HELENA WEEKLY HERALD.
MINERAL LAND CONVENTION.
Representative Men of Montana, Two
Hunderd Strong, Assemble at
the Court House.
Permanent Organization Effscted-—Bus
iness Commences Te-day—Pull
Proceedings.
Shortly after seven o'clock last evening
the district court room in the court house
began to fill up with prominent citizens
and representative men of Montana—dele
gates from all parts of the Territory to the
mineral land convention. At 7:30 o'clock
the iloor and balconies were crowded, when
T. G. Merrill rapped for order and read the
published call for the convention.
This done, T. H. Carter, Esq., of Helena,
arose and spoke as follows :
Mr. Chairman : It is the experience of
men, as taught by history, that tnose causes
which have led to national ruin or disaster
have grown and developed at a time when
the people were indilferent to public in
terests—when the lessons oi the past had
been apparently forgotten, and the interests
of the tuture in consequence ignored. This
gathering of representative men of the
Territory of Montana, here to-night, indi
cates that no such lethargy exists as would
constitute a soil in which would grow in
difference to the future interests of this
coming great continental problem. In the
serious determination that is manifest in
the countenance of every representative
man here present to-night, there is mani
fest a desire to see tnat the trust reposed
within the citizens of Montana, in this
present dilemma, shall not be betrayed—
that we shall transmit, unimpaired, to the
next generation every legal and equitable
right given to u- by the law- of the United
States, not only in the possession which we
have reduced to our own ownership, but in
the vast public domain which constitutes
the common heritage of all American citi
zens. [ Loud applause. ]
It appears, as a fact, that by virtue of
neglect, or connivance, or utter incapacity,
a large part of the public domain of the
United States, within the limits of this
Territory, has been left to drift into a con
dition wherein a private corporation is
about to control the hidden treasures of
nature within the public domain, instead
of those hidden treasures being left under
the beneficent laws, rules and regulations
provided by the government for the preser
vation of the inheritance and wealth of
our masses for the present and future gen
erations of citizens that are to come. In
no part of the Territory are the people
more profoundly interested in this great
question than in the county of Silver Row,
a county containing the city of Butte,
which has made the Territory of Montana,
wherever the English language is known,
the reputation of being the greatest silver
producing spot on this earth. I think that
at any convention of this kind, with repre
sentative citizens of the Territory assem
bled, it is but proper that, at this time, a
representative citizen of that county should
lie chosen to preside over the deliberations.
In gazing over the list for the purpose of
selecting the particular citizen who
shall represent Butte, and who shall repre
sent fairly the miners of the Territory of
Montana, 1 think that the choice may, not
to the disparagement of any other citizen
of that community, rest upon the Hon.
Lee Mantle.
Mr. Mantle was escorted to the chair by
a committee consisting of R. E. Fisk, Con.
Kohrs and C. L. Dahler, and addressed the
convention as follows :
HON. LEE MANTLE'S REMARKS.
If anything were needed to demonstrate
the great importance of the subject which
has has brought us here to night, it will be
found in the splendid gathering of earnest,
intelligent and representative men of every
section of Montana. Men who have lett
the daily avocations of their lives ; their
stores and offices : their mines and mills
and smelters, actuated solely and simply
by a sense of public duty, without hope of
gain or expectation of reward.
While this convention and its objects
will, perhaps, by some be viewed with
cold indifference, and perhaps by fear and
trembling by others who live perhaps in a
sort of terror of the strong arm of some
railroad corporation, yet there need be no
fear that in the time to come its efforts
will meet with a due recognition and their
proper reward by those who are permitted
to enjoy the fruits of their courage and dis
intered labors.
We are threatened, if permitted to go on
unchecked, with nothing short of a
public calamity. Our object is, by concert
of action and unity of purpose, to prevent
the consummation of what we believe to
be a gross outrage upon the people of Mon
tana, and we furthur desire to enter and to
utter our earnest, honest and manly pro
test against the acquisition by the North
ern l'rcific railroad company or any other
corporation of the vast mineral lands of
our public domain—lands to which, under
the provisions of their charter, they have
not a vestige of right. [Loud applause.]
It is also our duty at this gathering to
devise ways and means to prevent this at
tempted fraud ; to bring this matter fully
and forcibly before the proper authorities,
to the end that such immediate legistation
may be had as shall protect us in our
rights, aud secure this mineral domain to
those to whom it rightfully belongs—to
the people of Montana.. [Loud applause.]
There are doubtless many gentlemen
present who can explaiu to you in detail
and more fully than I can the exact status
of the situation at this time, and to those
gentlemen I shall leave the furthur task
of so doing. Thanking you, however, for
the honor you have conferred upon the
Butte delegation in selecting one of their
number to be your presiding officer, I must
now announce the next thing in order will
be the election of secretaries.
Other officers were then elected until
the list stood as fpllows :
President—Hon. Lee Mantle, of Butte.
Vice President—Hon. E. G. Brooke, of
Whitehall.
Secretaries— H. B. Davis, of Deer Lodge,
and Hon. J. E. Kanouse, of Townsend.
On motion a committee on credentials
was appointed consisting of J. O. Briscoe,
T. H. Kleinschmidt, of Helena, and J. A.
Leggat, of Butte.
A recess was then taken to allow the
committee to make up their report. Here
dispatches were received from the Mis
soula delegation, announcing that they
had missed the train, but would be in on
the next limited express.
THE DELEGATES.
The committee on credentials after re
cess reported the following delegates en
titled to seats in the convention :
From Butte—W. E. Hall, P. A. Largey,
A. W. Barnard, Geo. W. Irvine, J. H. Har
per, W. S. Norcross, R. D. Leggat, George
Haldorn, Henry Williams, W. Pinkham,
J. M. Merrill, R. B. Wallace, D. J. Hen
nessy. N. E. Sawtelle, C. B. Floyd, Hiram
Knowles, A. J. Davis, J. R. Boyce, L. E.
Holmes, E. W. Trask, Lee Mantle, John
Caplice, P. R. Dolman, J. A. Leggat, Chas.
Carver, Reuben Geary, Geo. W. Stapleton,
W.Y. Pemberton, G. Lavell, C.W. Goodale,
H. C. Kessler, G. A. Korn berg, J. B Leahy,
L. R. Maillet, C. H. Irvine, R. E. Boream,
J. E. Gaylord, P. J. Brophy, Moritz Koch,
F.T. McBride, J. H. Curtis, C. P. Hongh, G.
W. Beal, F. R. Miles, H. E. Babcock. G. P.
Forbis, Joseph H. Clark, M. Genzherger,
John L. Thomson, Col. R. Hornbrook.
Rocker—P. A. Julian.
Jefierson City—N. Merriman, Charles
Dunges, A. H. Moulton.
Canyon Ferry—Capt. Stafford.
Garfield District— O. B. Totten.
Gloster—Thos. L. West.
Rimini— C. B. Vaughn, Harpin Davis.
Castle Mountain—William Smith, Lath.
Hensley.
Pioneer—A. G. Wilhelm, Casper Geehrts,
John Colbern
Helena—Gen. J. S. Harris, Thomas
Cruse, H. M. Pärchen. T. H. Kleinschmidt,
J. O. Briscoe, A. M. Esler, Moses Emanuel,
Thos. G. Merrill, J. B. Wilson, Jas. W.
Carpenter, John Keating, Moses Morris, T.
H. Carter. E. R. Tandy, George Foote.
Toston— C. L. Cline, Henry Radburn.
White Sulphur Springs— L. Rotwitt, L.
Heitman, J. S. Brewer.
Empire— F. L. Sizer, Ed. Blake, C. B.
Clarke.
Moreland— W. D. Flowers, John Potter.
Frohner Mine—Wm. Clinton.
Wickes— Jas. E. Sites, John Hildebrand.
New York, Meagher county— F. D.
Spratt, Thos. H Dougherty.
Washington Bar— W. W. Morris, C. L.
Dahler.
Unionville—Ph. Constans, Fred Sein, F.
Benzler.
Bedford—Isom Preuitt, John Murry, W.
■Whaley, S. T. Collier.
Red Bluff—A. J. Arnold.
Poor Man—J. R. (Quigley, C. G. Bird
sev. Jos. Davis, L. E. Gillow.
Iver Wolff District—Iver Wolff.
Mountain House—J. McCutchan.
Alhambra—Wilson Redding,Chas. Glass,
A. Schoup.
Gregory—E. W\ Bach, John T. Brett,
Peter McClusky.
Marysville— S. F. Ralston, A. J. Burns,
J. J. Hudson.
New Chicago—Reuben Conn.
Montana City— C. M. Cissler, M. C. Har
ris, J. H. Geiger.
Diamond City—A. G. Anderson.
Hold Fast, Deer Lodge County—Michael
Murphy, John Weir, Matt Guthrie.
Johnstown—J. C. Cramer.
Thompson Falls—J. G. Merrill.
Beaverhead County—Robert B. Smith.
Elkhorn District—Thomas Spraggins, L.
N. Smith, C. M. Jefferies.
Fish Creek—Geo. A. Bruffy.
Great Falls— H. H. Chaqdler, John W.
Stanton, Charles Wegner, J. D. Taylor.
Clancy—J. E. Redding, Geo. L. Harvey,
H. M. Hill.
Bonlder—V. A. Cook, D. G. Warner, W.
R. Gibbings, E. D. Weed, A. J. Elder.
Granite—J. W. Plummer, James Patton,
W. W. Adams, Con Peoples, Peter Larson.
Radersburg—Charles Hossfeldt, James
Kitts, Wm. Jewell.
Placer— Val Staubach, George Beattie,
J. H. Pauly.
Garrison—Wm. Facer.
Amazon—J.W. Buskett.
Philipsburg — F. D. Brown, Angus A.
McDonnell.
Anaconda—L. A. Leonard.
Bozeman—Thomas Schweitzer, Robert
P. Vivian.
Warm Springs—Charles F. Mussigbrod.
Deer Lodge—Con Kohrs, R. C. Kelly, O.
B. O'Bannon, H. B. Davis, J. B. McMaster,
J. N. Fox.
Townsend—Henry Whaley, J. R. Wes
ton, J. E. Kanouse.
Whitehall— E. G. Brooke, H. O. Collins,
J. W. Gilkey.
Pony— C. L. Dahler, Samuel Word, W.
W. Morris.
Boulder District—David Hennessey.
Corbin—George Muller.
Some amendments were made, addiDg
several delegates from Elkhorn, which had
been omitted, aud making other changes,
and the report was adopted and the com
mittee discharged.
COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS.
On motion of Hon. R. B. Smith, of Dillon,
the chair appointed the following commit
tee on resolutions :
R. B. Smith, of Beaverhead county ; T.
H. Carter, of Lewis and Clarke ; N. Merri
man, of Jefierson ; O. B. O'Bannon, of Deer
Lodge; W. J. McCormick, of Missoula; L.
Rotwitt, of Meagher ; H. G. Mclntire, of
Choteau ; T. Schweitzer, of Gallatin ; W.
W. Morris, of Madison ; J. W. Plummer, of
Deer Lodge (Granite district) ; T. G. Mer
rill, of Lewis and Clarke ; J. H. Harper, of
Silver Bow ; J. W. Stanton, of Cascade ; S.
F. Ralston, of Lewis and Clarke, Marysville
district.
The temporary organization was, on mo
tion, made permanent by unanimous vote.
On motion of R. B. Smith the committee
on resolutions were requested to remain in
the hall after the adjournment of the con
vention.
GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS.
Mr. T. H. Carter moved the appointment
of an investigating committee in the fol
lowing words :
Mr. Chairman : This convention, as now
organized, represents a crystalized senti
ment existing throughout the Territory of
Montana upon a given proposition. The
assembled delegates are not here for the
purpose of doing injustice, but to prevent
injustice. [Applause.]
The convention is a spontaneous out
pouring from every village, cit y and ham
let in the Territory. We find ourselves
confronted by ceitain propositions which
have led to the birth of this convention,
but we have no precedent, or a line of pre
cedents, such as political organizations
have to follow in a line of action. There
is not present one individual who is not
desirous of doing that which is most wise,
proper aDd expedient to do. Now, in
order that we may arrive at a specific
conclusion, it is necessary that there
be placed before the convention,
in some direct shape, the
exact status of the question which this
convention intends to consider. Then,
there should be some recommendation, as a
starting point, with reference to the proper
mode of actioD, and in order that these
matters may be brought in concrete, and
not in abstract, form before the convention
for deliberation it might be well to have a
committee appointed to-night to report, at
such time to-morrow as the convention
may assemble, the exact condition, so far
as has been ascertained, of progress made
by the Northern Pacific Railroad company
in the matter of acquiring title to public
lands in the Territory. That such commit
tee, under instructions from the conven
tion, deem it a direct duty to visit the
land office, visit the Surveyor General's
office, and acquire from such other sources
of information as may be accessible, as cor
rect data as may be attainable concerning
the status of the matter which we are to
consider. In the absence of some such re
port as this concerning the matter, we will
be confronted with the question, from time
to time, that sach and each a view of the
matter is taken by one party, and some op
posite view by another party. Therefore,
iet us have the report of a committee npon
it for the purpose of obtaining the exact
condition, as near as may be ascertained,
of the proceedings which have been inaug
urated and progress made towards the ac
quisition of title to railroad land in the
Territory, and that such committee furnish
advice to this convention as to what action
shall be taken in the premises. Sach a re
port would give us data that we are sorely
in need of, and at the same time the recom
mendations of a well arranged committee
will be of some ase and value to the con
vention.
I therefore move that the chair appoint
a committee of one from each county to
investigate and make a report to this con
vention of the exact condition of the pro
ceedings of the Northern Pacific company
towards the acquisition of titles to land in
Montana.
R. B. Wilson, of Butte—Mr. Chairman, I
am heartily in accord with Mr. Carter's
suggestions; but large bodies move slowly,
and for the sake of expedition I move to
amend by making that committee three
instead ot one from each county.
O. B. O'Bannon, of Deer Lodge,
referring to the motion of T. H. Carter,
said : While those suggestions were most
excellent, and while I recognize the fact
that it is best that we should have a cor
rect diagnosis of the disease before we
start in tor the treatment, we all know that
we are hit, and we know that the Northern
Pacific railroad has struck us, but we do
not know exactly how, and the appointing
of a committee to go around and feel the
pulse of the question we might say might
assist us very much, but I think even that
committee might be very mach facilitated
in its efforts by a sort of preliminary dis
cussion to-night. I should like very much
to hear the off-hand views of this conven
tion, to see how we are affected and to as
certain the relative position of the people
of this Territory and the Government of
the United States as to these mineral lands
now in dispute, and what will be the
remedy.
The chair then put the motion to ap
point a committee of investigation. On
motion of O'Bannon the committee was
made three, instead of one from each coun
ty. Motion carried. Chair appointed as
such commit tee Messrs. T. G. Merrill, ol
Lewis and Clarke, O. B. O'Bannon, of Deer
Lodge, and J. A. Leggat, of Silver Bow.
On motion of George B. Foote, it was
ordered that all resolutions adopted at the
various meetings t hroughout the Territory
should be handed to the committee on res
olutions of the convention wit août debate.
The following dispatch from Delegate
Toole, received yesterday, was read :
Washington, D. C., February 7.—To
Hon. A J. Davidson, president board of
trade: I am in full sympathy with the
object of the convention in Helena to-day.
I have brought th-i subject to the atten
tion of Congress and the depart ment . I
shall await anxiously the action of the
convention, J. K. Toole.
On motion of T. H. Kleinschmidt the
convention then adjourned nnt il thismorn
ing at 10 o'clock, to meet in the Knights
of Labor Hall, which had been secured for
the sessions of the convention.
To-day's Proceedings.
MORNING SESSION, WEDNESDAY.
The meeting was cal led t o order in the
Knights of Labor hall at about ten o'clock
t his morning. There was t he same gat her
ing of delegates and spectators, undimin
ished in number and enthusiasm, that as
sembled last evening in the court house.
The report of the committee appointed
last evening to ascertain the condition of
the mineral lands, was read and adopted,
and the committee discharged.
The committee on resolutions reported
progress, and asked that furthur time be
grauted in order that the resolutions might
be fully and carefully prepared. The in
terim was taken up by speech making of
which the following is a synopsis :
Gen. Harris said he desired to make
some explanat ion as to the reports of sur
veys which had been made in the past.
He said that the lands were surveyed a
good many years ago, and were surveyed
according to the then instructions of the
Interior department, and, as he understood
the law and the instructions of the de
p. r ment at that time, he did not think
any of the surveyors acted dishonestly in
makiDg the reports, although there was an
impression that they had. Whatever
blunders there were could be traced ta the
depa tarent at Washington. As he under
stood the matter, the surveyor general had
followed strictly his inst ruct ions, and what
ever biame there appeared to be anywhere
should rest upon the officials at Washing
ton, and not on the surveyor generals of
the Territory.
Col. DeLacy, the vet eran engineer, said
that he had now been some twenty-seven
years in the Territory and had been con
nected with the public land surveys and
had made a great many of them from the
time the Surveyor-General's office was first
established, in 1877, up to the present
time, and was familiar with the surveys
and with the manner in which they were
made; and in order that there might be no
misunderstanding he wished to give some
idea of the matter. When the surveys
were ordered in 1867, ander Geneial Mere
dith. the orders from the Commissioner of
the Land Office, who was his superior offi
cer, were to survey only agricultural land ;
no mountain land was t o be surveyed ; if
in the course of making agricultural sur
veys placers were found, or placer dig
gings, or anything of that kind, the sur
veyor was to designate that land as min
eral land, and in the description of each
township he would state at t he end of his
notes in the general description : "I hereby
return snch section and such part of a sec
tion as mineral land ;" and the map which
was made from bis field notes designated
each of these sections as mineral land by
coloring it yellow. That plan subsisted and
those orders obtained until 1868, and at that
time the procedure was altogether altered
by act of Congress ; the pay of surveyors
was cut down, and they were ordered to
survey only six classes of land. These six
classes of land excluded mineral lands al
together, and mountain lands, unless those
mountain lands were timbered ; they were
allowed to survey timbered lands, but it
was expressly stated in the instructions of
the Secretary of the Interior and the Com
missioner that those timbered lands were
to be non-mineral, and only those that
were supposed to be non-mineral were
surveyed. Mr. Schurz was then the Sec
retary of the Interior ; he was very severe
on the surveyors and among other requisi
tions they must not survey any pasturable
land, and if he had any suspicion that they
surveyed either pasturable or mineral
lands, then they were suspended and their
accounts were cat down. And from that
day to this, if a surveyor finds any lands
which are surveyed, or any placer claims
which are surveyed, he connects with
the corners of that and it is
placed on his map, but he
has no right and is not allowed, and has
not been since the year 1878, to Jmark any
mineral land or to certify to it or say that
it is mineral land or anything eke. Not
can he survey any mountain land, and
coaid not unless formerly it was timbered
land, and now he can only survey it in
case it comes into a township. He takes a
township, and he is obliged by the present
regulations to survey everything in that
township. It is intended to be agricultural
land, bat if it is mountain land be is
obliged to survey the mountain land also,un
less it was absolutely impossible. And that
is the reason why in the old surveys, up to
1878, you will find the sections made and
called mineral land. After that you will
see nothiug, because they were not allowed
to certify that any section was mineral
land. And it does not seem that it makes
any difference, because in 1877 I surveyed
the township where Butte is. I returned
the whole of it as mineral land, but I was
told yesterday by Mr. Harper that there
are certain sections wh ich have been certified
to the Northern Pacific railroad as agricul
tural land.
Mr. T. G. Merrill here moved that an ex
ecutive committee of five be appointed by
the president of the convention for the
purpose of accomplishing the objects lor
which the meeting was assembled, and
which were set ont in the call for the con
vention. The motion was seconded and
unanimously carried. The president stated
that he would appoint the committee later
in the proceedings.
Oliver Browning O'Bannon then rose
and said that while the committee on reso
lutions were deliberating it might not be
out of place tor the representatives from
each district to lay before the meeting any
facts local to their respective districts
which would be of interest to the meeting
and which bore directly in the light of
the developments which the meeting was
endeavoring to unfold. For his part he
wished to say that there was a state
of affairs in his district which would
not bear the scrut iny of any honest body
of men, and he would like to quote but
one or two instances germane to the mat
ter. He said the city of Butte is in the
township known as section 3 north 8 west,
surveyed by Col. DeLacey. That town
ship contains valuable lode properties, but
it is all returned to t be Surveyor General
here as non-mineral land, except 35-100
of one acre. In township 5 north of 8
west, which is a sort of dry cottonwood,
in several acres of which placer mining
has also been done, there are a large num
ber, probably as many as forty or fifty,
lode claims, and the entire township with
out any exception whatever, has been re
turned as non-mineral land. In section 6,
north 8 west, in which placer mining has
been carried on since the year 1866, in
which to my ^jersonal knowledge, in six
teen different sections, placer mining at
different times has been done, and in which
township there has been made, according to
the records of Deer Lodge county, about 350
lode locations. With the exception of two
small placer mining claims and one lode
mining claim with 100 feet only of surface
ground, and which are patented, that en
tire township has been returned as non
mineral land. I will say now that there
have been developments in that mineral
township, that show the aggregate value of
the lodes now being developed in that
township, if put upon the market, is at
least, at a very moderate estimate, a half
million dollars, and could be sold for that
inside of a week. Every quarter of an
acre outside of these two small lode claims,
every quarter of an acre in the odd num
bered sections of that township has been
certified to the Northern Pacific railroad
company, and for two years last past they
have paid taxes npon it. It is true that
they have not paid much taxes ; they have
returned the lands voluntarily, and they
have returned the lands, I believe, at the
rate of 25 cents per acre, when the timber
on the iand is worth $50 an acre. They
must have had some object in it. It has
been suggested that probably one object
they had in [viewjj was, by a sort
of donation in the way of taxes,
to make the people feel less aggressive and
to mollify, so to speak, their feelings on
the subject. But I am rather suspicious
of this act on the part of the
Northern Pacific railroad company. We
are all familiar with the action ofthat
company in regard to the location and
selection of its townsites; we are familiar
with the land department of that com
pany in its dealings with onr citizens ; we
all know how it has violated its written
and public pledges to the citizens of the
Territory to give to actual settlers their
land at $2.50 per acre. We know, in a
number of instances, that over and above
a reasonable price for the land they added
the tost of a man's own improvements and
have compelled him to pay for them ; we
know t hat t hey have in instances, and I
can cite several from Deer Lodge county,
sold lands which it was afterwards ascer
tained that they had no right to sell, and
where they were called upon to do justice
to the settlers in one instance, they gave
this remarkable advice: Mr. Patrick
Cahalin bought of the Northern Pacific
railroad a section near the Big
Biackfoot river. We had to pay
them an enormous price, and cash
down at that. They executed him a deed
with all the guarantees that a full deed of
warranty contains. A portion of that laud
having been covered by an old filing, and
the ruling of the department at Washing
ton heiDg that such lauds did not belong
to the railroad company, Mr. Patrick Caha
lin called upon the Northern Pacific rail
road company to protect him in this land.
I know the facts, every one of them, per
sonally. What reply did he get from the
Northern Pacific railroad ? They told him
—I cannot quote the whole letter, but this
is the exact purport of it : "Mr. Cahalin,
that is all right ; you are fully protected
by the Northern Pacific railroad by the
deed that we have given to this land. Now
all that you have to do is to enter this
land, and when you have done that you
have a title from the government, and
when you have title from the government
you have title from us, and you will be
fully protected " And when the Northern
Pacific company pays taxes on lauds that
we think don't belong to them it
makes us suspicious. If I might
be allowed to quote a little Latin,
"Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes ." It is par
ticularly clear to me that if we permit it
to go on without any protest and without
asserting claim and ownership to this land,
in the course of four or five years they
would call upon the land departmant for
their patents; but if we had rested quietly
they would go to the land department and
show their tax receipts and use that as an
argument. " These must be non-mineral
lands," they would sav; " we filed our se
lections five years ago," and would demand
of the depait ment, and, I believe, would
gould go into the courts and compel the
department, upon such showing to give
them the patents for the land. There are
other instances in Deer Lodge county. I
will say this right here, I don't want to
make any exaggerated statements. There
is a region of country from two to two and
a half miles in length and a mile to a
mile and a quarter in width, traversed by
parallel lodes and where every square foot
of the land is covered by the surface vein
of the lodes. Now in speaking of these
350 lodes, what I intended to do is to make
some deduct oi. There has been lode min
ing in that township for a long time, bat
the progress has been slow, and they are
just now beginning to be developed as a
mine should be. Out of these 350 there
are 150 of them that probably have been
relocated, but that would leave 200 bona
tide lode locations. All of these are per
haps of value and they have a value in
the market. From some of them some
of the best mineral that has ever been
taken oat of the Territory is now being
taken. I just state this as only one in
stance and doubt if any part of the Terri
tory can furnish an instance of a greater
outrage than this, hut I have no donbt
there are similar instances all ever the
Territory. Now what action we take here
should be salutary. It turns ont that
only a small poition of the lands of Mon
tana Territory have as yet been sur
veyed, and that has been our great
salvation. The Northern Pacific railroad
company cannot make its selections until
these lands are surveyed. I now wish to
make a suggest ion that I have not made
before the committee, and that is, that as
long as these lands are unsurveyed we are
all right, and that, after taking all steps
necessary and proper for the protection of
the surveyed mountain lands of this Terri
tory, we ask that an act of Congress
be passed, bolding oat oar undisputed
mineral lands from survey—not to have
them surveyed at all; let them remain
just as .hey are. That would be a good
protection herealter just as long as those
mountain lands remain unsurveyed ; and
it is a fact that they never shonld be sur
veyed until they are thoroughly prospected
and their non-mineral character thorough
ly established.
Mr. E. H. Irvine of Batte was the next
speaker. Mr. Irvine said : I have been in
timately connected with the mining devel
opments of Deer Lodge connty, and a very
notable instance comes to my mind
at this time, in which the Northern Pacific
railroad company has shown a greed for
mineral land which it had no right to ex
pect. At the mouth of Gold creek, some
fifteen years ago, a Mr. Connolly settled
npon a section of ladd ; he made applica
tion for 160 acres of that section of land
ander the agricultural act. The miners in
that district being fully satisfied that that
was mineral land, appointed me with a
crew of men to prospect the land and see
whether it was mineral or agricultural
land. We prospected it thoroughly and
found that it was beyond all doubt far
more valuable for mining purposes than lor
agricultural purposes. The consequence
was, upon our objection to the department,
Mr. Connolly's application for a patent was
rejected. Since then, however, by
some means, the Northern Pacific
railroad company has received the right, or
has usurped the right to sell one-half of
that quarter section of land and has re
ceived the cash for it. This is only one
instance. We have heard, since we came
to Helena, that there need not be so much
uneasiness on this important question, that
the railroad company only wanted agricul
tural land. Let us not be lulled into
apathy by any such siren song. All who
know the Northern Pacific railroad com
pany know that it is not only rich in rail
roads, rich in land but it is far richer in
its greed for all that is within its grasp.
[Applause.] I think that the committee
which has been appointed, or which will
be appointed by the chair here, should be a
representative committee ; we want a
promising executive committee—one which
will watch the mineral resources of this
country with watch-dog fidelity and who
will not only watch its interests, but who
will guard them—who will guard them as
a sacred trust bequeathed to us by our
forefathers. I say let us have this com
mittee; let it be selected in wisdom; let it
be a committee that knows something of
the mineral resoifrces of Montana. We
have inherited the richest mineral belt
that is known on the whole globe ; there is
nothing like it; nothing that surpasses
it; nothing equal to it; a mineral
belt not less than 150 miles in length by
100 miles in width; a mineral belt not
only extensive, but richer than anything
that the human eye has ever seen. Are
we going, through apathy, to let the North
ern Pacific railroad company, or any other
company or association, deprive us and our
posterity of this sacred trust and right ? It
is true that we, the citizens of Montana,
are from all sections of this Union ; but in
the past we have stood shoulder to shoul
der in defense of of our rights ; in the fu
ture let us be fully true to ourselves and
to our inheritance. [Applause.]
THE RESOLUTIONS.
The following resolutions were passed :
Now, therefore, we the citizens of Mon
tana Territory, in convention assembled,
do hereby resolve, that we view with
alarm, and regard as an impending pnblic
calamity the threatened acquisition of
title by the Northern Pacific railroad com
pany of the mineral lands of the United
States included within the limits ot the
grant made to said railroad company ; and
be it further
Resolved, That a central committee con
sisting of five persons, to bo known as the
"Citizens Executive Committee,'' be by the
president of this convention, appointed,
with full power and authority from this
convention to appoint such sub-committees
in the various counties aud mining dis
tricts of the Territory as they may deem
necessary ; that such central com
mittee be furthur empowered
to employ such professional or
other skilled assistance as they may deem
necessary to execute fully and effectively
the powers hereby delegated,and that such
committee be further empowered, and it is
hereby directed, to prepare and forward to
the Department of the Interior, with the
least, possible delay, proofs, in such form
as they may deem most efficient, setting
forth the mineral character of the
lands heretofore designated and
selected by the Northern Pacific
railroad company in the Territory of Mon
tana, and likewise of all other lands in
cluded within the land grant to said rail
road company, with a protest, in such form
as to them may seem most efficient, against
the issuance of patent or the delivery of
other evidence of title to said Northern Pa
cific railroad company to any and all min
eral lands in said Territory ; and
Further, The said "Citizens Executive
Committee" is directed and empowered to
present to the President of the United
States, to our Delegate in Congress, the
Secretary of the Interior, the President of
the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, and the chairmen of the
respective committees on Territories in the
Senate and House of Representatives, a
memorial embodying these resolutions, to
gether with a statement of such facts as
they may deem relevant and material, and a
draft of such law as in their opinion would
prove most effective in the premises, if
passed by Congress, concluding with a
prayer for such legislation and executive
action as, in the opinion of the gov
ment,*'would most effectively conduce
to a fair and just allotment to the said
Northern Pacific railroad company to lands
to which they are entitled within the
terms of the grant aforesaid, while, at the
same time, preserving to the citizens of the
United States all the mineral lands within
the Territory of Montana, and
Be it farther Resolved, That the President
of this convention appoint, and he is here
by authorized and directed to appoint, a
committee of three persons, to be designa
ted and known as the "Finance Commit
tee," which said finance committee shall
have power, and it is hereby authorized,
to appoint snb-committees in the various
counties and mining districts of the Terri
tory, and to make such collections of
money, directly or through such sub
committees, from time to time as may be
necessary to carry out and execute the
purposes of this convention; and said
finance committee is hereby directed to
keep accurate books of account, showing
the sum of money collected from time to
time and from what source, aud
to disburse the same upon the order
of the chairman of the executive commit
tee, taking his receipt for sach money so
paid, which said receipt shall state the
purpose for which the money has been or
is to he expended, and the said finance
committee is further directed to deliver to
the president of this convention a report
of all moneys received and disbursed by
said committee, which said report shall be
filed at least once in each month, or when
ever called for by the president of the con
vention; and
Be it further resolved, That the chairman
of said executive committee be and he is
hereby directed to report on the first day
of each and every month to the chairman
of the finance committee all moneys re
ceived and disbursed by him and to file,
when practicable, vouchers for such ex
penditures, which said vouchers so filed
with the chairman of the finance.jommit
tee, shall be by him transmitted with his
report to the president of the convention ;
and
Beit further resolved, That the President
of this convention be, and he is hereby
authorized and directed to fill any vacancy
which may at any time occur by death,
resignation or otherwise, either in the
Executive or Finance committee, and to
call at any time he may think proper on
the chairman of either of said committees
for a report as to any matter coming with
in
to
H.
S.
G.
in
in
as
in the purview of their respective duties ;
and
Be it further Resolved, That when this
convention adjourn it shall adjourn snbject
to the call of its president.
(Signed.) R. B. Smith, chairman; W. W.
Morris, T. H. Carter, John W. Stanton, Jos.
H. Harper, T. Schweitzer, W. J. McCormick,
S. F. Ralston, Nathaniel Merriman, O. B.
O'Bannon, L. Rotwitt, J. W. Plummer, H.
G. McIntyre, T. G. Merrill, committee on
resolutions.
COMMITTEES APPOINTED.
Pursuant to resolution, President Mantle
appointed the following committees :
Executive Committee—Thomas G. Mer
rill, of Helena, E. H. Irvine, of Batte, J. W.
Busket, of Jefferson county, R. S. Kelly, of
Deer Lodge, and John S. Harris, of Helena.
Finance Committee—John A. Leggat, of
Butte, Thomas Cruse, of Helena and J. W.
Plummer, of Philipsburg.
Resolutions of thanks to Thos. G. Mer
rill for his efforts were adopted, and the
convention adjourned subject to the call ol
the president.
THE FARMERS ON TARIFF.
The New York Tribune has been sys
tematically at work to draw out the ex
pression of opinion from the farmers of
the country on the subject of tariff with
the result that shows beyond all ques
tion that this largest single interest in
the country, to which the President's
message purports to he addressed, is not
in sympathy with his views at all. They
are not conscious of being oppressed, but
on on the contrary call for still
further protection. It is not a
single section of the farmers engaged
in wool growing and cattle raising that
calls for protection, but those raising
barley, hops, hay, potatoes, poultry, flax.
Indeed it may he said, generally, that
our farmers, all of them, are as much
interested in protection as the. manufac
turers. While some branches of manu
facture in certain localities favor free
trade in raw material, the farmers more
unitedly still desire protection for
themselves and for the manufacturers
as well. They know the value of the
home market created by the intro
duction and growth of our manufac
turing interests. They know that on
the bulky and perishable products they
raise, both the question of having mar
kets nearer and the time of reaching
market shorter, is a vital one to them.
They know, too, that other countries of
larger areas have cheaper l and, where
labor is cheaper and the climate more
favorable for production, and competi
tion is out of the question even with the
aid of the best mechanical devices and
conveniences of reaching market.
The idea of adopting a policy that
will discourage manufactures and divert
the hands thus employed to
the production of still greater
quantities of raw material does
not lind favor among the farmers
already hard pressed. This largest and
most deserving of all portions of our
society will he found on trial and the
most thorough canvass most in favor of
protection, most in favor of multiplying
and extending manufactures so as to
support a larger population and bring
the market to their doors. The more
discussion and light that can be thrown
on this subject the more clearly will it
appear that our home market is too val
uable a prize and possession to be wan
tonly thrown away or exposed without
restraint to he looted by every foreign
adventurer_
SILVER.
We shall not be surprised yet to see
the day soon reached when the unre
stricted coinage of silver is allowed in
this country at the present rates of
values adopted in the United States.
The Globe-Democrat of January 31 re
marks that the steadiness of the price of
silver during the past year, as compared
with former ones, has called the atten
tion of speculators on the continent to
the possibility of cornering the market
and running up the price. It remarks
further that, taking the world as a
whole, the production of silver is not in
creasing, while its use in the arts and
as a circulating medium is expanding.
If in addition to the facts just mentioned
we add the fact that the volume of busi
ness and the world's wealth, which it is
the]office of money to measure, is in
creasing much more rapidly than the
production of the precious metals, we
can easily see that our silver dollar will
soon >be at par and the United States
will be the money center and dictator of
the world.
We do not need to ask England, Ger
many or any other country in Europe to
join us in fixing the ratio of values of
the two metals. It can be done by a
monetary union on this continent. The
countries of South America and Mexico,
in fact every country on this continent,
is eager to join us at once in such a
course. This would include nearly all
the silver producing countries in the
world. They could dictate the price
of silver and the rest of the
world would have no choice but
to accept it. Such a course, so natural
aud easy of accomplishment, would not
only add hundreds of millions to our
wealth, but we should thereby control
the money markets of the world. Lon
don, Paris, Berlin and Frankfort and
other money centers of Europe would
then look to this country to regulate the
supplies and dictate the price of precious
metals. Capital, manufactures and
commerce would all center about the
great central money market and pay us
tribute.
The time is already ripe for such a
revolution, and all that it needs is a
class of statesmen and business men
with independence enough to cut loose
from English dictation.
The present convocation of mining men
of Montana in Helena is the first assem
blage of the kind ever held in the Terri
tory. It would be a good time to initiate
a movement looking to the organization of
a Territorial association of mining men.
Who will make the move ?
THE WAR
OF
KATES.
The war of cut rates between Chicago
and Mississippi and Missouri river
points west has broken out when least
expected, and is waging furiously along
the whole line. The year just closed
has been a peaceful and prosperous oue
to the railroads. The fear of the Inter
state Commission drew the competing
roads together in a temporary alliance
which the public_ regarded as ominous
of a general disappointment in any ad
vantage to he gained froip Congressional
action.
On many accounts the present out
break is in had time for the railroads.
It follows a general blockade and'a
costly conflict with snowdrifts, when
gains are needed to repair losses and
when there is plenty of business for all
the roads.
It comes, too, at a time when'Congress
is in session and considering the amend
mentsjieeded to regulate interstat e com -
merce. We do not know as Congress
will ever undertake to fix the rates [of
transportation. The right of the States
to do this within their own borders *ha»
been affirmed by the national supreme
court.
These rate cutting bouts andjscrim
mages that occasionally take place give
the public a glimpse of what may be
done. They show that cheap freight can
he transported without a loss. ( >ne con
sequence will be that lower rates will he
demanded and will have to be conceded.
It will show the companies7toö~ how
much increase of business will follow a
reduction of rates.
If we stop to consider what a reduction
of rates has already been permanently
effected on the main lines between the
east and west we shail find abundant
cause for congratulation and hope for
the future. Every such reduction adds
greatly to the wealth of the interior and
the experience of one road' tends to es
tablish a rule for other roads. Still the
railroad rates are high compared with
water communication and the work will
go on till these rates approach nearer to
a level. The movement of people to
the west and the development of our
vast interior are creating a large increase
in the volume of business.
As new roads are constructed to ac
commodate this volume of business, the
possibility of any general combination
becomes impossible, and the railroads
address themselves to the discovery of
new processes to reduce the cost ot
transportation and the public gets the
benefit.
Reduced rates of interest on money
and the cost of construction of new
reads are operating to give cheaper
transportation, and we may yet expect
to see these rates by rail as cheap a»
those by water.
CHICAGO CRIME.
Murder of a Real Estate Millionaire.
Chicago, February 8.—Amos J. Snell, a
millionaire, was found murdered in his bed
this morning at his residence, 425 Washing
ton boulevard. About 2 o'clock this morn
ing a servant girl heard a pistol shot, com
ing from Snell's room, bat paid no atten
tion to it. Later he was found with a bul
let hole in his left breast and one back of
the left ear. The murderers had effected
an entrance by sawing out a panel of the
back door. Snell was one of the largest
real estate owners in the city and all his
business was transacted in the basement of
his own house, in which were several safes.
The theory in regard to the murder is
that a carefully planned robbery had been
arranged. It was known that daring the
first part of each month large sums of
money, the proceeds from rents ol Snell's
houses, were kept in the house. It is be
lieved the burglars effected an ex trance to
the house and were at work at the safe,
when Snell heard the noise, went down
and surprised the thieves at work. His
body was found in the hall, just at the
entrance to his office.
Burglars who entered Snell's residence,
made a raid daring the night on several
houses in the neighborhood, tracks in the
snow showing that they went from one
back yard to another. The occupants of
Snell's house last night were the owner,
aged 64, two servant girls and two small
children. Detectives are at work on the
case, but as yet have discovered no clue a*
to 'the identity of the murderers. Snell
was one of the wealthiest and best known
citizens of the west side, having been con
nected with Chicago's history a great many
years. He leaves a wife and two married
daughters. The fortune at the time of his
death amounted to $3,000,000.
Friendly Visits.
The Herald acknowledges the courtesy
of friendly visits from many of the dele
gates attending the Miners' Convention.
We are very glad to meet the gentlemen,
numbers of whom are from a distance of a
hundred miles and more, and the pleasure
of seeing and greeting them personally is
not often allowed us. We bid them a
hearty welcome and extend to them, one
and all, a*cordial invitation to visit the
Herald during their stay in the city.
—A call to-day is acknowledged from
the veteran old timer, E. G. Brooke, vice
president of the miners' convention.
—Hon. W. J. McCormick and Capt.C. P.
Higgins, Missoula's delegates tothe mineral
land convention, arrived on the limited
last night.
—Miss Mary B. Spier, sister of Mrs. W.
B. Webb,has returned from the East, where
she has been visiting for a few months.
Society will welcome her home.
—The Herald people were very glad of
the chance of getting a dexter grip from
Col. John A. Leggett and others of his col
leagues from Silver Bow to-day.
—Hon. E. C. Waters, department com
mander of the Montana G. A. R., who has
been on a tour of inspection ot the west
side posts, spent yesterday in Helena, and
departed last night for his home at Bill
ings.
—Dr. Mussigbrod, of the Deer Lodge,
delegation, is probably the oldest member
holding a seat in the miners' convention.
He is above the seventy year mark, yet
appears ten years younger than that.
—Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Dyas and child ren,
of Gorham, who have been visiting Mrs.
Dyas' parents, Col. and Mrs. W. F. Wheeler
for a few days, left yesterday for a pleasant
trip to Portland and the Pacific coast.