MONTANA. 



465 



the receipts amounted to but $5.234.50, derived 

 from the following sources : Agents' certificates, 

 $2,258; filing annual statements, $2,525; licenses, 

 $450; other fees, 50 cents. In 1898 the companies 

 paid $41,857. The receipts were from the following 

 sources : Licenses to collect premiums, $80,573.72 ; 

 fees for licenses of agents, $6,810 ; paid for filing 

 annual statements, $2,370 ; new companies' charter 

 fees, $2,100. During the year the State Auditor 

 issued 1,362 licenses to agents in Montana. 



Kail roads. In the biennial period just passed 

 the railroad assessment of the State was increased 

 from $10,438,231.08 to $13,793,581.35. The roads 

 have reduced their passenger rates to 4 cents a mile. 



The Montana Central report shows that the road 

 has a funded debt of $9,300,000, and that its cost 

 and equipment represents an outlay of $14.310,- 

 950.53. Including all of the side tracks there are 

 308.26 miles in the system. The average fare per 

 mile per passenger for the year was 4.274 cents, 

 while the average amount received for hauling 

 freight per ton per mile was 0.842 cents. The gross 

 receipts from the passenger department were $251,- 

 152.57. From the freight business the Montana 

 Central realized $1,810,224.53, and from the freight 

 and express business $36,753.83. The total gross 

 earnings of the road were $2,150,456.87, and the net 

 earnings $979,514.46. During the year the company 

 expended $176,620.61 in new equipment and $312,- 

 487.91 in maintenance of right of way (repairs and 

 improvements of roadbed). The total expenditures 

 were $2,172,787.91. 



The Montana Union, with its 60 miles of track, 

 carried 73,129 passengers, 262.209 tons of through 

 freight, 30,813 tons of local freight, and 58,469 tons 

 of ore, cattle, grain, etc. The expenses of the road 

 were $255,378.44, and the receipts from passengers, 

 $81,260.23; from freight, $200,315.69; mail and 

 express, $8,351.92; from all other sources, $112,- 

 494.29 ; total gross earnings, $402,422.13 ; total net 

 earnings, $147,043.19. 



In a suit brought by the Attorney-General to pre- 

 vent the Butte, Anaconda and Pacific from leasing 

 the Montana Railway, the Supreme Court decided 

 that, while the State Constitution prohibits the con- 

 solidation of parallel lines, it does not forbid a lease 

 of one to the other. 



Mining. From an article by Prof. F. D. Smith 

 are taken the following details : 



" Everything in the operation and development 

 of the year 1898 in Montana points to a material 

 increase in the production of at least three staple 

 products of Montana mines copper, gold, and sil- 

 ver. At the close of 1897 nearly all the mines in 

 which silver is the major value were closed, and 

 capital was seeking other lines of mining industry. 

 No additional mines closed during the year, and 

 some have again opened. Nearly all the silver pro- 

 duced was a by-product of either copper or lead, 

 while much of the gold was likewise a by-product 

 of the copper. Consequently activity in the copper 

 mines means a large output of gold and silver. 

 The copper industry of Montana centers in Butte 

 and Anaconda, since the Butte mines produce the 

 major part of the State's copper. A review of the 

 year's work shows remarkable activity. With a to- 

 tal of 50,000 feet in shafts, it is plain'that 8,500 feet 

 for one year means much development. The Ana- 

 conda Company operates in all 11 mines, with 10 

 separate shafts and hoisting plants, employed 3,340 

 men about the mines, and sunk a total of 3,550 feet. 

 All the ore was hauled by rail 27 miles to Anaconda, 

 where it was smelted, the copper matte nearly all 

 resmelted, and the copper thus produced electro- 

 lytic-ally refined. A large number of claims and 

 partially developed mines in the best copper district 

 in Butte have been purchased, and smelters and re- 

 VOL. xxxvnr. 30 A 



fining plants to cost over $1,000,000 are in process 

 of construction at Anaconda. 



" The wonderful increase in coal mining has re- 

 ceived but scant attention outside of the State, 

 since even now not enough has been produced to 

 satisfy the needs of the factories and houses and the 

 smelters with, coke. During 1897 there were mined 

 1,647,882 tons of coal, and during the fiscal year 

 ended June 30, 1898, 69,500 tons of coke were manu- 

 factured. Even this was not enough for all uses, 

 and large quantities from the Wyoming mines were 

 imported." 



The gold product of the State was given as $5,- 

 209.000 in value. 



The report of the State Mine Inspector says that 

 136 mines were inspected. There were 11,096 men 

 employed, 48 fatal accidents, 29 non-fatal, while the 

 percentage of accidents to the men employed was 

 0.69. There were fewer fatalities than for two 

 previous years. 



Live Stock. The report of the Sheep Commis- 

 sion shows that on March 1, 1898, there were 3,146,- 

 868 sheep in the State. The report says: "The 

 later and present market price of wool has been 

 disappointing, though opening sales were at fair 

 prices, showing an advance of 2| cents to 3 cents 

 over the previous year. The mutton market has 

 shown the most marked improvement and firmness. 

 The Northern Pacific Railroad Company, holding 

 an immense land grant within our borders, has re- 

 cently adopted a policy of disposing of its lands at 

 reasonable prices and on favorable terms, instead 

 of holding them for a rise. Many of our sheepmen 

 have taken advantage of this." 



The State veterinarian, Dr. Knowles, killed dur- 

 ing the year 187 glandered horses, quarantined 863 

 exposed to glanders, quarantined 84,719 sheep, and 

 treated by vaccination against blackleg 22,418 head 

 of cattle. 



Decisions. In December the Supreme Court de- 

 cided in effect that a solvent and prosperous corpo- 

 ration can not transfer its property in the State to 

 another corporation without the consent of every 

 stockholder. 



Another decision affirmed the doctrine that there 

 is no appeal for the State from a judgment sustain- 

 ing a demurrer. 



Bounty Claims. The records show that in 1897 

 bounty claims were filed for the killing of 22,082 

 coyotes and 6,112 gray wolves; and during the 

 first eleven months of 1898 20,797 coyotes and 5,356 

 wolves were reported. The amount of the bounties 

 for 1897 was $84,582, and for the eleven months of 

 1898 it was $78,459. 



Labor. From the Commissioner of Labor it is 

 learned that there are 105 unions in the State with 

 an estimated membership of 11,066. About 16,000 

 men are employed in the occupations represented 

 by these unions, showing that about 68 per cent, of 

 the number employed are members. The member- 

 ship of 11,066 reported consists, all but 73, of men. 

 The estimated number of unemployed among trades- 

 men is 2,997. 



Public Lands. From figures of the Commis- 

 sioner of the General Land Office it appears that 

 during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898. North- 

 ern Pacific Railroad lands within Montana were 

 certified or patented to the extent of 518,404.04. 

 Vacant public lands within the limits of Montana 

 are estimated at 16,932,837 acres surveyed, 54,674,- 

 779 acres unsurveyed. The area of public surveys 

 in Montana accepted during the year was 486,653. 

 The apportionment for public surveys for the. fiscal 

 year 1898 was $42.000. 



The State Land Register's office has done a large 

 business during the biennial term just past ; 971 

 leases and permits covering 402,952 acres, yielding 



