The daily enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1884, 1883-08-08

3: W. Haskett, of the law firm of
Haskett & Perish, doing business in
Leon, Iowa, was introduced to the Board
of Trade, and upon request made few
remarks: He came to that meeting to
listen rather tn an talk, and to note how
such an institution as the Livingston
Board of Trade was conducted and the
means it adopted to forward the business
of the town and assist its prosperity. In
the locality from which he came (southern
Iowa. the Montana fever" until the last
year was thing unknown; but already it
had become an epidemic among his circle
Of home acquaintance. He would assure
his hearers that when the Northern Pacific
was completed road across the continent
such an emigration from Iowa, Missouri and
Illinois would turn toward all parts of
the northwest as our people had no present
conception of. Crops had failed for years
past in the region from which he came
and many of the farms were encurlbered
with mortgages to- eastern capitalists;
mortgages that so far as redemption was
possible might as well be deeds conveying
to the mortgages full title. Notwith-
standing this fact, the farmers thus embar-
rassed are not poor men. Most of them
have money, or property convertible into
cash, but do not care to invest it in re-
deeming improbable farms. His country
was to great extent stock country, and
the people of whom he spoke greatly in
terested in stock raising, and to them
Montana's greatest interest lay in her
boundless stock ranges. A party of
seven:y-si men, himself included in the
number, had started upon this trip to
Montana. Twenty eight had now got thus
far, and visited the National Park. Others
of the party we're coming to Livingston,
and would reach here shortly. Their ob-
ject was purely business, though they had
embraced the opportunity of enjoying
themselves by visit to the Park. They
came to see the country and form an idea
of its prospects and business chances
They had been very favorably impressed
almost without exception. They had
been greatly pleased with Livingston and
the surrounding country, and with the re-
ception they had received from its people.
He took pleasure in returning thanks for
the hospitality and kindness uniformly ex-
tended to him. He and his partner fully
intended to make Montana their future
home and field Of practice if they found
suitable location. Of the party now in
Montana, five were at present upon the
ranges making close inspection Of
stock raising facilities, and another
party of capitalists and stock men
from his town would arrive in
Montana early in September and would
come for the express purpose of going out
upon the ranges and selecting range if
q suitable Ice ton was found. A stock
company with capital of from $50, 900
ito $250,000 to be invested in Montana
stock business could be formed in Leon
and vicinity upon few days notice, as it |
was already organized, though not incor-
porated.
He had heard much talk in Livingston
would say that there was in his town
man whom he believed to be the best
hotel proprietor in Iowa, and who was
anxious to- come to Montana. Several
hotels in the towns of Iowa had been
built by stock companies and he thought
the same plan might be worked advant-
ageously here. The people were very
anxious 10 know more of Montana and
lad no good means of doing SO, except by
. visit which all of them could not afford
o make upon uncertainty. Upon his re-
urn the experiences and impressions OF
himself and other members of the party
would find their way into various papers