The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-29
Butte Department.
THEY WILL Go AHEAD
Trustees and Commissioners of the
School Of Mines Hold a Meeting
WAYS AND MEANS TO BUILD
II Contractors VIII Accept War
rants Payable on an Indefinite
Date They May Begin Work
Once-The Discussion.
WAYS AND MEANS TO BUlLI

A meeting OF the board Of trustees OF
the School of Mines and the board of
commissioners of the same institution
was held at which, il will be gratifying
TO learn, important action was taken IN
reference TO the school. The state board
of the School of Mines commissioners
is composed of Messrs. +. T.. Sergeant,
w. W. Dixon, John Gillie, j. III. Leyson
and c. w. Goodale. The term OF Office
of three of the members of the board
of trustees expired on January i last.
and these three gentlemen were reap
pointed by Governor Richards, making
the board of trustees under the act OF
1898 the same as the board of commits
sioners, created by the Paschal bill OF
1895.
The meeting first elected officers,
choosing F. L. Sergeant chairman, j.
II. Leyson treasurer and John Gillie
secretary of the board of trustees,
while the commissioners elected +. Il.
Sergeant as president, w. w. Dixon
vice president and John Gillie secre-
tary.
After a thorough discussion, it was
decided to go ahead and try to erect
the School of Mines buildings the pres
ent summer If this can be accom-
plished the school will be opened for
the reception of students on October !,
next, which is the customary time OF
year for the opening of schools OF the
kind. There are. however, some diffi-
culties in the way OF this plan, but the
members of the board will at least as
certain whether IL is possible to erect
the school and start il without any
cash on hand. Within 80 days plans OF
architects and bids by contractors will
be called for, and If the architects and
contractors will accept state warrants
ha nd ~ the hno Fd for
their pay, the building will be erected.
That is the only way in which the
School of Mines can be erected this
year.
At a previous meeting of the board,
held on March 10th, questions OF the
available resources for the construction
of the building had been fully discuss
ed, and Mr.. Goodale was instructed to
ascertain in Helena how far along the
appraisement of the land belonging to
the School of Mines had been carried.
Mr.. Goodale reported at Friday even
ing's meeting that of the $4,000 acres
selected, only two sections, amounting
to 1880 acres, had been appraised. These
two sections are in Gallatin county, on
the old Fort Ellis reservation, about 10
miles from Bozeman, and this land has
been appraised at from SIS to $50 per
acre, which is too high to make 1t sell
readily at once. The state land COM
some timber on state lands in the Bit
ter Root valley had been sold at such
a rate that the state realized about 81
per acre for the timber. The School OF
Mines is prohibited from selling any
of the land until ii is appraised and
cannot, under any circumstances, sell
at less than SO per acre. The timber
on the land owned by the board on the
old Fort Ellis reservation can be sold,
however, and starter might be made
with that. This timber will probably
be offered for sale TO men dealing in
lumber.
There are nine sections of table land
assigned to the School of Mines in
Gallatin county not yet appraised
Mr. Page who is land commissioners
and appraiser also. will this summer
go into Beaverhead county and APP
praise lands there. The School of
Mines has 10000 acres in Beaverhead
county. The great obstacle In the way
of getting cash for the school by the
sale Of land lies In the provision that
no land can be sold for less than $40
per acre.
Another possible source of revenue
for the school will come from the Uni
ted States government IL a certain bill
now pending in the house of represent
atives is passed. A bill introduced in
the senate by Senator Dubois and
which passed that body. provides that
% per cent of the proceeds of patent
ed mineral lands shall be given 10 the
several states for their mining schools.
Last year there were patented In the
state of Montana about 200 mining
claims, averaging 20 acres to the claim.
At IS per acre for these claims the
government realized about $4,000 on
this basis the mining school of Mon
tana would realize $1,000, and IL is
probable that the number of claims
patented will increase each year.
Mr. Goodale also read a letter from
Representative Charles 5. Hartman
dated March II. in which he says:
There are two bills pending before
congress at this time along the lines
which you refer to. One was intro
duced by Senator Dubois in the senate
and by his colleague in the house. That
bill has passed the senate. and is pend
ing in the house. with a favorable re-
port from the committee on public
lands. The other bill is pending in the
house with a favorable report from the
committee on mines and mining. We
hope to succeed in getting one of the
two passed"
Senator Mantle has also written as
follows on the same subject: cot
course both Senator Carter and my.
self will do everything in our power &c
secure favorable action at the Other
emu Vi NdIANtis % WIN aioO s1NidNol
Dubois, and in fact all the senator:
and representatives from the mining
states. We are quite alive 10 the neces
sity of it's becoming a law as well as
10 the benefit IL would be to our stat,
mining schools"
That is the situation so far as th'
prospects Of immediate resource arr
concerned. After discussion the boart
decided to go ahead and II architect
and builders will accept warrants fol
their pay. the building will be put ui
this summer. But another difficulty Il
that while the architects and contract
ors may accept the warrants for thei