Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1888-05-23
OUR GROWTH.
IMPRESSIONS OF COL WHEELER NOW
AND FOUR YEARS AGO.
He Comes with the Helena Excursion and
Makes Some Interesting Notes-Antici-
I,ations Which Have Been Verified.


could take him by river to the Great Fal
Of the Missouri. In one day had orga
lied a party for the trip, viz: Col. J.
Dodge, John B. Wilson, Z. D. Edgerto
Richard Jockey and N. Sweetland W
left Stubb's ferry at 2 p. III. on Saturda
May Oath. and arrived at Great Falls G
Monday evening, May Goth, and wei
warmly received by Paris Gibson, tn
founder Of the city, H. O. Chowen, II
Myers and Mr.. Gibson's two sons. Phi
and Theodore.
On Tuesday morning j. J. Hill, accom-
panied by Col. G. A. Broadwater and pal
ty, arrived and visited the several falls
the Giant Spring and the Sand Coule
coal mines and returned the same evenin.
to Sun River, and the next day to Helena
The round trip of over $50 miles wa
made in three days with 10 relays Of
horses. What the party saw gave great
satisfaction and exceeded the expectations
of Mr.. Hill.
TO show the contrast between Great
Falls, as We saw it in 1884, and what our
Helena Board of Trade has this day seen,
l will copy somewhat from my account
published in the Helena Independent and
St. Paul Globe simultaneously on June
18th, 1884, to-wit:
cat the Great Falls of the Missouri the
largest available water power of any civ
ilized country in the world exists A field
OF bltuminous coal, with veins from six
to 20 feet in thickness and equal in quail
ity to the best Pennsylvania coal, as sew
eral experts weo have examined it, testi
fly, has been discovered within the past
few months. The extent of this field. as
far as traced, is from 30 to 80 miles
square. In this district iron ore and lime
rock abound
SURROUNDINGS.
Above the falls, towards the south, the
rich valley of the Missouri extends for so
miles to Half Breed Island, where the
river energies from the mountains, and to
the west the beautiful Sun River valley |
can be traced by the eye hundred |
miles away, to where its tributaries rise in
the great Rocky range. 70 the norm |
and east the view is almost unobstructth |
for 90 miles, and in the Highwood aed
Little Belt ranges lie hid the rich mind
districts OF Barker and Neihart
y X X Il II
With all these resources s,1rroundino
this enchanted spot Of unlimited water
power Great Falls, as the future CITY has
been named, is destined to become a great
manufacturing center-a Lowell, a Pitts
burg and Minneapolis combined
Montana produces the raw material for
the manufacture Of every pound of iron
copper and lead needed for home use.
which can be increased to an unlimited
extent for export. We produce wool
enough for every yard of wooden goods.
such as clothing, carpets, blankets, etc.
we consumes; also wheat for our flour:
also hides and skins enough for manufac.
lure into boots, shoes, harness, beltinp
gloves, etc, also tallow for the making Of
soap, candles and for lubricating mac6in-
cry; also horns, hoofs and bones for the
making OF combs, glue and other articles
IN daily use; also timber for building.
1enclng, buckets, tubs, matches, and ali
wooden ware, and material for paper in
all It's Varlety--yet scarcely an article
named except Hour and lumber) is man
ulactured IN al our great territory.
Soon all this will be changed. The
pfoprletors OF the water power at Great
ralls VIII begin this season the digging
o. OF mil races and fumes preparatory to
the construction of mills and factories
and foundries, and in a short year
Or two the endless hum of machinery will
begin, never to cease, and in few more
years railroads will radiate from here to
Ill points of the compass and create n
great city.
THE NEW CITY OF GREAT FALLS. s
We were charmed with the bea1tv of
he new city of Great Falls It is on a
great plain, sloping toward the river from =
he south and the east. The fringe of :
rees along the bank was still standing, ;
Tut since my visit last year the under ;
'rush had all been cut and burned. The :,
pace for two or three hundred feet back =
rom re the river bank, including the trees n
i! along its margin for two or three h
niles, is reserved for public park and .
rlves. The streets are all eighty feet y,
,lde and cross each other at right angles
ne toWnslte commences opposite the
louth OF Sun river, and runs along the P
lver to the north for mile and half \
here the river turns due east, and from tt
lis point it extends due east two and '
ne hall miles, so us to include the Black h
'agle falls and the wonderful fountain G
escribed by Lewis and Clarke. In the CT
y OF the land it more nearly resembles Al
than any place | have ever h
zen. This great water power and the p
te OF the new city is the property of ] CT
Hill and others of st. Paul.
Several dwellings, half board and half
mt, are occupied, and one GOOD house
Il. l.. Rolfe and family. This is the
eglnnlng, but soon thousands will follow. OF
Such was Great Falls four years ago IL
he description of the country, the town A
tie and its surroundings is just as perfect 81
I'd correct as they could be described pr
day. and so all the visitors here present be
n testify. az
IMPROVEMENTS. NJ
The improvements and growth of the of