The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-01-06
MONTANA ENTERPRISE.
communicated. 1

has used every means within its power to at
tract immigration from the Eastern States and
European countries within her borders, and
after having made glowing descriptions of her
great mineral, pastoral and agricultural re-
sources, her mild, healthful climate, beauti-
full scenery, etc, it has, almost without eX-
ception dwell at length, upon the wide-awake,
energetic qualities of the MontanIans as a
class, until it is really considered by many
that II few ears residence in this Territory is
actually necessary to all who ever expect to
attain perfection in the ordinary walks of
life. And, while having a due respect for the
Montanians as a people, and a still greater ad-
miration for their universal love of home, it
has nevertheless occurred to me that there is
yet something lacking in the general makeup
of the older residents of this Territory. When
l look around and see the progress made dur
ing the last decade by Colorado, Oregon,
Washington Territory, Utah, Arizona and
Dacota, and then look at Montana, l must
confess feeling a little ashamed by the COM
parison. Montana was possessed then, as she
is now, of many natural advantages over any
of the six Territories mentioned, but to-day
Arizona, Utah, Washington Territory and Da-
kota number their population by hundreds of
thousands, and Oregon and Colorado have
honorably entered the sisterhood of States,
while Montana in point of population has not
held her own. Why is this? Is it because
our mines are less productive or our climate
less healthful? No. This Territory posses
SEES to-day by far the largest area of rich min
eral lands of any country In the world, and
all amount of grazing land capable of sup
plying not only her own local markets, but
also all of New England with beef and NUT
ton, to say nothing of millions of acres of the
choicest agricultural land on this continent.
Thus it will be seen at a glance that natural
qualifications have had little to do with keep
ing Montana so far behind her neighboring
Territories in the race for development. But
as | said before, there is something lacking,
and the only way l can account for it is to
totally ignore all the undeserved praise which
has been uselelessly heaped upon Montan-
ians, and charge them directly with a lack of
energy. OF what value are all the fertile val
leys in Montana to its citize ms or to the world
at large unless they are titled? Natural re-
sources become useful and valuable only
when utilized by the hand of man, and made
to yield to his enjoyment and well-beiag.
Here we find a soil capable Of producing
not only an endless variety of cereals of the
choicest quality, but also a great variety of
fruits and berries, and vegetables which can
nowhere be equalled, but we find this same
soil either untouched or else wretchedly over
run or half farlned by men who seem to care
only to raise wheat, oats and potatoes, not
possessed of experimental enterprise enough
to even attempt to supply their own tables
with small fruits or berries, preterring to in
crease instead of diminis the already enor-
nous sum annually sent abroad for all inferior
article of canned and dried fruit. Is this en-
terprisc?: Where else in the world is there
10000 people possessed Of such a soil and eli.
mate who have for the past fifteen years made
so little actual advancement III an agricultu.
raj point of view as the people of this Terri.
= tory? Look at the poor Mormons bringing
seeds, trees, bulbs, roots, etc, clear from Maui
vooto Utah in wagons, that they might thu
enjoy a few, at least, of tire comforts of life
and then imagine Mountainous going ten miles
with a team to pick a few wild whortleber-
rics or Strawberries. rather than set out a few
shrubs or plants in the garden. 1t is in grasp
ing the opportunities offered thar builds VI
and enricles~ communities as well as individ
uals, and it is by making the best possible list
of the advantages that We possess, and, b,
striving al improvement in our present system
of agriculture, that we cali at this late da,
hope to achieve even a partial success. Invent,
T. years ago California stood at the head of TIL
list as a gold producing country, but tina
afforded little consolation to The Californian
he loved his home and lis climate, and at ono
set about experimenting with the soil an
cnueavOrinC to produce not only all of TIN
natural products but even those of foreign
countries have occupied his attention. A
: that time it was thought hat zone but nativ'
black bees could live even in the southern par
Of the State, but in the past twenty year
4 appiria-culture has grown from an insignificant
and uncertain ycnture to IA great, safe an
profitable industry. So extensively has thi
business been carried Oh of late years, tia
California is at present the greatest hone,
producing country in the world, it being
leading article in her list of exports. Te
raising has been tried to Il limited extent. a
las also silk culture, and i'll neither case haV
the utter failures so common in first venture
been encountered, but. OF the contrary, it ha
J. been proven beyond a doubt that experience
y and cheap labor are all that is needed to plac
California tea and silk upon Eastern and En-
e ropean markets, at rates SO low as to compel
l. with foreign producers. In 1870 some ell