Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1875-12-16

iioiaSu III tiiC CoUWtfy UcntteWuH, III oidSl "
draw a slight picture of the relative merits
of this country as compared with that.
We. wonld not detract anything from the
lustre of the great Lone Star State, but by
slight comparison will aim to show some OF
Che superior advantages that Montana offers
TO persons seeking homes. The letter was
written perhaps, by some one whose preJu-
dices were wrought upon by stubborn facts.
We are opposed to the policy of some west
ern journals, which offer every benefit inn
aginable to temptand lure people away from
their comfortable homes in the east, with
the vain hope Of amassing a fortune IN a
few years, in the untamed west. So far as
we are concerned, we will say, in starting
out upon this subject, that we do not wish
to profit at another's expense, and in repre-
pect to r~epresentsthe facts as the migrant
will find them when he comes among lis.
Those who have good farms, well I'M
proved, with dwelling, fences, barns, or
chards and gardens, and surrounded by a
populous community, would hardly OK
change them for the privilege of building a
new home in the wilds of these mountains;
but those who are poor-who have had their
faces to the grindstone since life ~began-Who
are hope1essly encountered by debt, and
preyed upon by merciless money %loaners,
would find relief amongu us. In every coun-
try perhaps, new or old, the more money a
person has command Of the better he can
prosper; but we believe there is no better
place on earth for Il mar with limited CAPT
tai, or without a dollar, than Montana.
Island is cheap" says our Texas letter,
because letter writers have abundance to
sell. Here it is different; the land has not
been bought up by spectators, but choice
locations can be had at government price, or
under the Homestead Act. A great abul1-
dance of building timber can be had along
any of our mountain ranges, and will cost
nothing but the labor of cutting and haul
ing. The distance varies according to the
location, from one to twenty-five miles, and
over a road, too, that is generally all down
hill. Water rights are not as numerous as
farm sights, but there are numbers of them
yet that can be utilized at a trifling expense.
AS to our market, it has thus far been suffi-
cient to consume the produce Of the country,
and that, too, at remunerative prices. The
prospect for the future is that the mines will
continue to improve, furnishing market for
all our farm product. The quantity of grain
is not liable to increase much, since our
farmers, as soon as they become able to
farm on a large scale, will turn their atten-
ton to growing beef OF wool, which is by
far a more lucrative and profitable business.
As to horticulture, which this Texas cor
respondent says is overdone in his part of
the country; it offers a wide field fot extern
siye operations here, only enough oft being
known yet to guarantee the fact that small
fruit will produce a~bundantly, and other
fruit compare fayorably with many other
localities OF the same latitude. Our mining
towns always afford a splendid market for
fruit of all kinds.
We have Travelled the country from the
great lakes on the north, to Texas, and from
the crest OF the Alleganies cast to the Great
Salt Lake Basin, but know of no better place
in all this area than Montana. For the man [
of wealth, who desires to invest his means.
our mines offer an unlimitoa field, and we
are safe in saying that no country has Yield
cd more handsomely in proportion to the [
amount invested. Even for those Who have |
no money, our mines offer advantages equal /,
TO those of any other section. Upon 1 thou- /,
sand hills, rich veins Of gold, silver, copper I
and lead crop out OF the ground, and all the
required to develop them is muscle.