speaker then showed letters
from the Granite Mountain, Bi-Metal-
lie, Lexington and other mining COM
panies that the cost OF producing silver
in Montana was from so to 95 cents
per ounce.
Concluding he said: | have not re-
ferred to the more productive indus
tries OF other states and territories
comprised within the area west of the
one hundredth meridian, which have
been brought to the attention of the
senate far more ably than is possible
for me to do. But, Mr.. President, We
stand together as solid phalanx
against the conspiracy to demonetize
silver, upon which metal depends
nearly all the commerce and prosper
ity of that region Protesting against
{ the crusade OF the east against tn.
west, We rally on a common center tc
protect our homes and fresides apt
> the heritage of our children against
the depreciation of the cohorts of tn,
} gold standard, foreign and domestic
. the very barbarisns OF the nineteenth
century.
MIR. President, these are not tn
times, nor is it the occasion to max