Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1888-02-18
ADMIRABLY LOCATED
NORTH MONTANA THE GARDEN OF
THE INTER-MoUNTAIN REGION.
Great Falls Situated so as to ommand
Its Best Trade, AS the Accom-
panying Map Clearly
Demonstrates.


The map herewith will show the rela-
tive position of Great Falls to other
places in the great northwest. 1t will be
seen that it occupies a central position in
Montana OF the west side Of the Missouri
river, which flows to the ocean amid fer
tile lands, prosperous settlements and
growing cities. 1t may be observed like
wise that Great Falls is placed on that
immense plateau which extends eastward
from the main range of the Rocky noun
tains. This vast region includes the gar
den spot of Montana, and is made up of
bench lands and valleys, all of which are
susceptible of cultivation and will yet be
dotted with millions of prosperous home
steads. In this favored portion of Mon
tana, soil and climate are suitable for the
production of hard wheat and other cere-
ais, while the billy portions, as we'll as the
plains, yield luXuriant grasses. such as
render Montana ranges the best in the
United States for the production of beef,
mutton and wool. The greater portion
of this region of mountain streams, fertile
valleys, broad bench lands and large
rivers is public land, and is subject to
entry under the liberal provisions of the
homestead or presumption laws, by which
industrious men may acquire farms with
out much expense. The country around
Great Falls is well settled, and people
are able to obtain work while acquiring
farms of their own under the homestead
laws.
Regarding the country traversed by the
Montana extension, the Saint Paul Pho
neer Press of December 25, 1887, makes
the following interesting observations:
"BRoAD, THICKLY-GRAssED PLAINS.
"From Devils Lake to Minot the coun-
try traversed by this line is one of the
richest districts in Dakota. From Minot,
where the work of construction com
menced last spring, to Great Falls, where
the Manitoba unites with the Montana
Central-another name for the same
local exceptions to the general statement
adapted to stockraising or agricultural
both. This is especially true of the Milk
' tdl1CJs "llS1 bllO 1odo ocSSiiaS III
a distance of 100 miles. A broad,
thickly-grassed plain, through whose
deep, black soil the river cuts a sinuous
trough like the Red river, and which, to
all appearance, is as fertile and as we'll
adapted to wheat raising as the Red river
valley. The same general aspect of
remarkable fertility characterizes the
whole country to Great Falls, where
the Sun river flows into the Mis-
souri, and drains an agricultural valley,
which for many years has been the abode
of a prosperous settlement Of stock
raisers and farmers, for a distance of sixty
miles west of Great Falls. The Milk
river valley and the contiguous districts
near Great Falls are still better adapted
to agricultural settlement. But all this
region, comprising an area as large as
that of Indiana, and capable perhaps of
supporting a population as large as that
of Indiana is now, has heretofore been
shut against settlement by the fact that it
was an Indian reservation; and it is now
occupied by about 2,700 Indians all told.
A treaty has, however, been made with
these Indians, by which, If approved by
the senate, as it doubtless will be this
winter, this productive country will be
opened to settlement and civilization.
There seems to be no reason why, in the
course of the next few years, the same
marvellous development which has char
acteriZed every portion of Dakota which
has been opened to settlement by rail
roads, should not be repeated til roughout
the whole belt of country from Minot to
Great Falls and Helena.
Extensive fields of good domestic coal
are found along and near the Manitoba in
northwestern Dakota and northern Mon
tana-in the Turtle mountain district,
along the Moose river near Minot, and IN
other localities along its route. Blu near
Great Falls have been found extensive
fields Of bituminous coal of a high grade,
embracing coking coal said to be of excel
lent quality.
"UsEFUL MINERALS. e
"Near the same locality are not only the
gold and silver which characterize all the
mountain ranges of that part of Montana,
but great deposits of the useful metals
and rocks, such as iron and lead, lime
stone and sandstone. The presence of
these useful minerals in the vicinity Of
Great Falls adds immensely to the econ
omic significance of the physical fact that
there exists here within a space of 10
miles a series of falls and cascades which
represent an undeveloped w%ater-power of
100000 horse at least" [The water-power
has been carefully estimated at fully
1000, 000-horse-power.-ED.l
Further incentives to engage in tillage