Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1905-06-27
You people of Billings have done a

y ou people OF Billings nave done
noble work for the state in taking the
initiative in this great step. You have
gone at it in the right manner mas
much as you have driven out of your
community every kind of knockers. A
town can never build up where one set
of men are telling that another set are
rascals. My own town, Great Falls, is
just now experiencing the effects of
this sort Of knocking. Billings has the
right spirit; if there was as much en-
terDrse in Helena as there is in Bill
lings that city would today have $4,000
inhabitants. Great Falls should have
5O,OOO
"A new era has dawned in Montana.
The time of big herds of cattle and inn
mense flocks of sheep is gone. Agri-
culture is now the king in this vast do
main. We have come to .>now that we
can produce anything in the line of
cereals in this great state, and the
quality of these products is unexcelled.
In 1898 this section of Montana
came through the panic without
scar: not a bank in eastern Montana
was compelled to close it's doors. About
that time the Burlington railroad built
in down here at Huntley, and immedi-
ately thereafter surveyed line from
Billings to Great Falls, the righe ac-
quired under and by virtue Of which
the company has maintained up to
the present time. The railroad was
never built, the organization Of the
merger prevented it. / earnestly hope
this league will take up the question
Of building this projected railroad With
private capital. 1t is only 200 miles
across. and the road can be built and
equipped for $4,000 a mile Such
road would furnish an avenue for the
development of the great northwest
country 1t would be no trick at all
for the fnanciers of this state to float
bonds for such an enterprise. 1t has
been suggested by way of discourage
ment of this plan that a private road
| could not secure favorable joint rat
| ings with the trunk lines al either end
| In case these trunk lines should re-
| fuse such ratings, all that would be
necessary would Dc to lay a complaint
| before the interstate commerce COM
mission, and the people Of the west
| Well known that the man who is now
in the White house would not defer ac-
ton on such a complaint There Is
nothing in that objection whatever
| All that is in the way is a lack of en-
terprse You could own the road
yourselves, and its building would in
sure an increased population to the
state Of many thousands of people"
The committee on nominations an
nounced that it was ready to make its
report which was follows:
For president, P. b. Moss, Billings;
first vice president, T. A. NARROW, Hell
ena: second vice president, John Mac
Ginnis, Butte; treasurer, II. 3. Wiley,
Miles City; secretary, A. Buchanan,
| Billings; members of executive com
mittee: p. H. Moss, Billings; Mathew
| Dunn, Great Falls; David Hilger Lew
istown; B. T. Stanton, Bozeman; w.
NJ Woodbridge, Hinsdale: A. P. Hem
mngson. Butte; George F. Stannard
Kalispel The committee recommend
ed that the constitution be amended SO
that the membership of the executive
committee could be increased from
to II. The amendment was adopted
and the following We're added to the
committee: F. l.. Sterling, Missoula
son, Forsyth: and F. S. Lindsey, Hell
ena. The entire report of the commit
tee was unanimously adopted.
At this point Mr. Hilser took oc-
casion to Josh" Mayor MacGinnins
of Butte on his statement made early
in the meeting that he had become al
agriculturist. Mr.. Hilger defined az
agriculturist as man who made
enough money in town to be able tt
run a farm, and the farmer as one who
lived on the farm and made enough
money off of it to run it, Mr.. Stantor
warned Mr.. MacGinns to avoid Judge
Holloway's mistake he said Wher
the Judge started in farming he wa.
laboring under the impression that ege
plants was produced from hens eggs
On motion of Judge Goss vote o.
. thanks was extended to the press o
. the state for the publicity given th'
call for the meeting, and vote o
, thanks was also given to the Mutua
: and Bell telephone companies for coul
+ tesies extended the delegates.
The question of selecting a place TO
! next years meeting was then brough
= up and the claims of Butte, Livingston
: and Great Falls We're presented. Ol
: the first ballot Butte received p votes
: Livingston q and Great Falls 8. Grea
e Falls was then dropped out in accord
e ance with the plan agreed upon, an'
/ a second ballot was taken, resulting Il
/ Butte receiving 20 votes and Living
e ston 2s. Chairman Moss announce
e that Butte would be the next meetln
= place, and the date for the meeting
e would be fixed by the executive cam
S mittee.
|. A motion was then made, and be
e fore presenting the same Presideh
e Moss warmly thanked the delegate
Y for their action in conferrins upon hlr
e the honor which he had received in DE
If ing selected as the first president c
g the new organization. The eonVehto
IS then adjourned.
e The convention was marked by III
: enthusiasm displayed and the total al
v scene of sectional iealousies or poVh
n cialism, and the session was character
i7ad lax- faalioo Of good Will ana pei