The Mineral argus. [volume] (Maiden, Mont.) 1883-1886, 1885-01-01
.'UsAl).:: AMID
Such is Now the Great judith
Country.
Rich il Mineral, Unlimited
Grazing and Agricultural
Land. Pure Water
and a Healthful
Climate.
a New Years Stony that AL
Should Read.
Mining, Cattle. Sheep. Horses
Agriculture.
I.CPEASE IN POPULATION.


lnat pOrNon q. Montana that l. en-
closed between the lilgnwood. Mecca
sin, Judith. Snow, and Bell mountains
iorms what j. popularity known ~ the
judith Basin. although it includes Il
barge portion of the valley of the judith
river after II has lofi the Judith Basin,
proper.
There is no portion Of Montana which
can show more rapid strides toward
civilization than Tins Basin has made
during che past five oi six years. From
CON paraiiNcly unknown portion of
the .orriiury, inhabited oily 10y rowing
bands of Indians, or the daring and nj
most equally nonIadie wolfsrs and huf
inio hunters. n ha- advanced IN that
,tort time tO the 'ront rank and has
Culglt un IN AL respects with the Older
scttien.Vii;s oi the Territory. In l>1J
thcre were probably not more than
ilfty or sisly whites residing in the Ba-
siI. hc last census whlcn j. lust cont
uivtcd shows diet there are nov io lhc
uclc .uol hood al two Thousand peDp!r
in the basin, of which fully onc-third
have come in during the past year.
The principal occupation of the resi-
dents pf the Basin l. -toch-rIiSiug and
istl ana u u t~ttl4iaAtl AilN4f are
at present 1000 acres ui land 10 actual
cultivation. w.!h Prpnabiy three times
a. much more capable %! being cult
waited "a, soon ~ Irri"ltlug bitches can
toe constructed ami the uum,iou~
Streams he taken cat ON 10 the thou
sand, of acre, Of rich bench lands wnIcn
are ali capanic uf producing en0rHuu-
crops uf creil-. common tu the Terri
tory. GA the SLOPES m the judith.
snowy and Belt mountains. -pi,udu!
crops of wheat. oat~, rye. naf.,s. pe..-
'Dc> and garden Negctgh.,S have boon
RAISED during the past season without
other water thin tIc natural rainfall,
tnu~ exploding the Tor..ar ia.!l"r that
no crops can Ice raised iu Montana
without irrig itipn. Farther down in
the B,-ln irrigation j, necessary. but
inl> - abundant!r supplied hN the
Numerous streams oi nNlas water iiuW-
lng from tie snowy and Belt NOUN
taln>, which are Tributary to the judith
river. Among the larger ditch aud Ir-
rlgatipu curllanic> may be mentioned
the Big spring Ditch Company. formed
10y Helena ~. .iJail-i,. with capital uf
$4,000 fcr purpose ot taking ont the
N'''iN "a i'i- o fiail-, 'iffh am ''ftlNfa
ing them to the fertile bench hnd-
between Cottonwood and Big Spring
creeks: the Cottonwood Ditch Associl-
iion. VINO are also conveying the water,
uf Cottonwood creek fof the same pur-
pose and the judith Valley Association,
VINO have a PROJECT for irrigating fiiiy
sections ri bench lands by waters from
the Judith river. Beside these large
associations, II l. estimated that not
less than SlJ, ,U,o have alrrady been eX-
pended by private parties for the same
purpose. 1t l. impossible to even
Approximate the value of crops raised
in the Basin, but the fact that the DIFF
ferent merchants doing business IN the
Basin, report sales of agricultural i'm
plements and machinery aggrogating
$1,000 and rs much more from out
side agents. would indicate 4 probable
total value Of $1,000. for the farm
produce of the year just ended. Beside
their farm produce, the residents Of the
Basin have marketed 4 great number
of cattle and horses and IA large amount
of wool, hidee, petit, furs. cite. During
the past year the increase ia poru.a-
ton has been u, marked "a, has been
the increase in improvement, and
comforts with which both the old aud
new settler. have surrounded them
selves. In the Basin are situated six
growing towrs. and from every one Of
these comes reports 81 vast improv"-
ments, not only in bulidiugs, etc, but
also by prominent husinos, men. The
towns that nave made the most marked
progress are prohlhly Cottonwood, on
Cottonwood creek; LeWi-t.Hn and
iiced,fori, on big spin. cteek; aad
stanford on Nuif crcsk. ti Cotton
wood. q a.. Lehman y Co.. # Hr.ral