Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1881-02-03
LETTER FROM MONTANA.


BozEMAN, MONTANA TERRITORY, DEo, 90, 81
Mr. John Kerstetter and family,
Dear Friends:-
AS arm not doing much today thought
would write to you. have often wondered
how you are all getting along on old Elk Creek
and have often thought OF you, and no douo
you have often thought OF me too.
We nave been wandering around and gcttlnl
stln farther of, until finally, we have landed
In Montana territory. We sold out last spring
In Missouri, aud moved 20 this place.
This country ID more Ike Centre count!
than any place have seen since left old Eh
and Pine Creek. This IL beyond doubt th'
richest section In the United States. Gould
butconvtnce you OF what have seen since
am here II would do me more good than t.
write Is.
There are one hundred and some atty silver
smelteres ut this place; and have often seer
silver bullion corded up as you cord up youi
nre-wood. But the silver bars are not nv Ions
rs cord.wood. being only about two feet II
frngth. Geld Is not stacked uD IN this way 81
publicly. ten you the wealth OF this territory
Is immense. II will become fabulous wher
once fully developed.
Now, my friend, John I am net writing this
| to induce you, nor any one, TO sell cut and
leave your home; but for young people who
want to get start In life, DO SAY this Is the
place. But would by no means have any one
thi TX that he can come here and only sit down
and get rich. There Is however one way I'm
which meu do make money easily and with
! but little cTp.tal. refer 80 the cattle and
sheep business, which requires but little attcn
| tion, As the animals run at large and take care
| Of themselves. During the winter however the
sheep should be housed In order TO make them
| profitable 60 into the mountains anywhere
| now aud you will see bands * wild horses and
cattle Scrapingan digging through the snow,
a foot deep, hunting their living. In this way
they live all winter. It's astonishing but never
theless true.
Thesurface Of Montana Is very much like
that of Pennsylvania, with mountains and val
leys alternating.
| The soil In the valleys 1s very productive.
| To be sure farming, In the western portion OF
the territory, l. done BY irrigation; but In the
! eastern portion along the Yellowstone River
irrigation is not necessary. Everything can be
| raised here except corn and watermelons.
Sweet corn is sometimes raised, but the nights
arc usually too cold fort. Down on the Yellow.
stone they raise everything.
Twin give you the yield Of grain per acre
Wheat from 80 to 80 bushels Oats 50 TO 100 bush.
els. Finer qualities I have never seen. We
have oats here that weighed 5opounds per bush.
el. The following are tha prices OF grain and
other articles: Wheat, al.oO per hundred ;bar-
ley, A4.5O per hundred oats, $3.50 per hundred;
10
per huuared; Hay, 5000 per ton; straw IS 90
per ton; wood, si 90 per cord; pork, dressed f,
500 TO " SO per hundred; beef. sc.0o per hun
dred; tur&ies, 425Oapleee chickens, 50 cts. TO
sl.00 each.
Wages: Parm hands, s36 90 to 1850 per
month and boarding. Carpenters, $+oO 90
S o. per day. MIllwrights, aj.0Oto 500 per day.
This place is about half as large ~ Lewis
town. You would be surprised 70 sec the busl-
ness that is done here. l will give you but one
item although there are dozen Of the same
kind. Our nrm by the name of Lamy, makes
AN average sale OF $4,000 per quarter.
will also give you price list Of clothing
and q oceries: Suits, from sl0. to 4l0o; boots,
IS 80. TO Sl7OO; gum overshoes 4250; sugar, 81
6H lbs for a dollar; coffee. 8 and 81 for sl.0O;
butter. SOC; eggs r5cts to sl.6O green apples l2x
perlb.
John, wish you were here 10 hare little fun
at hunting. We have al kinds ~ game, from ~
rabbit to - grizzly bear. There are the black
and white tail deer, the moose antelope, noun
tain sheep, black bear, cinnamon bear, elk,
buffalo, panther, mountain Hon, Mild eat, lynx
and last, but surely notleast, the grizzly bear.
have never come across any OF the latter yet
and don't care II I ever do. Several OF our men
have been badly used up by them this fall.
There are ale plentyof ducks and geese, and
the finest fish think have ever seen.
Galetou Valley is forty miles long from
north to south and twelve broad from east TO
west We have 100 miles from Dillon, the
present terminus Of the Utah and Northern ".
K, and IS from Virginia city, and two thous
and miles from Omaha, Nebraska, Come TO
see Us, John. and see everything for yourself
Your friend
THOMAS FASrRAIHoRN.
John s. HomAn's sale Of live stock,
farm implements and household uten-
siIs, Thursday, February oath. All
who want 10 buy horses, cows, shoats,
implements or little of anything, as
we'll as those who are In favor OF q
good substantial dinner, will please
n. 3.
j. G. Aver 81 Co., the well known
medical firm OF Lowell, Mass, sent us
we'll bound almanac for 1881, printed
In nine different languages-English,
Dutch, G erman, Portuguese, Spanish,
French, Swedish, Norwegian and Bo-
hemian. The book is big and we are
too busy to read 10 all, jusT How.
Township and borough electionf
in Centre county, Tuesday, Feb. 18th
Who is going to run for '5quireS Ger
tainly not we; and IL any man wishes
to be knocked down "aat as a pan
cake" let him just stand square before
US and urge us TO run-say that we are
very fit for it--that we are just tbs
very man, and so forth. No more taf
fy OF that kind for us.
An item Is going the rounds q
the papers to the effect that Mr.. Jon
athan Harter, Of this place, has sub
scribad 5000 for the building Of a
new Lutheran church here. While II