MONTANA. 



533 



MOJTTMl. Territorial Government. The fol- 

 lowing were the Territorial officers during the 

 year : Governor, John Schuyler Crosby, suc- 

 ceeded by B. Platt Carpenter ; Secretary, J. S. 

 Tooker; Auditor, Joseph P. Woolman ; Treas- 

 urer, D. H. Weston ; Superintendent of Public 

 Instruction, Cornelius Hedges ; Attorney- Gen- 

 eral, William H. Hunt. Judiciary, Supreme 

 Court : Chief-Justice, D. S. Wade ; Assistant 

 Justices, W. J. Galbraith and John Coburn. 



General Condition. With the exception of 

 eight miles of narrow - gauge railroad from 

 Stewart to Anaconda, on the Utah and North- 

 ern, there was no railroad-building in the Ter- 

 ritory within the year. In the early spring the 

 reported gold discoveries of the Coaur d'Alene 

 mines created a rush to that portion of Idaho 

 adjacent to Montana's western border, and 

 several of the outfitting points were within 

 Montana. Making all deductions for the de- 

 parture of those who had come only for a tem- 

 porary purpose, still there was a steady gain 

 in the population during 1884. In spite of 

 the depression throughout the country, Mon- 

 tana progressed in every direction. Her cattle 

 are estimated to number more than 900,000, 

 and horses and sheep have multiplied propor- 

 tionately. The mines continue to pour forth 

 in increasing value their precious metals. Dur- 

 ing the year the largest smelting-works for the 

 reduction of copper any wB ere to be found in 

 the West were completed. The work of build- 

 ing has never stopped for a day, and more sub- 

 stantial business blocks, elegant and commo- 

 dious school-houses and churches, and private 

 residences have been erected in Montana dur- 

 ing the year past than in any former period. 

 The assessment list will show between fifty and 

 sixty millions of taxable property. 



Stock.-^" This Territory," remarks the Gov- 

 ernor, "is not to be judged by the amount of 

 stock exported, either for meat or for other 

 purposes. Though Montana continues to fur- 

 nish in large numbers cattle, horses, and sheep 

 for stocking the vast pasture-lands of the Do- 

 minion provinces to the north, and supplies 

 no insignificant portion of the beef-cattle for 

 the Chicago market, she is, and for some time 

 will continue to be, an importer rather than 

 an exporter of stock. This must continue till 

 our rich and extensive pasture - ranges are 

 stocked up to their natural average capacity. 

 Brood-mares, young cows, and ewes are worth 

 relatively more in Montana than elsewhere in 

 the country. It is estimated that above 100,- 

 000 head of improved breeds of cattle have 

 been shipped and driven into the Territory 

 during the past year, and by the 1st of De- 

 cember about 60.000 will have been exported. 

 Sheep are brought from Washington Territory 

 and Oregon by car at a cost of 50 cents a 

 head, and in so short a time that no delay is 

 needed to feed and water them. In the same 

 way and with equal advantage young cattle 

 and horses are brought in from the States. 

 The worst difficulty that our stock-growers, 



particularly horse and cattle men, have thus 

 far had to contend with is the loss by stealing 

 and wanton killing of cattle by white and red 

 thieves. Horse-stealing had become consoli- 

 dated into a large and well -organized industry 

 in the sparsely settled northern and eastern 

 portions of the Territory. It became necessary 

 to organize and resort to extra-legal means to 

 suppress this dangerous element. The laws 

 were utterly powerless, the thieves with their 

 plunder would escape into the vast Indian res- 

 ervations, or cross the northern frontier-line 

 to be safe from reach before pursuit even be- 

 gan. There have been some applications of 

 hemp and lead during the year by the 'cow- 

 boys,' as our stock-herders are called, that are 

 to be deprecated, provided there were other 

 effectual protection and redress at hand. Eov- 

 ing bands of Indians, Crows and Blackfeet, 

 have during the whole season been roaming 

 among the thinly scattered settlements along 

 the Musselshell and other tributaries south of 

 the Missouri, pretending to be in search of 

 horses stolen by other Indians, but taking 

 horses wherever opportunity presented, and 

 subsisting wholly upon cattle of the settlers, 

 which they have killed by hundreds." 



Indian Reservations. Alluding to the reserva- 

 tions, the Governor uses this language : 



These vast reservations no longer afford any means 

 of support to the Indian in his traditional mode 

 of life. The large game is gone. The Indians are 

 in many cases driven to kill the white man's cattle 

 or starve. The situation of the Piegans and Black- 

 feet has been most deplorable, as reported by me in 

 detail at different times ; hundreds died from starva- 

 tion. The reduction of their reservations to a proper 

 size in alternate sections would give the means to 

 provide for their physical well-being and would fur- 

 ther provide for their education in the useful arts, so 

 that they might, in the course of time, become wholly 

 self-supporting by raising cattle, sheep, and horses, 

 for which their reservations are adapted. 



The recent reports of the discovery of gold-mines 

 in the Little Eockies, an outlying spur, situate about 

 one hundred miles southeast from Fort Assiniboin, 

 and not more than fifteen miles distant from the Mis- 

 souri river, lying in the very heart of the great north- 

 ern reservation, is attracting hundreds from all parts 

 of the Territory and beyond. I am of the opinion 

 that instead of keeping these Indians shut up on res- 

 ervations, which necessarily isolates them from civil- 

 izing influences, they should be brought into direct 

 contact with the modes of life of the frontier farmer 

 and stock-grower. I do not believe, in the present 

 condition of most of our tribes in the Northwest, that 

 the Indian should be treated en masse, but as individ- 

 uals, providing each one with a homestead, which 

 shoula be inalienable for a term of not less than twen- 

 ty years. 



Finances. The Treasurer's report for the year 

 1883 shows that in accordance with an act 

 approved Jan. 30, 1883, funds were transferred 

 from the warrant fund, and all uncalled Terri- 

 torial bonds, amounting to $45,000, were re- 

 deemed and canceled on March 1, 1883, thus 

 extinguishing all registered indebtedness of the 

 Territory. Notwithstanding a large increase 

 in Territorial expenditures during the year, 

 and the transfer by the Legislative Assembly 

 of 37^ per cent, of the former Territorial por- 



