Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-03-07
A Future Metropolis.
Its Selection Governed by Nat
ural Causes and not by Schemes
OF Speculative Land Grabbers.
One of the 400 Mile Stations on
the Great Highway Between
the Atlantic and the Pacific.
NJ Mushroom Growth but the
Natural Increase that Unpar-
alleled Resources bring to it.
Miles CITY, Montana.

hlifs Sltf.
Miles City, the county seat OF Custer
C uuiy, IL situated on the east bank of
thu Tongue river, one mile from the
Yrliowrtone river and two miles ircm
tre large military post Of Fort Keogh,
40 miles west Of st. Paul and 3s5
! m les east Of Helena, the capital oi
Montana. 1t is one OF the most linpor.
t.nt cities in the t4rrlt,ry, east OF the
r mky mountains. Located by the
hardy pioneer. who followed General
Miles 10 1873 in his exped ltlon again-t
the Sioux lndisns-ploneer Of the
same stamp who located Chicago, st.
Paul aud Minneapolis, who sought
MT the aid OF wealthy aud grasping
Corporations aud monopolists, but ike
their predecessor. In Chicago and St.
+ .ul. determined To found city In
the wilderness by their own exertion-
alone, aud to-day Miles City is the
only town west Of msrck In the
Yellowstone valley which WAS delibrr-
at.ly selected by the pioDe' aud does
not owe anything to the land grsbber-
aud -peculatoIs who have given to
otner towns iu the west a fictitious
and ephemeral existence merely to sell
their l,nd.. Toe natural advantages
OF the towusite were speedily dlscov.
cred by the experienced eye Of the
pioneer. Surrounded by inpumerable
streams watering fertile valleys
clothed with rich aud nutritious
grasses. aud on ths banks of q nsvigs
be river, the western pioneer founded
Miles City and cared not for railroads
o. speculators; nor was it long ere
steamboats, were plo wing the swift
waters Of the Yellowstone; in 1881
over twenty steamboat ascended the
riv,r to Miles City. laden VITA mer.
chsndise and taking back csrgoes OF
bufilo hides, et.. A. early as 1875
homesteads were being taken Up In
the Yellowstone valley, although he
nearest U. 5. land Office was Ia Hell
e1s, 400 miles distant; since then iu
spite Of Iival towns started by land
speculators, Miles City has steadily
grown and increased aud Is to-day thu
acknowledged capital Of eastern Mou-
tsua. The town has now two banks,
handsome brick edifices, the First Ma
tional and the Stockgrowers' National,
b1th wealthy aud prosperous instltu.
tions, and well managed; six churches,
brick and frsme; the county court
house and Jail, u costly and substantial
brick building; the county graded
high school, fine and commodious
brick building and an excelleutly con
Quoted school with about $50 scholars;
there are also y number Of private
schools and q handsome aud costly
convent; there are also theatre, opera
house; four large hotels, one Of which,
the "Mscqueen," is one Of the finest
and best hotels in the north west, cost
ing over $50, 900; the Northern Pacific
railroad company has a neat brick
depot, and the business blocks are
nearly all costly, handsome and sub.
sttntisl bricks. The townsite Is part
ly Northern Pacific railroad lands aud
partly homesteads held under patent
from the United States aud occupies
about 500 acres, the suburbs being
plentifuily dotted with neat brick aud
frame residences. The streets are so
feet wide and laid out at right angles
aud lighted by electricity. The town
is Incorporated and well governed.
Taxes are light-about IL mills on the
dollar. There are n number Of whole
sale jobbing houses, several special
aud general stores; two breweries; sew.
eral brick yards; wagon factory aud a
thorough representation Of all other
branches Of trade aud commerce; three
newspapers are Published, the YELL
LowsroNB DAILY and WEEKLY jour
NAL and the Stock Grower Journal;
there Is all efficient telephone service;
Western Union telegraph, two daily
mails from the east aud west; tri-
weekly stages to points in Dakota, etc.
Al present only one line of railroad
the N Noithern Pacitic-enters the town,
but several other roads are pushing
to Miles City aud will ere long reach
here.
In what might be termed the Great
Lake system Of railroads going west
from New York, we find Cleveland on