The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1894-04-17
RANGE INTERESTS.
Tenth Annual Session of the
Montana Stockgrowers
Association.
Two Hundred Members, All Paid Up,
and the Number Rapidly Incress-
ing-Tressurer's Report.

~The tenth annual meeting Of the Mon
tana Stockgrowers association was con
vened at Fireman's hall this morning at
IL o'clock. President Joe Scott in the
chair. The attendance was. If anything
larger than usual. the resident and visit
ing stockmen, railroad officials and stock
commission men, aggregating over one
hundred and fifty sitting in the conven-
tion. The hall being rather chilly. Prest.
Scott in opening the convention gave
permission To those present To wear their
hats during the session. which was
promptly taken advantage Of by those
present, but il was noticeable that Mr..
Scott failed to place in position the
unique headgear for which he is 50 no
ticeable on these occasions.
Prest. Scott in opening the convention
INDUCED in short speech, in which he
referred to the good times the cattlemen
had when the association was young,
which in the past few years seems to
have departed. lie spoke encouragingls
Of the work Of the association, and Of
the great benefit IL had been and is 10
the cattle interest, and wound up by
extending TO all strangers hearty vel
come TO Miles City.
Secretary Preuitt then called the roll
Of members and followed with the read
ing Of the minutes Of the last annual
meeting, at the conclusion Of which the
minutes were. on motion of Mr.. Kohrs,
approved as read.
7 Next followed the reading Of the an-
nual report Of the secretary and treas
urer, az follows:
Mr. President aud Gentlemen: This
meeting marks the beginning Of the
tenth year Of the existence of the Mon
tana Stockgrowers Association. and as
its secretary ana treasurer. ] submit
herewith my annual report of the office.
showing condition Of Its accounts, TO.
gether with a statement Of the manner
/ IN which it's affairs are conducted.
Here follows the list Of members.
IL will be observed that the member
ship has increased very noticeably IN
| the past year, and this is doubtless due
| to some extent to the fact that the asso-
| ciation issued a new brand book.
: would say IN this connection that | be-
/ lIeve for the first time in the history of
the association there Is not one deiin.
quent member on the roll. That the
Importance of the association is realized
and It's workings appreciated is evidenc
| ed b. this rapid increase IN member
ship. and to-day we have just an even
two hundred paid up membership. This
is certainly gratifying, but there are
many more of our stockmen whose
names should appear on the roll
In accordance with resolution
adopted at the meeting one year ago.
have prepared a new association brand
book, which i present TO you, trusting il
will meet with your approval. No effort
has been spared to make this book all il
should be, that it may meet every re
quirement. and 10 this end every mem
ber has been given opportunity To have
his brand inserted as he might desire
and We believe the errors are few.
have already presented each member
with the one copy due him, and If an,
more copies are desired by anyone the,
may be obtained at the rate Of sl25 pei
copy. The total expense Of publishing
and issuing this book was about 1896.
A resolution was adopted at the las
meeting with reference to the unclaimed
stray fund, instructing me to transfer t.
the Board OF Stock Commissioners all o
the stray fund accumulated prior TO tw,
years ago, for use in carrying on theil
work. In accordance with the provis
ions Of this resolution, have transfer
ed all Of the stray fund accumulated
prior to Jan. l, 1892, that was unclaimed
on March l, 1894, the total amount beinl
S6,94S.D. This has enabled the bJart
to prosecute their work much NOR,
widely, and the results with regard I,
the conviction of thieves alone is notice
able. Assistance has been rendered il
all important cases against offenders an,
We have met with gratifying success
At the last term OF court at Choteal
five were tried, and four Of them ccr
victed and sentenced to the penitentiary
This effectual work has broken up
hard outfit that have been operating oil
the Marias. At Butte one was sent +
J the penitentiary for number of years
and the case against another is stil
pending. Some good work has also bee
done at Billings, and as result Dee
Lodge is the residence Of some Of Yel
lowstone county's citizens. Also tw
convicted in Fergus county. The pas
, year has been an unusually successfu
one against stock thieves. and the stock
men are receiving some Of the protectio
that is due them.
Considerable complaint has been mad
in regard to the habit Of some stockme
in shipping strays to market and not &C
counting for them to the association