New-York daily tribune., 1865-10-28
MONTANA.
Boundaries-soii-C Climate Ellnerni
Wealth.


March 3, 1868, by act of Congress, large por-
Hons Of Washington Dakota and Nebraska Territories
were sliced off and formed into the Territory of Idaho.
truly enough its name imported, Gem of the Noun
tains.
March IT, 1864 the eastern portion OF this was set
apart the Territory of Montana, and so much mis-
conception seems to exist concerning Its boundaries
that take the liberty Of quoting them from the Organic
net itself. and recommending your readers to marx
them in upon their maps;
"Commencing at q point formed by the Intersection
Of the twenty seventh degree OF longitude west from
Washington with the forty fifth degree Of north ati
tude thence due west said forty fifth degree Of ati
tude to point formed by its intersection with the
thirty fourth degree OF longitude west om Washing.
ton, thence due south along said thirty fourth degree
OF longitude 10 lis intersection With the forty fourth de-
gree and thirty minutes OF north latitude: thence
due along said fol fourth degree and thirty min
utes Of north atude point formed by its intersec
ton with the crest of the Rocky Mountains; thence
following the crest Of The Rocky Mountains north till
its intersection with the Bitter Root Mountains thence
north along the Of said Bitter Root Mountains
its intersection with the thirty riutn degree of longi
tude west frv Washington; thence along said thirty
ninth degree OF longitude north to the boundary line OF
the British Possessions thence east along said boun
dairy line 10 the twenyseventh degree Of longitude
west from Wasington thence south along said twenty
seventh degree Of longitude 10 tue place OF beginning
Sitting ast1ide the Rocky Mountains. with his back
against the British Possessions this CrTsus of the Ter
ritories rules Kingdom Of $4,000 square miles en- ex
tent Of country between four and five times that of the
State of New York. Concerning the physical gcoe-
raphy Of the Territory much uncertainty exists. Sixty
years ago Lewis and Clarke collected very accu.
rate information for US concerning the banks of the
Missouri and in 1880 the fur trader Capt. Bouyie, put
at the disposal of the Government what little knowi-
edge he possessed of the headwaters Of the Big Horn
and Yellowstone. In 1853. 81 and '55 Gov. Stevens
nalon hn nd th.Ne
the Territory. demonstrating the practicabilty OF a
railroad route through this section and from 1859 TO
1862 Lieut.. Mulsn surveying and constructing bis
wagon road through the same portion Of the country
There has been no general survey and much OF our
limited information must depend upon tie uncertain
foundation Of miners aud trappers' stories Generally
speaking the eastern half Of the Territory is rolling
country easy OF by the large, navgabe streams
of the Missouri and Yellowstone well adapted to agri,
cultural purposes and in mineral wealth Prtsnmfq
to b. the richest Of the rich. II is TO this region
that Capt Fisk bas started with his monster exeCi
tior. In the western half Of the territory the Belt
Roxy Bitter root and CGUr C'Alene Mountains, with
their spurs and companion ranges render TIE country
in many Iarts, the roughest i'll America kepid noun
tain streams How through the deep can ,ns IN every al
reotion and uniting form the Missouri and Columbia
Rivers This is the ouy portion which has as yet had
its mineral wealth deyclcped; indeed 1t may ne sara
that Lot more than one.sixth OF the territory Ehg III
tee southwest corner. has received anything hke ai
Investigation and even this has not been thorough on
account Of tho inveterae taste miners have for stem
x.ding in preference tc work They are like moIscys
Sho always leave the dish set before them IN their 0@
&age and strive for that Vi their neghD0r because IL Is
q little further of.
dom and be Of being correct as regards some r'
lion for We have all sorts. West Of the mountains.
where the Pacific breezes can have their influence
there are valleys in which flowers are said TO bloom
during the entire year; at the mountain submits tlfc
next to constant and between these extremes
the most fastidious may hnd zone 10 SUIT MN.
general characteristic of the whole 10 dryness ana
maGy pilgrim" has been ridicued Tor hs Efforts 10
u avoid the dCws, which Gre not.
NJ H. CONSEQUENCE of this lack Of moisture the soil has
Railways dry and good for nothing appearance except
ipg near the streams ana accustomed 10 the fertile
pra, res of the Mississippi basin wonid pronounce y
Worthless But despite its unpromislns Appearance II
is found yield luxurious crops Even the untitled
plains support crop Of grass the fLu twelve months,
upon which cattle grow fat tie Winter tbrodgh Agrl
culture has succeeded well in the Deer Lodge ana
Madison Velieys, and especially SO IN c' tne
trary to what might at fist be supposed
the farms do better az the Immediate base 0f the noun
taDs ana upon tbs be ches' than in the valleys Tor
in the former localities the osts do less daIaee ana
irrigation is easily obtained by tapping tie mountain
torrents Although this farming counr! Is 1000 feet
shove sea level nearly all of the productions Of the
East are raised There have been no extensive Efforts
at fruit culture. but il Is quite certain that peaches
fully equal 10 the noted ones Of Salt Lake can be grown
without difficulty nud apples, which have been thought
by some TO be out Oi the question have arcrd! beeh
5 raised small extent Corn has thus lar proved
failure for although the is long CROUCH Tor II
we have not those nights so essential 10 ITS
growth Sorghum docs well in the salt Leko Valley aud
will flourish here. Some experiments have. beheY''
been tried upon it. Grain yields luxurious crops
wheat averaging 40 bushels to the acre and oats ana
barley doing better get Potatoes grow 10 Al enormous
size ard yield cases 900 bushels to the acre. and
German friend OF mine wAO had al eefe Oi ind 80"
to turnips gathered from it Of 900 bushesC one oi
the trnips weighing lea lbs. won't tell you the doubt
full story of Lees with diameter Of II feet lest you
sbould be like the cOored individual who would credit The
swalowing of Jonah by the whale, but when told OF
The fery furnace wouldn't believe that nor "de fish
story nudder." Squasbes. peas. melons. beans. cab
baees and radishes all furnished fresh each morning
sre now in the Helena market.
Rat the chief wealth Of Montana lies In its minerals
Treryyhere that explorations have been carr led gold
.bon1ds Not q mountain range spur but has it
cpartx edges not ulch but has its rich beds OF pay
dirt not a stream but has It's golden sands. A man.
wien sluioing in the gulch Ggeiugs, Is eettnR Ony
very moderate pay when lie takes out om s. ~ SOper
dav and a not very uncommon Yield IS so. Extreor-
dnary in which $500 and g. UO have been obtained
10 one day have come TO my knowledge, but these IKE
the finding Of nuggets worth from slOO TO 81 100 are
ong Lere had better base bis calculations upon. The
eold taken out coins from 10 SIS or, more strictly
2s o. the very highest that has been obtained from al
ounce OF Montana dust.
IN come but even should they run out tomorrow they
have already performed their mission o opening the
conntrv B4hnd ihem and constituting the permanent
yealtb of the TERRITORY the quartz leads more nu'
"ns tben those Of eny other country, eXeeled by but
few II apy in richness and even IN their present par
tally developed state giving assurances that Montana
ia to be the great treasure niue OF the Woriu. Inc
ouartz Of some Of the best oi these leads VIII !eiu rom
a IN 400 Der tun, but assays On pcked rock nave run
a. bcb as $40 600 and might be carried to almost any
right by sufficiently close picking Inc best slVeI
lo3e in tie territory essays S42e TO tie tun and W
yield $3.50 in actual working men IL rs @ taken lno 20
YORK In California the great value OF the Montana ehos
can reediy be seen. Prospecting continually gong