Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-12-27
Rapidly Filling Up--A Fine Grazing
Country--RoOm for the Million
Rich Resources.


If any one had told me a year ago
that such a change could have taken
place in one short year in Montana [
would not have believed him. The
growth Of all our Western country is
rapid, but the growth of Montana is
something simply wonderful, and, as |
think, unprecedented. In 1880 Montana
had barely 100000 people, and to-day,
three years later, she must have fully
100000. The people from all sides
seem to be flocking in and occupying
the Territory that Gen. Sheridan said
was ''the best piece of land Uncle Sam
owned" In this opinion of the Mount
ain Territory Gen. Sheridan, was quite
correct, but / did not think the people
of other localities would so soon find it
out. Shut in by walls of almost inn
passable mountains, until three years
AGO the Territory did not have a single
mile of railroad, and now she has over
1900. With the railroads come the
people from outside, and, as they
roamed over the tall mountains and
through the beautiful valleys they were
filled with establishment, and not only
stopped themselves but wrote letters to
their friends to come and Join them in
this paradise of the West. | had long
known Of Montana-its beautiful val
leys, timbered mountains, great coal
fields, silver and gold mines-but,
although | had ridden all over it on
horseback | hardly appreciated it until
the last year. 1t was SO immense, so
vast, and lonely, that one felt oppressed
by the very greatness OF all he saw,
and was glad to get away to where
people dwelt Now all is changed; the
settlements are, of course, as yet
spare, but one is hardly ever out of
sight Of house, and camping out is no
longer 4 necessity.
THE YELLOWSTONE VALLEY.
Take for example, the Valley of the
Yellowstone-the newest part of Mon
tana. Six years ago there was hardly
n settler between Buford and Bozeman
800 miles-and now there are not
only cities and towns, but every two or
three miles n nice farm. Glendive, on
The Yellowstone, has 1000 inhabitants,
Miles City $500, Forsyth 400, Big Horn
300, Billings 1900, Livingston 5000,
and Gardner 400. The whole Valley
of the Yellowstone is $40 miles long,
and in places reaches width of ten
miles. | am inclined to think it is the
handsomest valley in the West and
some day will TEEN with people The
river resembles the Hudson and is
nayigable for 400 miles from its mouth.
Lit is skirted with a heavy fringe of
timber and there are immense groves
of giant cottOnwOodS everywhere. Some
of these trees are so large that the
limbs would make gOod-sized tree,
and | have seen cottonwood logs eight
to ten feet in diameter. A few years
ago | saw an entire company of cavalry
on hot day encamped in the shade of
one of these trees. The river has a
rocky bottom, and the banks are sta
tionary, in which it differs from most
of our Western rivers. 1t hardly ever
overfiows its banks, and the houses can
be built close to its waters. There
are natural parks and green lawns
ready to receive the houses, and
the view up and down the river
from one of these natural parks is
grand and magnificent Such hand
some sites for beautiful homes could
hardly be found anywhere else in the
United States.
TRIBUTARIES OF THE YELLOWSTONE.
TheYellowstone has many tributaries
almost as fine as itself, and among
these ] may mention the Powder River,
200 miles long; the Tongue, $50; the
Rosebud, 100; the Big Porcupine, $50;
the Little Porcupine, 100; the Big Horn,
100; the Saltwater, 1C1; the Sweet
Grass, $50; the Boulder, 1870; the Big
Timber, 100, the Shields River, 100;
and many smaller streams. The Pow
der River is not much settled, being
grazing country; the Tongue River IS
settled almost to its headwaters; the
Rosebud is also well settled; the Big
Porcupine is settled for seventy-fve
miles up from its MOUTH the Little
Porcupine is stock country: the
Boulder is q mining and stock cOun-
try; the CIarke's Fork, which forgot
to mention above, is on the Crow
Indian Reservation, as also is the Big
Horn and Saltwater; the Big Timber
is a stock country; the Sweet Grass is
settled up about seventy-fve miles; the
Shields River is stock country Until
this summer Custer County, in which
the Yellowstone hes, was the largest
county in the world, being $50 miles
long by 137 wide, and containing over
$4,000 square miles of land. Yellow
stone County, of which Billings is the
county seat, was cut off the upper end
of Custer. Custer County is still as
long as good sized State and has Miles
City for its shiretown. In timeCuster will
make several counties and Forsyth and
Big Horn will become county-seats.
MAMMOTH GRAZING AND FARMING
LAND.
The Valley of the Yellowstone, with
its tributaries, contains 125fO0O square
miles. Of this vast area $4,000 square
miles is mountains, rocks, and timber;
10000 square miles the finest grazing
land in the world; and 10000 square
miles good farming lands. If we sub
divide again we find $4,000 square
miles of agricultural land contains
12,16O,000 acres, or 10000 farms of
16O acres each The Valley of the