The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-04-14
TREASURE STATE FARM AND LIVESTOCK
CAME IN
ON BARGAIN DAY
ON APRIL 80, 1908, THE VAST
LOUISIANA PURCHASE WAS
MADE FROM NAPOLEON
Daniel Webster Bitterly Fought Buy
ing of Territory That Includes
Montana, and Said 1t Might Lead
to Dissolution of the Union; Some
Early History.

Montana is given high praise and
her resources are discussed in pleas
ing historical fashion by Mrs. Peter
M. Myers in her book, 'The Coming
of the White Men to Montana" be-
ing distributed by the Milwaukee
Land company. Some excerpts tell
ing of Montana's early history and
the development of the resources of
the state are given here.
"April 80, 1902, was Bargain Day
for the United States" quotes the
story. France had thrown Louis
lana on the bargain counter. The
United States wanted a part of it
but when Napoleon demanded that
pay him $15,0O0,000, it seemed as
If he were trying to make a bargain
for France.
"This little piece of unknown land,
bought so r~ecklessly, included what
is now Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri,
Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North
and South Dakota, part of Colorado,
most of Wyoming and Montana an
area more than sever times larger
than Great Britain and Ireland com
bined.
Said Twas Bad Bargain
Gwen Madison, the then secretary
of the state, believed the purchase of
Louisiana would dilute the popula-
tion d~isastrously and probably lead
to a dissolution of the union Dan
iel Webster said, What do you want
with this vast, worthless area, this
region of savages and wild beasts; of
deserts of shifting sands and whirl-
winds of dust; of cactus and prairie
dogs? To what end could we ever
put those great deserts of endless
ranges, impenetrable and
covered to their base with the eternal
snows?'
"Poor Daniel, if he could only see
this vast and worthless area now,
with the rich, deep green alfalfa
growing far above the bases of those
mountains, and the eternal
SHOWS lending unspeakable beauty
to it all.
Except for Montana
NOW Montana was the tail end of
Pun ShoOC"d LOW Ii
3hes over a yard which are always
in with a remnant. Had Nap
,leon suspected the value of even this
title piece-this eighth of a yard or
would have raised the price
If Louisiana quite out of reach and
would read differently.
Montana was a part of Idaho un-
IL 1864, and then she was made a
erritory and given a name, and her
,orders we're made to stretch out
90 miles from east to west and 400
from north to south, from top
o bottom-a goodly size for a treas
re box. And some little compart-
nents in this treasure box coun-
les, they call them, are as large and
ich as some of our proud New Eng
and states.
Cup to the time of making Mon
ana into a territory she was known
My as the Land of Shining Noun
AIMS and the government kept wise
7 as close to the name as they could,
sing the Spanish for mountains, and
hat is how we came to have the mu-
ica1 name of Montana. But she is
Till and ever will be, The Land of
Mountains Some of her
glow only with snow, as they
their peaks to the sun; other,
'ock-ribbed and ancient as the sum
i've a ruggedness and grandeur most
in a land like this; and yet
theirs of her ranges are beautiful
18th the flocks that feed among the
Has Fine Start
"When Montana came into the
MON just 81 years ago, she did not
we a penny, but had money in the
'easury; and under her splendid
institution not even the legislature
In put the state under a debt of
yer 500, 900. The ruggedness of
lie country has worked itself into
lie natures and bodies of her people
i'd her laws are like them, strong
Id wholesome. The climate, which
,herwise might be severe, is tenn
cred by the chinook winds, the
bod winds which bring warm, dry
of air from the west, winds
hich will evaporate six to nine in
of snow in "a hours and leave
le wondering what became of it.
hese warn winds are what makes
ock raising possible and profitable
1T there.
Was Richest of All
fsAlmost as 500 as the Lewis and
lark expedition returned to St.
ouis and made their detailed report
President Jefferson, the white
began planning the invasion of
at rich, mysterious, wild country
,yond the Mississippi, and Montana