576 



MONTANA. 



scattering, 274. The proposed constitutional 

 amendment relative to taxation for roads and 

 bridges was rejected, 115,485 votes being cast 

 tor and 194,338 against it. Twelve Democrats 

 and two Republicans (Fifth and Thirteenth 

 Districts) were elected to Congress. The Legis- 

 lature consists of 24 Democrats, 8 Republicans, 

 and 2 Labor-men in the Senate, and 85 Demo- 

 crats, 50 Republicans, 3 Independents, and 2 

 Labor-men in the House. 



MONTANA. Territorial Government, The fol- 

 lowing were the Territorial officers during the 

 year: Governor, S. T. Hauser; Secretary, 

 William B. Webb ; Treasurer, D. H. Weston ; 

 Auditor, J. P. Woolman; Superintendent of 

 Public Instruction, William W. Wylie; At- 

 torney-General, William H. Hunt; Supreme 

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

 Justices, W. M. J. Galbraith and C. R. Pollard. 



Drought and its Effects. The Governor, in his 

 report to the Secretary of the Interior, dated 

 September 27, says: "Many interests have 

 suffered greatly. Agriculture has been almost 

 a failure; certainly not over half a crop has 

 been raised. Tho long - continued drought 

 (there having been little or no rain for over 

 three months), and the fact that the fall of 

 snow last winter was less than half of the 

 usual amount, resulted in drying up many of 

 the streams ; consequently it has been difficult 

 to procure the necessary water for irrigation, 

 without which it is impossible to raise crops 

 in this Territory, save possibly in one or two 

 localities. A great portion of our many val- 

 leys along the larger streams and rivers will 

 not be utilized for agricultural purposes until 

 there has been a proper system of irrigating 

 canals built. With these even the drought of 

 this year would not affect our crops. Irrigat- 

 ing canals, however, are expensive, and their 

 construction will be greatly retarded, if not 

 indefinitely postponed, if the desert-land act 

 is repealed. But the most serious of all losses, 

 the full extent of which it is impossible as yet 

 to estimate, is that of our natural grasses our 

 sole dependence for the vast herds of cattle, 

 horses, sheep, and other stock, both winter 

 and summer. Our ranges are already bare, or 

 so nearly so that our stock is in poor condition 

 for the winter, and, should it prove long and 

 severe, great loss must inevitably follow. An- 

 other loss that has been greatly increased this 

 year by the extended drought is the fearful 

 destruction of our mountain forests by fire. 

 These fires occur every summer. They origi- 

 nate generally from carelessness of hunters and 

 campers (white or Indian), sometimes from 

 lightning. In former years the destruction 

 has been comparatively limited. This season 

 they have prevailed generally, covering im- 

 mense districts More timber has been de- 

 stroyed in the past six months by fire than 

 would supply the wants of our people for fifty 

 years, and more than will be renewed by 

 growth in a generation. W T hile the season has 

 been so generally unfavorable for ranchmen, 



farmers, and stockmen, the owners of sheep 

 were fortunate in passing the winter with 

 little loss, saving a large crop of lambs and 

 shearing a large clip of wool, and realizing 

 therefor, on an average, five cents a pound 

 better price than last year. Considering both 

 the increase of yield and price, the amount 

 realized this season from wool alone will be 

 from $300,000 to $400,000 greater than ever 

 before." 



Increase of Stock. On the basis of an estimate 

 made last year, counting the large natural in- 

 crease of last spring and the heavy importation 

 before the drought began, the cattle must 

 number 1,500,000, horses 130,000, and sheep 

 2,000,000. In favorable seasons even twice 

 this amount of stock could be nourished on 

 the natural growth of grass through winter 

 and summer, but the experience of this year 

 shows that the limit of safety is reached un- 

 til there is a reduction of the reservations. 

 More attention is being given to the improve- 

 ment of the quality of stock by imported 

 breeds, and in raising grain, tame grasses, and 

 vegetables for stock-feed. 



Growth and Progress. There are no accurate 

 data to ascertain the growth of population 

 from year to year. In 1885 the Governor es- 

 timated it at from 100,000 to 110,000, and the 

 steady increase of the population of the cities, 

 the extension and development of mining en- 

 terprises, and the construction of railroads, 

 with a gradual increase of those engaged in 

 every other enterprise, justify the estimate that 

 the permanent population has increased 10,000 

 during the year, making it now about 120,000. 

 Montana must depend largely upon the devel- 

 opment of its mines for the permanent growth 

 of its agricultural interests. 



Railroads. The question of transportation 

 underlies all others in the development of 

 Montana. Its products, whether of mines or 

 stock-ranges, are bulky and heavy. The rivers 

 give some outlet for portions of the year, but 

 railroads must be the chief reliance. The 

 Northern Pacific has about 800 miles of its 

 main line within the Territory, and has barely 

 begun the work of building branches to the 

 mining centers. The Union Pacific has a 

 branch within the Territory, doing a large and 

 profitable business. Other railroads are on 

 their way thither. One of these, the Mani- 

 toba, has reached the eastern border of the 

 Territory, and is seeking a right of way across 

 the Indian reservation north of Missouri river. 

 With confidence that the difficulties in the way 

 will soon be removed, that company has been 

 constructing road-bed within the central por- 

 tions of the Territory, which it hopes to con- 

 nect in another year with the work advancing 

 from the east. Other roads are approaching 

 the southeastern border by the way of the 

 Black Hills through Wyoming. 



Metal Prodocts. The low prices of silver and 

 copper during the season naturally checked the 

 working of mines and discouraged the opening 



