Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-08-22
SHERIDAN AND RUBY VALLEY.
Description OF the Town and Valley
Their Many Natural Advan-
tagcs, etc., etc.


Tc the Editor of the Arant Courier:
A ride of three or four hours from Vir'
ginia City brings us to the town OF Sherl
dan, which is neat and cosy little village
of, perhaps, less than one hundred inhabi
tants. 1t is beautifully situated, almost in
the centre CT the far-famed Ruby formerly
Stinkingwater) Valley, one of the mos
favorably located and richest agricultural
portions of the Territory.
The town of Sheridan contains two
stores, blacksmith and wagon shops, q
good hotel, very neat and well furnished
frame church building, belonging to the
Methodist denomination, a new and very
creditable frame school house. 36x46, vel
painted and furnished with rare good taste.
The school is in operation, with Miss Rob
ertson as teacher. and there are about six
ty pupils in regular attendance.
Hamilton & McCranor and r. P. Bate
man are the merchants, and they keep
large and well-selected stocks of general
merchandise, comprising everything usu-
ally required by the farmer, miner, stock
raiser and mechanic. The first named
gentlemen have also stores at Gaffney's
and Glendale.
There are also two first-class Touring
mills-Mill Creek and Silver Spring Mills
situated in the immediate vicinity of town
and centrally located in the agricultural
settlements of Ruby valley. We were
pleased to find Charlie Pictsch, former
resident of Bozeman and Spring Ill.,
Galatin county, experimenting matters as
mills.
quite a large area of grounds under
cultivation in this valley the present sell
son, and we are pleased to state that, with
very few exceptions, there is a tla,terilg
prospect for an abundant harvest. Dr
several years past the farmers in this Sc
ton have suffered heavily from tie dcva-
tations of grasshoppers, but this year thy
appear to have done but little damage. Tie
surrounding mining camps Of Alder gulh,
Poncy. Glendale, Silver Star, Iron Bd
and Butte, insure the farmers here steay
md remunerative market for their pO-
luce, and the indications are certainly fv-
'rable for an unusually prosperous seasn
Ill around.
The valley and its surrounding plateals
md foot hills is considered one of the btst
took ranges in Montana. 1t is certainly
cry favorable locality for wintering stock,
s the snow fall is usually very Highland :
he winter exceedingly mild. A Urge
lumber of stock have been kept onthis
ange, winter and summer, for many Years ..
nd yet there is no apparent dimunatiol to
he richness of the pasturage. ,
This portion of Madison county, an ,
ears to us, is especially fort unate il its
reat and diversified natural resources. s
'r, as we have Intimated, altloughit is 6
OF as extensive as some other valleys and !;
'nges, it is one Of the richest agricultural a
)ots, as well as one of the best stock $
nges to be found in the Territory, While =
ere is now little doubt but the surru,nd- :,
g mountains are literally ribbed with y
lmerous lodges of rich and precious ;,
'es. Several good quartz leads arenow =,
ing successfully worked. while many o.
ore only wait the hand of industr, or
e investment of capital to render them
bnlously productive. Our old friend.
mes Gemmell exhibited to us hrce
ecimen of copper ore from ledge he o
severed many years ago. and recently n
located. that will smelt easily in black Ia
nth forge and yield fifty per cent. pure 81
pper. II
Rnby Valley is already very important p'
Tor IN the almost unlimited resources II
grand old Madison copptv land G
to be town of considerable CONNER III
importance. w. ar