The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-12-15
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not be able to build thcir contemplated
new court house until 1901, instead OF
next year as contemplated. The com
missioners Of the county were about to
submit the question of bonding the
county to the people, but Attorney Gen
eral Nolan now declares that the ques.
ton should be submitted, il at all, at
q general election. The next general
election comes in November 1900. and
il the proposition should carry then,
the building oonld not becommenced
until the following year.
The laws Of Montana now provide
that persons filing water rights must
state the amount Of water they claim
in cubic feet per second. The old law
recognized the time.honored western
measurement in miners inches, each
being the amount Of water which
would flow through a hole one inch
square under a head Of six inches.
With slight variations this rule held
good from the Missouri to the Golden
Gate. The new system will be easily
understood when it is known that one
foot per second equals forty miners
inches.
At the meeting of ths state board of
game and fish commissioners held Sat-
urday in Missoula the matter for the
report to the governor was carefully
gone over and arranged. The report
will be prepared in a very short time
and submitted. 1t is intended by the
board to call attention to the difficulties
under which they work at present,
under existing laws, and by this report
place before the governor and the pao.
pie the exact condition Of affairs, so
that the matter Of suitable legislation
may be fully discussed before hand,
and not after the legislature meets.
One hundred and twenty teams and
200 men are being employed at present
on the Merino extension of the Mon
tana railroad and work is being pushed
at a rapid rate. A large force Of men
is also at work Oh the main line Of the
road, widening the establishments, con.
structing new bridges and in various
ways adding to the value of the road
bed and making the construction more
permanent. 1t is said by travellers re-
GENTLY from the line that it ia taking
OH a more and more substantial char
acter and would hardly be recognized rs
the same road by one who had ridden
on it 500 after it was first operated.
The new superintendent will inaugu.
rate improvements in the service at |
once.
Senator James 7. Anderson of
Meagher county died Tuesday at his
home in White Sulphur Springs. The
senator passed away ut 8 O'Clock that
morning. The senator's death was
caused by appendicitis. Senator An
derson was Ia prominent figure III the
late senatorial fight. He belonged to
the faction of the democratic party OPP
posed to the election Of Mr.. Clark.
He was chairman of the famous Joint
investigation committee called upon the
eve Of the senatorial fight. After the
senatorial fight he took a deep interest
in the proceedings of the legislature.
For several months it has been common
m that at the next democratic con-
vention he would be nominated for a
state Office.
In the senate Of the United States
Senator Garter has introduced a bill for
the relief of certain citizens of Montana
claiming the benefit Of the homestead
laws; granting to the state of Montana
80, 900 acres Of land to aid in the estab.
lishment and maintenance of an asylum
for the blind; for the relief of Charles
T. RAIDER; to reimburse the state of
Montana the sum of $3.50 for fees err
r%oneously expended in certain land So.
lections; for the relief CT William
Flanhery; making further provisions
for a civil government for Alaska; for
the relief of Andrew Lindsay, Of Ran
cher, Custer county granting pensions
to Nellie L. Groshon, Elizabeth w.
Walker. Odilia Logan. and Fidellar
White.
The report OF the state mine inspec-
tor, John Byrne, for 1899, which was
filed with the governor Monday. is an
interesting document. 1t tells Of a
promising development Of the mining
industry in Montana and points out
whers there may be further improve.
ment. He makes some recommended
tions looking to the better protection of
the men engaged in mining in Mon.
tana, among them the appointment Of
a commission Of five, representing the
men and the owners, to draft laws suit
able and TO present them to the legisla.
ture at it's next session for enactment.
The report gives the statistics Of acct
dents and an appendix gives the details,
of all the accidents. The report says
there were forty nine fatal accidents
the past year.
Probably the most noted piece of
mining litigation ever tried in the state
Of Montana was commenced in the
United States court in Helena Monday.
In point of the amount of money in.