New-York tribune., 1880-09-26
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
MONTANA NOT A PARADISE.
TO tAe Editor or rae Tribune.


SIR Tn your issue of July %, 1879. you
publ,shed an article headed Resources Of Montana"
read that article with great deal OF interest," because
was lust getting ready my naiive state ID eafcn
OF q home somewhere in the great Wes'' ino s'ssS
ments made by your correspondent so innnereed "s
that at once resolved the country for myse ANA
concluded II one-half OF what he sid aboutAonssns
was true, that the place for me to CO.
Well did 20. and In company with two otner genue-
men, We travelled about 900 miles with pair 0f
horses and a wagon through all the principal valleys
east Of the Rocky Mountain range. We did not nnd
a. II had been pictured. From those who have ived
there we learned that the winters are terrible FOR
days and days mercury frozen. and spirit tncr
mometers Indicated $50 and 800 below Zero. Besides
this the wind nearly always blows gale during tho
winter months The springs cold and always ia'e.
II IL nothing new to have quite deep SHOWS IN June and
Juy This know 20 be 81, for In July we were 10
number OF snow storms.
Your pondent said that mines Of copper lead,
iron aud coal had been found Ia every county. iAm
not 40 well prepared deny this statement; Dut one
thing do know-hat the placer mines are all WORKED
ou o- nearly so and quartz and are not
very rich. Very few making anything now a.
mining above bare living.
Az for grazing pastures say that thousands and
thousands OF cattle died last winter from lack OF tho
necessary food, and from the intense cold saw Win
my own eyes a of mich cows. the gre ter part
the frost btcs Of last We had great dculy In
July sufficient even for our ponies as ws
travelled through the richest valleys of the Territory
rne grass was already dead aud whered. and there
was no hone growing until next spring
On paper raising OF sheep be made TO appear
the most remuperatlve business III the world; and IL
would be II were not for the drawbacks which exist
especially in Montana The first great trouble s thS
'scab" sueep to be regularly dipped I'D tooacco
mice several times year prevent the disease from
appearug and when into n)ck the chances
are thar so per cent OF them will die T1en again they
must br herded housed and fed during the winter. 10
s all nonsense 10 talk aDout sheep living out OF doors
on what they can gather that cold bleak climate
There is single thread OF truth running through your
correspondeus arc C until he 10 this division Ok
his subject when 1t disappears almost entirely We
were in Montana in the of June and July, when
the whole face country In our agricultural states
ia covered with verdure aud flowers In iu bloom But
IN Montana t is not Imagine II you cnn vast scoce
OF country hundreds of miles in extent all cut up with
hills and hoows entirely destitute OF water and ees
the 0rass brown dead and wLhered As far as tie eye
can reach the country presents the same
mouotonous appearance. From Benton w sun n.'tr,
sixty miles, there Is neither wood nor water ipesS
articles have to be carried along Dy travehers anu
fre0hrers We were told that not busheI OF oaw
could be found entire valley OF tue sun RIVER io
sale at any price. The soil IN some places wouia 90
good there water; rs IL II, FARMING 10 ANY eA-
tent Is simply out OF the question. -,
From Gallatn we crossed over 70 ihe Yellowstone vas
lev and followed $50 miles TO find ess desirable
n pOssIbe any OF the otner Valleys ou the noren
sie ther Ia neither timber water, and tue soil IL
ANYTHING but good We here fond the MOSQUITOES 10 20
lntolerable. am now convinced tblt M0rtanh never
can made AGRICULTURAL country, nett VIZ u cvos
be a pleasant place III wnlcu 70 hNe. D. L. "-hA''
Windsor No., sept ~ lscO