The predominating indus try is the smelting of ores. The largest smelter of the world, the Washoe, is located at Anaconda. For the treatment of ores water is brought from Silver Lake, some 15 miles away, in the mountains. Ores from Butte and elsewhere are treated at the Washoe. The ores are transported by an electrically operated railroad 28 miles in length. The smelter re duces about one-fourth of the copper mined in the United States. In connection with the smelter is a large sulphuric acid plant. An other great smelter is built on the sloping bank of the Missouri River at Great Falls, securing an abundance of water from the river. The third great smelter of the State is at East Helena. In 1916 about $8,000,000 worth of lumber was cut by the mills of the State. The larger mills are located at Hamilton, Missoula, Bonner, Saint Regis, Somers, Eureka and Libby. At most of these places there are, in connection with the mills, factories for the manufacture of sash, doors, windows and vari ous forms of cases and cabinet work. Con siderable furniture is made from native lumber. Large flour mills have been built in practically every section of the State. With the increase in grain growing in the State the manufacture of flour and cereal products has in very recent years made great advancement. In 1916 the flour production was 1,500,000 barrels. Much of this went outside of the State. The manu facture of beet-sugar was first started at Billings, where the large factory produces as high as 35,000 tons a year. The byproducts of the factory are of great commercial import ance. A beet-sugar factory has been erected at Missoula and others are being planned for various places in the State. Creameries have been built in nearly every valley, and with many of these a cheese factory is associated. Flax fibre mills have been built in the eastern part of the State, where flax is extensively raised. Nearly every large town has a factory for the brewing of beer. As the State went dry 1 Jan. 1918, this will cease to be an industry. In a number of cities meat packing is an in dustry, but small as compared with the big houses. Although the State leads in wool pro duction it is shipped East for cleaning and carding. Brick, tile and some kinds of pot tery are made quite extensively in places, and there are many remarkable clay beds unused. A cement factory is located at Trident. The State's population is yet small, but has grown very rapidly in the last 10 years. Manufacture has in that time increased enormously. The great natural resources of the State will make it in the years to come a great manufacturing region.
There are three transconti nental systems crossing the State from east to west, the Great Northern, Northern Pacific and Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul, with many branch lines. It is the only Rocky Mountain State to be crossed by three transcontinental lines. These roads traverse some of the most beautiful and picturesque portions of the State, giving travelers an idea of the scenic beauty of plains, rivers and mountains. The long dis tance across the State from east to west by the Northern Pacific is 806 miles. The Oregon Short Line connects the States to the south with these main trunk lines. It terminates at Butte. The Burlington enters the State south of Billings, giving a short route to all points toward the southeast. The Great Northern
and Northern Pacific operate nearly 4,600 miles of track in the State, including sidings, spurs and sidetracks. The Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul operates by electricity all its trains from Harlowtown, Mont., to Avery, Idaho, a distance of 450 miles. Powerful electric loco motives requiring neither coal nor water, and making no smoke nor cinders, draw the heavy trains over the Rocky Mountains. The engines are so constructed that on down grade elec tricity is generated, the current thus produced being transmitted to the feed wire. This elec trical generation acts as a brake. It requires 24 hours or more to go the entire length of the State by rail. The Northern Pacific fol lows the Yellowstone River from Glendive to Livingston. At this place a branch line goes to Yellowstone Park. At and near Bozeman the road crosses the famous Gallatin Valley. It then follows the Missouri River to Townsend, where the ascent to the main range of the Rockies really begins. In the western part of the State it follows the beautiful scenic shore of Clark's Fork of the Columbia. The Great Northern follows the Missouri for a long dis tance after it enters the State, and then along the Milk River for several hundred miles. Continuing westward across beautiful prairie country to the Rockies it crosses to the Pacific side, giving superb view of some of the beauti ful peaks in Glacier Park. Near the western border it follows the Kootenay River with majestic mountains on either side. The Mil waukee enters from Dakota in the eastern prairie region, crosses the Yellowstone River at Terry, follows this river about 75 miles to Forsyth, continuing westward from here to the Musselshell River, and further west to the Three Forks of the Missouri. Here the ascent of the main range begins. On the west the road traverses the Bitter-Root Mountains, over a pass with beautiful view in every direction, and down hill to Spokane. During the past few years not much construction has been un dertaken, although prior to that many hundred miles were built in a short time. In 1917 and 1918 more than 100 miles of new road were built and put in operation. The rapid develop ment of the State agriculturally has made great demand for railroad construction. The immedi ate future will doubtless see a great increase in railroad mileage.
The total assessed valuation of the State in 1917 was $582,286,529. The valua tion for 1918 was approximately $596,000,000. The valuation of railroads was a little more than $82,000,000. The total wealth production of the State in 1917 was $317,000,000, of which $113,000,000 came from the mines.
Montana was admitted as a Re publican State 8 Nov. 1889. It was organized as a Territory in 1864. Owing to the silver question its politics were for a time very un decided. In 1896 the State was overwhelmingly for free silver. In 1900 the fusion of Democrats, Laborites and Socialists carried almost every thing. In 1902 a Republican was elected to Congress. In 1912 the Progressive party car ried the State, which went for Wilson in 1916.
The State has two Congressional districts, and is represented in Congress (1919) by two con gressmen and two senators. In 1916 Montana elected the first woman to Congress, Miss Jeannette Rankin, a graduate of the State Uni versity in her home town, Missoula.