Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1881-05-12
No.. IS

featuring The latter in its infancy The
importance is in the order named Two
railroads were built to Montana in 1890 and
are now being pushed forward within the
Territory. They have given Il wonderful
: impulse to our mining industry, the full cf-
feet of which we have not seen. Ten thOus-
and dollars five years ago would have pur-
chased property in a single mining center
which $1O,O0OOOO would not now buy. In
the larger sense we .have but recently had
miners in Montana. We have had prospec-
tors and laborers, but the miner that knew
where $25OOOO could be wisely expended.
} and who had the S25O,OOO to expend and the
courage to do it, is recent arrival, and for
such the field is large and ripe, and certain
reward awaits them
! THE MINES.
> What are your mines?
Both gold and silver. OF our silver we
have Galena and carbonates. With reluc-
tance l must dismiss mining, for, while it is
a wide and alluring field, the bulk Of people
! 80 West to engage in agriculture
GRAZING.
Yes but about grazng?,,
'The raising of sheep, cattle, and horses is
Il new, but q great industry there, which
promises fortune to those pursuing it. I say
this, Notwithstanding the very remarkable
winter just ended for our people are intense
and bOded more evil than they have suffer-
ed. There have been little losses, think
not exceeding 10 per cent, but when we re-
! fleet that sheep husbandry has paid 33 per
cent profit for ten years, and that cattle are
raised to the age OF three years for s., and
are then worth S:25, it is apparent that the
I nn1 -i,4n &Lo ,1-o Of A.
! Indians preserve no tradition, it need not
discourage us, for we are certain grazing is to
be a favorite profitable pursuit. Beside, this
winter has reassured our stock growers Be-
fore they did not know what dire calamity
impcnded now they know the worst. They
have had a test winter, can prepare some
what and their loss has been small | count
the ordinary net profits Of cattle raising
there about twenty per cent. per anlum, and
our beef is retailed in every considerable
market from the Pacific to the German
ocean. must dismiss this subject. how
ever"
AGRICULTURE.
Tell lne something about your agricuI-
tural possibilities "Some years since when
General HaZen was writing up the Great
American Desert rs "Our barren lands"
gave this matter considerable thought, and
concluded that two-thirds of Montana was
good for grazing and one-sixth available for
agriculture. / cannot say l have changed
my estimate but possibly considering that
only irrigable lands can be utilized, this last
estimate is large. The one reason why two
thirds of the area is not agricultural is the
lack of water The soil possesses every ele-
ment of fertility but moisture. TO those un-
used to irrigation or seeing only the public
illustrations of the MOrmons, it seems great
drawback to the industry. Really it is no
drawback but an advantage. The bitches
are easily constructed, the labor upon 100
acres is SMALL the water does nearly all its
own work, no danger arises from drouth and
better than all the water holds in solution
and deposits upon the soil fertilizers, so that
an irrigated farm is practically exhaustless,
There is one fact to be considered in connec-
ton with grazing You use the mountain
sides, foothills and valleys, which belong to
the General Government, and cost you moth
ing, and herd of cattle frequently occupies
Il range OF $4,000 square miles in extent.
There are two laws by which title to lands
can be secured at S1.25 an acre. The pre-
emptiOn law, which, outside the Union Pa
cigc Railroad grant, enables You to obtain
16O acres, and the desert-land law which up
on all public lands enables you to get GAO
acres Now, either one of these processes is
such that after paying the preliminary fees
the locator can make his money off the land
to pay for it, and if he is industrious and
thrifty he can do it ten times over. The
bulk of farmers die trying to own 100 acres
of land, but there is no reason why man
OF enterprise and thrift with from $500 to
$4,000, should not 60 to Montana and in
three years own GAO acres of land and have
from $4,000 to $4,000 besides Then there
is the homestead law. All these
CHANCES ARE BEING IMPROVED,
but there will be such opportunities for years
to come. The Inter, Ocean is not large
enough to print all l should be pleased to
say, but will remark that water-power, wood
and coal exist there in greater profusion
than elsewhere, and the soil is fertile beyond
the conception of the Eastern farmers"
How about your Democratic politics in
so high a latitude?'
"A combination of causes debauched our
politics in early days, while the system of
appointments to office has had an
unhappy influence ON the political contro-
versy. An infelicitOus remnant of it is left
in the form Of an alliance of the chief Off
GER of the Territory with the Democrats
whereby he, perhaps, has promoted official
ease, prolonged his tenure of office, and an
noyed, in small way, a cause he was to ig-
lorant or malignant to serve. This however,
S passing phrase of political experience
which all Territories have had, and which
will end il the near future. Our pol
tics are ideal, and our Republicans believe
n themselves and their principles, and have
he courage, fortitude, ability, and integrity
which assure the conquest OF the reactionary
Democracy at an early day