The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-02-11

steamboat to Fort Benton. In 1880, the first
railroad entered Montana and in. 1881 reach
ed Butte. This was the Utah & Northern,
later known as the Oregon Short Line. In
1888 the Northern Pacific line was com
pleted and Montana pioneer days came to a
quick conclusion.
Until after the discovery Of gold in. what
is now Montana, the territory possessed no
civil government. The country east Of the
mountains had been in turn a part Of
Louisiana, Missouri, Indian Territory, Ne
braska and DacOtah. All west of the Rock
les had been successfully a part of Oregon,
Washington and Idaho. The first county
IN Montana was MissOula county and was
formed by the legislature of. Washington
in 1861. James Stuart, the first sheriff,
congressman from Ohio and chief Justice
was elected in 1862. No protection was pro-
vided for the gold ~diggings of BannOck
and Virginia City and for a few years
there existed a state of laWleSSness. Road
agents and murderers stationed themselves
along the route Travelled by stage coaches,
robbing the miners of their gold dust and
numbering and plundering at will. So ser
iOus did it become that ~law-abiding citi-
zens instituted the organization. known in
history as the "Vigilantes Of Montana, and
summary justice was dealt out to perpe-
traitors of crimes.
The first courts in Montana were miners
courts and they mad their own laws re-
garding ownership of claims, and miners
were also the judges of these laws.
Montana Territory
This u-nOrganized condition led to a DOT
ular demand for a separate territorial gov
ernment, and this was authorized by con-
gress in 1864.
The bill authorizing the territory Of Mon.
tana passed both houses Of congress on
Ma 4. 1854. Two DAVIS later President Lin
coin, signed it. Sidney EdgertOn, a former
Congressman from Ohio and chief justice
Of Idaho, of which Montana was then 9
part, was the first territorial governor.
Governor EdgertOn called the first ter
| ifnrfol election IN no hold in Montana Opf
"a, 1864. He convened the first territorial
legislature on December II, 1864. During
this legislature, the following counties were
created: Beaverhead, Big Horn, ChOuteau
Dawson, Deer Lodge, Jefferson, Madison
and MissOula. A system Of courts was pro
vided and the people Of Montana elected
Samuel Mclean as their first delegate t.
congress.
Mining Resources Developed
Is a territory Montana developed hel
mineral resources with great rapidity. IL
1862 approximately $20,000,000 worth Of gOlC
was taken out Of the placer mines and IL
1883 this amount was doubled. The pro
ductiOn Of gold increased until 1868. TheI
there was a decline for a few years unit
1875, when quartz mining became common
since which time the production of gOlC
has been fairly constant.
In 1876 silver mining became important
and in that year over $1,OOO,OOO worth o
the white metal was mined. This increased
rapidly until in 1892 when the production
Of silver exceeded $20,0O0,000 With the de
mOnetizatiOn Of this metal, however, it
value declined and silver mines were quit
generally abandoned. After the republican
triumph in 1896, the p~ermanency Of tn
gold standard was assured, and since tina
time, silver mining has been hardly NOR
than a by-prOduct of other mining &C
%tivities. For the past few years, the valu
of silver mines in the state has varie'
from $6,00O,OO0 to 100000. During an
since the World war, the price and prOduc
ton Of silver have increased.
The production Of copper did not becOm
| important until in the eighties. In 1SS;
about $4,000, 600 pounds was mined, and al
most every year since then has shewn
marked increase. It is almost impossible
at the present time, to say definitely tn
value of the copper mines in the state, bu
it reaches into the millions of dollars.
In the eighties, the people Of the terri
tory began to turn their attention to plan
for irrigation. The first irrigation ditche
were planned and constructed on privat
initiative and each man had his own systeI
: of irrigation. Water was not carried an
great distance, and at first only a sma
part Of the arabic lands were put unde
irrigation. The prOductiveness Of this il
) rigated land, however, so far surpasse
, that Of nOn-irrigated land that cOmpanie
were formed to carry out cooperative plan
? for irrigation and special legislation wa