Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-05-02

TuNHE message OF Governor Green clay
Smith in 1867 furnishes instructive
4 reading for any who are interested
in the early history Of Montana. l
found a copy of it, published the same
year it was delivered by Tilton and
company of Virginia City, in the Leg
gat library, Butte. Such official dOcu-
ments are generally regarded as dull
affairs, that do not appeal to the ma
jority of those who constitute the read
ing public. 1t presented itself, how
ever, as a pleasant surprise, when l
glanced through it.
Our second territorial governor was
as happy in his choice of words as he
was courtly and tactful in his deal
ings with men. All who knew him
testify as to his charm of manner An
article like this is necessarily too short
to treat of the message in full, but l
will try to give some idea OF its con-
tents.
In it mention is made of the calling
of volunteers to fight Indians, and the
ready response on the part OF u citi-
zens. They were mustered out of the
service by General Terry, the COM
mander of this department. on Oct. l,
1867. This rebounds to the credit of
our people, but the sentences following
do not. Governor Smith says:
II am panied TO announce hat a
large number who had been mustered
into the service, upon receiving the
order to muster out, ~disObeyed the or
der, possessed themselves Of the quar-
termaster and commissary stores, some
$50 horses and mules and deserted.
Every effort was made to prevent this
disgraceful act, but to no avail; and
cinon fhat~ Incor{inn oil hoe hanp dny,n
that could be to arrest the men and
recover the property belonging to the
government. / am inclined to the
opinion that SO gross an outrage would
not have been committed by so many
men, but for the objectionable conduct
of one Hughes, who was the instigator
and leader of the movement. The eff
forts of Colonel HOWE and Lieut.. Col.
Nelson could not prevent the action of
SO large and well organized a band"
The foregoing is sufficient proof that
the laWleSs element vas not extinct
here. 1t also indicates why the citizens
Of Fort Benton and vicinity preferred
to take their chances with the Indians
rather than with the volunteers, who
expected to live off the country.
From the auditors report we learn
Montana had property valued at a
total Of several millions. There were
Ice, $40 acres under cultivation, 800
town lots, and over a million dollars
worth of merchandise. There were Il
bankers, 1873 liquor sellers, and 81
taverns where liquor was sold.
The report that the government
would contribute annually toward the
building and maintenance of a peni-
Tertiary must have been welcome news
at a time when jails served but as a
precariouS means for the confinement
of criminals. Those sentenced there
sometimes remained voluntarily or, the
craving for liberty proving too strong
dug themselves out.
It was also recorded that a code OF
practice for the territory had been
adopted, most of the lawyers ~favoring
the California code. Gradually, very
gradually, we Montanans organized
ourselves socially and drew away from
the primitive conditions which hither-
to had existed, as they always do every
where until law is established. Until
that time arrives, the rule Of the strong
est prevails.
There was a report of G. c. Swallow
on what could be raised here. Agri-
culture in Montana is still in its ex-
perimental stage. In 1867 it was just
UC6ulilAIlB w NC ouSpcCtCO Illdu Italy
of the vegetables grown in the east
could be produced here. Mr.. Swallow
called attention to our native fruits
urging their cultivation. This is quite
as advisable today as it wa then. Some
Of Jul native berries, notably the Wilc
raspberry which annually reddens the
slopes Of our mountains, are far bet
ter than any others.
Considerable space was devoted tt
the cause of education. We had bui
few schools, yet the demand for then
increased rapidly. In Beaverhead coun-
ty, where my cousin, Miss Lucia Oar
ling, taught the first school in the ter.
ritory, there was in that year nc school
nor was there any in Chouteau county
EdgertOn county, now Lewis and Clark
had three, and Madison county eight
The message said:
Your attention is directed particular.
ly to the subject Of common schools
1t is scarcely necessary for me to dis
cuss this matter. Education should bt
provided for every child of whatever
condition, and it is confidently believed
you will pass such laws as will open thu
way to all to improve the mind, ane
thereby become reputable citizens il
the community and assist in the grea'