The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1871-11-18
Che Aew alorth.West.
CLIMATE AND RESOURCES
or MONTANA.
BY Z. r. POTTS, eovERSoR OF MONTANA.

OE IA Wv l. <A>v
BY Z. r. POTTS. sovERson OF MONTANA.
from the y. p. r. X. Co.'s Special Report on hmm
narion. October ID. ls1lI
In the middle Of the continent, between
the Great Lakes and The Pacific Ocean
in the heart of that New Northwest, the ex
tent, Character and RESOURCES of which In
people are ut last beginning to appreciate
embracing within Its boundaries four par
sliels Of latitude and no less than twelv,
degrees of longitude. lies the great Terri
tory of Montana. The superficial area OF
this territory Is extensive enough to MAX,
three States ~ large as New York, the Em
pire State Of the East. and, as have stated
elsewhere, believe it 10 he the richest re-
gion IA agricultural and mineral resources
ON the American continent. There are al
least fifty thousand square miles Of tillablt
land within It's limits; aud this land. under
u cheap and simple process of irrigation, i.
OF unsurpassed fertility, yielding in the
greatest abunda ice all varieties ~ the cere
ais. have seen samples of wheat which
yielded eighty bushels to the acre. and the
average yield. even with the very iMpcr
feet methods Of cultivation which are in
vogue here, II from forty To sixty five bush
els. This exceeds the yield Of the famous
wheat fields Of Minnesota. and is about four
times Is great AS the average wheat crop of
Ohio. kyc. oats and barley produce cn"r.
monsly, and The yield Of vegetables Is sim.
ply without parallel in the history o. hor
ticuliurc in America. The common yield
OF potatoes, for instance, is 400 bushels per
acre.
Lands for grazing purposes, too, are Of
vast extent ana of the best quality. Grasses
Us nutritious as sheaf. oats cover the hills
and valleys and extend far up the mountain
sides. affording pasturage for numbsrlcss
herds OF cattle and sheep during the entire
year The cattle alone now to be found IN
the Territory number at least sixty thousand
head, and SO abundant are these grasses.
and SO mild Is our climate. that no grain or
lay il fed 10 them ut all-!hcy take care of
themselves and keep fat all winter. Our
meat markets are supplied with beef taken
from among the different herds at all sea.
sons of the year. and it il found to he of the
futtcst and sweetest, making delicious TODD !,
superb generally in quality and flavor to
the grain fed stock of the States. Certainly
no Country can surpass this for grazing
PURPOSES and there is none where. in the
future, when the Northern Pacific Railroad
has reached il, such fortunes are to be made
in the business Of raising stock for the mar.
ket
Of the mineral wealth Of Montana all the
world has heard. Not less than twelve
million dollars worth of gold dust was
taken from the mines last season, and iron,
copper. coal, and other minerals exist in
cXhaustlcss abundance.
suppose, however, that the thing about
our New Northwest which has most sur
priscd the pubic is the genial character Of
its climate. Radically different MS it may
seem from the prevalent idea regarding it,
Is nevertheless true that the climate of Mon.
tana. as n whole, is mlder than that of New
York. while the purity and dryncss of the
atmosphere make the variations of temper.
At0fc tar less noticeable. The old thu,ry
tina. the further north we 60 more severe
the climate becomes Is now generally tx
plOdcd 1t is understood ut last that isO.
thermal divisions, except in their larger
aspects, are entirely independent of degrees
Of latitude; and the various explorers and
tOpOgraphers who have been sent out here
by the Government have shown by instru.
mental tests that the temperature Of Walla
WaIla, Oh the 18th degree OF latitude, is the
same as that CT Washington city, on the
3S'h; that of Clark's fork. in Montana, on
The 4Sih. The same ns that of 81. Joseph.
Missouri, on the 4lsi /; and that Of the Bitter
Root Valley. Missnula county, Montana, on
the 3Gth. the same Us that Of PHILADELPHIA,
ON the 41st.
The winters in this section are generally
open and pleasant, as may be inferred from
the fact of the cattle grazing without slicl.
ter all winter. The valleys are hardly ever
covered with snow. and II Is rare that the
roads are not dry and passable ten months
IN the year. On the mountains, Of course.
~ IN mountainous regions usually, winter
sometimes pnches hard, and snow falls to
considerable depths; but even the noun
iains are not the least attractive features 0f
tho Territory. The elevation of the mona
the level of the sea Is from 1000 10 4, 600
feet less than that Of Wyoming or Utah.
] his fact alone goes far to explain the mild.
or climate and vastly greater pr0ductiveness
Of Montana. .......
'' How this great wealth, agricultural and
mineral, Is to he utilized and made To con
tribute lis due share to the nations CONNER.
cial prosperity Is question not less import.
mt To the people at large than To the iIhab.
itants Of Montana itself; aud In considering
u sm brought TO that great enterprise, the
Northern Pacific Railroad, now building
and destined TO traverse from east to west
our entire Territory This rad will drain
our richest valleys, and furnish m outlet
Tor the immense future surplus productions
bf' the Territory. All that has heretofore
been written about The superior land grant
OF the Northern Pacific railroad in Moptans.
scarcely gives al adequate conception Of the
extent and true value of the grant. The
cpplls.ny will receive twenty Eve th0usnnd
six hundred acres of our best agricultural
and grazing land for every mile OF road that
il bui|t-lands which possess all the advan
lagos which have mentioned. but are with
in easy reach of timber. and abound in fine
building stone Of almost every variety. and
mex laustible in quantity. ] have no doubt
I hal these lands will not only cancel the en-.
tire.cost Of building the railroad, but will
leave surplus to the company.
The Northern Pacific Railroad 10 OF vast
importance 10 MOntana. II will enable our
stock raiscrs to compete on favorable terms
with those of Illinois and other States in the
plarkets of the eastern cities. A new i'm.
petus will be given 10 oil our Industries.
Our mines will be developed, new ones will |
be opened, and those that produced twelve
million dollars in gold dust last season will
far exceed that SUM annually. Oui popu
lafion will rapidly increase; the sixiy-iwO
cities and towns we now have Willie doubled |
in number and quadrupled in size; and the
public land. now th6ccupicd, will he cult
waited by actual settlers. Other prosperous
States will spring up around ~: and before
we enter another decade this great North.
west, now lying broad and inviting before
The settler. will be Contributing its rightful |