MONTANA. 



393 



The expenditures amounted to $11,522.76, of 

 which $4,000 went for subsistence. 



The Montana Children's Home Society has 

 placed 150 children in homes since its organiza- 

 tion. 



The Institute for the Deaf and Dumb had a 

 larger attendance this year than ever. The build- 

 ing has been improved, and new departments of 

 instruction introduced. 



There were 354 prisoners at the State Prison 

 in December. Unconditional pardons were 

 granted to 26 in the year and diminutions were 

 given in 75 cases. 



Militia. The report of the Adjutant General 

 says: "On April 1, 1898, this State had 1 com- 

 pany of artillery, 2 troops of cavalry, 9 com- 

 panies of infantry, and 1 mounted company of 

 infantry. Of this force all were called for (with 

 the single exception of the artillery) by the War 

 Department for the Spanish- American War, and 

 were mustered into the United States service. The 

 terms of enlistment in nearly all the companies 

 that composed the old guard expired w r ith their 

 muster out of the United States service. The in- 

 fantry and cavalry arm of the service were not 

 continued, and our State is left with the least 

 number of organized militia to her credit of any in 

 the Union. 



" The number of persons in the State subject 

 to military duty is estimated at 31,258, an in- 

 crease of 3,744 in two years. 



" The expenditures from the National Guard 

 fund for the two years were as follow: For 1899, 

 annual appropriation $2,500, expenditures $1,447,- 

 50; for 1900, annual appropriation $2,500, ex- 

 penditures $1,427.37."' 



Of the Fort Ellis military reservation he says: 

 " In the possession of old Fort Ellis the State 

 is indeed fortunate. It is centrally located, and 

 is admirably adapted for the site of an encamp- 

 ment. The guard has held no encampment since 

 1890, and this has led settlers to believe that the 

 State has forfeited its rights to hold it." 



Railroads. According to figures from the 

 office of the State Board of Equalization, the rail- 

 roads paid in taxes in 1900, exclusive of special 

 school and city taxes, $364,035.83. The taxes on 

 the railways proper, the roadbeds, rails, bridges, 

 etc., amount to $290,830.68. The taxes on the 

 roundhouses, depots, shops, and other buildings 

 amount to $18,121.90, while the taxes on the lands 

 amount to $55,083.25. There are 2,932.21 miles 

 of railroad in the State upon which taxes were 

 paid. 



A line from Kalispell to Flathead lake is build- 

 ing, which will connect the head of the lake with 

 the main line of the Great Northern. 



Banks. Following is the summary of the 

 condition at the close of business, Nov. 30, of the 

 14 banks, as reported to State Bank Examiner: 

 Deposits, $7.711.425; loans and discounts, $6,- 

 483.269; cash and clearance items, $1,319,941; due 

 from other banks, $2,156.720. 



There was an increase of 10 per cent, in the de- 

 posits and loans and discounts of the State banks 

 during the last fiscal year. Six of the 14 State 

 banks paid dividends aggregating $52.000. 



Public Lands. The report of the Land Com- 

 missioner shows that during the fiscal year 570 

 new leases and permits were issued, covering 388,- 

 711 acres, giving the State a revenue of $42,767.34. 

 Including the leases and permits issued during the 

 previous years, 1,912 leases are in existence, pro- 

 ducing during the year a revenue of $144,383.76. 

 Of all classes, there are now under lease and 

 yielding revenue to the State 1,265.895 acres of 

 land, representing an increase of $35,077.66. 





The receipts for the year represent very largely 

 rentals, as the department has considered it good 

 policy to rent State lands rather than place them 

 on the market. Under the existing policy the 

 State receives an income of 6| per cent, from its 

 land, and still, retains title. 



During the year the total income from State 

 lands was $200,275.25. 



The State has relinquished lands within the 

 reservations amounting to 315,050 acres, and has 

 secured other lands in their place. 



Insurance. The Auditor attends to the col- 

 lection of fees and taxes from the insurance com- 

 panies, which now amount to about $60,000. 

 There is as yet no State office of Insurance Com- 

 missioner. 



Wolves and Coyotes. According to the pay- 

 ments under the wolf bounty law, the number 

 of wolves killed during the fiscal year was 5,117, 

 and of coyotes 22,513. 



Products. Montana is the chief wool-produ- 

 cing State in the Union, and has more sheep than 

 any other State except one. The clip this year 

 exceeded 24,000,000 pounds, and the price re- 

 ceived was better than the average. 



A great percentage of the gold and silver pro- 

 duced in Montana came from the copper ores of 

 Butte almost two thirds of the silver and fully 

 one fourth of the gold. The rest is from smelting 

 ores, mill bullion, cyanide vats, and placer mines 

 in other parts of the State. Every coal-mining 

 district in the State where there are developed 

 mines was worked to its full capacity during the 

 year, with the exception of Belt. 



In point of value copper is a long way in the 

 lead of other metals produced in the State. The 

 value of the copper output, according to the as- 

 sayer's report, was $40,941,905.14. The value of 

 the gold produced w r as $4,819,156.95; of silver, at 

 coinage value, $21,786,834; of lead, $909,410.33. 



Political. The political situation this year 

 was much involved. The Republican party, 

 though seemingly united upon one ticket, appears 

 not to have been at peace with itself, one part 

 charging that the other part had been brought 

 under the control of the Standard Oil and Amal- 

 gamated Copper trusts. The Democratic party 

 was divided into what were popularly known as 

 the Clark faction and the Daly faction, and had 

 two tickets at the polls. Six parties put up State 

 tickets the Republican, Democratic, Independ- 

 ent-Democratic, People's, Union-Labor, and So- 

 cial-Democratic. The Prohibition and Social- 

 Labor parties made nominations for presidential 

 electors, but none for State officers. By fusion 

 the State tickets were reduced to four before the 

 election. The courts were called upon to decide in 

 several cases w r hich of opposing candidates for 

 county offices were entitled to places on the bal- 

 lot as candidates of their party. 



The Republicans held a convention in Helena, 

 May 17, to name delegates to the national con- 

 vention. Resolutions were adopted approving the 

 national administration, favoring the renomina- 

 tion of President McKinley, calling for legisla- 

 tion against trusts, and condemning the 11 Repub- 

 licans that voted for W. A. Clark. 



The convention for nominating State officers 

 met in Helena, Sept. 5. Following is the ticket: 

 For Governor. David E. Folsom; Lieutenant Gov- 

 ernor, A. J. Bennett; Secretary of State, A. N. 

 Yoder; Attorney-General, T. \J. Porter; State 

 Treasurer. Frank J. Edwards: State Auditor, C. 

 C. Proctor: Associate Justice, Rudolph von 

 Tobel: Superintendent of Public Instruction, W. 

 E. Harmon. 



The first Democratic convention was called to 



