Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1894-10-18
NOWS JIM HAGGIN.

The Helena Independent of Oct.llth
contains communication from an old
timer who knows something about
the methods OF Jim Haggin and his
corporation. As the article is right
to the issue at present we reproduce
it entire:
The people Of the Black Hills c~DuItry are
taking no little enterest in the capital
eight being waged by the Anaconda COM
pany in Montana. As one oi the old trail
blazers of that territory, ! feel such an in
terest ia your contest that IL you will give
NE the space | will try to giys the people II
pointer on the gang they are dealing with
np there. The sal crowd carne into the
Black Hills country about 1876 and
systematically played the same game here
they are now trying to play on the people
OF Montana. Haggin and Hearst got
hold of the Homestake mine. They had a
man by the name of McMaster to enable
them to get possession of the Homestake
and other properties. Many honest miners
were killed in cold blood for attempting to
def, nd their possessions. The combine APP
pealed to the courts part Of the time, and
appealed to the shotgun the balance.
After getting possession of the ground, they
went to work to get absolute control al
all the water in the district. The same
doodle scheme was used that is now being
used on the people Of Montana. Strikers
were employed; money flowed like water
the company pretended that it would be
the great benafaetor of the Black Hills;
posed as the friend of labor and as the
only concern having any enterprise ia
Dakota. After getting possession of water.
mines, miilsites, the courts, the members
of the legislature. the officers OF the county,
the newspapers-in short. the whole
machine, they commenced n course Of OPP
preston and extortion which has resulted
in making the people of this whole district
practically serfs and slaves to the Home
stake Mining combination. No man in
the camp dare say his soul is his own: no
man dare run for Office Town here unless he
is understood to be in with the
Political parties of all kinds make their
meet the favor of the company. A man
who does express independent views or
assert the justice of any proposition
opposed by the company at once becomes
a marked man. He is run out of business
and either into bankruptcy or ont of the
county. The company is interested in the
stores. banks, hotels and all sorts of
public places. They eontrol these outside
lines OF business through agents and cor
81 ~.. lind and a,nthar Ubar
ever the company is a silent partner, no
man need try tn do business against the
in which they are interested.
Having succeeded in corrnliing the Black
ILLS district to such an extent that they |
practically own the whole country, they |
have evidently become embroidered and
now believe they can run IA whole state
Il they set about it in the proper
style. You psople will lind that they will
spend large somes of money IN buying up
newspapers and in hiring labor leaders,
precisely as they hired the newspapers and
he labor leaders down here. Men will go
over the ssate explaining how friendly the
Anaconda company is to labor; they will
,ro mise IA great future to every town in
he state, they will appeal to the prejudice
4 each little community and try to array
ne part Of the state against apother by
iorking On local ~leaiousies. In their own
forks. the iron hand will he shown, They
i'll not ALLOW any man In the niue or
round their works anywhere tn say his sou
his own and no man in the employ of !
he Anaconda company VIII he permitted
D exercise his own free will ia the 3l9tter ,
I voting. don't care what kind of cleo {
on laws you have-the agent Of Mr.. =
Iaggiu will he instructed to see every
ANS ballot before he puts it in the box.
hey will mark the tickets or fix it in