Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-05-18
JAMESTOWN, C~HAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N. Y.
March IL. 1876,

March IL, 1876.
Dear Sir: I wish to learn about your sec
ton of country, the character of it's soil,
timber, water, the general surface of coun-
try, the cash value of lands, both improved
and unimproved, and town property. What
inducements can be held out to actual set
tiers of limited means, and to capitalists? 1t
you can give me the desired information, or
the name OF some party who will, [ will es-
TEEN it a favor. Yours truly,
c. UNDERWOOD.
THE above letter, written upon a postal
card, and directed to the register of deeds,
was handed us a few days since by Mr.. L.
E. Collins, our County Clerk, and evidently
means business.
Having settled in Montana with a view to
make it a permanent home, we consider it
our duty to answer all such inquiries to the
best Of our ability. 1t is to our advantage
to labor for the best interests of the country,
and when one has a country, such as Mon
tana to tell about, thatduty becomes apleas-
IRE. 1t being more than likely that Mon
tana is possessed of all the natural adj
vantages sought, and the strong probability
Of having to stand face to face with the
writer of the letter, would restrain us within
proper limits, even were we inclined to paint
the country in it's brightest colors; but de-
string to win and retain the confidence Of
such as we may induce to take homes here,
We shall confine ourself to a plain, brief
statement Of facts as they exist, and as we
can make apparent when parties who read
this may come among us.
Meagher county, though it claims no SUI
periority over many other counties of Mon
tana, is, perhaps, possessed of as many of the
great natural facilities for building upon,
supporting a populous and prosperous com-
munity as any other section, and since the
inquiry is of this section, we will confine
ourself to this county alone.
Meagher county extends from the Mis-
souri, river on the west to the Missouri river
on the east; thus, embracing within its bor-
der, the principle portion of that region ly-
ing within the great bend of the Missouri,
an area of over 10000 square miles, embrac-
ing mountains, valleys and plains, a vast re-
civil "a ALAIACAult UAIIOC1 C0Y pdStOI d1, uiIU dS"
Ticultural lands. The county contains about
$50 voters, and the taxable property is val
ued at 100000. The principally settled val
ley of the county, is the Missouri Valley, on
the west end of the county. This valley sets
ina few miles below the mouth of Sixteen
Mile Creek, the southwestern corner of the
county, about twenty miles from the Three
Forks, or source of the Missouri, and ex-
tends north along the river, a distance of
forty miles or more. The eastern halflying
within -sIeagher county, varies in width
from four TO ten miles, with an extensive
range of foothills of equal extent, affording
1uxuriant pastures. The grass upon these
hills, is called bunch-grass, consisting ofsev-
eral varieties. 1t is not a coarse, heavy
growth, such as is found upon the prairies
OF Texas, western Missouri, Iowa, or Min
nesota, but the quality is, very fine, and
grows in punches upon the ground, from
six to- eighteen inches in height, all owing
to the season. 1t will bear moderate pas
turing the year round, and not kill out, but
winter range should not be pastured in sum-
mer, as stock do so much better. We know
of sheep ranches that have been in constant
use four or five years, and the yield of grass
increases instead of diminishes each year, all
depends upon system and management.
This grass cures in the summer and is fine
iced for stock in winter as prairie hay
ofother countries, and when cut and stacked,
will fatten stock equal to the hay and grain
l~4@l. -S Al CA~x~.