Judith Gap journal., 1909-12-31

presents so great contrast to the
ideas formed by people before its soil
was made accessible to pioneers and
settlers, that it seems almost as a
dream or as if some magician had
thrown his magic wand over the land
and produced its wOndrous transfor-
nation.
That the transformation has taken
place no one can question. If, when
in the sixties people came into this
region and saw what must have
seemed to them an almost illimitable
wilderness, any one of them had
possessed the prophetic vision he
could have truly said in the language
of Holy Writ, "The wilderness and
the solitary place shall be glad for
them, and the desert shall rejoice and
blossom as the rose for in
the wilderness shall waters break
out, and streams in the desert, and
the parched ground shall become u
pool"
The truth is that these natural re-
sources which today made Montana
SO famous and SO prosperous have al
ways been here. They had simply
been hidden in the womb of the ages
waiting until in the fullness of time
men should swarm across its borders
with spade and plow, shovel and pick
~ ~ nE a thooo roco, =, rooc NUN ;1o I,ls, for
the enrichment of mankind. But for
the hardy pioneers and settlers COM
ing with grim resolution and inter-
prise these untold natural riches
would have continued untouched and
undeveloped.
1t is well to pause at this time,
which reminds us that it is but twenty
brief years since Montana became Il
state, to give credit to those industri-
Gus and courageous men and women
who in the early days cut adrift from
the comfortable homes and social
and other surroundings. to which they
were accustomed, in order to make
new homes for themselves and de-
velop this new land. So rapidly has
development taken place, so quickly
and thoroughly have the roughness,
crudeness and lrardships of those pi
oneer days given way in many places
to the wealth, ease, refinement and
advantage associated with our modern
life that there is danger of our for
getting to give due honor to those
sturdy souls who laid the foundations
of structure that has become CON-
mOnwealth noted for it's intelligence,
progressiveness and prosperity.
We now little realize the dangers
that beset them from hostile Indians
ready to pOunce upon them in un-
guarded moments. In fact, the early
history OF this state is marked with
the tragedy Of battle, outrage and
plunder which brought disolation to
many homes. We just as little re-
alize the hard struggle for existance
through which many of those pioneers
passed. Many of them came almost
destitute of money or goods, but they
were possessed of strong will, reso-
lutaness Of purpose, industry and
adaptability, and while some failed,
by far the greater part gradually sub
dued the wilderness, emerged from
their hard and difficult conditions and
steadily rose to a position that en-
abled them TO rejoice in the sense of
victory and to enjoy the fruits Of
their labor.
In all this the early settlers were
working for the good of others as
well as for their own. by their sue
cess and by the way they demon
strated to the world the possibility Of
acquiring wealth and making happy
homes in this new state, and by their
discoveries in the mineral realm
within its borders they proved them
selves true forerunners to be followed
by hosts Of immigrants and settlers
from other states eager to share in
the advantages Montana had to offer
them. The growing cities, throbbing
with the activity of modern business
life, the magnificent mining plants
pouring out their steady stream of
copper, lead, silver and other miner