Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1874-03-19

2. 2. y y t!s* t'sx FISK Bros, Publishers
A QUESTION OF FACT.
She Northern Pacific Railroad D.ands
a Gard from Col. II. p. Roberts, IN
Reply 10 Ssmsrmcmt~ Of Gen. ". ID.
0unZcn.
T., klI-Hrp EVERY THrE-pAY MORNING.

\, the request of aCuuaintanCt> and iln ndS.
upon my return on liffcrcn, occasions from
the far North from aiong the route Of the
Northern Pacific Railroad. wrote articles
descriptive of those regions, Confining myself
mostly to the agricultural resources ut the
country. upon the merits Of which. perhaps.
more thar upon anything else. depends the
success of In" railroad.
During two years that was engaged on
The surveys OF the road. Travelled East and
Wc>, through Montana Territory in num-
Der of directions. from point nearly 2OO
miles west of the Rocky Mountains to the
Missouri river. and from its southern border
north to Fort Benton. latitude a. degrees 30
minutes north. On the occasion Of my
second visit To the Territory. travelled up
the Missouri river from Sioux City, Iowa.
fig Fort Buford. to Fort Benton, II distance
of . 900 miles, taking ,hirty-six days. which
trip enabled me to collect much information
regarding Dakota in general. AS late as last
November made third trip, going to Min
nasota and Dakota, passing over the line OF
the completed road from near Duluth to Bis
marck. opposite Fort Lincoln on tho Mis-
souri, which point is about four hundred
miles below Fort 3uf"rd, nj the mouth Of
the Yellowstone.
4 fair statement of facts regarding the
different parts of the route of tho Northern
Pacific Railroad, which made. appeared
somewhat marvellous to some, but brought
evidences of the truth in specimens of grain,
which have not been equslcd for quality, SO
far as know. at any State fair or exhibition
anywhere Samples Of cereals, several bush
els of each, which forwarded to New York,
| understood. received the premium ut the
American Institute fair. over Minnesota.
California and all other grain, and afterwards
received the first premium at the Vienna Ex-
rosition, over the far famed grain from KuS-
sia and Poland.
do not desire To- again particularizc these
features Of Montana. That Territory stands
like All oasis in the desert, compared with
her sisters South Her sparkling brooks,
aboundlng with fish; her Grass-covcrcd hills
and timbcrcd mountains. with their album
dance of game and herds OF cattle, in the set
tied parts. speak the language Of tarts which
no fancicd theory from those who have never
been there dare dispute. Winter and Sum-
mcr the grazing is alike good; and although
il may no. he tho Banana Zone. as thc
Cincinnati Commercial dcrisivcly calls it, the
CLIMATE. is far superior to. and more healthful
than Ohio or PENNSYLVANIA. The hane of
the valleys Of the Little Miami. Wabash and
Maumec-fcvcr and aguc-ls entirely lacking
in Montana. PlOughing is usually done in
the latter part If january and early part OF
February. and in the latter part Of February
and frs, of March the grain is planted-be-
fore plough is usually sunk in the Miami
valley north of Cincinnati.
The Missouri river at Fort Benton breaks
up in the Spring at least one month earlier
than it does al Sioux City, two thousand
miles below. In the Spring of 1872 1t broke
w a, Fort Benton the same day that it did ut
y. Louis, ter and half degrees farther
south This is not one of jay Cookies
lies, hut comes direct from the United
States signal observer 1T Fort Benton. About
1900 intelligent whit" people reside i'll
Montana. and they support telegraph lines
and daily newspapers. have yet to hear
from one of her citizens an authoritative uc-
nial Of any of the reports published hy the
officers of the Northern Pacific Railroad re-
-arlinS the region in question.
Several years have elapsed since the road
vas begun. and nothing appeared to dispute
the statements concerning the land. produC-
,ions. climate, etc. until recently Gen. w.
B. Hazcn. the Comtnandant OF Fort Buford,
Dakota. writes to the New York Tribune y
sweeping condemnation of the road, and
like ns the selling of bonds. with such a basis
as these lands. to fraud. and says that all
who dispute his statements are falsiflers.
Fort Buford, undoubtedly, is poor place
10 live. but Still. think Gen. Hazcn has not
done it justice. The winds arc famous IN
that psrt If Dakota. as l experienced myself,
and the Winters. doubtless, very severe at
times, though the general average OF temper
a,ure, Ivy Gen. uazcns own statements, Is
about the same a. that Of Philadelphia. 1t
-. rs .rN '@r s re thHIatctlCfr. t.ss-
q, .H Winter. 'f tb- %a1.rers arc sufficiently
~e-m &c Vr ~ ,v,ng crops, sgrcai:wls's
"a "ortrat .,llc <'en fiasen reports
's'i.1' tr ". &C =, bis rost, but odds.