The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-07-22
Old Relics
Recall Events
Of Long Ago
Booklets, Letterheads, Checks
48 Years Old Found in
Pioneer Building.
STIRRING TIMES
IN MONTANA HISTORY

past recently came to igh
when the old pioneer frame
building was torn down tt
make room for the extension
of the brick building housing
The Play. Gilbert St. Marie
RACED the building and wher
SO occupied found several re.
minders of the days Wher
Libby was a young anc
struggling hamlet on the
frontier.
Several old checks were found
the oldest of which bore the date
Spokane Falls, w. T., July 20,
1885," The w. T. stood for Wash
ington Territory. The checks were
drawn on the Bank of Spokane Falls
and on the First National Bank,
Spokane Falls. The latest one was
dated November Is, 1890.
One check for 81 ,505.00 was made
payable to G. Fobbiano, one for
$4,000 was payable to G. L. Rudio
and one for $4,000 to w. Gerbrich.
Another document OF considerable
interest was letter from the gem
eral land office, Washington, .. c..
under date Of October 5, 1891, and
written to J. Meyertholem of Libby.
Apparently Meyertholem had writ
ten to Washington asking what
rights one secured by settling upon
unsurveyed land. The latter an
swered that question. One thing OF
interest was that the letter from a
governmental department at Wash
ington was written In long hand.
Evidently that was before type
writers came into general use.
One of the reminders of former
days was of unusual interest. 1t
was profuse1y illustrated 52-page
booklet put out by the city of Ana
conda, bearing the date of Septem-
Der is, 1894. The booklet was adj
dressed ITO the People of Montana, 2
and advanced many arguments why
said people should choose Anaconda
as the permanent capital of the
state, in opposition to the city of
Helena.
The convention that framed the
constitution of Montana made pro-
vision for the selection OF a perma-
nent seat of government of the
state. A vote on the question was
ordered taken at the general cleo
ton held in November, 1892. Any
city in the state could compete. If
no city obtained majority of the
votes cast in that election, another
election was ordered to be held at
the following general election but
at this latter election only the two
cities receiving the highest number
of votes at the first election could
compete. At the first election Hell
ena received l4,010 votes and Ana
conda 1918 votes. Butte was next
highest with 1852. The booklet
referred to advanced the reasons
why Anaconda should be chosen as
the permanent capital.
The booklet is profusely illustrat-
ed with views of business blocks
and homes. Bicycles and carriages
are seen on the streets but nowhere
does an automobile appear. A large
two-page panoramic view is given
OF the then growing young hamlet.
Perhaps the opening paragraphs
from the booklet will be of interest
as bit of Montana history culled
from the first days of statehood. We
reprint.
The Permanent Capital
To the People of Montana.
The fiat Of a carpetbagger fixed
at Bannack the first capital of Mon
stana; that was thirty years ago.
Later on, vote of the legislature
sent the capital to Virginia City. In
1875 judicial decree Of more than
doubtful probity gave it to Helena
BY virtue of courts manipulation
of count involving a grand total
of little more than 5000 votes
that city got the capital.
The time is within the memory
of men in middle life when those
who were Montana's pioneers gave
little heed to the Scrambles for the
seat of local government To those
citizens the regency of this city Oh
that was of small concern, SO mea-
ger were the commonwealth ex.
PLOTS, SO modest its ambition. Bui
Montana has become a state. 1t:
citizens have learned to honor it.
achievements; they discern, in par
at least, its splendid possibilities.
Life amid these hills is no longer
an adventure; the sons Of those who
made the trails are here. They love
this state; its prosperous future i,
their ardent aspiration. Some O
them will live to see Montana
population pass the limit which New
York could claim when Abraham
Lincoln took the oath as presiden
of the republic. In the breasts o
these men has been awakened, be
sides pride, a keener sense of duty
they will do right in all things tina
involve the welfare of the state. 4
few weeks hence it will become tn