The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-04-07
The Heart of the Continent.
Net1 York Tribune.

Montana, the largest of all the Territories,
has hitherto developed very slowly on ac-
count of its isolation from rail transporta-
ton. Until lately it could only be reached
by stage journey of many days and nights,
or voyage on the Upper Missouri that con-
sumed more time than to go to Liverpool and
back. Rich deposits of precious metals at
tracted small and shifting population of
miners, and n few men found farming In the
fertile valleys of the streams which form the
Missouri more profitable than digging for
gold and silver, and told astonishing tales of
the productiveness of the soil. Agriculture
was limited, however, to supplying the de-
mands of the home market, for there was no
outlet to the cities of the East for surplus
products. The population, whicn was 20, 1000
in 1870, had increased to $4,000 in 1880,
scanty showing for region larger than all
New England, gifted by nature with great
variety of wealth-producing resources.
The situation of this huge Territory is now
entirely changed by the opening of two lines
of railroads connecting with the civilization,
capital, energy, and migrating movements of
the country at large. The Utah and North
ern railroad, a branch of the Union Pacific,
| is running its trains to Butte City and will
soon be opened 10 Helena. The Northern
Pacific has got into the magnificent valley of
| the Yellowstone, is in operation as far as the
mouth of the Little Rosebud, and will COM
pete two hundred miles more of track this
season. Thus the Territory has lt last fair
chance for securing its share of the tidal flow
of population which sets westward every
spring and is fast filling up the vacant spaces
| in the center of the continent. Its advan-
tages become matter of interest at this time
to thousands of young men who have the
western fever Ga healthful complaint, by the
| way, for any stout-hearted, ambitious young
fellow who does not see the way open TO
gaining sure foothold in the business of the
community where he lives) and are casting
about for information to guide them in the
choice of new home.
Foreseeiug that the time was close al hand
when Montana would be thrown open by
railroad communication to rapid develop
ment, the Tribune two years ago sent one of
its most experienced correspondents there to
study its resources. His letters told of a
large and increasing output of the precious
metals, of wide areas of promising mining
territory scarcely explored and wholly unde-
veloped, of extensive deposits of coal and
iron, of crops of wheat, oats, and barley of
almost fabulous size produced upon the val
| ley lands, and Of fine stock-ranges of prac-
| tically limitless extent covered with the nu-
| tritious bunch grass, which cures itself and
affords abundant winter fodder TO cattle and
sheep without the labor of cutting and stor-
| ing. The descriptions of later travellers
| have confirmed the reports of our cores
| pondent. OF the vast field still open TO set
| tlement in the Far West, there can be no
doubt that Montana is one of the most at
tractve sections. Leaving out of account
its mineral wealth, its agricultural resources,
scarcely touched as yet, are sufficient 10 sup
port large population. In the valleys OF
the Madison, Jefferson, Gallatin, and Mis-
soula rivers, and the smaller streams tribu-
tary to them, sixty bushels of oats TO the
acre, or forty of wheat, are not an eXtraor-
dinary yield, and the local papers frequently
mention fields of wheat producing seventy
bushels to the acre, and of oats threshing out
the enormous quantity of one hundred bush
els. The average wheat yield TO the acre
sown in the entire Territory last yearis given
as thirty bushels. Formerly the bottom
lands only were thought worth caltivating,
but now excellent crops are raised upon the
.sbench" " or first plateau lands along the
Yellowstone. The area of grazing land Is
said to be almost coextensive with that por
tion of the Territory lying east of the Rocky
Mountain system. As rule, cattle are lef
to shift for themselves the year round, ant
except In severe winters do not suffer much
Prudent stockmen, however, provide she'd
and supply of hay as precaution agains
heavy snowfalls and severe cold. With tn
shipping facilities now afforded by the new
railroads, the profits of raising grain and cat
tie, and of wool-growing, will be much large
T than heretofore, and there appears to b
+ room for an indefinite expansion of thes
r industries.
The extent of Montana will be understoo
, by Eastern readers not familiar with tn
Western country when we say that the dis
4 tance across it from east to west is equal I
4 that from New York city to Cincinnati, an
e that its width from north to south is nearl
twice that of Pennsylvania. Four States q
large as Ohio could be carved out of it, an
still there would be considerable remnar
left. The western half of Its surface
mountainous, and only the valleys are avail
able for settlement. The eastern porto
consists chiefly of rolling grassy plain
aud there is much poor land on the hig
plateaus between the water-courses. Wit
a very moderate estimate of the agriculture
y and mining resources of the Territory, how
ever, there is good reason for expecting Thu
its present population, estimated at $1,000
will have increased to million during I'll
next twenty or thirty years. f"
: The climate of Montana, we may add,
conclusion, is peculiar. Its mean wintt
temperature is that of Northern New Yorl
. while its mean summer temperature CORES
" ponds closely to that of Southern Ohio.
: dry bracing atmosphere, somewhat rarefe
by the elevation of the country above th
!, sea level, and swift streams carrying off th
: surface water and insuring freedom from IN;
:, larial influences, afford the conditions fc
good health, which are an important consit
: Grafton for an emigrant seeking Wester
= home to take into account.
A Meteor Behind the Clouds.