New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-15
RESOURCES OF MONTANA.
vERITABLE LAND OF PROMISE.
rnr CLIMATE, SOIL AND VARIED PRODUCTIONS


ritorv. and setting forth the amazing natural
endowmcnts which il possesses and the energy
and intelligence which have made them trult-
full.
GREAT RESULTS AND A BRIGHT FUTURE
IFRoM An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRiBuNh'
HELENA, Montana, July lit is no longer eA-
travacant to say tina, Montana is IN most respects
tho r.cnc.t and ipcomparably the fairest Of all the
Territories But il is quite difficult matter TO lead
Fastern people TO realize that we have here north
Of the forty-fifth parallel a climate mild as and
far more pleasant than that of New-Iork CITY,
rooion twice as large as all New-England or three
times larger than the Empire State and combma-
ton of resources vastly superior to those presented
nv any one OF the great Middle States. Among the
thousands who daily turn TO representative Journals
of the land for information concerning THESE noi W.
ern Territories ii is safe to say that th'ee-Iol' '
have IN mind one great almost lnsurmountaoIe ouH-
boar-clrnate. To these Montana certainly offers
more sunshine the year through and, with us
moderately rigorous Winter far more
boaltbful. invigorating atmosphere than any
section east of the Missouri. The Terri
tory's far northern position on the map can
hardly b. said 30 he against it, for the lsotnermh
line which passes through the great wheat-growing
districts of Southern Russia, through the beautiful
yinelands of Southern France and on westward
through Harrisburg, Cleveland and Chicago in our
own country describes far northern circle here
and takes in vast tracts of althc-year pasurage IN
the British possessions. Deer Lodge. Montana, has
the same latitude as Venice; Montanas northern
boundaryiS the same as Paris During a long series
of years the snowfall in Montana valleys has never
eOualed that IN Michigan or MinnesOl&-the aver
age here being about TWENTY-FIVE inches per year.
A brief RAINY season, sometimes almost dong away
with the necessity for irrigation. usually occurs III
June The mean annual temperature IN Montana
valleys is 4So-fouT degrees warmer than the aver
age Of SIX recent years in Maine, New-Hampshlre
and Vermont. The lowest temperature recorded by
the signal officer at Virginia City, this Territory,
during the past six Winters was 1872 below zero
the highest in Summer 940. AT Fort Ben
ton. in the northern part of Montana, the
Government officials report one result
of their observations that for the past
five wears there has been an average of 20l TAR
DAYS each year-iust 100 more than the yearly
average at Chicago. The Missouri River Is thor
oughly open near Helena a month earlier each
Spring than at Omaha wish almost unfliiinc r"gu-
larity aud signal service and private Observation
demonstrate the fact that the mean annual temper
allure of Helena is the same IS that at santa Fe,
New-Mexico, the latter being some $50 miles south
Of the Montana Capital.
1t is hardly necessary u state that IN all
this great mountain land there is no
malaria, that the extreme of heat IS never
known. and that the nights, always retreshingly
cool are proverbia for their absence of Disagree
able dews and damps. In the higher mountain
ranges the Winters are, of course, more vigorous,
the snow fall far exceeding that IN the valleys and
the weather sometimes growing intensity cod. De-
velopmcnt IN these localities, however has only to
do with quartz mining and Observation-Disclosures
which i'm spite Of the storms flourish in Winter and
"a, - natl in
taua climate TO deter any intelligent home-secker
north of the Mason and Dixon line, from making
himself as comfortable the year round as has been
his wont in the East
PRECIOUS METALS
While the past dozen years have to The outer
commercial world, proved a season of dire distress,
Montana has thus far presented a scene OF uneX-
ampled prosperity. THIS has undoubtedly been due
tons vast wealth in the precious metals, but from
the present gratifying outlook Of such industries as
stock-growiug wool growing and agriculture, it is
not easy TO saw which is to lead in the near future
Mines of gold. silver, copper, lead iron and coal
have been discovered in every county, the mineral
bearing territory here exceeding m dimension that
of any other Western commonwealth Tins vast
mineral wealth, not segregated in one giant insure
like the Coms,Ock, is distributed III hundreds OF
veins many of which now yielding ore 50
rich that it paws for transportation TO the Eastern
States AID even 20 Europe 1Or Ieducuoh. Inc To-
tai yield Of the precious metals in Montana during
the past sixteen years has been Sl53,OOOOOO-
more than that Of Colorado, Utah aud Idaho COM
bined. About Sl47.0OO,OO0 of this Is IN gold,
placing Montana only second to California
in the production of that metal. The
$4,000 gold brick of the Penobscot Mine,
near Helena, product OF thirty Gays
during the past season, startled readers
all over the Union and yet in its total production
of about S2JO,0O0 in 1873 this property would here
rank rs tArd-Tate Several Of the mines at Butte,
Glendale and Philipsburg show product Of from
100000 TO 100000 each IN silver for The same
period. over 10000 quartz mines have been re-
corded, and some of dhe mountain ranges have
hardly been the scene of single blyouac OF the
prospector. Professor X. W. RAYMOND and all other
authorities who have visited the Montana silver
mines express more than usual faith IN their perma
nency. 1t is interesting TO note the stea ~ and
rapid increase in the output Of silver as indicated IN
the following carefully prepared table:
MONTANA's SILVER Production.
1873 . W on,
1874 1"''f W
% -
lStI.....-..