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

sought regarding water rights. By 1890.
100000 acres Of land were under irriga-
ton.
Within a year after the organization Of
Montana territory the miners were plan
ming to seek admission as a state. The
first degelates to Ongre were instructed
to accomplish this as the more important
part Of their mission and agitation was
carried Soh for the next % years until con-
gress showed it's willingness to approve the
scheme. In 1856 a constitutional cOnven-
ton was held without any authority and
1t published a constitution, and it died
without ever receiving. any recognition. In
1889, however, efforts of q quarter of q CEN
fury were crOwned with success The pOpu-
iatiOn Of the territory had Increased and
the prOductOnsOf its percious metals vas
.On the increase.
/. The g~overnorsaof the state Of Montana, to
date, have been Governors J.. Ka@Toole, J.
e. Richards, RIB. Smith, JEK.aToOle, Ed
win Norris, S. v Stewart, I'm. Dixon, J.
E. Erickson.
Geography and Natural Resources
Montana is the third largest state in the
Union, having only the. states Of Texas and
California larger. The area of the state is
J47, 1S7 square miles, or 81 ,I99,690 acres;
5S9,440 acres Of this territory is water sur
face, therefore leaving 93,610,240 acres Of
land. United States geological survey in
Bulletin $50 gives the area as 1865 square
miles, including water areas.
Montana is bounded on the north by the
10th parallel Of latitude, and also the pro-
~ u LADGAN& AIN
Saskatchewan, Canada. It's eastern bOun-
Diary is the 10th meridian Of longitude, and
the states Of North and South Dakota. The
southern boundary is the 45th parallel Of
latitude and the states Of Wyoming and
Idaho. On the west, the state terminates
at the 10th meridian, the Couer d'Alene,
Bitter Root and Beaverhead mountains,
the latter being the Continental Divide, and
bounding the state on the west and south.
Idaho is the state that bounds Montana the
entire western distance.
Natural Divisions of State
There are two rather natural divisions
Of the state, the eastern twO-thirds, which
is almost entirely q part Of the great
plains, although this is divided into two
distinct divisions. The eastern part, or
the eastern half Of this is devoid Of noun
tains, while the western half Of rhe great
! plains portion has many laccOlithic m)"n-
tains in it. The western one-third Is de-
cidedly mountainous in it's topography, hay
ing besides many mountain range numer-
Gus intermountain valleys.
The drainage of Montana is in three di-
r%ections. The western one-third, the noun
famous district proper, is drained by the
Columbia river. A small northern part, q
portion Of Glacier National park and a
portion of the plains district, is drained
by WatertOn, Belly, Lee, and st. Marys
rivers to the north, ultimately into Hud-
sons bay. The third drainage channel OF
area is the Missouri and Yellowstone riv-
ers, and these embrace almost all Of the
great plains district. The rivers in the west
Cln part VI AuG pAuAA0 OAoLAAL
ally eastward, owing to the fact that theil
sources are largely in the Rocky noun
tains. In the northern section Of the east.
ern half of the state rivers Flow from the
north into the Missouri river, many Of
them taking their sources in ana II
the southern section, many Of the rivers
including some Of the larger ones, take
their sources from the mountains in WyO
ming, flowing north into the Yellowstone
The Yellowstone is included as a separate
drainage channel in Montana, owing to tn,
fact that it does not flow into the Missouri
river until the two are a short distance
outside of the state. They are therefore, ii
Montana. distinct and separate rivers anC
have their branches flowing both from tn
north and from the south. Henry Cannot
Of the q. S. G. S. states that the averag,
elevation Of Montana above sea level II
$500 feet" F~Orty-nine per cent Of Mon
.tana is under 5000 feet above sea level; 2
per cent from 5000 to 5000 feet; IA pc
cent from 5000 to 1000; 9 per cent from
1000 to 5000 feet, and Z per cent over 500
feet.
Montana has two national parks: Glacie
and Yellowstone and two national mOnu
ments: Big Horn Battlefield and Lewis an
Clark cavern.
Silver Bow is the smallest county fl
area, 69S square miles, but is the richest il