Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1888-02-18

steam coal is found in the United States),
as well as for smelling and domestic pur-
poses throughout the territory. In the
early spring the coke business will
receive attention, and this in itself will
be a most important enterprise. The
coking quality of the coal has been fully
and satisfactorily proven. It seems to
have been a design of nature that here at
the cataracts of the Missouri river, which
afford the greatest available w~ater-power
on the continent, a manufacturing and
industrial city should be founded.
Besides the practically unlimited water
power, we have at hand, in mex
haustible supply, coal and iron,
copper, silver and gold ores, lead and
limestone, the finest quarries of building
stone in the west-in brief, everything
necessary to promote industrial activity
and build up.a city Of magniticence. Sup
Elementary to these natural resources is
the fact that the gentlemen largely inter
ested in Great Falls have the capital and
influence to promote their de-
velopment rapidly, and on a
scale commensurate with the Importance
of the undertaking and the bright pros
poets of the city.
Commercially, Great Falls occupies a
like vantage ground, being the natural
trade center of an immense territory de-
voted to mining, agriculture and stock
raising-the three great industries that
combine to give Montana first rank
among the territories of the Union. With
railroads to promote ~its'progress, northern
Montana, the fairest portion of the terri
tory, will henceforth make rapid progress
on the road to wealth and prosperity.
The natural Of this section,
which have lain dormant on account Of
their inaccessibility, will now be develop
ed, and new life given to every industry
and branch of business in that portion of
Montana "opened up" by the Manitoba
and Montana Central railroads. All of
this means widened m and in
creased business for Great Falls. An ex-
animation Of the map of northern Mon
tana presented in this paper will show at
a glance the advantageous position of this
city with reference to the outlying trade
districts. 1t is the nearest railroad town
to such centers Of population and business
as Sun River, Fort Shaw, Augusta, Che
teau, Bynum, Dupuyer, Birch creek and
Blackfoot agency, or the north and west;
and Deep creek, Sand coulee, Belt, High
wood, Cora, Kibbey, Neihart, Clendenin,
Stanford and the entire Judith Basin, on
the south side of the Missouri river. Not
only is Great Falls the nearest point to
these rich trade districts, but it is the most
accessible from all Of them, the roads and
topography Of the country considered. In
coming to Great Falls from any of these
sections, barring the mining towns in the
mountains from the east, west, north
or south-there is not a hill wor-
thy of the name, one that would require
the freighter to "break trail" or
"rough lock-" This is not true Of any
other town that might seek to divide the
business of the territory named. Being,
then, nearest the outlying trade districts
and most accessible to them, Great Falls
can properly claim to be the natural trade
center of the settled portion Of northern
Montana, by which we mean that portion
lying without the great Blackfoot Indian
reservation. In this tributary territory
there is wealth in cattle, sheep, horses,
farms, mines and minerals extending far
into the millions, and which will increase
rapidly in the new era Of progress and
development inaugurated by the rail-
roads. No town in the northwest has a
richer or more promising trade area, and
none can claim brighter commercial pros
poets.
Great Falls will be itself a splendid
market for every product of this
extensive territory. Thousands of
men will be employed here
the present season in the improvement