Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1889-10-19
A CAREFUL OBSERTFR.

Mr.. E. q. Dunnell, the experienced cor
respondent of the New York Times who
visited M ontana recently to see for him
self its resources and growth writes in
terestingly OF Great Falls He deals
comprehensively on the subject for he
justly regards Great Falls as connected
closely with the general advancement of
Montana in stock raising, agriculture and
mining. Referring to the water power
and silver smelter Mr.. Dunnell says:
1t was unquestionably the vast water
power available just below the junction
Of the Missouri and the Sun river that
led capitalists to establish Great Falls.
The Missouri gathering force from many
tributaries that rise in the Rocky, the
Crazy, the Snow and the Belt mountains,
has rolled half way across Montana to the
north where 1t spreads out at Great Falls,
increasing in volume as it rolls, and then
contracts again before plunging over
three shelves and many rapids about 500
feet in about five miles. The Townsite
company that is backing the city is also a
water power and improvement company.
1t estimates that the water power
available for manufacturing purposes is
equal to 1000, OO0-horse power, with an
unfalling supply. Asye there has been
little utilization of this enormous power
Just above the beautiful Rainbow falls
and not far below the lesser Black Eagle
| fall, are the works Of the Montana Smell
ing company. This company, Of whicl
A. Eilers is president, includes among il.
stockholders W. S. Gurnee, Edward
Cooper and Abram s. Hewitt of New
! York, and many strong capitalists 9
Montana 1t has an outfit Of buildings
furnaces, and machinery, all OF the mos
approved patterns; separate engines tol
supplying water, and a capacity fo
treating about three hundreds tons of orr
daily. This can be increased, at pleasure
to three or four times the present work
ing power. The Sand Coulee coal mines
from which it obtains fuel, are onl.
twelve miles away, and the railroad tina
reaches the coal mines is being EXTENDED
to the Neihart mining region and viii
soon bring the ores from that district il
large quantities and at rates that will
make them much more profitable t
handle than they can be now, with moth
ing but team transportation available.
Mr.. Dunnell outlines the city as fol
lows, for the information of eastern read
ers: MmM
The Townsite company, which has
capital of $5,OOO,OOO, is made up of sui
stantial and prominent men. Presi1en
Harrison may be classed among til
prominent ones, and he is associated wit
such substantial democrats as James j
Hill, president of the Manitoba railway
Col G. A. Broadwater, Thomas Cruise
Paris Gibson, the first mayor of Grea
Falls and the founder of the city, an
citizens so we'll known as d. Will
James, Phil Armour, Marshall Field, [
G. Shepard and others. These men owl
the townsite, the water power of the rive
and hundreds of acres of land beyon'
the townsite and along the river banks
There are many good stores, some repre-
senting the strongest Montana firms
schools and churches and many tasteful
houses; an electric light plant, whicl
every ambitious western town sets up t
see its way almost as soon as the frs
town lot is occupied, and supply q
water from the Missouri, here as clea
and beautiful as the Niagara at the falls
There are banks, too, which transact
great deal more business than a strange
would expect in new town, and only
: few saloons and gambling houses som
of which every western town must hav
to entertain its otherwise not amused pee
pie. who do not have capital enough t
enable them to gamble in mines or othe
large undertakings.
Throughout his letter are some fact
which merit attention from the east. II
observes that Montana, which is abou
three times the size of the state of Ne,
York, is "destined to be noble empire.
He says that according to the best report
her mines have added $400,0OO,0O0 q
treasure to the world. Beyond the agr
cultural lands on each side of the Mis-
souri,, he remarks, are mineral lands ric
in gold, silver, copper, lead, gypsum, iro
and coal. He notes the growth of tn
wool industry in Montana, the number G
sheep having increased from less than
thousand in 1873 to 1900 800 in 1885, o
the whole, this is careful review of gu
resources, which will be of service to tn
eastern reader in quest of the actua
facts. a. a..... .
The Helena Herald says: eve are n
little puzzled over the fact that the leg
is!ature of South Dakota, recently chosen