Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-10-07
PIONEERS ARE
IN SESSION
Trail Blazers Of the Treasure State
Met in Annual Session in Great
Falls Last Week.
MEET IN BUTTE NEXT YEAR
President Collins in His Annual Ad.
dress, Favors Establishment Of
Home for the Aged.

annual session of the Montana Soci-
ETY. of Pioneers began in this city
Thursday at 8 o'clock The business
meetings will come Friday. The gath
ering was called at the Grand opera
house, Mayor Freeman extended a
welcome to the trail blazers of Mon
tana in few well chosen words, A.
G. Wormley responding for the north
Montana pioneers The Rev. w. w.
Van Orsdel delivered the invocation,
and Col. w. f. Sanders and Major
Martin Maginnis delivered addresses
on Montana history which are well
worthy of being preserved in the
archives of the state.
President 7. L. Collins delivered an
address to the society and made a
number of recommendations. which
will be acted upon later at the busi-
ness meeting. After reviewing the
history of the state briefly. and tell
ing of the trials through which the
early settlers passed, President Col.
Inns in closing said:
President Makes Recommendations.
Il recommend that arrangements
for the burial of our dead members
and marking graves with appropriate
head-stones be left to the vice-presi-
dent of each county and TO the local
pioneer organizations. the expense to
be betrayed. when necessary, one-half
by the local organization or citizens.
and the other half by the Society of
Montana Pioneers.
II recommend the appointment of a
committee to devise ways and means
for the erecting of an enduring monu-
ment at the state capitol grounds, to
commemorate the achievements of
pioneer men and women, and that the
state legislature be called upon to ap.
propriate part of the money needed to
carry this into effect.
Home for Pioneers.
II have often heard the lack of pub
lie spirit of our well-to-do members
criticized because of the lack of a
much needed home for worn-out and
disabled pioneers. There are many
of them throughout the state who,
in their old age, should be cared for
in a home especially provided for
them. | hope some of our wealthy
members will take the hint and erect
and endow a home where the deserv-
ing old pioneer can pass the declizing
days of his life in ease and peace.
Il believe it is to the best interest
of the society that ii locate perma-
nently in rooms of its own in the
state capitol and devote more atten-
tion to the collection of early pioneer
history and biography. This informa-
ton should be gathered within the
next few years, or much of 1t will be
lost forever.
To Keep the Records.
Il suggest the appointment at this
meeting OF a committee of five, of
whom the president and secretary
shall be members, to be called his.
torical committee and whose duty it
shall be to gather and edit the his
tories of early expeditions and explo-
rations, prospecting trips, discoveries
of noted camps and gulches and ledg.
es, with accurate data. This should
include the original names of streams,
gulches and other objects and sub
jects. and changes, II any; also
schools, churches. societies, state
lines, courts, Indian narratives and
other data. too numerous to mention.
These collections. properly edited,
would be of great value for the use
of the future historian and biograph-
er. Volumes can be published from
time to time as the data and material
are completed and edited, but no pub
lication of this character should be
made by the society or by the state
without the careful editing and au.
thority of this committee. This COM
mittee. as a representative of the So.
ciety of Montana Pioneers, should in
some official way have to do with
state publications of pioneer history
Fridays Session.
3 AT business meeting of the Soci.
ETY. of Montana Pioneers held at the
court house Friday. Butte was unani.
mously chosen as the place of meet
ing In 1904, and Jno. Caplice, of that
city, was by acclamation elected as
president of the society. James San
ders, of Helena, was elected to sue
ceed himeslf as secretary Of the soci
ETY., and A. M. Hotter. OF Helena, was
elected treasurer.
Col. w. F. Sanders introduced res
olution expressing the gratitude oi
the society to Col. A. X. Mcclure fol
the part which the latter took in the
unveiling Of the monument to Y. Bied
Ter at Helena last year, and by tn,
resolution Col. Mcclure was unani
mously elected an honorary member
of the society.
The following were elected vice
presidents of the society:
William Rowe. Beaverhead: Georg'
Beatty. Broadwater; J. r. Holt, Car
bon: Louis Sanders. Cascade; Ira My
ers. Cascade; John Newbert, Choteau
George w. Liscomb, Custer; william
Logan, Dawson: A. NJ. Walker, Dee
Lodge; II. w. Hutchinson, Fergus
Jonh ]. Kennedy. Flathead; NelsoI
Story. Gallatin, E. w. Morse. Gran
lite; Edward Cardwell, Jefferson; Cor
nelius Hedges. Lewis and Clarke; inc
Vanderbilt, Madison; d. Folsom
Meagher; Andrew Lansing, Missoula
George W. Wakefield, Park; Amo
Buck, Rayalli II. B. S. Higgins, Rose
bud; J. F. Beck, Silver Bow; Miltol
Budd, Sweet Grass; James Gibson
Teton; George w. Lowell Valley; W
T. Hamilton, Yellowstone.
O. nta.l. I1u4ta and