The Shasta courier., 1867-11-30
COU RIER
Montana Territory.

The mighty undeveloped agricultural re.
sources of the Great West-that is, of the
Territories west Of Minnesota and Nebraska
are suggested by the report of the Survey
or General Of Montana, a synopsis of which
we find III the Helena Herald of the ID
inst. The mines are very enthusiastically
referred to in the report. The placer mines
OF the Territory were first worked in 1862,
only five years ago. and the annual gold and
silver yield is estimated at $40 900 ,000-
Bltumlnous coal has been found on the Big
Hole River, about sixty miles from Bannock
City, ii jackson Gulch, on the east side of
the Madison river, and at the Summit Dis
trlct, near Virginia City, the veins being
from three to four feet in width. Coal also
exists on the head of the Yellowstone river
Brown coal, or Ignite, is found in great
quantities on the banks of the Missouri and
Yellowstone, valuable as common fuel but
OF no great value for manufacturing purposes
1t is also found on the head waters of the
Teton and Marias. Iron has been found il
one or two localities. and copper abounds in
the vicinity of Musselshell river, in veins of
three or four feet in width, and also on
Beaver Creek. Hot springs are abundant
all over the Territory. Many are found on
the head waters Of the Madison, on the
south east branch, near the confines of the
Territory. This stream, account of the
great number of hot springs called the
Fire Hole River. On one branch there
are several hundred springs, some of which
are geysers OF 'pouting wells, and of very
high temperature. The Sinking Water
River derives it name from large spring of
suphuretted hydrogen at its source. The
Territory is shown TO he rich in the precious
and useful metals, and capable of adding
permanently and largely to the circulating
wealth OF the country yet the most inter-
estIng portion OF the report is that which re-
fers to the agricultural resources of the val
leys of the Upper Missouri. They are alb
solutely prodigious, and tell US plainly of the
formation in the future of dozen States in
the far west equal to the most productive
east of the Mississippi. The Surveyor Cen
eral, after careful examination of the Ter
rltory, says the soil of the valleys and table
lands is of excellent quality, and expresses
the opinion that Montana contains seventy
five thousand squire miles of land susceptible
of profitable cultivation These arabic
acres cover a surface considerably larger
than all the New England States combined.
The principal valleys of the Territory are the
Bitter Root, Deer Lodge, He'll Gate Ronde
Big Hole, Beaver Head, Sinking Water
Jefferson, Madison, Galatin, Bowder, the
Prickly Pear Including the town of Ieena),
and the Missouri, from the Three Forks to
Canyon Ferry. east of Helena The arabic
lands in these valleys amount, by careful es
innate, 10 5000 square miles. These lands
are the gardens of Montana, the remaining
sixty four thousands square miles of produc.
tive area being the grazing and grain fields
OF the Territory! This garden spot is larger
than Massachusetts, Connecticut. New
Hampshire or Vermont and capable of pro
duclng IN profuson all the grains. fruits and
vegetables of the New England States.-
There are but lG5, 900 acres of land under
cultivation in the Territory The average
OF the wheat crop in the Gallatin Valley is
placed at thirty bushels to the acre, and the
yield Of other grains is in the same proper
ton. The grazing lands of Montana are
declared to be amongst the finest in the
world, their nutritious grasses serving to keep
cattle and stock in good condition during
the entire winter, As yet there are but
forty thousand cattle grazing upon these
immense pastures. The Territory contains
a vast scope of valuable timber land. and
all over it the best of granite, slate and
limestone.