MONTANA. 



497 



was passed by the Legislature of 1893. A Board 

 of Trustees, including J. W. Strevell, Charles K. 

 Middleton, and Howard B. Wiley, was appointed 

 by the Governor. A building was promptly 

 erected, costing $19,027.04, and $4,961.44 was 

 expended for the necessary fixtures and furni- 

 ture. It was dedicated March 15. 



Assessments. In 1893 the assessed valuation 

 of taxable property in Montana was $127,548,- 

 175.00. In 1894 it was $118,850,892. Silver 

 Bow and Ravalli are the only counties whose 

 assessments increased. 



Land Office. The business of the State Board 

 of Land Commissioners is steadily increasing. 

 The receipts for the fiscal year ending Dec. 1, 

 1893, were $32,453.60, and the receipts for 1894 

 were $56,444.65. The Enabling Act granted to 

 Montana, for educational and other purposes, 

 622,000 acres, in addition to sections 16 and 36 

 in every township a grant to the public schools 

 of over 5,000,000 acres when the entire State 

 shall have been surveyed. We have also 46,080 

 acres of university land, granted before the ad- 

 mission of the State. Of the 622,000 acres above 

 referred to, 336,704-21 acres have been selected, 

 but owing to defective provisions of law regard- 

 ing appraisal only a relatively small proportion 

 has yet been appraised and offered for sale. 



Several certificates of lists of lands selected by 

 Montana, covering over 100,000 acres, were sent 

 to the Governor from Washington in June. 

 These certificates are virtually patents to the 

 land in question, and are legal evidence of the 

 transfer of title from the Government to the 

 State of Montana. The State Board of Land 

 Commissioners has proceeded to appraise and 

 place on the market these lands. 



Fish-Hatching. The United States Fish 

 Commission has authorized the construction of a 

 fish-hatchery in Bozeman. According to the 

 specifications, the buildings a fish-hatchery and 

 outbuilding and an ice house are to be finished 

 by July 1, 1895. 



' Stock Growers. A meeting of the Montana 

 Stock Growers' Association was held in Miles 

 City. This organization has 10 detectives sta- 

 tioned at shipping stations and the principal 

 markets of the country, with full lists of all 

 marks and brands used' upon stock in the State, 

 and authority to seize or investigate all live stock 

 in the hands of the shippers, consignors, or sell- 

 ers, where the right of authority over such 

 stock is questioned by the detective. The pro- 

 ceeds from the sale of such stock is returned to 

 the secretary of the association, who sees that 

 the moneys go to the proper hands. An idea of 

 the magnitude of the work may be gained from 

 the following figures : Cattle inspected in 1893, 

 222,158; cattle butchered and delivered to In- 

 dians and military posts, 57,000; strays inspected 

 and reported, 17,565 ; estimated value at $30 per 

 head, $526.950 ; strays settled for through asso- 

 ciation, 4,939 ; funds received for the same, $148,- 

 776; arrests for the year, 13; inspectors em- 

 ployed during the year, 14 ; brands reported for 

 1893. 726: brands on record (estimated), 11,000. 



State Flower. The National Floral Emblem 

 Society, that came into existence in Chicago dur- 

 ing the World's Fair, undertook to solve the 

 problem of a national floral emblem. As there 

 were so many favorite flowers in the country, it 

 VOL. xxxiv. 32 A 



was decided to have a garland of flowers. The 

 nation, being an aggregation of States, could be 

 best represented by a collection of flowers, se- 

 lected by vote from each State and Territory. 

 A chairman was chosen for each State, she to 

 select her associates, one from each congressional 

 district. Mrs. Mark W. Anderson was made 

 chairman for Montana. She announced that the 

 total number of votes received was 5,857, of 

 which 3.621 were for the bitter-root, or Lewisia 

 rediviva. This flower received a plurality of 

 2.405 votes, or 2.844 more than were cast for the 

 second candidate, evening primrose, or (Enothera 

 ccBspitosa. The latter candidate received 787 

 votes ; the wild rose was next in popular favor, 

 it receiving 668 votes. The golden-rod, calo- 

 chortus, prickly pear, sunflower, white clematis, 

 and a number of other candidates received in 

 the aggregate 781 votes. 



Midwinter Fair. Montana was quick to ap- 

 preciate the value of displaying her wonderful 

 resources at the fair held in San Francisco, and 

 although no public funds were available for the 

 purpose of making an exhibit, the Governor ap- 

 pointed Thomas G. Merrill honorary commis- 

 sioner. This gentleman promptly secured sub- 

 scriptions to the amount of $4,205, with which 

 an interesting display of the mineral wealth of 

 the State- was made. The effort was a success. 

 Montana as a State received an award of honor 

 for the best mineral exhibits, and a diploma and 

 gold medal for the best collection of ores and 

 gems. The Anaconda Company received a di- 

 ploma and gold medal for the best exhibit of 

 copper ores, bars, plates, and refined gold and 

 silver. Other awards included a diploma and 

 gold medal, a diploma and silver medal, 4 gold 

 medals. 10 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal to 

 private individuals and corporations. The min- 

 eral exhibit took 21 out of the 60 awards given 

 in that department, including the first award for 

 the best general display ; also the first awards on 

 copper and gold. 



State Capital. At the Constitutional Con- 

 vention held in Montana prior to the proclama- 

 tion of statehood the naming of a State capital 

 came up for consideration, and it was then de- 

 cided to submit the selection to popular vote, a 

 majority vote being required to settle the mat- 

 ter. Furthermore, in the event of failure of any 

 place to secure the requisite majority, the t wo 

 places for which the highest number of votes 

 were cast were to be submitted again at the next 

 general election for final choice. At the general 

 election held in 1892 the results were as fol- 

 lows: Helena, 14,010; Anaconda, 10,183; Butte, 

 7,752 ; Bozeman, 7,658 ; Great Falls, 5,042 ; Deer 

 Lodge, 983 : and Boulder, 295. There being no 

 majority, official notice for again submitting the 

 question to a popular vote was issued, naming 

 Anaconda and Helena as the places to be voted 

 for. Although Helena was the unquestioned 

 favorite of the greater number of voters, an ex- 

 tremely active canvass was made in behalf of 

 Anaconda, in which the influence of several 

 great mining corporations was conspicuous ; still, 

 Helena received a majority of 1,906 votes, and 

 on Dec. 27 the Governor issued a proclamation 

 declaring Helena " to be the permanent capital." 



Political. The State conventions of four 

 parties were held during the late summer for the 



