The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-08
IT IS THE ELIMINATION
The Red Letter Day in the History
of Missoula.
LAYING THE CORNERSTONE
An Elaborate Programme Arranged for
the Ceremony. Which Will Take
Place June 9-Ths Coco Work
Of the University.

Garden City-the University City IL will
be after June s. The ceremony of the
laying of the cornerstone. that is TO take
the successful elimination of the plans
that have been fostered by the people
OF this town for years. AS far back i'm
the history of Montana as that memor-
able session of the legislature when
Senate T.. ID. Mats. then representing
the county OF Missoula in the upper
house OF the legislature. waged single
handed against the combined forces Of
capital. logic and ~eloquence that re-
markable contest In which he was ulti-
mately successful and which won the
state university for this city: when all
of the arguments that could be brought
To bear upon the champion of this city's
claim upon the university, then to be
established, had failed and the news was
wired from the state capital that the
fight was won-ever since that time. the
people OF this city have iabored and
planned for the erection of buildings
that would be a credit to the magnih-
cent state, whose highest institution OF
earning is located here.
The site where the buildings are to be
erected was the cheerful donation of the
people of this city. Half OF the beauti-
full location was donated by the Higgins
estate and half by the South Missoula
Land company. 1he people then began
the formation of plans for the beautify-
ing of the land and the preparation OF
the site for the buildings which are to
be the permanent home of the univer-
sity. The land was fenced by popular
subscription and an Arbor day celebra-
ton was INDUCED in by the citizens OF
Missoula that will stan for a long time
as the most extensive observance OF the
day i'm the history OF the state. Nearly
a thousand trees were planted In the
city that day and over half of these
were placed around the grounds that are
To form In time University park. Al
that time. too. IL became important that
the city of Missoula should provide for
the university a temporary home, in
order that the school might be instituted
n well under way before the perma-
nent buildings were finished. Again the
people of the city went into their peck
cts for the university. A special tax
was voted that completed the public
school building across the river n
made IL a suitable place for the b0Gin-
ming of the work OF the university. In
his temporary location the university
has been successfully started. The work
that IL has already accomplished has
been remarkable, considering the dim
culties under which faculty and stu
dents have labored. And now. just as
the cornerstone OF the new home of the
university Is to be laid. that institution
presents It's first graduates, who will re-
ceive their degrees upon the same day
that the cornerstone is placed In posi-
ton. Ii viii be a memorable day I'm the
history of the beautiful University City
of Montana.
In all of the state there Is no more
beautiful spot than the one that has
been selected as the site OF the perma-
nent university buildings. The land
slopes from the base of the mountains
gently toward the broad valley that
stretches away To the westward. Close
behind the buildings rises the wall Of
the hills. sheltering from the rough
winds that sweep down from the north
east. To the west stretches the magni
ficent Missoula valley till II reaches the
base of the Bitter Root mountains In
the distance. To the south the Bitter
Root valley Is seen, backed by the
rugged hills. above which towers the
bald N rocky peaks OF old Lou Lou.
The view toward the north takes In
the attractive panorama of the Rattle
snake valley, with its fine ranches, thriv-
ing orchards and pleasant homes. all
backed by the wooded hills. from which
comes the unsurpassed water supply oil
the city. The portion of the grounds
that has been chosen as the site of the
first buildings to be erected Is hig
enough to AFFORD an admirable vantage
ground for a birdseye view of the city
itself. Had the place been made to or
der IL could not have been improved.
The successful sale Of the university
building bonds, in the ace of some
strong opposition, was an important
step in the development of the states
new school and made II possible for the
university To have permanent quarters
much earlier than was anticipated. The
bonds sold at "a figure thai was crafty
ing to those who had fostered tht
scheme for placing them on the market
and as soon as their sale was assured nc
time was lost i'm getting TO work upon
the plans for the university. Governor
Smith appointed a building commission
consisting of j. II. T.. Ryman. T.. A
winstanley, j. n. Wood, q. T.. Higgin:
and j. II. Latimer. Messrs. Ryman anC
Winstanley resigned. and their place:
were filed by disappointment of ALFRED
Cave and Fred c. Stoddard. The boar
is organized with j. II. Latimer as presi
dent and J. X. Wood as secretary. TIT
first work OF the board was to select A
j. Gibson OF this city as supervising
architect of the buildings to be con
structed. and his plans We're prepare
without loss of time. The building
have already been fully described Il
these columns. The structure vii
be "A creditable one and ON
OF which the state, as well "a
the city. may well be proud. IL lace
the west, looking out over the valley
and the view from its windows Will d
magnificent. IL Is the cornerstone a
this building that is to be laid to-mor
row. The event marks the beginning d
the life of Missoula as the Cniversit
City OF Montana. and she sends to he
sister cities throughout the state
greeting on his suspicious occasion.
Concerning the work that the unive
slty has accomplished in It's temporar
quarters In the South Missoula publ
school building. the Standard has a
ready. during the past three years. ha
! much to say. IL has laid a strong foui
dation for future excellence In universal
, work. The curriculum has been mapps
out on broad lines and while there hi
: been much to be done In the first yea