The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-04-19
A MONTANA LETTER.
Government Land Mountains and Riv-
ers Great Fails of the Missouri.

Especial Correspondence
The calls for hundreds of wOrkmen
to construct the buildings for the great
manufacturing Enterprises now being
established at Great Falls, Mon, has
drawn general attention to that section
of the country, and as l spent last fall
travelling over the central part OF the
territory, will try to give you short
| description of its principal character
istics, having special reference to the
section in the vicinity of Great Falls,
Cascade county, so named because the
| Great Falls of the Missouri are within
its limits, was organized last sum-
mer by special act of the Legislature.
1t is situated Just east of the main
range of the Rocky Mountains, with
the Missouri flowing from the the south
west to north east through its center
The surface in the central and north
ern part is principally gently undu-
lating plain occasionally cut by deep
wide timber valleys through which
large mountain streams run to the
Missouri. In the southern part of the
county the plains give way to bench
lands and these in turn to the tremeg =
dOus peaks of the Big and Little Belt
ranges, covered on the lower slopes by
dense pine forests which III turn are
dominated by the eternal SHOWS which
ca the highest SUBMITS. In these
mountains are the wonderful Clenden-
nen and Neihart mining districts
of gold, silver, copper, lead and iron
ores. From the deep mountain canons
at intervals Of every mile or 50 dash
ont turbulent streams clear as crystal
and cold as Ice, which course over the
fertile bench lands now being rapidly
settled upon by farmers and ranchmen
These bench lands of rich black soil are
all free government lands, ana as late
as last November government home
steads could be taken within four miles
of Great Falls. The st. Paul, Mime
apolis q Manitoba railroad only reach
ed Great Falls last November, and since
then the town has had a growth un-
precedented in the annals of the coun-
Try, situated ut the head of the Great
Falls of the Missouri, which here have
rs large Il volume as at Kansas City,
but with all the features OF a mountain
stream of clear water and permanent
banks, here is the greatest water power
which can be utilized on the continent
The immense power combined as it is
with extensive deposits of coal lrou,
limestone, granite and sandstone, all
within radius of few miles, ha1
attracted the attention of eastern capi.
1. lists and a number of great industrial
enterprises are now actively under
way. Contracts already let for the
building Of the Montana Smelling
Works amount to $1,250,000. a copper
smelling company is now being organ
lied with S1,0O0,OO0 capital. The west
ern shops u1 The railroad must be Dulll
and will employ several hundred men,
while the great nine to ten foot coal
veins, SIX miles from town VIII give
work to at least 700 miners For its
population Montana is the wealthieSt
country in the world and wages are
higher than in any other part of the
country. An ordinary "bull-whacker,
which is the euphOniOus title bestowed
upO teamsters there, receives from $50
~ S65 per month and board, While
wOrkmen at the trades get from S3 to
81 per day. Before the coming of the
railroads., large fortunes were made by
~ LIS ~, ,,nna,,1 thinn for oingIa
~ mae w ot u1iT0H q Onn @ nUnet ~ ivan oil 7ts
CIap W rcU $iOOU pUnO nonnod cloud @ %isseG
Si"nuedi Staio ol ;tn 3io%O"PpvJ fsbldps r;cb Mines
tl1iS"L0 tams tbnonIn aCS i"o"S oF cattIn bnrsas
ond 50lS shoon =" ros;no oI1 tho vasr ronnd nn
anu S,ieep S,"d1i; ;t @ o.. .n y;oIds I% oF mron in
iVs laliees n %nu , t.s i"is0 yo'uo od V q, 70
~! ~! ~ W w. ousro,o S % "ro tSo % no,oon m w
dS nGo Hl UHtS or[no Per "o Ca @ heo+ h0asf Of ite
Soiito olntuS m0taI RntbnG ISr for DC & % ot time
TiitnaV1, Intna"n Novnmbar av aoi on@ nriI in t1e
HoiroU OeGmTen aoLiUooL" MU[ ui%dS ode dervad fro",
t%a Hali to,,;S nnon otors " o +bo %rao+ ponific
tne Tne +eppnaratMra eTp~ 49," 10 oftan b1gber in vim
Wv. elio tInP tI, 80 HTos,LiS ~ Tn!5 g.