Newspaper Page Text
THE WEEKLY HERALD. R. E. FISK,..........................Editor. THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 18TT. m A MON IS IN THE WAY. Since reading the various articles which have been published in anticipation of the possible submission of the railroad proposi tion two weeks from to-morrow, we are made painfully conscious that to all enterprise there are imagined obstructions or invented ob stacles. The New North-West, accounted not wholly uninformed as to fact nor lost as to pride, has published two articles upon rail joads which it is no exaggeration to say have amazed its intelligent readers. Its law is not sustained by authority or reason, nor are its assertions sustained by facts. Its statement that narrow-gauge roads do not cost over $4,000 per mile, we spoxe of on Saturday. Since then we have been shown the proceed ings of the convention of advocates of nar row-gauge roads, held at St. Louis in 18 <2. It fully confirms the statement that ordinarily well constructed roads of three feet gauge do cost $18,000 per mile. Short roads of two feet gauge, designed for small private enter prise, may be built for even less than the price named, but trunk lines for a large busi ness will cost $13,000 per mile and upwards. The right of Montana or Captain Mills to build a railroad in Idaho, we are advised is a question upon which there is not any conten tion among courts whatever. Denver has built zroads outside of her corporate limits, and no city in the East of 300,000 inhabitants can be found whose bonds have not been issued to roads for their construction outside the muni cipality. We have been shown a decision to be found in the 21st Ohio State reports, invol ving the right of Cincinnati to build a road in Kentucky and Tennessee, where the right is sustained. Equally erroneous, we are advised, is Capt Mills' law as to the propriety of submitting to the electors whether the aid provided in the law shall be granted or no. Many deci sions upon this question are gathered "Cooley's Constitutional Limitations" against the position of the New North - West. Equally foolish to us seems the fascination that a rail road commission had to the editor of our West aide contemporary. To him the pay ing for a road a given sum when you get it has the ,'odor of jobbery," while appointing inexperienced men who may betray, who may be outwitted by sharpers, has the odor of sanctity. We reflected somewhat upon this question when it was pending in the Legislature, and it seemed to us the commis sion was cumbersome, expensive, and useless, It seems so still. We knew about what the road would cost us and about what we coulc afford to give. To allow men to offer more was foolish ; to give them discretion until we knew who they would be was a violent test of trustfulness ; it opened the doors to delays, to betrayal, to corruption, to personal scram bles and local bickerings, and it put in peri the very interest sought to be promoted. We perilled our all by placing it in the hands of the "Great Unknown." We presume that railroad enterprise will not again look toward the transcontinental line for connection. Here, the project for connection with the Missouri river has strong supporters and it will be consummated. It will be of the highest advantage to the people of Meagher, Jefferson, Deer Lodge, Lewis and Clarke, and Choteau counties. It will be of great but lesser advantage to the south ern tier of counties. On their account the failure of the Utah Extension is to be greatly regretted. Our people are not contented with present possibilities because they include enough to eat. They believe that the esti mate of them which holds them poverty stricken squatters, content with enough of game and vegetables to satisfy hunger, which consigns them to the pecuniary, social and moral backwardness of the present for an indefinite period is a degrading estimate, and they will hardly bury their aspirations for a better life under the apprehensions of the croakers that it is the highway to starvation. Meanwhile the situation has its amusing aspects. The estimate in which the busy world holds our intelligence may all be read in the dispatch from the Northern Pacific Railroad published by us Saturday. In the apprehension that Gould & Co. would accept our offer and that a fierce campaign was im pending they sent that chaff across the conti nent, with instructions to "notify the news papers," to catch such venerable birds as have heretofore been fooled with it by this same company. Our readers will recall the names of the more prominent of them who found a fitting representative in the last Leg islature in Mr. Hays of Gallatin. They are men who live on delusion and strive to see how many they can beguile into a snare. Destitute of pride they are willing to be laughed at by all the generations they survive. Their animosities feed them with motive power and they lag superflous on the stage to arrest all progress, by appealing to the nar rowest and basest of motives and passions. They are not so malicious as ignorant, not so unbending as shameless, and while they are permitted by some inscrutable Providence to try our patience, it becomes us to endure them with great good nature. Happily they are not numerous even in Montana, and per haps their hostility to railroads is nothing more than self-defense. To such menthe statement of Mr. Stark that "the company had decided to call a stockholdei'g meeting to obtain authority to build west of the Missouri river" would furnish ammunition for a whole , campaign and would be dished up in the Times , Conner , and Missoulian , in the same type and words that are used to express sin cere statements. As if it was not money in stead of authority that were wanted to build that road ; as if it was not action by the Directors instead of a meeting of the stock holders that was needed, as if we were not advised that the company is in articulo mortis and that Congress was discussing the proposi tion to wipe it out as a cumberer of the ground. Meanwhile these industries and peo ple stagger under burdens grievous to be borne. Property is not remunerative, labor does not reap its fitting reward. Worse than this. We dwindle in population, in developed wealth, day by day. We write of an existing condition of things, but the ceaseless draught upon population and resources goes on, so that each week presents us a new condition and a new enigma. It takes no prophecy to foretell the result in a near future. It is only a mathematical calculation. And after ex periencing this depletion for years, after all this discussion men and papers are found who refuse to recognize the situation, who are in different to the cause, who laugh at the peril, who pervert the facts, and support no plan looking to the public amelioration. In the face of a position so serious, calling for the exhibition of the highest elements of charac ter, it becomes us to set an example of cour age and daring, of fortitude and prudence, of enterprise and industry, not folding our hands in discouragement so long as effort will avail. We have before enquired as to the undevel oped wealth of the country. The next ques tion—and it is a question which presses with a force which may not be resisted—is, can w r e under the conditions which surround us make these resources minister to realization ? Or shall they in the near future disappoint expectation and feed only Hope? To us who now live shall what w'e know there is of good in Montana, "Shine to elude and dazzle to expire." Insane Asylum Award. Dr. Mitchell, on Wednesday, received a telegram from Governor Potts advising him he had been awarded the contract for keep ing, clothing, maintaining and medicating the indigent insane of the Territory. The price is $8 each per week for any number. This is considerably less than the insane have heretofore cost, and the conditions of the contract involve much better care and treat ment than they have heretofore had, speci fying that " the treatment shall be of the same character that patients now receive in the best regulated asylums in the States.' Drs. Mitchell & Mussigbrod are associated in the contract, both have made a special study of this treatment in connection with the care of the insane of this county, and have had marked saccess in restoring or ameliorating the condition of those in their care. They have purchased the Warm Springs Hotel, 20 miles from Deer Lodge, and will at once fit it up as an asylum. It is one of the finest properties in Montana, a hew'n log building weatherboarded, commo dious and only built a few years ago. In con nection with it is a 160-acre ranch including the Hot Springs, elegant bathing rooms and swimmiDg bath, barns and outbuildings. The rooms are large, well lit and ventilated, and the property in excellent order. No more desirable place could have beeu secured in Montana, and there will be many regrets that it no longer exists as a hotel. We understand there are now about twenty indigent insane in the Territory. The physicians who have taken the contract will give it their personal attention, and we are sure the poor creatures whose reason has been dethroned will be better cared for than they ever have been in Montana, while the expense will not be half what was contemplated in the act passed by the Legislature and pocketed by the Gover nor.— Northwest. Eastern Montana. Mr. C. W. Hoffman, Post Trader at Fort Ellis, has received authority to act in that capacity in the field with Gen. Brisbin's com mand. Mr. Harrison, of Upper Willow' creek, was in Bozeman several days lately. He is a strong railroad man, and favors the subsidy. Four or five soldiers, we learn, deserted from Fort Ellis last Tuesday night, taking with them two of Paul McCormick's horses. General N. A. Miles, commanding the troops on Tongue River, has recommended to the War Department the purchase of wire for a military telegraph connecting Bismarck, Dakota, with Bozeman, Montana. Also the Yellowstone Valley with Fort Fetterman. He says similar appropriations have been made with good results iu Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and Indian Territory. The opening of the Yellowstone Valley to navi gation and settlement opens up a vast country to civilization, the resources of which have, up to this time, never been developed.— Boze man Times. if . Ta. AU,»ny Journal holds that the policy , of the President, so shrewdly adapted to the atnation, does not mean any surrender of iepublican principles or any disregard of the just interests Of Southern Republicans. The Inter-Ocean says : "It is asserted that it was a part of the Democratic plan to in duce the Republican Senate and the adminis tration to repudiate the Southern returning boards, in order to weaken the title of Presi dent Hayes to his office and create a wide spread dissatisfaction. President Hayes was too discreet and Senator Blaine was too sharp to allow any part of the party to tumble into that trap." STOCK GROWING. A letter just received from one of the larg est stock dealers in Chicago, who visited the Territory three years ago, and then bought largely of our young cattle, after many in quiries about what kind of a winter we have had, and how stock looks this spring, says "I am fully persuaded that Montana is the cattle country of America." Such is the tes timony of one who has dealt largely in stock from all parts of the country, who has been in our Territory and seen our ranges, anc tasted our beef. It is no small thing in ad ditiou to other rich and well proved sources to have won such a reputation in this direc tion. It must be borne in mind that cattle raising is an occupation that is destined to grow more and more remunerative. The great body of consumers is increasing rapidly even at home, while yet more rapidly all the ranges for growth of stock heretofore known are giving out. Texas is being covered with a net work of iron rails, and its pasture lands turned to the growth of cotton and grain. Another fact is equally true that cattle grown in the hilly and mountainous districts are superior in quality to those grown on the plains and in warmer countries. The Alpine districts of the country, including the foot hills and mountain slopes of the Rocky Moun tain region, are destined to become famous for cattle growing. Montana has a very large share of this natural pasture land, where for centuries past herds of buffalo, deer, elk anc antelope have grazed. To us these regions seem so solitary and extensive that we often wonder if they could be turned to good ac count. The answer comes to us now, full, clear and satisfactory. There is not an acre more than is needed ; there is not a spear of grass to be spared. The markets of the work are open, and the reputation of our grass-feel cattle has extended into foreign lands, The experiment of shipping beef from this country to England has been sufficiently triec to have precipitated a crisis among the stock growers of that country. Even if offered at the same price, it is agreed that American beef is of better quality than the English, but our shippers have been able, with good pro fits to themselves, to undersell the English about four cents per pound. Already the difference of price exceeds any possible mar gin of profit, and either cattle-raising must cease in England or a duty be levied on Ameri can beef. But the manufacturing and com mercial interests of England demand cheap food, and the same interests that removed the duties on corn will oppose the imposition of any on beef. The vast interests of Ireland anc Scotland that have been depopulated to fur nish pasturage will again revert to settlement and cultivation, and the British Isles will every year become less and less stock raisers and more and more stock consumers. To gain some conception of the grazing facilities of this country, a person needs but one view of those square miles of buffalos that even now are to be seen at times along the upper Missouri river. Here is pasturage for the world. Even Montana safely take the contract to furnish beef to the nation, and could do better and almost satisfy the continent besides. We know that this question of cattle raising has before had its day of interest among our people, and has died away a great deal. When it first opened there was a home demand to supply at a very high price. We all know how easy it was to overstock this market, and then there was no standard of prices till we reached that of the stock center of the country. There is no danger of overstocking that market. At the prices now ruling, stock-growing is as reliable and profitable a business as any in the world. There is just as much money in it now as there was in the day when cattle commanded the highest price in gold. The only differ ence is that one must raise more head to gain the same profit. Instead of looking for a profit of $10 per head each season, he must look for a profit of a dollar ahead on ten cat tle instead of one. To a person starting bus iness with a single calf the day of triumph and fortune may look more distant, but after all those who will set about it with good judgment and stick to it will win and cannot possibly fail. Sheep culture and horse raising offer about equal inducements. In fine, we have a Ter ritory with dormant fortnnes above the grass roots, as well as in them and below them, and yet men will leave, saying they can see nothing for them to do. The St. Louis Globe Democrat has this reference to the verdict in the Sullivan case : " The legal machinery of Chicago has lately been put to the test of trying a celebrated murder case, which, of course, has ended in the acquittal of the murderer, as all celebra ted murder cases are sure to end, and the question is whether the legal machinery of Chicago has not broken down under this or dinary test. It would be very strange indeed it had not done so, as any other verdict than an acquittal would hare constituted Chi cago as an exception to that universal rule which makes murder the safest crime a man can commit, and in acquitting Sullivan for the murder of Hanford, the Chicago court and the Chicago jury have merely shown themselves to be of that stuff that juries are made of alike in St, Louis and in Ban Fran cisco, in New York and in Oshkosh." The Milwaukee Sentinel has a column edi torial on the Sullivan case, in the course of which it says : " To one who has followed he evideDce in (he SaIliTan murder trial thc venJict of nittal Beem s a mockery of jus üce The kilHng of Hlnford waa a dear case of murder, and in any other community there would have been a different verdict." is a it of it, of to a in )ut : her vast ve. less CONSISTENCY IS A JEWEL. One of the most amusing incidents within the range of our recent observation is the charge made by the Bozeman Times against the editor of the Conner. It is no less than this, that while the editorials seem to be all anti-railroad of the approved style, their whole effect is spoiled by the tendency of the selected articles, which heretically instill the idea that railroads are beneficial to the coun try. Does Bogert realize what a source of anxiety this tendency of his scissors has be come to his Argus-eyed mentor ? Surely he cannot be so hard-hearted as to needlessly in flict this constant, heavy burden of care and anxiety upon shoulders already heavy laden, and therefore we earnestly entreat of the Courier man greater caution in selections, but due attention to his tone of conversation and general behavior. There is nothing like be ing consistent, and what is the use of pre tending to oppose improved methods of travel and transportation while accepting improve ments in other directions. What kind of con sistency is that which prefers the pack-mule to a steam engine, and will not at the same time advocate the superiority of the distaff to the cotton mill, the spinning-wheel to the power loom, and the sickle to the har vester ? Even light bread and broiled steaks are an innovation dn bacon and hoe-cake, and show a tendency liable to recognize the su periority of cars to stage-coaches. Our gran ger friends must watch out carefully and re member when they use a polished plow in stead of a crooked stick to stir the soil, that they are exposing themselves to the charge of being innovators, and inferentially favor ers of railroad. It is really amazing as well as amusing to trace out to its legitimate consequences this argument of consistency. Will it not neces sarily land its advocate in the golden age of fig-leaf dresses, root and corn diet, and other things to match ? The railroad is really a representative of civilization, and one can hardly maintain his consistency without re jecting the whole net-work of civilization along with its chief representative. If the editor of the Times is so merciless in enforc ing consistency upon others, we should cau tion him to look well to his own foot-hold. The tendency of the doctrines it is now dis seminating is to do away with schools and newspapers. Children should not seek to know more or do different from the parents, according to this school of philosophers, and of course there would be no need of news papers to those who believe the old is better than the new. The man who can run a print ing press and oppose a railroad is a living contraditions, the greatest inconsistency pos sible. The real trouble is not the one that the Times imagines. In fact, the Times itself is endeavoring to be thoroughly inconsistent, and finds fault with the Conner for being less thoroughly inconsistent. A man falling over a precipice might as well insist on stopping half way in his fall, ns for an editor repre senting an occupation that itself is a pure outgrowth of civilization should stop where it is and fossilize. The serpent that under took to swallow himself tail first had com paratively an easy task to that of the Courier , which seems bent on attempting to swallow itself head first. We confess that we have a different am bition for Montana than that which seems to satisfy some of our contemporaries. Instead of ten square miles of land to the inhabitant, we would prefer an hundred to every square mile. We want to see the millions of tons of ore now locked in the rocky vaults like mi sers' hoards brought forth to sun light and human service. We do not believe that the Creator of the world hid away so much wealth in our mountains because he didn't want it used, else he would not have created it, but to stimulate our ingenuity and indus try, and give us a sense of its value. We are not particularly surprised to hear that the Chinese are opposed to the introduc tion of railroads into their country. They teach that it is a sin for a son to pretend to snow more than his father, hence any order of nobility obtained, instead of descending to children as with other nations, reverts to ennoble all his ancestors. But' %v a man outside of China, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Montana, and above all, a proprietor of a newspaper to seriously op pose the introduction of that greatest of all civilizers and wealth creators, the railroad, reaches to the acme of inconsistency. It is a fact not generally known that Mr. William M. Evarts, when he first went to New York, was engaged in literary and jour nalistic work. He wrote for the New World , mammoth weekly sheet, edited by Park Benjamin, with whom were associated Epes Sargent and the late Henry C. Deming (after ard a member of Congress from the Hart ford district, Conn.,) as associate editors. The Inter-Ocean special on Cameron's resignation says "the old Senator said the other day, when he was trying to keep Don in his place as Secretary of War, that he (Don) was rich, and had nothing to do now )ut have fun. Politics is the Cameronian dea of f un, and the old man, having had enough of it, is going out to let the young man in." England slaughters sixty-five thousand of her mining laborers every three years, and a vast majority of the accidents are preventi ve. Chicago owes $13,436,000 to bondholders, besides a floating debt of $4,395,692. The average of the debt per capita is something less than $50. SILVER SHIPMENTS FOR 1877. Fine Mars. rtwin w»u. a iw iuaiui iu....................... 9so oi Shipment March 20........................ ö ' 950 Total ............. ....................1100,93(731 The Territorial Fair. The premium list, with rules and regula tions of the Eighth Annual Fair of the M. A. M. & M. Association, has just been printed and placed in thc bands of the Secretary. It bears the imprint of the Independent , and is a very fair job. The Exhibition begins on Monday, September 24th, and continues six days. The entree fee heretofore charged on articles or animals exhibited has been abol ished, and hay and straw for stock are furn ished free. The following is the programme for each day during Pair week : In all races three horses are to enter and three to go, and no horses will be allowed to enter for any of the following races that have not some merit or reputation for speed. All races not otherwise desiguated will be to rule and weight to age. Monday.—Entry of stock and articles for exhibition, and arrangement of the same upon the grounds. At 3 p. in., running race, one-half mile dash, free to all, catch weight, for a purse of $200—all to the first horse. Tuesday.—Continuation of entries until noon. At 2:30 p. m., running race, mile heats, best two in three, free to all, weight to age, for a purse of $1,000—$800 to the first horse, and $200 to the second. CiTEn tries for this race to close on Sep tember 15, 1877, at 6 p. m. Wednesday.—At 1 o'clock p. m. calling of committees, examination of sheep, hogs and poultry. At 1:30 p. m. grand parade around Floral Hall of all stock on exhibition. A failure of any stock to appear will exclude it from competition for premiums. At 2:30 p. m. running race, three-fourths mile dash, free to all, catch weight, for a purse of $250 —$200 to the first horse, and $50 to the sec ond. At 3:30 p. m. stallion trotting race, mile heats, free to all, best two in three, for a purse of $150—all to the first horse. Thursday.—At 2 p. in., Annual Address, orator to be hereafter announced. At 2:30 p. m. running race, two-mile dash, free to all, catch weight, for a purse of $300—$200 to the first horse, and $100 to the second. At 3:30 p. m. running race, free to all, six hun dred yards, for a purse of $200—all to first horse. Frida} r .—At 1U o'clock a. m., Examination of Roadsters, Saddle Horses, Cattle, and all otner stock and articles not previously ex amined ; Reception of Reports of all Award Committees, and the placing of Badges de noting Premiums. At 2 p. m., Running Race, mile dash, free to all, weight to age, for a purse of $250— $200 to the first horse and $50 to the second. At 3:30 p. m., Trotting Race, best two in thrçe, free to all, for a purse of $350—$300 to the first horse, and $50 to the second. Saturday.—At 3:30 p. m., Running Race, mile heats, best three in five, free to all, weight to age, for a purse of $1,000—$800 to the first horse, and $200 to the second. fciTEntries for this race to close on Septem ber loth, 1877, at 6 p. m. fcsTAll horses entered for any of the above races must be at the Judges' stand promptly at the time advertised for the race to start, or withdraw from the race, losing their entrance fee. mm « ■ ---- Financial Condition ot Madison and Beaverhead Counties. The financial report of the receipts and ex penditures of Madison county for the fiscal year ending March 1st 1877, shows the net indebtedness of the county at that date to have been $82,301 91, an increase of in debtedness during the year of $21,841 30. The cause of this increase was the final pay ment on the new Court house and jail build ing, amounting to $10,500 ; fees of ex-County Clerk, A. Y. Corry, $4,200, and writing up road journal, indexing commissioner's jour nal, and county records, which work had become delinquent prior to December, 1875, amounting in the aggregate to $5,325 20 making a total of $15,825 20. The financial exhibit of Beaverhead county shows the in debtedness of the county on March 1st, 1877, to be $20,113 38, an increase during the year of $15,840 40. The building of a new Court house and the prosecution of several expen sive crirual cases in the Courts during the year are the causes of the large increase in the indebtedness of the county. What Resistered Betters Are. An exchange says : "The question is very often asked : What is the difference between registered letter and any other ? The dif ference is that a registered letter does not go in the mall proper. It passes from hand to hand outside of the mail pouches, every per son through whose hands it passes being re quired to sign a receipt for it on receiving it, and secure a receipt for it on passing it over to the next transit. The person holding the las*: receipt is thus always able to show who accountable for its loss. The responsibility rests upon the man who has signed a receipt for the registered package, and who is not able to produce the package or a receipt from somebody else for it. The safest way to send money is by money order. Where it does not go to a money order ofiice it should always be sent in a registered package. Money ought not to be sentin an ordinary let ter under any circumstances. There is no possible way of 'tracking' such a letter. Norfolk, Virginia, has become the second cotton port in the United States. The ad vance of the city in commercial importance has been very rapid.