PULSE OF THE IRRIGATION INDUSTRY. 



1 



A TYPICAL WESTERN MAN. 



NELSON STORY was born of English parentage in 

 Meigs County, Ohio, in 1838. As a boy of nine- 

 teen years he taught a district school. Being 

 early impressed with the possibilities awaiting active, 

 intelligent young men in the great West. Reaching 

 Illinois in 1858 we find him later in Nebraska, then in 

 Missouri, and as one of the first wagon trains that ever 

 covered the Smoky Hill rqute.reaching Denver in 1859. 

 He erected the third mining sluice in Colorado. The 

 following four years were spent in the varied pursuits 

 of miner, merchant and freighter. About this time 

 the richness of the gold deposits in southeastern 

 Idaho (now Montana) began to claim attention, and 

 Mr. Story landed in Bannack with a mule pack outfit 

 on June 3, 1863, twenty hours before the discovery of 

 the richest of all placer deposits, that of Alder Gulch, 

 lying forty-five miles northeast of Bannack. Inside of 

 forty-eight hours our indefatigable rustler was in 

 Alder Gulch, where he remained in the vicinity of 

 what is now Virginia City, Montana, for two years, 

 where by careful attention to business he laid broad 

 and deep the nucleus of his now comfortable fortune. 

 In 1865 he embarked in the cattle business, purchas- 

 ing 600 head in Texas and bringing them to the Big 

 Horn country, on which range he held them until 

 selling out to the Murphy Cattle Company in 1890. On 

 December 4, 1865, Mr. Story established his residence 

 in Bozeman, Montana, where his home has been until 

 the present. In 1871 he purchased 800 head of horses 

 near Los Angeles, California, bringing them overland 

 to the Yellowstone Valley, where they ranged until 

 disposed of in 1891. Neither time nor space permit 

 the relation of many incidents in this career of Mr. 

 Story which were thrilling in the extreme. Nelson 

 Story is a pioneer of the Pioneers, and has for 

 times almost without number been in positions where 

 his property, his life and that of his family and 

 associates depended solely upon his indomitable 

 courage and sound judgment. 



Mr. Story has been actively engaged since entering 

 the State in developing its resources, was the first to 

 engage in commercial milling of flour, and now owns 

 and operates one of the finest milling and elevation 

 plants in the State. He established in 1878 the Gallatin 

 yalley National Bank, which went into voluntary 

 liquidation in 1893, every obligation for the bank 

 having been canceled in full. When the Legislature 

 of 1892 established the State Board of Education Mr. 

 Story was appointed one of its first members from 

 .Gallatin county, a position accepted by him solely in 

 the interests of the Agricultural College, which was 

 located at Bozeman, at the same legislative session. 

 In his dual capacity of member of the State Board in 

 charge of the educational institutions of the State, and 

 that of a citizen and taxpayer of the county in which 

 the institution is located, he has been one of its best 

 friends. His early collegiate education and personal 

 experience as a pedagogue has peculiarly fitted him 

 for the position as adviser in mapping out the course 

 to be pursued by the college management. Nor have 

 his services been confined to that which is said to 

 be the easiest to give "advice," but the college 

 enjoys tangible proofs of his esteem in his generous 



28 



benefactions in the grounds covering twenty acres in 

 an imposing location, almost in the heart of the city 

 of Bozeman, overlooking one of the most extensive 

 and beautiful of the Rocky Mountain Valleys, 

 bounded by three majestic mountain ranges, and in 

 sight of the union of the Gallatin, the Madison and 

 the Jefferson rivers, the true head of the mighty 

 Missouri. 



Mr. Story is a man of wonderfully strong convictions, 

 a republican in a State which for many years was 

 rock-ribbed and buttressed with democracy, and a 

 resident of the banner democratic county "old Gal- 

 latin," unswerving and unyielding this many years. 

 The campaign of '94 found him actively engaged in 

 the local and State campaign, and perhaps more to 

 his earnest efforts are due the great republican vic- 

 tory achieved in the county and State than to those of 

 any other citizen. Mr. Story has been repeatedly 

 named as a suitable candidate for the lower branch 

 of the Legislature, was nominated for the State senate 

 in 1892, but believing his candidacy might work in- 

 jury to the interests of the City of Bozeman then 

 enlisted in the race for the State Capital, he with- 

 drew his name, has been urged time and again to 

 accept the gubernatorial nomination, but has always 

 steadfastly refused to enter the political field. His 

 friends, who are legion, believe him to be the logical 

 candidate for the east side for United States Senator 

 and a strong effect is being made to induce him to 

 enter the race. A speech delivered by him during the 

 recent campaign, upon " Silver and the Tariff," has 

 attracted just attention to his perfect ability to 

 champion the cause of "the white metal." 



In the prosecution of his large and varied business 

 interests Mr. Story has transacted business from the 

 northern boundary of the United States to the Gulf 

 of Mexico, and from ocean to ocean, has been a great 

 traveler within our country, and is thus peculiarly 

 fitted, from close observation and extensive travel 

 to correctly gauge the business requirements of our 

 country and to intelligently render acceptable service 

 in an official capacity, and not only Montana but the 

 Union would be fortunate to secure the services of 

 one so able to give the varied business interests the 

 attention of which there is such sore need. 



TWO IRRIGATION CONVENTIONS. 



DURING the month of December two large and 

 important irrigation conventions were held, and 

 it is noticeable that both of them met in cities 

 located east of the Rocky Mountains. This but em- 

 phasizes the fact that Semi- Arid Ameiica realizes 

 the advantages of irrigation. 



The second annual convention of the Nebraska 

 State Irrigation Association held at Kearney was 

 largely attended and was a pronounced success. 

 Among the many prominent people present were 

 Chas. W. Irish, secretary of the office of the Irriga- 

 tion Inquiry, Washington, D. C., Judge Emery of 

 Hutchinson, Kas., Donald W. Campbell of Denver, 

 Col., President L. S. Deets of the Buffalo County 

 Association, Mayor Brady of Kearney, and I. A. Fort. 



In his opening address, President Fort spoke of 



