Fergus County Democrat. [volume], January 31, 1905, Image 1

About Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919

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Fergus County Democrat.
Vol. I. No. 25
LEWISTOWN, FERGUS COUNTY, MONTANA, TUESDAY, JAN. 31, 1905.
CARNEGIE WILL
MAKE DONATION
Philanthropic Scotchman Notifies
Library Board That He Will Do
nate Ten Thousand.
WILL ERECT A GOOD BUILDING
Conditions Prescribed by the Donner
Can Be Easily Complied With
Will Be Built Next Summer.
Frank E. Smith, chairman of the
public library board, last Friday re
ceived a letter from the private secre
tary of Mr. Andrew Carnegie stating
that the generous Pittsburgher wUl
give to the library board of Lewistown
$10,000 for the erection of a library
building, provided the city will raise
$1,000 a year for the maintainance of
of the library. No news has come to
Lewistown in many days that was re
ceived with more gratification than
that conrained in this letter. It is
the fruition of hopes which the mem
bers of the library board have had for
many months but which they did not
expect to see realized so soon as this.
- To the persistant efforts of Chair
man Frank E. Smith of the library
board are duo, largely, the success of
securing this splendid donation. Sever
al years ago, he commenced writing to
the steel man asking fora library
gift. His letters were scarcely noticed
at first but about ever six months, he
would renew his application on be
half of the board. The answers to his
letters gradually became more favor
able and a few weeks ago a letter was
received from Carnegie's secretary
asking what the city would be able to
do toward maintaining a library in
case Mr. Carnegie gave the money
with which to erect a building. This
letter was premptly answered and the
answer brought the long desired letter
announcing the willingness of Mr.
Carnegie to make a donation. It was
hardly expected that a donation, if
one was secured all, would exceed $7,
500 and even $5,000 would have been
acceptible, but Carnegie seldom does
things by halves and the fact that
Lewistown now raises by taxation, a
large amount for the maintainance of
a library probably had the effect
of causing him to make the gift a
comparatively large one.
The conditions imposed upon Lew
istown are that a suitable site shall
be furnished and at least $1,000 a year
raised for maintaining the library.
The first condition is the only one
which the board willl have to fulfill.
It is thought that no trouble will be
experienced in securing a site. There
is an opportunity for some local phil
anthropist to win the thanks of the
city by donating a lot in some conven
ient portion of the city. But if such
a donation is not forthcoming, the lot
will be secured in some manner.
The board hope to have all
conditions fulfilled so that the build
ing can be erected during the com
ing summer.
Mining During Year 1904.
The following is a brief summary of
the mining operations in tills state
during the year of 1904:
Copper—Omitting the product of the
mines worked by leases and small com
panies, which aggregate 250 tons per
day, the total quantity of ore shipped
by Amalgamated, Speculator, United
Copper and Clark mines aggregate 4,
106,«50 tons; of which the Amalgama
ted is credited with 3,217,400; United
Copper, 438,000; Clark, 360,000; and
the Speculator, 91,000.
Gold The mines of Fergus county
have done well. The Barnes-King, at
Kendall, mined and treated 6,500
tons of ore per month, did a lot of de
velopment work and installed a 75-h.
p. motor with which to operate the
mill. An adit was started to trans
verse the entire length of the proper
ty, a mile; and two shafts are being
sunk to ventilate. A depth of over
700 feet, on the dip of the lode, has
been attained. At the Kendall mine
owned by the company of that name,
9,000 tons per month were mined and
treated. The ore body has been pros
pected to a depth of more than one
thousand feet with a diamond drill.
The Whiskey Gulch mine, near Gilt
Edge, yielded 3,000 tons per month
and the Gold Reef, 4,000.
The Maginnls mine, near Maiden,
was bonded a few months ago and
some promising ore bodies have been
opened. In the Little Rocky district
of Choteau county the Alder Gulch
company extracted 3,000 tons per
month from their mine.
More Battleships Wanted.
President Roosevelt has authorized
the publication by the navy depart
ment of an official memorandum,
drawing from the Port Arthur cam
paign the lesson of the supremacy of
battleships in naval warfare. This
inspired statement condemns the at
tempt "to neutralize something pow
erful and costly by means of an in
ferior and cheap agent." It asserts
that torpedo boats have accomplished
no important results in the present
war after the first blow, which was
"a surprise far excelling the usual ele
ments of a surprise attack," the four
teen Russian vessels being "anchored
close together in the outer funnel
shaped roadstead without suspicion of
impending hostilities, not a patrol be
ing out and the crews peacefully
sleeping in their usual berths." Un
der these extraordinarily favorable
conditions, amounting merely to "easy
target practice," twelve Japanese de
stroyers discharged at least twenty
four torpedoes, and probably more, of
which three took effect. In the final
stage of the siege the Sevastopol lay
in the outer roadstead, a stationary
target for two weeks, and probably
not less than one hundred and fifty
torpedoes were aimed at her, but it
was not until she had withstood con
tinuous day and night attacks by
Japanese torpedo boats and destroyers
for ten days that she was hit by three
torpedoes and beached. The obvious
moral is that America wants plenty
of battleships, even if they do cost
$8,000,000 apiece, with a deficit of
$22,000,000 in the treasury. But
hungry congressmen have begun to
protest against allowing all the money
they need for their districts to be
swallowed up by the navy, and they
have begun a formidable agitation to
have the battleships demanded by the
administration reduced from three to
STILL GOT 'EM IN BILLINGS.
Small Pox Situation Sligbtly Better
-Quarantine On.
Billings, Jan. 26.—Two new cases of
smallpox occurred here today, both in
houses where the disease already ex
ists. No deaths have occurred for a
week. Of 18 persons who were in the
L. & L. saloon yesterday when a man
named Green found to be affected
with the disease was taken therefrom
11 have been removed to the deten
tion hospital, where they will be held
the required length of time to ascer
tain if any develop contagion. In re
gard to the persons who have the dis
ease at Miles City and who, according
to report, hired a farmer to drive
them from Billings to Huntley, where
they boarded the train, Mayor Foster
stated this evening to the Tribune
representative that he will make an
investigation of the matter, and if it
is proven that the parties violated the
quarantine regulations, as alleged, he
will direct the officers at Miles City to
arrest them when they recover from
the disease, and they will be prose
cuted to the full extent of the law.
The work of removing patients from
houses in the city to the isolation hos
pitals is being pushed rapidly, and this
part of the work, together with the
fumigation of all houses from which
patients are being removed, will be
completed by Sunday next.
Terrific Storm in Alaska.
Vancouver, B. C., Jan. 26.—The
worst blizzard ever known in the
Klondike region raged last Thursday,
Friday and Saturday. This news was
brought down today by the steamer
Dolphin from Skagway. Not only
was the weather bitterly cold, but the
snowfall is unprecedented. The gale
swept the upper Yukon as far down as
Dawson, and also took in the Tatiana
and Copper river valleys. All trails
are impassable, and the snow is drift
ed in many places to a depth of 20
feet.
Miners and prospectors are said to
be suffering untold hardships, and ad
vices from the interior are to the ef
fect that there is fear that some men
will die of cold and starvation Ten
days ago a party started from Fair
banks to A aldez, and another from
Fairbanks to Dawson. It is feared
that both of these have been lost.
Relief parties have been sent out
from Dawson, and every effort will be
made to locate the missing men. The
winter trail is not a long one, and men
who have come over it since these par
ties started out say that not a vestige 1
of life was seen by them.
REPUBLICANS
ARE DEFEATED
Their "Safely Guarded" Initiative
and Referendum Bill Voted Down
In the House.
GIST OF THE LEGISLATIVE NEWS
The Past Week a Busy One for the
Solons-Many Important Meas
ures Considered.
Helena, Jan. 24.—Both the senate
and house had interesting sessions to
day. The senate passed a resolution
which means that the Meagher mon
ument will not be allowed to occupy
the site selected in the walk, if the
house concurs. The upper house to
day passed a joint resolution giving
the association in charge of the erec
tion of the monument the privilege of
putting the monument anywhere in
the capitol grounds save where the
base has been erected.
An important resolution, adopted
by the senate, asks the state auditor
to furnish that body with detailed in
formation in regard to certain ex
penditures from the organization of
the state. Another resolution calls
for detailed information in regard to
the state lands.
The senate had the page question
up, and it disposed of it by laying the
communication of Truant Officer Cal
vin on the table.
The house also had the page ques
tion to consider, and it dispensed with
the services of two of the boys who
came under the operations of the law.
About the first business transacted
by the house was to adopt a report of
the committee on privileges and elec
tions in favor of seating Richardson,
republican, in place of Wellma: , dem
ocrat. The report was adopted and
later in the day Richardson took the
oath.
The house passed the bill providing
for the reduction from ten to five
cents of the mileage allowed sheriffs
for the transportation of prisoners and
insane persons.
Helena, Jan. 25.—Interest centered
in the house today, where the com
mittee on privileges and eldfetions re
ported on the initiative and referen
dum bills. The majority of the com
mittee, comprising the republican
members, reported a substitute for
the Lanstrum and Lannin bills. The
minority reported the two bills named
favorably. There was considerable
debate on the two reports and finally,
by a vote of 39 to 30, the minority re
port was adopted and a combined bill,
modeled after the Oregon law, went
to the printing committee.
A number of bills were introduced
in the house, the total reaching an
even 100.
The senate reconsidered the vote of
the day previous on the joint resolu
tion by which the Meagher monument
was given a site on the capitol grounds
except on the walk, and referred the
resolution back to the committee on
public buildings.
* * * *
There was discussion of house bill
No. 32, by Wiedeman, authorizing
school trustees to repay borrowed
money. Senators White and Ralston
spoke against the bill, the former say
ing that the passage of the bill would
set a dangerous precedent; it would
mean that officials might violate the
school law, or any other law for that
matter, and come to the legislature
and have those acts validated. The
law, he said, was proposed mainly for
the benefit of Fergus county, and he
asked consent for Judge E. K. Cheadle
of Lewistown to explain the bill to the
senate. Senator Whipple objected on
account of time, and, the question
coming to a vote, the committee de
cided to recommend that the t ill be
concurred in.
Alwaps a Smooth Tom.
A dispatch from Charles City, Iowa,
says that the election of Thomas II.
Carter as United States senator in
Montana recalls an incident which
happened in that vicinity many years
ago when Tom was a book agent, sell
ing a work called "Footprints of
Time".
The hustling book agent met Chaun
cey Kellogg, a young man ivlio had
just inherited an 80-acre tract of land.
Flo induced young Kellogg to deed
him the eighty in consideration of
his being appointed as sole agent of
the Ixiok in that county.
Kellogg took the agency and did not
sell over ten of the books. The eigh
ty is now valued at something like
$2oo an ace. Kellogg's friends tried
to have him institute legal proceed
ings for the recovery of the property
but he felt morally bound by the con
tract and took his bitter pill without a
tremor. He is now making a living by
keeping a small store at Lehigh.
THFY FAVOR "RACE SUICIDE."
Gang of New York Women Present
Novel Views on Mooted Question.
New York, Jan. 25.-The Women's
Society for Political Study has dis
cussed the injustice done to children
in large families, where the parents
are unable to support them properly,
and after due consideration those
present came out strongly in support
of "race suicide."
The discussion was started by the
reading of weekly municipal reports.
It developed that the society desires
to procure anti-pauperism laws that
shall restrict the propagation of the
human species. The speakers ex
pressed the belief that such laws
would furnish the solution of the
child labor question, of overcrowded
schools and all other complaints that
hang upon the rapid increase of chil
dren. .
"We are wasting sympathy," de
clared one speaker, "on people who
surround themselves with large num
bers of little ones when they cannot
possibly feed them. Let the parents
starve if they bring paupers into the
world."
BRYAN HIS OWN ATTORNEY.
Former Presidential Candidate Makes
Strong Plea in Bennett Case.
New Haven, Conn., Jan. 25.—Argu
ments were heard in the Connecticut
court of errors Tuesday on an appeal
v William J, Bryan from the decision
of the superior court, denying him to
receive $50,000 mentioned in the fa
mous sealed letter left by the late
Philo S. Bennett, of whose estate Mr.
Bryan is executor.
Mr. Bryan spoke eloquently for
three-quarters of an hour. He said it
was due him in this case to say a few
words as to the intent of the testator.
This intent, he thought, was very
plain, and he hoped the court would
be explicit as to whether the sealed
letter could be received as a declara
tion of trust, even if not a part of the
will. He said that most will contests
turned on two or three questions, usu
ally on the capacity of a testator to
make a will, on the question of undue
influence, or on the intent of the tes
tator in making bequests, in this
case he thought Mr. Bennett ideally
competent to make a will. As to the
question of undue influence, he cited
the fact that Mr. Bennett traveled
1,500 miles to Nebraska, carrying with
him a will to be used as a model, and
afterward traveled 1,500 mil es back to
New York, where he duly executed
the will. The question, therefore,
turns on the intent of the testator.
TIGER SENT TO COVER.
Carbon County Sheriff Gets Busy
With the Gambling Men.
Red Lodge, Jan. 27.—By midnight
next Wednesday night Carbon will be
one of the most moral counties in
Montana. Sheriff Potter has decreed
that all gambling games must go out
of business by that time. He made
his first fiat go into effect at Bridger,
having been appealed to for instruc
tions from Deputy Sheriff Barlow.
It seems that this action occurred
as the result of a disagreement, be
tween George Town and Henry Win
ters. Town had been renting the
rear of Winters' saloon for hotel pur
poses. He was ordered to vacate and
retaliated by charging the lessees of
the gambling privileges in Winters'
saloon with gambling. They were ar
rested and fined $200, but the fines
were remitted. They were then com
plained of again, and Sheriff Potter
ordered everything closed. lie then
also promulgated an order in Red
Lodge decreeing that at the end of
this month every slot machine must
be taken out of saloons and t lie games
stopped.
Thus will the recommendations of
the recent grand jury be carried into
effect. The city has been collecting
tribute from the games for months,
under a so-called monthly fining sys
tem.
DR. MONAHAN
A LUCKY MAN
Former Resident of Lewistown Cast
Some Bread Upon the Waters
and It Has Come Back.
ONE OUT OF TEN THOUSAND
A Patient Treated Here Years Ago
Pays His Bill With Triple Com
pound Interest.
Dr. T. J. Monahan, whose head
quarters are now at Bingham Junc
tion, but who formerly practiced in
Montana, does not think that human
nature is altogether bad, says the
Salt Lake Tribune. He has always
been liberal in his estimates of it, biit
an occurrence of yesterday, when he
met J. E. Fox, just returned from
Alaska, has elevated his estimate of
human virtue and he now thinks it is
.99 tine.
As stated, Dr. Monahan formerly
practised his profession of medicine
and surgery in Montana. While in
that pursuit he operated on Fox for
an abcess of the lungs and pulled him
through. Fox was impecunious at
the time and gave the doctor the
"long finger," finally disappearing
from Montana.
From his story, related by himself
to Dr. Monahan, he went to Alaska
and secured a claim or t wo, and hav
ing in mind the gratitude due the
doctor for saving his life, his claims
were located jointly in his own name
and that of the doctor. Some years
passed and his labors resulted in the
discovery of good values, and he was
made an offer of $20,000 for the group.
He agreed to sell, but as the claims
the deal is now pending for Dr. Mon
ahan's signature to the necessary doc
uments.
Fox, in his quandry, returned to
Montana to find Dr. Monahan, but
the latter had left, and for nearly a
year Fox has been looking for him
It was by the merest accident that he
ran into him. Monahan did not at
first recognize Fox, but the latter ex
plained that he owed him a fee for
medical treatment in Montana, the
debt being of years' standing, and
then explained that before he could
realize on $20,000 worth of property in
Alaska he would have to have the
doctor's signature.
Thus Dr. Monahan gets a fee of
$10,000 for an operation of eight years
ago. He has waited a long time for
his pay, but thinks the rate of inter
est is good.
Half ^ V"7»T"
J 1 " t0 L hed ° C ^ aud half t0
himself he could not deliver title, and
the deal is now nendoe- for Dr Mm.
WOOL HOLDING UP WELL.
Territorial Selling at Good Figures—
But Little Wool in Boston.
Territory wool is selling to the best
of its ability. According to the larg
est individual owner, there are not
over 4,000,000 pounds of all kinds left
in Boston, that is, outside of that in a
scoured state. With due allowance
for exaggeration on the minimum
side, there is a very small stock even
of Wyoming wool left forsale. All the
choicest product of Montana and oth
er sections was cornered by manufac
turers months ago, says the Commer
cial Bulletin. With the depletion of
supplies the market has lost none of
its former strength. The scoured ba
sis of the small lots of clothing wools
sold during the week has beeu 65(«>fl7c
for fine and 62(</>63c for fine medium.
In medium grades, there have been
sales principally on the basis of 60(d
62c for one-quarter and three-eighths
blood. Fine staple would readily
bring 70c clean.
It would be a decidedly interesting
situation but for the closely watched
foreign developments and the interest
taken in the movements of the specu
lators in the unshorn clips of the west.
After the fit of nerves occasioned by
the talk of tariff revision contracting
operations have been resumed. Four
of the largest of Boston's dealers keep
in tiie forefront and efforts to call
them off have proved of no avail. In
every section where the grower is will
ing, the value of the 1905 clip is beiug
established six months in advance of
shearing. Buyers have left for Arizona
and the bona fide opening of the sea
son will begin in that section in a
fortnight or three weeks.
The news from the goods market is
decidedly bullish. For standard clays,
serges, in finished worsteds, etc., an
average advance of 15 per cent is an
nounced by the American Woolen
company. Some goods are 25 per cent
higher than a year ago. The lower
priced fabrics, previously opened,
have sold well and many mills have
withdrawn their products as sold up.
So far the higher prices quoted appear
to have been no restraint on business.
It remains to lie seen whether the
season turns out as well as the pres
ent promise. There is apparently lit
tle trouble about the large mills get
ting all the business they can handle
even on the higher basis quoted. It
is the small mills without a good sup
ply of raw material on hand about
whom there is any question, but the
fact that the big fellows have estab
lished prices on a higher basis should
lie a help all around.
ASSESSORS COMPLETE WORK.
State Meeting Adjourns After Agree
ing on New Valuations.
Helena, Jan. 26.—The last action
taken by the county assessors before
they adjourned was to increase the
valuation of the polos and one iron
wire to $45 per mile on the lines of
the Postal Telegraph company. This
is an increase of $10 per mile over hist
year's assessment. The convention
reconsidered t he report or the com
mittee on insurance and personal
property, and fixed the valuation of
the Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone
company and of the Western Union
Telegraph company at $65 per mile for
poles and one Iron wire, an Increase of
$15 over last year.
The report of the livestock commit
tee, which was placed on tile Wednes
day, was adopted today. 'Phis means
an increase of 50 cents per head in the
valuat ion of sheep and of 25 cents per
head on lambs.
The assessors today adopted a sched
ule of the valuation of lumber, logs
and coal, as follows:
Kough lumber, $5 to $7 a thousand;
clear lumber, $10 a thousand and upl
wa , d; logS) * 2 to $3,according to loa
.. . ** ' uj
tion.
The assessment of timber lands as
fixed was: First class, per acre, $ 6 ;
second class, $4; third class, $3; coal
land, $20 an acre.
The assessment of lath, together
with coal in storage, was left to the
discretion of assessors.
Jerry Sullivan was elected president
of the association for the ensuing year
and Daniel McQuarrles secretary.
Missoula was selected as the next
place of meeting.
PFAUS APPOINTED POSTMASTER.
City Clerk Lands the Coveted Plun
Without Much Effort.
A telegram was received by Rev.
Albert Pfaus last Thursday from Con
gressman Joseph M. Dixon informing
him that lie had been appointed post
master for this place to succeed the
present Incumbent, A. J. Stephens,
whose resignation was tiled about ten
days ago. The change will take place
within a month or six weeks. Mr.
Stephens has been in the local office
for tiie past five years and has made
a conscientious effort to give people a
good service, but for the greater part
of the time he has been handicapped
from a lack of sufficient assistance.
The government lias allowed him an
assistant during tiie last fifteen months
and by paying for another out of his
own salary lie has managed the ever
growing business.
The incoming postmaster, Mr.Pfaus,
is considered a good man for the posi
tion which was made vacant by tiie
resignation of Mr. Stephens. lie has
been engaged for the last two years 1
in such work as he will be called upon
to perform in the postofflee, and after
he has become acquainted with the
routine of the office he will undoubt
edly get along in a most satisfactory
manner. He will resign his position
as city clerk as soon as he enters the
postofflee.
Since he lias been keeping track of
the work of the city council he has
won the absolute approval of the
members of that body by his efficient
work. During the last campaign Mr.
Pfaus performed valorous service for
his party, and it was this service
which secured for him the endorse
ment of the unbroken republican or
ganization in this county for the post
office job. While they are all on the
inside of the corral and to an outsider
like the Democrat their political an
tics are not particularly interesting,
we nevertheless take pleasure in wish
ing Mr. Pfaus a successful tenure in
the postoffice.