The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-08-11
MORE ABOUT THE MILK RIVER VAL.
LEX AND CHINOOK.

| NAOAs1Z "A b1OOA NX4AAA M Elk v "A
LEY AND CHINOOK.
| The editorial guests of Col. Broadwa
ter begin to roll in their varied Install
ments os lucubration upon the glowing
theme of Northern Montana and and the
city of the warm west wind. The Hell
ena Independent, in a labored effort tc
obtain relief from its burden of amaze
ment at the sights and scenes of the
journey. which no amount of champagne
could dissipate, asseverates:
On invitation of leading citizens of the
Milk River valley small company, con.
sisting of Gov. White, Chief Justice
Blake, Secretary Walker, Col. Isaac D.
McCutcheon and Messrs. Hedges, Merry
and Lyman of the Helena press, made a
tour of inspection Of that interesting re.
gion on Wednesday. President Broad
water and General Manager Shelby OF
the Montana Central accompanied the
party on the trip, which was made in q
special train to which the new and lux
urious sleeping car Fort Benton was at
tached. At Great Falls, where the ex.
cursionists dined, Messrs. +. G. Maclay
Robert Vaughn, Judge William Douglas
J. II. Mcknight, A. L. Dickerman. d. r.
Nlaginnis, Joined for the rest of the Jour
ney; at Fort Benton Col. Searles of the
River Press was taken aboard, and al
Fort Assinibcine Ed. Mccullough, Major
Van Nalser and Lieut.. Huston swelled
the company.
The especial object Of the trip was to
show to the visitors that the statements
regarding the parched and burned con
dition of the country and its general I'm
fitness for agriculture, which have been
circulated in the east, were pure fiction
The journey not only demonstrated this,
but the visitors were treated to view of
as fine stretch Of farming country as
any OF them had seen--a region that has
been wonderfully favored in this year of
drouth with more rainfall probably than
any part of Montana. From Fort Benton
eastward the appearance Of the country
steadily improved and the valleys of the
Teton, Marias and Big Sandy all showed
good grass. The Milk Rivcrvalley prop
or, however, was a revelation of vcrdure
that surprised the tourists most. The
valley is really Il broad, rich bottom land,
wider than tho range of vision can take
in, and extending northward for hundreds
If miles across the British boundary,
Much Of it is subject to slight spring
overflow which fertilizes and enriches
the soil with black loan. in which
every kind of vegetation thrives llxuri-
ously. The visitors waded in an unirri-
gated field of wheat at Chinook in which
the grain nearly reached their shoulders
and will yield forty bushels to tho acre,
and dug potatoes us large as any that
came to the Helena markets. Self-sown
oats showed fair head, and garden veg
etablcs We're Of the finest quality. The
grass every where was so rank in growth
that the grazing herds had made little
impression upon it, although thousands
of cattle recently have been brought into
the country from other ranges.
The country was visited with abundant
rains in June and on July 10 there was a
good rainfall, but the average for the
year thus far has been only about one
third Of the normal precipitation.
The visitors spent some time in the
thriving new town of Chinook, which is
prettily situated Oh a rise of ground over
looking the valley, and made night run
to Helena.
The representative of the Helena Her
aid, who was one of the invited, com
ments thusly on the present condition of
the country, the scenery, the future pros
poets and the mendacity of the character
who would attempt to write Of a region
of which he knows nothing:
Having accepted Col. Broadwatcr's in
vitation to accompany him in special
train with the Governor. Secretary and
Chief Justice and representatives of the
other city papars, rs far as Chinook, in
the heart of the Milk River valley, we are
pleased to report what we saw, and have
brought back even more convincing cvi,
dence in the shape of wheat and oats,
breast high, which we saw gathered in
! fields where there had been no irrigation,
and potatoes as large as the fist, still
growing rankly, where no irrigation had
been used, indeed where none was availa-
BILE.
Beyond the NIarias the country looked
refreshingly green as far rs we went, the
slightly little city of Chinook, i'll the vicin-
ity of Ft. Belknap. In all the cuts along
the railroad water was standing and seem
ed abundant everywhere. Through the
Big Sandy country there We're more hay
stacks in sight than we ever saw hcf,.re
| in any year IN any part Of tho Territory,
and moving machines were running in
every direction. Hundreds Of car loads
Of stock from other portions Of the Terri
tory and from outside the Territory have
recently been unlo:lded in this section,
| brought in on the Manitoba road, and fat
ter, more sleek and contentel looking
stock we never saw anywhere.
! Far as the eye could reach on either
side stretched unlimited ver'lllrc. We
verify believe that wo saw enough good
range to feed all tho stock in Montan.