Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1875-12-23
MONTANA.
The Black Hills and Amer
lean Wonderland.
Lecture by Judge H. N. Maguire
in Chicago,
rrrom the Inter-Ocean, December u

! from the lnter-Oceal, DeGeAlDer ~
! "The Black Hills and the American Won
derRnd' was the subject OF an interesting
and instructive lecture delivered last evening
in the Athen;eum by Judge Il. N. Mayulre,
of Montana. The lecture, which was care
full, elaborate, and clear presentation OF the
histery, resources, products, climate, and
| possibilities of this vast territory which is
| ius. opening up to the wecld its marvels IN
minerals and scenery, was illustrated by nu-
merous fine views, and was ,attentively listen
ed to by those who we're privileged with be-
! ing auditors.
! Judge Mcguire introduced his lecture by
recalling the historical explorations ct Lewis
and Clarke and others il the begi1ning of
the century, which first brought this vast re-
gion to the notice of the people and the
Government The lecturer, after giving tine
descriptive passages upon Montana, con-
tirued:
The Territory Of Montana was organized
in 1861, paying gold mines having been dis
covered the previous fall. Since then
Two HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OF GOLD,
it's estimated, have been sent out from Mon
tana's mines to vtaliZe the worlds CONNER
cial interests. Though probably nine-tenths
have been taken from the placer mines, the
country is filled with rich quartz veins of
both gold and silver The placers continue
to yield abundantly. The area is 10000
square miles, or abo1t three times that Of
the great State of New York. One-third OF
this is adapted to the pasturage OF domestic
animals. Allowing five acres to the animal,
this will give fine subsistence to oyer 5,OOO,-
| 600 head of stock. This pasturage is peren-
nial-covered with grasses which preserve
their nutritiousness the year round, even
growing and mingEng their hues Of emerald
with the SHOWS of departing winter. These
are undoubtedly the
BEST AND MOST EXTENSIVE STOCK RANGES
in the West, and therefore, here are the great
game centers of the continent, the buffalo
and elk coming up from the South and down
| from the North TO winter in the valleys of
! Eastern Montana Aud here are broad, fer
tile valleys, the soil of which produces all the
4 slaall grains abundanly. Forty bushels to
| the acre is claimed to be common wheat
yield, and oats and barley do proportionately
we'll. Irrigation is resorted to, but it is no
| Inconvenience to those practiced in the meth
| cd, as the lands generally are inclining, and
! wel- watered canons indent the rims of all
the valleys. The temperature of those re-
gio2s is variable, mountain ranges, wind cur
rents, and probably thermal springs CON-
bining to
MODIFY THE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS.
l have known farmers of some districts to
plow their fields in February; while in others
every water course would be chained in icy
fetters from the middle of November until
the 1st Of May. A more healthy country
does not exist than that of the Upper Mis-
souri, and Yellowstone valleys, notwithstand-
ing these marked variations of temperature.
1t is almost impossible to get out of sight of
snow. In the lowest valleys, in the midst of
rank vetdure, you can always view eternal
banks of snow. Often, while being famed
by soft summer breezes you may look up. at
apparently no distance, and see violent
snow storm raging. might occupy the en-
tire evening with the
MINERAL RESOURCES OF MONTANA.
am experienced in all kinds of mining,
have tlled my fortune in all the mining sec
tic , and believe Montana is as rich in sill
yer as Nevada, as rich in gold as California,
and possesses a greater variety of mineral
wealth than either. Besides gold and silver
she has inexhaustible deposits of coal, cop
per, iron, lead, gypsum, plumbago, and as
bestos. You have not heard and read as
much of Montana's mineral resources as of
other sections because she is now 500 miles
from railroad communication. Being thus
isolated but few capitalists have visited her
| mining districts. Her vast mineral wealth is
| lying undeveloped, while millions of foreign
capital are invested in mining enterprises in
| Utah and California On the 1st of last Au-
gust there were 23,007 mineral veins recorded
| in the various counties-22, 100 gold and 907
silver. 1t is safe to assume that many of
these veins of each class are rich and perma-
| nent; and when we reflect that the bulk of
Nevada's silver production has come from
one great vein, and that silver mines are still
being proftably worked in Asia Minor,
which were developed before the birth of
Christ, we may reasonably conclude that
Montana
WILL. BE FAMOUS FOR THE WEALTH OF HER
MINES FOR CENTURIES TO COME.
This statistical matter is prosy, but it is the
only way can give you reliable information
of the resources of that country; and wish
you to have the figures and facts for the reas-
on that those resources have been misunder-
stood or misrepresented in high places. A
Western member once opposed a measure in
Congress to survey the agricultural lands of
Montana on the ground that she had none!
And one of the Chicago papers declared, in
commenting exultingly on the failure of Jay
Cooke, that the Northern Pacific Railroed
would pass its entire length through an irre-
claimable wilderness. Penetrate those bound
less rich regions with railroads, and make
them commercially tributary to this mistress
city of the lakes-as they naturally ought to