Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1888-04-21
FROM MISSOULA COUNTY.
Interesting Notes from the West Side---
Want Railroad Connection with Great
Falls---TFe Bitter Root Valley.

interesting Notes from the west Side---
Want Railroad Connection with Great
Falls--The Bitter Root Valley.
Editor Great Falls Tribune:-I greatly
appreciate the copy of your paper that is
coming to my address. 1t is spicy and
wide awake to the interests, not only of
the very promising town of Great Falls,
but of Montana territory at large. send
you herewith copy of a publication that
| have recently issued from the press, al
so tract sent out several years ago, either
of which will show whether I feel any
interest in Montana or not You will re-
member that l visited your city in Febru-
airy, and have been watching its growth
with more interest ever since.
Our people in this great Bitter Root
valley are closely watching the move
ments of the Manitoba and Montana Cen
tral roads. We greatly desire line to
be extended westward from Butte or An
aconda into this region. We have an
abundance of the finest timber which you
need in your extensive improvements.
Then our promising miners would furn-
ish ores for your reduction works and
our fields, orchards and gardens would
load the tables of your thousands of Ia
borers with the choicest fruits, vegetables
and staples Of life, while your ready cash
| would gladden. the hearts of your ranch
men. We sincerely hope that those in
authority will give this matter thorough
investigation. Our citizens will be happy
| to furnish information and give all rea.
sonable encouragement to such an enter
prise. We want to be closer neighbors
| to our northern brethren. We want to
| feel the thrill of life that will go out
| from your tremendous water power, with
| its mighty concentrators and other man
ufactories, and your immense coal mines,
through all the avenues of commerce, and
| we want to contribute as far as we can to
| the keeping of that life Let us help one
another.
| MISSOULA GROWING,
Mlssoula is having a boom, and a num-
ber of fine buildings are going up there
Her prospects for substantial town are
very fair. Times in the valley are not as
| lively as farmers had expected | have
never seen money so hard to get hold Of
The railroad will soon be completed tc
| Grantsdale, about so miles from Missoula
which is probably about as far as it will
| go this year. The road has been doing a
| fine business ever since it was built; the
average shipments being about 20 car
| loads of timber daily. But it seems to
have taken out all the cash. People ex-
pected an advance in prices Of grain, but
instead of that the prices have declined,
and such is the power Of combination
that controls the railroad, the lumber in
dustry and the mercantile business-all
apparently working together-that farm
ers can't get cash for what they have at
any price. Hence, "Bitter Root turns"
as our ranchmen are accustomed to call
the habit of trading without cash, are
| about as common as before the railroad
came. With this condition of things you
can readily see why our citizens desire
another outlet We would just like a
little cash to jingle in our pockets.
greatly enjoyed my visit to the Black
Eagle and Rainbow falls last winter. The
thunder of the mighty cataracts still
sounds IN my ears, while the vision
of the last named falls and the big
spring linger in my mind as things Of
beauty and Joy forever.
CROPS AND FRUIT TREES.
Our farmers are about half through
seeding. An average crop will be put
out this year. Many thousands of fruit
trees will be set out. 1t has been demon
strated that fruit is grand success here,
and our people will govern themselves
accordingly.
Hoping to see the day when the trains
Of the Manitoba will go laundering
through our valley on their way to the
Pacific coast, crowded with passengers,
who will be delighted with our garden
valley and thrilled with our, i'm posing
mountain scenery, am very truly,
3. j. s.
Stevensville, April II, 1888.