The avant courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1871-1872, 1871-09-13

| as this, the ranchinan OF this Territory has
| the certainty of high prices for his products.
| At the present time, -four is worth $26 y
barrel, and oats are selling at over 50 a
| bushel, in this place. These are unusually
high prices, though not quite so bad as
| those of early days, when. In one OF the first
winters of the placer mines here, the Nor
mon wagoners demanded $50 for flour per
sack. Tie usual price Of oats here is ST pr
bIshel, or about 3 l-2 cents per pound and
with allthe growth of the production during
the last few years, the supply has not yet ex-
ceeded the home demand. Probably there is
no other region in the United States at
present where such inducements are held out
to farmers as in this Territory. Many i'm
migrants are coming in now, in tie good old
fashioned way. with teams aud wagons and
Montana. But it is long and tedious
journey; and, at the end Of it. one is shut
out from the world. Make Montana as ac-
cessible by rail as is Utah or Colorado. and
the tide will come in grandly. Now it is but
the faint beginning as Whittier says,
| ~ hear the tread Of pioneers,
| nf nations yet to be y;
| The first low wash OF waves, where soon
| Shall roll u human sea. -
| Another hindralce to agriculture which
the railroad will remove is the danger from
| hostile Indians. This does not at all affect
The region from which am now writing.
| nor many other fertile districts of the Terri
| tory. 1t is mainly over in Galatin valley
| that the settlers suffer. Last week the
Sioux Of Sitting Bull. u noted outlaw chief,
not under treaty with the United States.
and mastering it said. a thousand braves,
made a successful descent for stock stealing
purposes in the region referred 10, and got
away with some 500 head of horses They
killed two or three persons il an incidental
way. and have ere this retired TO the noun
tain businesses. Without the facilities of
transporting and concentrating troops which
d railroad gives. it is almost impossible to
follow up and catch these rascals, to say
nothing Of maintaining such police as to
prevent their depredaiiens. The Sioux and
Blackfeet are perh.ips the most numerous
and warlike of our red enemies. 1 ann salts
fled that the problem of dealing with them
like the miner problem of the Apaces in
Arizona. will be settled finally by the rail-
| road. and in no other way.
I 1t is to the stock-rliser, even more than
to the farmer, that robbery. whether at the
hands of Indians or whites. is frequent
scource of loss, ard the raising of cattle and
horses is pre- eminentfy the business for
| which large portions OF Montana are fitted
| in a most remarkable degree. The bunch
grass, which grows here in such Mxurience
~ to lose. in snne places. its characteristic
distribution in punches or clumps, and to
cover the whole surface with continuous
pasture. is already famous as a nutritious
and iatteling food for stock. Cattle and
horses are turned out upon it at all seasons,
even in winter, and improve in condition
while grazing. This grass dies early. but
1t thns constitutes a standing hay-only it
is much better fodder than hay. and almost
like grain in its etfeeI. To be more exact,
might say that TO pasture a horse on bunch-
grass is like giving him plenty Of good hay,
with regular and liberal feeds of grain.
There are great many horses in the Terri
tory now. but the breed has heretofore been
poor. Now more attention is given to breed
ing; and in few years this Territory will
furnish, I am convinced, strain of service
able blood worthy Of the great advantages
Nature has bestowed upon tile stock-riiser
here. sss
The grass to which have alluded makes
excellent beef also--present price here, 25
cents pound. The herds in some OF the
valleys amount to 5000 or 5000 head.
There is as great demand still for oxen as
cows; and Montana is importing cattle, as
we'll Us receiving into her ample grazing
lands the stock of other States and slerrito-
ri.e. rode in the stage the other day with
4 stoek-raiser of Southern California, who
had brought coo. horses all the way to this
Territory, by way of salt Lake aud Bear
river, having beeiI forced to leave bone by
lie rsrrible drought now prevailing in that
quarter.
But we are not yet done with the bunch
grass. For myself, all the good qualities
lscribed toit are as nothing to be compared
With its capacity Of producing Of course
With tile assistance OF the necessary bovine
eE,s.le and her lacteal forHii) remarkably I
ich, sweet milk. The value Of the dairy
PRODUCTS of Montana is already over $500,
100 annually; but TINT Is only 4 feeble be-
Ginning. Like everything else here, except
.tllch mining. this business is III its earliest
infancy. The Territory contains 25,D0J, 900
cres Of agricultural, and 69.U0O, 900 acres OF
.Ta.ing land and these vast areas are mere
i peppered here and there with the cabins
f perhaps 5 600 ranellInen, the rest Of the
opuiationl being gathered in the mining
OWNS and camps.
have said nothing about sheep-raislng
ut every wDol-grower will see that this
aust be ea country excellcntly adapted tot
hat business. But there Is 10 home market
Dr wool. becauce there IL no home mantlfac- /
ures. Mr.. Greely must have patience |
he Territory is not yet ten years old and /
veything cannot be done at once. When i
be time comes, however, the mountains /
taHd ready ID oiisr waaerp power and lihher. /