Daily inter mountain., 1900-12-21
FRIDAY. HECF.MBtIk, Il, l9oV
MONTANA IN 1900.

This has been a great year for Mon
+ana M state in the union has such
wealth of diversified natural resources.
such richly mneraGzed mountains
such vast plains suitable for pas
toral pursuits such extent of viIain fdf-
ests NJ stat has Meter AGRICULTURAL
land. Coal, too. is abundant and "l good
ouality, and the rivers furnish such wa
ter mower that ne long Montana will
become a manufacturing state. In WhlcR
the crude products Of mine and farm ana
range will be changed into articles for
mems use. The time is coming when
much Of our hardware and machinery
our clothing. our prepared foods, intlud-
ing sugar, and other merchandise now
imported from the east and west, will be
manufactured by our own people with
our own capital. thus saving millions OF
dollars which go to enrich other states
at the expense of our own
The present important industries Of
Montana however. are precious Gal
base metal mining and grazing. With
their auxiliary pursuits. For some years
at least these Mill continue the th.et
dependence Of the 225,0O0 people WHO
make up the states population. Az a
mining state, Montana easily holds first
rlace in the union. For the year now
drawing to a cl0Se THE value of the total
production Of copper. silver, lead and
so'l win approximate $50 600 600 Truly
most wonderful evidence OF natures
prodigality and mans enterprise aal
genius. Four-fifuhs Of the vast sum mus5
be credited to the Butte district, which,
# copper Were money might be called
tn treasury OF the world. When to the
states precious metal output is added,
the value of the cattle shipments and Of
the mutton and wool products and of the
fruit and cereals whose unequalled quali
ty has created a recent demand in the
east, the Inter Noun tain is easily with
in conservative lines in stating that
Montana's total exports for the year 1900
amounted in market value TO fully So
Goo, 900.
There are two reasons for Montana $
transcendent prosperity and its present
extraordinary promise of continued de-
velopment. The first is that the re-
sources are here to be exploited. The sec
ond is that public patriotism is such that
the capital which is indispensable to in
dustral progress has felt secure in the
enjoyment Of it's rights under the laws
The intelligence and character Of our
people and their devotion 10 the prn-
cipes of good government are quite as
much resources Of the state as are
its deposits Of copper and gold. Mon
tana would be yet a wilderness, We're Il
not Tor the fact that the pioneers laiG
wide and deep the foundations for 8
stable government; that they adopted {
constitution, and are pledged to carry
out its provisions, under which the rights
Of all men are safe, be they rich or poor
under which justice shall sit enthronet
the chief safeguard of the people,
constitution which encouraged the i'm
migration of the poor that they ma,
build homes, school houses and churches
and find honest labor for their hands
which invites the investments of the ricl
that great industrial enterprises may b
state, giving employment to labor,
guarantee of perfect security and equali
ty under the law and an opportunity t
reap the profits of their enterprise. Thu
has Montana been peopled and devel
oped. Thus has it grown rich and pros
porous. Thus has it come to be the fore
most mining state in the union, Wher
capital and labor respect each other an
work successfully for the common goo,
The Inter Mountain has rea son to /
proud of Montana and It's Intelligent an
patriotic inhabitants. 1t has known
their trials, sympathized with the
hopes, and aspired to be factor in the
triumphs. 1t rejoices, in the closing da,
of the year, to point out the cause ar
the extent of the remarkable growth
the states industries, to give cred
where it belongs-to the people then
selves. 1t predicts with confidence
continuation of good times as long as Il
Jaw shall be supreme as long as pea
and order prevail: as long as the scho
mouse and the church are the proude
possessions of the people. The dawn
the present century antedated all kno'
before men knew of the wondrous rich
of our mountain treasures But its clio
witnesses mighty transformation
this corner of the republic and newhe