The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-11-26
Interesting Points.

The following extract from an interest
ing letter to the Western World by Mr..
S. W. Langhorne, register Of the United
States land office at Helena, is clearly to
the point
Forty miles southwest of Benton Great
Falls is reached. This town has more
natural resources than any place on the
continent. Here the Missouri has q fall
Of five hundred and twelve feet in few
miles, making the largest available water
power i'll the country, it being estimated
at one million horse power. This is call
ed the Great Falls of the Missouri, but it
is not one fall the total descent being
broken into half dozen or more falls
ranging in hight from nine to ninety
eight feet. Here is very large spring,
which yields an immense vc:ume of pure
water from the earth, sufficient in itself
to make large river. A few miles from
the city immense coal measures crop out
of the bluffs of Sand Coulee with work
ing thickness of from seven to fourteen
feet. The country around Great Falls
is gently undulating plain, land of ex-
cellent quality, varying from sandy
loan to dark clay loan with an admix-
ture of sand. This county extends for
miles around the town, the mountains in
no case coming nearer than twenty five
miles of that point. They are plainly
in sight and densely timbered.
The Little Belt range of mountains from
forty to sixty miles southeast of Great
Falls have very rich mines Of precious
metals at Neihart and Barker, now being
actively developed.
East of Great Falls is what is called the
judith Basin. the garden of Montana, and
producing large numbers of stock and
heavy crops Of grain. There is an album
dance of free government land from four
to eight miles distant from Great Falls.
The town, although but little over two
years old, already has three thousand in
habitants, Its principal street is built
with brick and stone business blocks fully
equal to those found in towns of twenty
thousand inhabitants in the east. The
settlers there are mostly from eastern
states; society is excellent. The town is
incorporated as city and a $25,000 school
house is one of the public improvements
The city is lighted with electric lights
and system of parks reserved and al
ready beautiied with trees add to the at
tractiveness of the place.
Montana is we'll within the limits OF
the warm winds which blow from the
Pacific coast in the winter. These winds
are called chinooks and as long as they
continue, which is often for days at
time. the weather will remain as mild a
May day. The limit of the chinool
winds is three hundred miles east of the
mountains, and within this section al
kinds of stock Craze the year round
The slight SHOWS melt almost immediate
. ly after they fall, leaving the grount
bare. The rivers, if they close at all, re
main frozen but few weeks, the ice in
variably going out the last of January o
during February The climate is espec
, tally beneficial to persons with veal
lungs, consumption or its kindred dis
| eases being almost if not absolutely un
known.
Montana is wonderfully rich countr
in resources. The mineral output Of tn
territory will aggregate over $40,0O0,O0(
There about 100000 cattle, horses an
sheep in this state. The mining an
stock raising industries are yet, and vii
be for long time, the leading industries
but there is sufficient inducement to th
, agriculturist to warrant him a rich re
turn to his labor. Do not imagine, how
a ever that competency can be acquire
!, here except by energy, pluck and pei
severance. 1t is required everywhere
! but perhaps the reward is greater her
f than in older states, where the same el
ergy is expended. 1t must be undel
stood that none of these lands can b
purchased outright. They are what
a known as unotfered lands and subject
those laws which require complianc