Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1888-07-28

within few miles fall five hundred feet,
forming cataracts and gigantic falls, beau
tiful to the eye and of immense value to
mankind when put into harness. The
facts are there is no more natural site in
the northwest for busy mart than that
upon which Great Falls is now being
built, and within few years, before the
nineteenth century has passed, what is
now the sprightly "burg" of Great Falls
will be known as the minneapolis of
Montana" Mark the prophecy"
"The capital, energy, pluck and deter
mination of the present. citizens, if trans
mitted to their successors, will cause the
wonderful growth of the past two years
10 be repeated year after year, and the
present "father Of the city, Hon. Paris
Gibson, should he be spared to see the
year 1900, and we trust he may, will moi
know his full-grown child" -..
In respect to the natural wealth of the
surrounding country, Mr.. Fell is likewise
emphatic in his opinion. He says:
'Is there another promising town in
Montana which has such valleys di-
rectly tributary to it as the Sun river and
upper Missouri and the great Judith Ba-
sin? We say no! Helena, with its
wealth and as the capital Of the territory,
has arrived at that point in her existence
that to take the shack trail" is impossible;
she must from this time on continue to go
forward; yet hers past prosperity has
depended in no small degree on the. fact
that she was the capital and the center
of commerce for Montana. Butte, now a
great city, even to this day depends for
her future prosperity on her vast mining
industries, while Great Falls depends on
the products of the soil and immense fac
tories, Touring mills, quartz mills and
smelter, all of which will be erected and
propelled by Gods motive power as soon
as its vast tributary country is sufficiently
settled to produce the cereals and unearth
the minerals" .....
"The great smelter plant, of which so
much has been said in the territorial
press, is not overstated When completed
rs acres will be under one roof, and its
capacity will exceed any plant in the
world. At present about 300 men are en-
ployed in its construction, and at least
two years will elapse before it isall ready
for action. A portion, about one-fifth,
will be completed at once and devoted to
the treatment Of silver ores. ...-.
"The coal mines, about Is miles distant
by rail, are almost inexhaustible, and are
destined to furnish fuel for our rail
roads, mills, smelters and general house
hold use." .....
Mr.. Fell naturally desires to see the
Judith basin connected by railroad with
a city of which such good things can be
said. We cordially approve the progress
i've railroad policy which he outlines as
follows:
GAIL that is nessary is the extension of
the enterprise of the citizens of the slut
ure great" beyond the limits of their town
and that they propose to keep their
weather eye" open TO the opportunity
offered in this direction we feel confident.
Every branch Of business is represented,
while tho stocks carried by the leading
merchants would reflect credit on a much
larger city. To assure the continued and
undivided patronage of this most valuable
agricultural and stock-raising portion of
Montana, we would suggest that Great
Falls influential citizens bring sufficient
pressure to bear on the Manitoba Railroad
company as to persuade it to build the
Great Falls & Judith Basin railroad" at
once. Then the future prosperity of
Great Falls will be assured. Though we
are confident of building a city here, the
town from which cur railroad comes will
find Fergus county most valuable aux
iliary to its advancement"