Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-02-02

While the first federal census to in
clude Montana was not taken until
1870. territorial census was taken in
1864, preliminary to the apportionment
of the territory into districts.
In its issue for Oct. 8. 1864. the Mon
tana Post gave the distribution of the
territory's population as follows:
Madison county, 11,493; jefferson
county. 1905; Beaverhead county, 1,514;
MiSsoula county, $50; Deer Lodge
county. 800, and Chouteau county. 200.
Silver Bow, Cascade and Yellowstone,
now the states three most populous
! counties in the order named, were not
yet created in 1864, and were not Gre
ated until nearly two decades later.
| In an interesting article dealing with
the first territorial census, the late
Mrs. M. e. Plassman. daughter Of Ter
ritorial Governor Sidney Edgerton,
wrote:
In looking over a contribution of
Col Wilbur F. Sanders, to a now de-
funct Montana magazine, noted some
facts which are not familiar to the
are part of the history of our state
in its formative period, and of which
| Colonel Sanders was qualified to speak
| authoritatively.
.'One of the first duties of Governor
| Edgerton was to have census taken of
the inhabitants of the territory pre-
liminary to its apportionment into dis
tricts. The Hon. James Tufts acted as
| our first census taker-an office not
to be coveted when we consider the
scattered towns widely separated; the
methods of travel and its attendant
dangers.
If the towns were scattered, the in
habitants were more SO, as the major
ity of them were miners or prospectors,
LOOKING
These could not be rounded up for the
purpose of official recognition 1t is not
! surprising, then, to learn that Mr..
Tufts was able to give but an approx
mate estimate of the number Of per-
sons living in Montana. His itinerary
! Lodge, He'll Gate, Fort Owen, Black
foot City, Fort Benton, Montana City.
Gallatin. and Virginia City.
These places were reached, not by
railroad, automobile, or even by car
| riage, wagon or coach in the ma jority
of instances. but on horseback. A pack
animal probably carried the needed
supplies, as the traveller must provide
his own meals and sleeping quarters
while on the way.
After Mr. Tufts handed in his re-
| port the governor apportioned the ter
ritory into four council and five rep
reSentative districts, and called for an
seven councilmen and thirteen repre-
SentativeS were elected.
Colonel Sanders said the campaign
was heated one, due to the intense
feeling that always exists during war
time. Madison county had the greatest
number of inhabitants at the time of
the election. and if the apportionment
of districts had been made on the
basis of the census enumeration, Madi-
son county would have ruled the legis-
lature. The governor made the division
with view to the somewhat nomadic
condition of the territory,s citizens,
that had not become wonted to per-
manent residence. Gold miners were in
one place today, and gone tomorrow
at news of rich discoveries in other
localities. The result of this transitory
existence is seen in the many ghost
cities throughout our state.
1T should be constantly borne in
mind that when election for our first
legislature took place the Civil war
was at its crisis, and that the majority
of our citizens were in sympathy with
the Confederacy. For this reason it was
! remarkable that any republicans, or
war-democrats. as that wing of the
party was called which favored the
Union cause. were elected members of
either the council or the house. That
Union sympathizers found a place
there arose from these men having
been quiet concerning their political
affiliations. Such discreet action re-
suited in George Detweiler being
chosen speaker of the house of repre-
sentatives, although he was repub
lican;
THE Rogers incident delayed legis-
lation for a time, but was happily ter
minated by the resignation of Mr. Rog-
ers, and some much needed action was
taken. OF the sentiment manifested by
the members of the legislature there
was as little partisan feeling as could
be expected considering the tumults
OF the times, and the strong conviction
OF considerable majority of the peo-
pie
When we recall the hysteria and
bitter feeling called into existence by
the late war, it is astonishing how rap
idly our Montana citizens Of the Civil
war period modified their views in the
following years, as did likewise their
opponents on the political field Men
are no more normal in war time than
they are when part of a mob speak
OF the majority. Here and there a few
choice spirits preserve their sanity, but
their number IS always pitifully small,
and they are likely to pay the extreme
penalty for correctly viewing the situa-
ton. After all, humanity in its weari-
some ascent is only on the lower
rounds of the ladder.
Whatever criticisms our first legis-
lature merited, 1t should not be for
gotten that 1t started the wheels of
government In this isolated territory,
and enacted laws of which we are still