Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1888-05-05
GREAT FALLS TRIBUNE.
SATURDAY. MAY 5. 1888.
Senlii-V epk|y,
BRIGHT PROSPECTS.

This will be an eventful year for Gree
Falls. The Improvements in progress
and projected are on large scale an
will form the basis Of permanent pros
perity. They are in the line of the gen
eral plan adopted for the development 0
this city and region, of which the com
pletion of the Manitoba railroad from St
Paul to our doors was one of the primar,
steps.
That plan involved the development OF
an immense scale of the water power pro
vided by the rapids and falls of the Mis-
souri, at this city. That water power is
the greatest in the world, and can be
readily rendered available for industrial
purposes Of the largest kind Last year
Mr. Tanning, the eminent hydraulic en-
gineer, who has acquired worldwide
fame, obtained the data which he needed
to devise the best means for turning this
almost limitless water power to account.
He will return here soon, fully prepared
to initiate engineering and mechanical
works that will render available the
mighty volume of water which flows
ceaselessiy throughout the year over the
Black Eagle Falls. All the improve
ments that experience suggests or mod
ern skill has devised will be embodied in
rendering this water power the leading
feature Of the great commercial and in
dustrial metropolis which is to be estab-
lished here.
Great industries will group them
selves around this water power, which is
also convenient to the largest coal fields
in the northwest. Among the undertake
ings which may be looked for soon are
extensive copper works, designed to re.
duce on an extensive scale the ores which
are so abundant in this territory. In
such enterprises cheap production deter
mines the site of the smelter. The mine
owners know that success and security
depend absolutely upon producing the
metal with the strictest regard for econo-
my. When that is done they may regard
complacently the combinations of French
syndicates and the fluctuations of the
great markets. The advantages which
Great Falls offers in this respect are duly
appreciated and steps have been already
taken which render it almost certain that
in addition to the great reduction works
now in progress an extensive, copper
plant will be established here.
1t is intended also to develop speedily
the immense deposits of iron ore, adapted
for the manufacture of Bessemer steel,
which lie between Great Falls and the
summit of the Belt mountains. The
enormous consumption of Bessemer steel
in the west ensures steady demand for all
that will be produced here. The Manitoba
railroad system alone consumes annually
many thousand tons in extensions and re-
pairs. Accordingly it is the interest of
that company to promote the develop
ment of iron ore deposits at place where
all the business connected Herewith will
add to its traffic directly and otherwise.
Plans are now in contemplation which
afford promise that iron and steel works
will be started on scale worthy of the
commercial position which Great Falls
holds, and adequate enough to meet the
increasing demands of Montana and of
the growing territories which surround
her. The combination of railroad facili.
ties, iron ore, coal, limestone and water
power which this city and the surround
ing country presents will be decisive in
this matter, as part of them have been
in determining the construction of the
Montana Smelling company's works.
The establishment of iron and steels
works naturally leads to the location here
Of extensive machine shops by the Mani
toba railroad. That company has already
leclded to establish such works here in
order to supply its extensive Montana
ystem, of which Great Falls is the
nucleus. The company has large works
It st. Cloud, which are comparatively
lear the lumber districts, but it needs
lso works here for that extensive mile
ge which will extend from the Mouse
liver to Butte, and probably to the Pacific
cast.
The Montana Central, which we regard
18th all the pride that home enterprise
spires, will keep pace with this great