Helena weekly herald. [volume], May 27, 1886, Page 2, Image 2

About Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900

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JOURNALISTIC JOURNEYING.
John McOafferty Waxes Pleasantly De
scriptive of his Rambles in Alaska—
What is Seen in a Trip from Port
Townsend to Juneau.
Jcneac City, Alaska, May 10, 1*86.
To t lie Editor of tlie Herald :
.Since the date of the last communication
from here I have Ireen to New 5 ork City
and returned, via San Francisco. this, in
a measure, accounts for the protracted
silence. It is now too late to produce the
result of my observations while in the Fast,
and thcreiore I shall entertain your readers
with a briet sketch of the return trip from
j'ort Townsend, including a few local
items of general interest, which may prove
useful to many persons thinking of this
Territory as a future field of operation.
As the steam tug boat Novelty was at
Port Townsend undergoing repairs pre
paratory to her trip for Cook's Inlet, and
being insured for the outside passage to
Sitka. 1 arranged with Captain J. A. Lock
hart tor the trip in her, as it would afford
me a view of the coast range lrom the ocean.
Therefore, at 4 p. m. ou March Hist, the
Novelty being ready for sea, we east ofl ,
from the wharf and steamed out ot the
capacious harbor at the rate ol nine miles
an Lour. It was a calm, clam-like even
ing, being somewhat overcast. Retiring
early we enjoyed a delightful rest, and at
7 a. m. ran into Departure bay for coal. As
the mines are not in full operation, owiDg
to the condition of the coal market at Fort
land and Ban Francisco, the coal was not
brought down till late in the afternoon,
which prevented our sailing that day.
About that 9 a. m., in company with
Capt. Lockhart, I boarded the steam ferry
boat for Nanaimo, which is three miles
west of Departure Bay. The town was
wrapped in gloom, owing to the almost
general suspension of work at the mines.
I soon grew tired of the dismal place aud
walked back to the Novelty over a most
tortuous trail. Notwithstanding opinions
to the contrary this eoaiiog station has
reached its zenith of commercial greatness.
The next morning, everything being in
place, at 5 a. m. the Novelty again east off
aud steamed out of the beautiful little
bay. As the weather proved damp and
eh illy the greater portion of the day was
devoted to whist, and cribbage, with the
odds against the skipper and chief engineer. :
At 4:30 p. m. we rounded Maude Island
aud entered Seymour Narrows at the turn
of high tide. As we ran through the pass
- I
theie was not the least sign of the danger- !
ous whirl pools encountered at lower stages
of the tide. It being the Captain's first trip
oyer
this route we congratulated him for
having reached the narrows at such a
favorable stage of water.
Reaching Fort Rupert, situated ou and ,
near the northeastern corner of Vancouver's j
Island, at 4:50 p. m. on the 3d, we ran into j
1 leaver Harbor, where we came to anchor j
in nine fathoms of water, as the engineers
required an opportunity for overhauling the
circulating pump. After supper, in com
pauy w itli Mr. Coilius, the mate, and Mr.
Richards, the chief engineer, I went ashore
wbere we were received kindly by Mr.
Robert Hunt, a worthy pensioner of the
Hudson Bay Company. Home time after
the retirement ef the company from this
tally field of its past greatness Mr. Hunt
who had come out fiom Fnglaud in the
interest of the company, and who had
assisted in the establishment ot I-ort Ku
pert, purchased the buildings, furniture,
etc., including about 100 acres of en
closed ground f rom the company, where he
he has ever since resided with his
Indian wife and a very interesting half
breed family. His fine farm is fairly
stocked, having one bull, cow and calf,
stocked, having one nun, cow auu can,
sixty head of sheep and lambs, some hogs, ,
and about 200 hens. The garden, al«nit
two and a half acres, containing a few
fruit trees and all kinds of berry bushes,
w as already cleaned for this year's planting
and sowing, aud would compare favorably
with any in the East. Before entering his
residente Mr. Hunt introduced us to Mr.
Bliukinsope, another old pensioner, and in
reality the pioneer seruaut of the company
in these waters, who now resides in one ol
Mr. Hunt's buildings, with the distinction
of 1 icing an Indian agent, having about
2,000 Indians within his district. He is 75
years of age, w hile Mr. Hunt is 67 years
old Being ushered iuto the dwelling, we
were duly presented to Mrs. Hunt and her
eight giown up children—four sons aud
lour daughters. After the enjoyment of
some accordéon music aud a lew songs, the
ladies retired to another room, when Mr.
Hunt proposed a game of whist. After
rubber w ith these
enjoying the honor ol a
noble pioneers, we bade them good-night—
a kind farewell, with the hope that they
may have a pleasant passage across the
mystic channel.
At 5 a. m., the 4th, we weighed anchor
and steamed for llecate Strait, which we
entered about !» a. m. We were now sail
ing N. W. by W. I N., with a fair
and all sail set, making about twelve m
per hour. We were jubilant over the
prospect of a delightful sea voyage. But
w ind !
iles
about 1 p. m. on the 5th. the circulating
pump refused to work, and, alter a con
sultation with the chief engineer, the cap
tain ordered our course changed so as to
make Refuge harbor. Entering Edge pas
' ■■ . .. .. . l _
spousible lor
nuniD when our captain decided upon the
hiside passage" to Sitka. As I had
planned lor an outside view of the coast
range this change in our route proved a
disappointment • however, the machinery
lK-iuJ Rust us I joined Rickards in the
•issertiou that mishaps are the forerunners
of ble-ings but to our dismay the skip
VuxkT off by everlastingly going lor
sage about 4 p. m., we soon after ran safely
into Refuge harbor, wftere we dropped
auchor about 5:30 p. m. The engineers
worked on the pump" all night, and
iu Mr Rickards would uot he re
..... the future action of the
per
"that d— d pump." At 9:30 a. m. the an
thor was weighed and we crossed Dixon
eutrame, the famous line of "Fifty-four
forty, or fight." Passing Fort Tungass at
3 p. m. aud out of Chatham Sound and
into Rivilla Gigedo channel at 4 p. m., we !
dropped anchor at the north end of St. !
Mary's island in 11 fathoms of water at 7 p.
m. Weighing anchor at 6 a. m. the 7th, .
we continued our "inland passage" through j
Tungass Narrows to Yank's island, where
we anchored at 7:55 p. m. Fort Wrangle
is six miles east of this island. We got
underway at 6 a. m. the 8th, but to our an
noyauce "that — pump" refused to move
and we were compelled to drop the "wind
hook." Our engineers being obliged to
overhaul the unruly circulating medium,
the captain said : "This steamer will not
sail before to-morrow morning. You may,
therefore, go fishing or hunting, as
you please." As there was a drizzling rain
1 preferred to remain aboard and
swap yarns with our angry skipper, which
he finally seemed to enjoy, though he
would ever and anon l»eat off on to "that
d—d pump!" Got underway at 5 a.m.
the 9th, and entered VV rangle Narrows at
slack tide about 7 a. m. Running too near
a point, we scraped the rocks badly, and at
10 a. m. we ran on a reef at Lone Point,
over which we got by mere chance. As
the keel was not only badly damaged,
but the iron projection was also
bent upward so as to prevent the screw
from revolving, the Novelty had to be
lieached for repairs. About 6 p. m. the
vessel was floated ashore between Bayou
aud Prolivap points and placed in proper
l»osition. At 10 p. m.. the tide being out,
all hands were employed in making the
Decessary repairs, aud, when completed,
the Novelty was floated to mid-stream.
At 5:30, a. m., the 11th. we steamed from
Wrangell Narrows across Loneboi channel
and into Prince Frederick Sound.
Passing Povorotnv Island at 11
a. m.. we entered Chatham
Strait at 2 p. in., and rounded St.
Gardner at 3 p. m. Sails were again set,
the first time since the 7th. leaving
Kuprianoff Islaud to the northeast, we
had Baranoff Island ou ihe portside. and
Admiralty on the starboard. Our course
being northeast to the entrance of Pearl
strait. Anchored in Lindenberg harbor at
7:40 p.m. It is a snug little cove. The
engineers were again obliged to overhaul
the pump. Weighed anchor at 7:30 a. in.,
the 12th, and steamed for the rapids, but. :
as the tide was ebbing fast, we dropped
the mud hook in Keadman bay. At 1 p.
m., with flood tide, the anchor was hove
up again, and we entered the rapids all
right, hut struck a rock three miles be
yond, off which we swung with no
damage to the vessel. Finally, at 7:45 p. j
m., we ran into the lieautiful harlior of j
I
Sitka, when the auchor was dropped in
five fathoms of water. Alter such a trip I
could reasonably apply for a pilot s certifi- I
cate, as 1 should be able to navigate these
waters. About 7 a. m. the Novelty steam- 1
1 iuto the wharf, where she had some
ed
coal to take aboard, when she would cast
oil' for Cook's inlet, distant about 550 miles
to the northwest. After shaking hands
j with the officers aud men I bade them
good-bye, hoping that they might have a
pleasaut run up the eoast, notwithstanding
"that d— pump" to the contrary,
During the day I called upon the new
officials, none of whom have yet been cou
firmed. They were not in a pleasant
siontr, "receive theirs." It they should
not receive confirmation llieir position
would prove ludicrous in the extreme,
There is no telling how the present tomcat
may yet jump.
There is just now a little excitement at
Sitka, owing to the arrangements by the
is an outrage," they say, "inasmuch as the j
Republieans holding over," the collector of j
enstoms, clerk of the court and commis- .
frame of mind, ow ing to not having re
ceived any portion of their salary. "This
Dr. Fuller company for the opening of the
mining properties at the head oi Silver
these operations will never pay a dividend:
unuiug -......—
, bay, alwut fifteen miles east of Sitka. But,
if 1 have not miscalculated the ground,
therefore there is nothing, absolutely
nothing to justify any sort of emigration
to Sitka.
As the steam schooner Leo was adver
tised to sail ! for Juneau at midnight, the
13th, I secured passage in her as all my
eastern mail had been directed to this
place. Tbe good ship Leo got away on
time: and, after combating strong head
winds, we finally reached here at 11:30 a.
the Jßth. I was soon ashore, when I ;
met many warm friends, one of whom, the
enterprising Peter Bulger, took me to his
home, w here he made me his guest during
my sojourn in this section, 'ihe old-timers
—the progressively industrious pioneers—
were all glad to see me back, saving, with
a merry laugh, "You can have anything in
this camp, but don't write any more
letters; we are not saints, you know !
Juneau City is almost as quiet as Fort
Benton.
Chilkoot pass to the head of the first lake,
stampede to uncertain gold fields near the
Stewart river, which is one of tbe head
tributary streams of the Yukon. About
100 nieu have already left this camp in
search of that golden phantom. The route
This is the result of the recent
from here is by boat up Lynn canal to the J
Chilkoot mission, distant *90 miles; thence
with Chilkat Indians as packers over the
which is now rated the boundary line,
the distance traveled being about
miles, lor which the Indians charge $12
per hundred pounds for packing. As they
-- - 1
allow no one else to pack over this trail, they
have an ironclad monopoly oi the packing
I .. j :____. ___„„a no^cttrilr frnm inn
to four persons go in a party.
j of $250 a man for supplies and packing
j over the Chilkoot pass, this stampede has
cost the participants $25,000. No "dust
| has ever been brought from the interior, j
j "What," I have asked, "has created this
excitement?" I am still looking for some
> one who will venture a reasonable reply.
Iu fact, from all the information I have
b^n able to gather from the most reliable
persons, I am forced to the conclusion that
to the interior. After reaching the
lake, boats are built for the
1 trip down the lakes aud river, ihe
necessary lumber is whip-sawed lrom the
! adjacent timber, and necessarily from two
At the rate
it is a steamboat racket, aud therelore the
| mining elements of Montana and elsewhere
I would do well to await the report of this
season's result, before arranging for a trip
to the Siwash region.
The placer operators of Silver Bow basin
are only now arranging for the reopening
of their mines. As the winter hung on
three weeks later this season than last, the
miners say, "We will not be able to oom
mence operations before the 1st of June,
which will leave us a short season." These
mines are being worked out rapidly and
there will not be more than eight in opera
tion this season, one-half of which will he
worked out before October next. There:
are no quartz mines in the basin, though
there are several locations, which may be
developed to the sinking of some capital,
bnt which will never rank as mines.
Therefore, as this town depends entirely
upon these surface mines, it has no chance
of expansion; necessarily poor men should
avoid it as they would a poor house.
The mine aud milling operation on j
Douglas Islaud continues its monthly divi
dtndsof twenty-five cents per share, di- ,
vided into 100,000 shares. The total out
put is about $50,000 a month. Senator !
Jones, of Nevada, is said to own 24,000
shares. The entire operation is carried on
by slave labor, there being at least sixty
Chinese employed at the rate of $1.50 per
day. A recent published letter from Gov.
tions of office i If their acts were in error
could the Lnited States be held responsi
Swineford made it appear that Mr. Tred
well, General Superintendent, being unable
to get white miners, was therefore obliged
to ship the Celestials from San Francisco.
This is not in accord with facts. It was
and is merely a question of cents aud
dollars. Fvery movement of this company
indicates a first class grub and grab game.
Swiuel'ords recent effusion for confir
mation also sj»eak3 of the great agricultural
jiosaibilities of Alaska. It is pure rot. Such
letters are pernicious in the extreme,
especially when written by the Governor
of the Territory. No jierson desiring to
farm should ever come to Alaska for it.
The industries of this Territory aro, and
ever will be, fur, fish aud mineral. Even
these are on the decline. There are some
few opportunities for the investment of
capital, but poor men should look elsewhere
for employment. For summer tourists
Alaska will ever seem a wonderland.
A term of the U. S. District Court has
been celled to convene at Sitka some time
this month. In connection herewith I
have asked this question : As the U. S.
District Judge has not l»eeu confirmed and
the U. S. District Attorney and U. S. Mar
shal have neither lieen confirmed nor given
bonds, can they legally perform the fane
_ _ , a , . . .. . -, I
ble ? I am ot the opinion that Congress
and the Senate would retuse to recognize
the national liability. There being no
bonds where would be the responsible fac
tor beyond the individuals themselves.-* I
should be glad to receive additional light
upon this question through the medium of
the Herald.
Yours very trulv.
JOHN McCAFFERTY.
Action of the library Trustees. 1
At thejmeetiug of the Trustees of the
Free Public Library last evening rules ot
organization were adopted and the Board
organized by the election of permanent
officers.
The choice of \\ . F. Cullen was a proper
recognition ot the services ot one through
whom the law was enacted for the estab
ILshment aud maintenance of Free Public
Libraries. I
Mr. R. H. Howey will make an efficient
Secretary. His heart is in the work. i
In the matter ol the selection ot rooms tor
the Library very serious difficulties were j
encountered, which it was impossible to
surmount altogether. Ihe choice tell at
last upon the three rooms on the second |
floor of the Murphy Block on Lower Main
street. The only other place in competi
" 11 *■ **'■"" " ,1r ' , ' T ni
" ; 1
tiou were the rooms on the second floor ol
the Herald building, which were more :
ceutral, but in other respects less advan
tageous. Mr. Ashby lieiug one of Ihe
Trustees undoubtedly made a more liberal ;
offer than any one else would. Ihe rooms
selected are light, convenient and furnished
with gas and water. Thej will be put iu
complete repair, and are furnished for $30
per mouth on a three years lease. Before j
the end of that time the location will be
more central than at present.
The matter of rent cut considerable
; figure, for the amount at < the command ol
the Trustees is limited and the expenses
numerous aud heavy. Every one who
cares enough for good reading to have it
profit him will not mind going a few steps
out of his way to get it, especially in a j
country where there is so much clear ;
weather and good walking during the year j
as iu our city. Upper Main street has a I
reading room at the Y. M. C. A. quarters,
iu the Gamer block, and it was of some !
importance to distribute such blessings.
Still greater difficulty was experienced !
in selecting a Librarian. There were 1
seven candidates, and all good ones. Ihe
majority of the Board considered that the
nature of the duties, at least to begin w ith,
J required a man. The means at the dis
posai of the Trustees will not allow of the j
employment of more than one person, who
will have charge at once of the heavy 1
work of moving, and during most of the |
year the rough w'ork of handling the fuel,
It is doubtful if one person can do all the
work that will be required; certainly one
1 ...it.
woman could not do it.
The choice fell upon Mr. Chas. H. Snell,
an old citizen, well and favorably known
as a man of unwearied industry, patience
and care, with skill and taste to make
everything al>out him neat aDd orderly.
The Dosition is not an easy or paying one
return besides the pay, he would not look
in that direction,
j subdiu e among li.e
tees, each member having the chairman- |
sh.p ot one.
The work of preparing the fc rooms, cata- ,
loguing the books and moving begins a
once, and will he pushed with the utmost
: dispatch.
The position is not an easy or paym
and unless tbe incumbent looks lor some
The chief work of the Trustees has beeu
standing commit
An anjourued meeting will be held next
Monday evening, when the committees are
expected to report progress.
K. NICHTS OF LABOR.
The Knights of Labor meet to-mor
row in general assembly at Cleveland,
Ohio. It is going to be a very import
ant meeting on many accounts. It can
and we hope will do very much to set
tle the prevailing strife between capital
and labor, or better, between employers
and [employes. The current of events
since the call was first issued lias done
much to clear the atmosphere and de
. .
termine the resu t. lere was a line
"hen the more violent mem era o e
order were in the ascen ency, ut t e
Chicago riot brought, public opinion to
a focus and has created such a strength
of opposition to violent interference or
secret intimidation, that it wouid be iin
possible for any organization to stand up
and -face the public on any hesitating or
doubtful platform.
There is one law for capitalist and
laborer. Either may combine and con
su it openly or secretly for mutual pro
Section and interest. There is a ten
( j enc y that must be watched and checked
ou both sides towards conspiracy, seek
ing a lawful end by unlawful means.
It is necessary that both end and means
should be lawful.
Strikes, if they are to have recogni
tion in any form or degree, must be re
duced to legal proportions. To assume
control over other people's property or
the attempt to prevent other men from
working who want to work on any terms
that are satisfactory to them, is not to
be thought of. Owners of property
alone have the right to its use and con
trol. One man's right must not be
pushed to a degree that infringes on an
other man's right.
Acting within these legal limits, there
is still a wide field for consultation. In
all that workingmen can do to increase
their independence as well as their earn
ings the general sympathy of the public
will go with them.
< hand Master Powderly has expressed
so many conservative and rational views
on the labor question that we should
like to see him sustained and kept in
command. It will require almost super
human wisdom and exertion to keep the
organization out of politics.
Trades unions have of late exhibited
a jealousy of the more general organiza
tion, liable to precipitate a rupture at
any time.
The strength and influence of the or
I ganization does not dei>e»d half so
, , .. ----*
much on numbers, as the intelligent
conservatism manifested.
\\'edo not think
we are in any great
^ an ^ er j n this country from aliens owning
our ] an ds so as to justi
.___ justify the legislation
d . Payson . About a n tbe dam
, . . , , ., . . v , ,
aga has been done already that is likely to
he done. There will be no more railroad
Texa8 owns her OWD P ublic domain
and has done the most selling of land to
aliens The Southern States have acquired
j ar g e amounts of swamp lands from the
„ eneral government, and these have been
so |(j to aliens in vast quantities. So far as
these swamp lands are concerned, they are
wor thles8 to siegle settlers. They have to
,] ra ined on a large and expenseve scale,
f ore jg„ capital can lie induced to under
take this worki j t certainly is a large pnb
ij c benefit. The land cannot lie carried
away or eateu up or escape taxation. It is
j us t as fully subject to our laws, though
jj(le j s held by foreigners. It is bad
j- or U8 to have large tracts of laud held in
idleness merely for a rise, but this is just
a8 bad in the hands of citizens as aliens,
q'h e ge foreign land owners who send over
to cultivate their lands are doing
U8 l)etter ^„jee than those of onr citizens
holding large amounts lor a specu
Aliens w ho send over their
uo
who are ho]
lative ri se.
money to iuvest in our various stocks or to
] oan au( j w ho draw the profits aud interest
and t ake them over the seas to spend,
evat jj n g taxatiou, are doing us more real
harm than those who own our lauds and
are improving them. In times past we
have beeu greatly indebted to foreign capi
j a j help develop our resources. Now- we
have waxed fat and rich and will soon be
loaning our wealth abroad. It is not for
us at this late day to begin any restrictive,
narrow legislation that will, teu to one, be
retaliated upon us and do us perrnauent in
jury in many ways.
By all means give us a constutioDal
amendment forbidding polygamy, with
powers iu Congress! to make the probibi
tion effectual. The only reluctance we
feel iu the matter is a shame in having it
appear that any such amendment was
uecessary, but that humiliation is little
compared with the tact that we have the
degrading institution itself, and it has sur
vived and grown fat in spite of a good
deal of laborious aDd costly legislation,
Now we say fight it at every corner and
tuiu, in and out of the constitution, till it
is dead, buried and forever barred from
any possibility of resurrection. It has
been more than once suggested that the
cunning Mormons might pretend reform
and repudiate polygamy till they could
get Utah admitted as a State, when they
would revive it readily and be out of
reach of the intervention of the national
I---------i jg we J{ enom rh to fix it so
government.
that there will be no chance lor any here
after to the nasty thing when once cast
out.
| ^ the Democratic party in Congress hopes
to hold on to its ill-gotten power by reius
, inc the right of citizenship to Republicans
wherever it is possible. Such means may
Yi>'. Dakota has been refused adnns
siou as a State l»ecause her voters are
mostly Republican and her admission
would increase Republican strength in
Congress and the electoral vote for Presi
dent. All other reasons assigned are mere
pretexts. As the Democracy in the South
keeps iD power by disfranchising the negro,
postpone the evil day to the evil doers, hnt
just as sure as theie is a right and wrong
and a divine administrator of moral law,
the penalty postponed will fall the heavier
in the end.
DOES IT PAY ?
Bradstreet has gone to tabulating the
statistics of strikes like other commercial
ventures, and for three weeks in May
presents the total of 250,000 men out on
strikes, whole wagesduring the time
would have amounted to *8,000,000. To
this is to be added the loss of about the
same amount to tbe employers. How
much mure this loss would be swelled by
adding the cancellation of orders and
contracts for new business is more a
matter of speculation. This six millions
of direct loss in three weeks is certainly
not all of it or the most of it. Capital
that has been diverted from one use may
find other uses in the future, but what
has been lost by enforced idleness
of labor and capital is wiped out of ex
istence as much as if it had been burned
up with no rebate from insurance. It is
a dead loss and there is no chance to re
cover it back.
The heaviest loss always falls upon
those least able to bear it. If we divide
the three million loss among 250,000
strikers it amounts to S12 each. This is
uot a great sum compared with the total
of the world's wealth, or the total of
wage earnings, but if there was felt to
be insufficient pay before and this
amount is to be iaken from the scanty
accumulations of previous earnings and
savings, it means a great deal of want,
suffering and distress.
What has been gained by the sa< ri
lice '.' In most case- nothing. It may
be said that even in cases of apparent
success the distant result will be loss.
Men whose condition has been taken
advantage of to enforce higher wages
or less work will not forget it and will
take advantage of circumstances more
favorable ro get even with striker-.
.Strikes always destroy mutual inter
est and confidence between employer and
employe. Whatever is given up under
fear or compulsion will be regarded as
robbery and will be charged and stand
against those who took it.
We believe that a full history of all
the strikes that have ever occurred would
fail to show one j>er cent of permanent
benefit again ninety-nine per cent of loss.
When laboring men fully realize that
strikes
rloned.
do not pay they will be aban
__
by sentiments published in the Herald,
and writes us to repent and do works meet
for repentance if we would avoid destruc
tion. The writer claims to be 72 years of
age, and says he has been a Mormon for
Some venerable Salt I«ike saint, it
would seem, lias been terribly scandalized
forty years. lie attributes all the physi
cal calamities and social disorders to the
judgment of the Almighty against those
who speak evil of Mormouism. On the
contrary, he claims the quiet prosperity
and even the good weather in Utah to the
special blessing of God upon peace-makers.
We are quite ready to enter into any com
parison between Montana and Utah on the
score of prosperity aud good order, with
whatever inferences may be drawn as to
Divine lavor. Possibly this venerable
saint doesn't fully understand our position.
So far as Mormoni-m is concerned, apart
from the loathsome doctrine and practice
of polygamy, we have do war to wage.
We have Mormons in Montana, of the
monogamous kind, and they are not dis
turbed. As for the degradation of women
wrought by polygamy, it is a crime not
only against law, hut against society, home,
family and everything that is claen, decent
and worth saving about society. Unless
history is a lie aDd civilization a fraud,
modern polygamous Mormouism is a re
viral of the worship of Belial, worse than
Mahomedanism and without any of the
provocation. We would say to our vener
able friend., who has wandered forty years
in the deserts of Mormonism, and who
seems so much interested in our welfare,
that we would prefer a cyclone or a strike
every day in the year rather than see our
women degraded in soul and body as they
are iu Utah.
Rear AdMiRAL Simpson contributes the
leading article in the June Harper on the
United States Navy. The article gives a
picture of nearly every ship in our navy,
including the despatch boat Dolphin, over
w hich Secretary Whiiuey won or lost his
first naval contest, which was it? Ac
cording to Simpson, the Dolphin is au ad
mirable vessel, able to do all that was ex
pected or designed for her to do. Her ad
vent marks an epoch, she being the first
vessel plated with American rolled steel
aud equal to the best in the world. The
tribute is a peau for Roach and a dirge for
Whitney. Cumberland Gap is another in
teresting article in the June Harper, and
gives a picture of Southeastern Kentucky
and its people that will be a revelation to
most of the northern readers, A "Lump
of Sugar serves as a text for an interest
ing article on the culture, manufacture
and refining of sugar. An instructive por
tion of the article is that on the culture of
sorghum caue and the efforts to make
sugar therefrom. It has something touch
ing the sugar beet, which is of more prac
tical importance to Montaniaus, for, if we
ever make our own sugar, it will more
likely be done from the vegetable.
Manitoba seems united and deternfined
to build the road from Winnipeg to Hud
son's Bay, a distance of 750 miles. The
estimated cost is twenty millions, of which
the province will furnish five millions, an
English syndicate will advance five mil
lions on the land grant of 12,800 acres per
mile, and the rest w ill be raised on stock
and bonds. The people of Manitoba insist
that the difficulties of navigation in Hud
son's Bay have' been overstated through
jealousy of the Dominion authorities at
Ottawa. They claim six months naviga
tion. a route to Liverpool 1 200 miles
shorter, and assert that the fertile prairie
region extends to within 300 miles of the
Bay. How long will it be before through
tickets from Hudson's Bay to the City of
Mexico will be issued either by way of St.
Panl or Helena ?
Ol K TERRITORIAL B1RTI1DAF.
On May 26, 1864 the Organic Act
that created the Territory of Montana
became a law. This is, therefore, our
birthday an i deserves some notice. We
are twenty-two years old having com-j
pitted one full year of our majority ,
though we still wear the short dresses of j
Territorial childhood under the rather
indifferent and careless guardianship of
the venerable l ncle Samuel. At the
time of our organization as a Territory
the only settlements were a few mining
camps in the southwest corner, a few
military posts, Indian agencies and
trading stations. The area that was cut
off and made up into a separate political
community under the name of Montana,
had successively been portions of Louis
iana, Oregon, Washington, Dakota, ;
Idaho and perhaps several more, with
out ever having constituted any signifi
cant figure in either connection. We
had as much area then as now. and we
have just about as much area now covered
oy Indian reservations as then. Our
mountains, foothills, plain* and rivers
r»l i
are the same, and so are our climate,
Italian skies and banana belt, but in
other respects we ha\e greatly changed,
Our rich placer mines have dwindled in
their yield to a small remnant of their
once fabulons proportions, hot in their
stead we have the more reliable quartz
mines, and in addition \ast wealth of
cattle, horses, sheep, cultivated lands, ;
rieh cities and hundreds of miles of rail- I
road. 1
Few of those who came in the sixties
expected to stay. They changed tlieir
mind after finding that there was some-j
thing in Montana besides the placer
mines. The early yield of our mines
did us Little good. It was generally car
ried away by the most successful miners
and spent elsewhere. When it was
found that our soil was rich, and with
irrigation might be made as productive
as in any part of the world, and that our
native graces that had supported count
less herds of buffalo might serve equally
as well to support cattle, horses and
: sheep,, the people who were here con
eluded to stay, and others began to
' come to , plant homes. Then railroads
.
began to approach our boi ers, an
Montana did not seem as far out of the
world. Finally the roads crossed over
the lines and came within our limits,
ar »d our people felt that they were again
in the United States and within the gen
ial influences of civilization.
It was not till 1869 that the Union
Pacific was completed, and several years
of doubt and delay and vain effort en
sued before Montana, last of all the
Territories, had a mile of railroad within
her borders. Our permanent settlement,
the work of systematic and general de
ve ] 0 pment of our resources and accumu
lation of wealth can hardly be said to
have begun until the entry of railroads
or the certainty of their coming. In
1870 Montana had nearly double the
population of Dakota, but in tlie next
ten years we barely doubled our popula
tion, while Dakota increased ten fold.
Even now we are beyond the reach of
the main tide of immigration, which
never Leaps over any considerable tract
of country to settle lands beyond. Mon
tana must wait her time alter Dakota.
It will not be till inThe nineties that
our great growth in population is
reached.
So if we look back over the term of
our Territorial existence and consider
been as rapid as it has
the disadvantages of situation, we will
not wonder that our growth has not
been snore rapid. It is a proof of our
superior advantages that our growth has I
There have been some advantages as j
well as disadvantages in our situation, j
the more vigorous and venture- i
H ;
Only the more vigorous
some of settlers have come to us. ,
has given us time to fuse the elements \
of society and give character to our in- j
stitutions, which will not be changed j
by any overwhelming tide that comes 1
hereafter.
With much self-respecting pride, Mon- j
tana, on this, her natal day, can point to
1 the steady growth of her population and
their steady growth in wealth, intelli- i
genee and general prosperity. As
. Territory we are out of debt ; our legis- |
i a tion has been steadily conservative, j
There has been no spirit of reckless ex
travagance in any direction.
We stand at the head in the wealth of 1
our mines, in our stock interests and in
our public schools. IV e have no oc
casion to envy others and none to doubt
our own ability to achieve a great des
tiny, whether Statehood comes to us
during this administration or the next.
We have no doubt our Governor acted
with the best of motives and upon com
petent professional advice iu issuing his
quarantine proclamation. We are all
interested in keeping out diseased cattle.
But it is very doubtful if the term localities ,
as used in the law, was intended to cover
entire States. We must remember that
the owners of healthy stock iu the States
quarantined feel very sensitive, as we
would with conditions reversed. It leads
to retaliation. We complain of Sparks for
presuming that every land applicant is a
thief and a liar. In order to do justice, as
he deems it, to the interests of the United
Statet, he does great injustice to a vast
number of worthy, honest nu n. who are
suffering lrom his suspicion. It is easier
to make general regulations, but better
justice is done by coming down to details
and discriminating between Ihe clean and
unclean, the healthy and the diseased.
Mexico has set us a fgood example iu
adopting a law prescribing the immediate
execution of train wreckers when caught
in the act. This is one of the most atro
cious crimes conceivable and deserves
prompt and extreme severity in dealing
with it.
M
^ Md jnfl(leDce <>t .
E , identlj hc has rea( , hed a point „
impMs ible to carry the bill through
The news that came last evening that
Gladstone had tendered his resignation to
the Queen was quite an unwelcome sur
prise, and we rejoice that later dispatches
contradict the more serious part of the an
nouncement. Any vestige of hope for
tke gecoud rea ding without some modifica
tion. His associates have left it to the
Premier to decide the course best to pur
sue. aDd at the conference of all the Filer
ais to be held to-morrow the matter will
be decided. If by amendment the bill
ran not be carried through, it will le
dropped, There is no possibility that it
could pass the Lords. With a favorable
vote in the Commons on the main features
of the bill, it would he in good shape to go
before the country. Parliament will soon
adjourn. Gladstone will remain at the head
of the government, and in the autumn
probably there would be a dissolution of
Parliament and a new election on this sin
gle issue. The present Parliament was not
elected on this issue. On the contrary, in
many of the English constituencies the
home rule vote was cast for the Conserva
tives, and gave them many members who
are now opposing Gladstone. By autumn
there will be time to have considered the
question maturely, and whatever the deci
sion of the voters, it will settle the fate ot
the measure for a time. It i-an only be a
q Ues tj OQ of time, for tbe peace and con
t ent tneut of Ireland are as essential to
E n gi an( | a. s to Ireland herself. Meantime
the good behavior of the Irish people un
<i e r the generous policy of the present
government will go far to prove that they
are worthy to be entrusted with a larger
measure ot self-government,
Of course the very idea of subsidy is un
popular, and we are not disappointed that
the House refuses to encourage the estab
lishment of mail steamship lines between
this country and South America. And yet
Great Britain, with all the advantage over
us of being able to build and navigate
steamships cheaper, pays every year more
subsidy to maintain English lines to South
America than we would have done to
establish such lines under the Senate
amendment. Great Britain does not need
to protect her manufacturers, for they have
J advantages over us, but Great Britaiu is as
j re£M j y to resor t t 0 protection as any other
gountry in order to secure commercial ad
! vaD tages. The great Democratic states
; maDi xilden, who is supposed to be the
prompter on the political stage, advocates
a ] anfe and expensive navy. We are will
| j n g enough to endorse this part of his
scheme, hut, for heaven's sake, give us a
' commerce for that navy to protect. Our
! chief motive in advocating a navy is the
hope that it will give us a start in Ixiild
! ing ships of commerce. If by the judi
: cious expenditure of a few thousands we
I
j
could build up some American lines of
steamships with other parts of the conti
nent and with Australia, it would be
money well spent, and even better spent
than on a navy.
The total foreign commerce of Central
aud South America amounts to $850,000.
OOO per annum, of which the United State
gets $130,000,000. We might, by a proper
policy, reverse these figures aud not only
receive the gieater share but vastly in
crease the total. We have every advan
tage of the situation over the continental
nations, and there is not a thing imported
that we could not supply with advantage.
Within the past twenty years we have
paid Brazil a cash balance of $589,000,000
for imports from that country. We should
have paid most of this in manufacture.-,
But the moment that an attempt is made
to establish American steamship liues
with South America hy paying, as other
nations do, fair prices for carrying mails
the whole Democratic party goes out on a
strike against subsidy. Such was the party
pressure to keep Democrats iu line on
this issue, that some who spoke iu favor of
sustaining the Senate amendment had to
vote against it. If the Democratic leaders
were elected hy British constituencies and
paid for their ser\ices directly out of the
British treasury they could not more
zealously antagonize American interests.
g
before 1890. Within the five years the
nunib er of cattle has more than doubled,
w hile hogs and horses have increased hut
little less rapidly. But the most striking
The census of Nebraska for 1885 show -
an increase of near 300,000 inhabitants
since 1880. It will have a million long
feature of the growth is shown in the in
creased acreage ot com and grain. In
1884 there were 557,000 acres in wheat
in 1885, 1,279,000 acres. Last year there
were 3,782,000 acres in corn, being au in
crease in a single year of 1,410,000 acres,
and other crops are increasing in nearly
the same proportion. Nebraska is entitled
to five Representatives instead ol three ou
the basis of the present apportionment and
her population.
The majority of the Senate committee
on Territories have ggreed to report favor
ably upon the bill granting the right of
way to the Cinnabar & Clark's Fork Rail
road Company across the northern border
of Yellowstone Park. The laud to be
granted is limited to the actual right ot
w ay. The number of stations to he ere -
cd within the limits of the Park is to >e
restricted to three or lour, and that which
is coming to be known as the Platt pro
vision against the watering of stock wil!
probably he incorporated iu the bil!
REAGAN, of Texas, who was willing to
destroy the Union out of respect for the
constitution, very naturally finds constitu
tional objections to imposing a ta> on the
manufacture of ltogus butter. But what
is the difference between taxing this arti
cle and whisky and tobacco? V ery l:ke!.
the reply would be: You tell. And no
Reagou opposes the whiskv ami t >
! tax. The. bottom fact is that Reagan
fears that this tax on bogus butter will de
stroy the principal market 'or cotton seed
oil.