Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1889-01-30
GREAT FALLS TRIBUNE.
WEDNESDAY,. JANUARY 80. 1889.
SEMI-WEEKLY
MONTANA'S RESOURCES.

In Mr., Toole's speech which should be
exhumed from the columns OF the Con
gressional Globe and receive wide cir
culation., Appended are brief but telling
references to our iron, coal and timber
which incidentally reflects glory on
Great Falls. The statement regarding
Sand Coulee coal is quoted by Mr.. Toole
from letter received on the subject
from Professor Swallow, who was former
ly state geologist of Missouri:
"The territory is simply threaded with
veins of iron. So far we have established
no manufactures for its consumption,an
the only way in which it is utilized is for
fluxing purposes in the reduction OF the
precious metals. Large quantities, how
ever, are used for this purpose. The
Belt range of mountains in the vicinity OF
Great Falls is virtually mountain OF
magnetic iron, an analysis Of which shows
it to be second to none IN the country for
the construction Of Bessemer steel, and
in the days to come, when the labor cost
shall be reduced, iron works and other
manufactures of no mean proportions
sure to spring up at Great Falls, thriv-
ing city of 3,O7O people, situated on the
Missouri river, on the line of the st.
Paul, Minneapolis u Manitoba and the
Montana Central railroads, convenient to
which are the great Sand Coulee coal
fields and the unlimited water power fur
nished by the Great Falls of the Missouri
river. x
cat Sand Coulee the coal is good,
the bed is thick, and is now worked ex-
tABsye}Xy foE the smelters at Great Falls,
uses this coal for its locomotives and sta
tions. The same coal bed, 70 feet thick,
is opened in several places on Belt creek,
at Belt city, and also on Smiths or Deep
river, and Hound creek, west of Sand
Coulee, and another bed is opened on
Willow creek and at Chestnut
''The workings at Sand Coulee have
100000 tons of marketable coal. There
is much more at the Belt mines and half
as much more in sight on Smiths river.
Doubtless the quantity in each place is
much larger. The above estimate is what
is proved up.
"There are three coal areas in the
Judith basin, one extending from Utica
to the northwest some Ii miles across
Willow creek. This bed is the same as
that at Sand Coulee. The quality is good
and the quantity is very great. There
are two other coal basins on the western
flank of the Judith mountains, and an
other on the eastern flank. But little is
known Of these coal areas. Parties are
now opening these mines.
Slime clay of superior quality has
been discovered near Thompson Falls
Anaconda, Garrison, Dillon, and Helena
The use of the domestic article promises
to become universal in Montana Con-
sidering the large number of mills, fur
naces and smelters steadily running in
Montana, it is apparent that this industry
is destined to be large one, even if the
demand should be confined to the terri
tory.
"The territory abounds in granite, sand
stone, lime stone, and q superior quality
of marble. No finer or more enduring
building material is to be found any
where. The marble quarries in the vicin-
ity of Deer Lodge, Helena and Gardiner
are known to be of excellent quality and
we are only awaiting the hand of enter
prise and capital to give directions and
control to great and profitable industry
in that material.
sour mountains are covered with
dense growth of pine, spruce and fir. On
the more precipitous mountains we have
a growth called l. dge-pole pine; it
scarcely ever exceeds 3 or 10 inches in
diameter and grows as straight as an
arrow, reaching as high as 70 feet. This
is the character of timber used for fenc-
ing and also for tagging in deep mining.
1t exists in great quantities, and whenever
found is so thick that 1t reminds You of
llelds OF growing corn.
"We have about 1000 miles of railroads
constructed and in operation in Montana,
giving us virtually three transcontinental
lines. The Northern Pacific, the St.
Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba, and the
Utah and Northern, connecting the two
mentioned with the Union and Central
Pacific at Ogden in Utah. Every county
seat but three has railroad connections
with these through lines of travel, and
both OF these have projected lines which
will he built in another year, .
MONTANA was never 80 near statehood