Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-04-17

strike in Alder Gulch.
liar service in what Is now Oregon.
Washington and Idaho.
No Churches Then
During the days Of our territory
when every institution and place OF
amusement was wide open night and
day, little attention was given to re-
! ligious matters. Accordingly, Merrt-
man introduced council bill No. 20. an
act for the better observance OF the
Lords day Bill was read for the first
time and moved to definitely postpone
the bill. After a close vote the bill was
sustained and referred to the judiciary
committee.
While there was no church edifice
at Bannack. the first Methodist pio-
neer circuit minister to enter the ter
ritory was at that place.
He had arrived during the summer
of 1864 and his name was Smith. He
secured permission Of the council to
| hold services on the Sabbath within
the council chamber hall. Apparently,
for some reasons not detailed in the
law book the arrangement was not
satisfactory. Either there was too much
| fuel and coal oil consumed or the
congregation was too hard on the fur
niture At any rate, Potter on Jan. IA
offered the following resolution: Re-
solved by the legislative council Of the
territory of Montana, that resolution
passed by this house granting the
privileges and use Of this council
! chamber to religious assemblies, be
and the same is hereby repealed. Mo-
ton adopted. On motion of Bagg, the
sergeant at arms was requested to in
/ form the Rev. Mr.. Smith Of the pas
sage of the resolution.
No Funds for Highways
The territory having no funds for
bridges and highways, found it more
| expedient to allow the user of the
, more difficult passageways the burden
of keeping it up. Accordingly they
granted individuals permits to operate
toll roads and toll bridges and ferries.
| We find on Dec. 81, the following
act was passed: Bill No. 20. an act
to authorize Zedekiah Stone and as
sociates to construct and keep a toll
bridge across the Beaverhead river.
On the following day in the same
connection we find our old pioneer,
scout and trapper, Jim Bridger, men,
| toned. James was a jolly old charac-
/ ter possessed with two Indian wives
enjoying romantic names, and he lived
long life as varied and hazardous
as any man who ever rode on the west
| ern plains. On Dec. %, 1864, the house
passed bill No. 80, an act granting a
charter to James Bridger and Robert
Hereford for a ferry across the Vel
lowstone river on the Bridger cutoff.
To give the modern driver who steps
on the gas while crossing over a free
bridge an idea of what the pioneers
had to contend with in the way of toll
| for being ferried across a river, here
| is a list of the fees allowed by the
first territorial legislature as provided
in council bill No. II; for each wagon
drawn by one pair of horses mules or
cattle, 50, and for each additional pair
of horses, mules or cattle, the sum OF
so cents; for loose cattle, horses or
mules. 25 cents per head.
1t will be readily noted that trail
blazer" with string team large
family and a few COWS trailing behind
was relieved of considerable gold dust
from his buckskin sack whenever he
crossed a stream that could not be
forded.
Extra! Extra! Weekly News!
The daily mail, the telegraph. the
telephone and the radio caused our
grandfathers no loss of time or sleep
but to expedite the delivery of the
news from once a month or such a
matter Worden of Missoula introduced
ON Dec. %, 1864, memorial No. l, pro-
viding for a weekly mail from Vlr-
ginia City, via Silver Bow and Deer
Lodge to He'll Gate (MiSSoula), thence
to Fort Owen tStevensville), Willow
Creek and also to Jocko. This bill was
referred to the committee on federal
relations and then passed.
While skilled with the pick and pan.
we find the education of the miner
and the use of the pen was sadly
neglected and one of the first laws
passed was a measure validating the
use of the cross and marks other than
signatures on written instruments.
The lawmakers of the first assembly
were equally thoughtful in providing
for the education of the children to
be born in the territory, for on Jan.
13, 1865, they passed council bill NO.
80, an act establishing a common
school system for Montana territory.
That the councilmen should be pro-
vided with the latest news as well as
reports of their own work. Thompson
offered the following: Resolved, That
the sergeant at arms be required to
furnish each member with one copy OF
the Montana Post each week during
the remainder of the session: also two