Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-10-23

him, he redoubled his efforts, scorn-
fully unheeding the fact that when
Montana ceased to be a territory, he
also ceased to be governor.
He was aided by other leading men
Of the commonwealth, but there were
able men, too, who opposed the admis-
sion. In the end, the governor and
his friends won their fight and Mon
tana became a state in October, 1889.
His tenure of Office as governor at
an end, he returned home, but he wa
still to serve the people of Montana
and B%eaverhead county in numerous
other official capacities. Elected repre-
sentative again, he was chosen by his
colleagues as speaker Of the house,
and fulfilled the obligations of that
office with his usual dignity and ability.
He also served as senator from Bea-
verhead county. He was one of the
leaders of the fight for the establish
ment of the Montana State Normal
college at Dillon. Successful in bring
ing about the incorporation of Dillon
as a city, he was elected its mayor and
served in that capacity for several
terms.
In 1888, he was elected president of
the First National bank. AS an off,
cial of that institution, he probably
did more than any other mar to bring
about the development of B%eaverhead
cOunty'S agricultural resources, those of
the Big Hole basin in particular.
Today, the Big Hole is one Of the
worlds most famous livestock regions.
In the sos it was largely unsettled,
utilized mainly as range. The rigor-
Gus winters, the distance from the rail-
road and other real or imaginary dis
advantages discouraged stockmen who
might have entertained ideas of settling
permanently in the basin.
But Governor White saw in the fer
tile valley the markings Of an agricul-
tural empire, and he backed his judg-
ment and faith with cold cash. Acting
upon his favOrite and oft repeated
axiom, "a mans word is as good as
his bond" he loaned money with a
pronounced disregard for actual Sc
curities. 1t was said of him that he
could read a mans character with un-
canny accuracy after mi or two brief
meetings. There must have been con-
siderable truth in the assertion, for in
spite of his lack Of respect for the con-
ventional methods Of lending money,
the losses that he sustained from his
unusual procedure were SO trivial that
they are not worth mentioning. On
the other hand, the development OF the
Big Hole, and other sections as well,
was fastened at least a decade by the
f~inancier's abiding faith in men and
the country.
He probably loaned more money on
cattle paper" than any other banker
in Montana. During times of stress,
when StOckmen were hard pressed,
Governor White was lenient to a de-
gree that would be considered reckless,
perhaps, by conservative business men
of today. Many a rancher was brought
back from the verge of bankruptcy by
the governors willingness to stretch a
point or two in regard to security for
the loan. His Judgment was vindi-
Gated many times over. When he died
in 1920, the First National had been
recognized for years as one of the
strongest livestock n IN the enIlre
nation, a distinction very largely at
tributable to its presidents financial
genius.
He watched over the livestock indus
try of the county like a father, the
interests of ranchers even at heart.
During the war years, when wool was
bringing huge prices, Governor White,
old as he was, personally supervised
the weighing Of every pound brought
in to the old First National warehouse
in Dillon, just to make sure that the
grower received every penny that was
coming to him.
Governor White was married in 1879
to Miss Elizabeth Davis. daughter Of
a prominent Idaho pioneer and ter
rltorial legislator. Mrs. White now
mnkpC hpr hnv,o H. Coxto hnQ Calf