The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-01-02

MONTANA.
With Fort Benton Incidentally Alluded to.

With Fort Benton Incidentally Alludedte to.
The stranger must not think when be
takes the train in the east for Montana
that he is leaving civilization for a wild
and uncivilized country, to live among
the Indians and outlaws that we read SO
much about in the sensational dime
novel. Far from it. If you entertain
any such ideas. you will be agreeably
surprised by the time you reach your
journeys end. You will see just as much
style in the Montana cities as you will
in most Of the eastern cities, and far
more wealth than those Of the east Of the
same size. Everybody seems surround
ed with plenty Of everything; robust in
health and that air Of independence
about them that Invariably make good
impression On the stranger. They make
you feel at home and if you start in any
reputable business they vii help you out,
and make you feel as if you are among
friends instead ofcut Threats and ruffians,
as a great many will try to make you be-
lieve. Take a drive around Helena on a
sunny day and view her fine residences
and public buildings, silver and gold
mines, and the vast amount of business
done, aud you will wonder how su III
things can be in a country that yon have
always supposed was inhabited by saw
ages. Montana offers as good induce
ments to the settler as any Of the Terri
grazing lands cannot be surpassed in the
world. Besides, the climate is good,
which makes it a healthy country.
The winters are nothing like as severe
as those of Minnesota and Dakota. The
snow very seldom lays aver three or four
days, affording grazing for cattle and
sheep all the year round. 1.-THE emigrant
is looking for a place to locate, and does
not see any place along the line of the
railroad that he likes, we would. advise
him to take the stage at Helena and go
to Sun River, a thriving town Of about
500 inhabitants in the beautiful Sun
River valley. This valley is one Of the
best farming and grazing sections in
Montana; has any abundance of timber
land, and all the advantages of irrigation
from the Sun river. Fort Benton, go
miles further on, and at the head of
navigation on the Missouri river, is also
athriving city, surrounded by q good
farming and cattle country. Benton
is well supplied with churches, schools,
banks, hotels, and two excellent newspa-
pers, the RIVER PRESS and Record, both
published daily and weekly. The RIVER
PRESS is one of the leading papers sof
Montana, being neat in appearance and
ably edited by MI. Jerry Collins, ajour-
nalist Of wide repute. And still further
on across the country the traveller will
reach Maiden, Fort Maginnis, the Bar
ker district, with their rich mines, and
surrounded bya good country fast grow
ing into prominence as one of Montana's
most thrifty sections. Maiden may be
reached by leaving the train at junction
City, as a t~ri-weekly line Of stages run
between the two places, extending also
to Benton and connecting again with
the train at Helena. The immigration to
Montana the past year has been greater
than that of any two previous years, and
it is predicted that with next spring it
will be larger still.-Northern Pacific
Railway Journal.
The Montana Park.