The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-08-09
THE MILK RIVER COUNTRY.
False Reports About a Fertile and Nerdul
Gus valley Dfsproxed.

| raise Reports About "A Fertile and NerduT
Gus Valley Disproved-
On invitation of leading citizens of II
MILK river valley a small company, consist
ing OF Gov. White, Chief Justice Blake
Secretary Walker, Col. Isaac ID. McCutch
con and Messrs. Hedges, Merry and Ly
man OF the Helena press, made 8 tour o.
inspection of that interesting region OF
Wednesday. President Broadwater anC
General Manager Shelby of the Montans
Central accompanied the party on the
trip, which WAS made in a special train u
which the new and luxurious sleeping car
Fort Benton, was attached. At Great
Falls, where the excursiOnists dined
Messrs. L. q. Maclsy. Robert Vaughn
Judge William Douglass, J. Il. Mcknight,
A. Z. Dickerman, ID. K. Msginnis, snd
Editor Collins OF the Tribune. Joined them
for the rest OF the journey; az Fort Benton
aboard, and at Fort AsslnabOine Ed Me.
Cullough, Major Van Valser and Lieut..
Huston sweiled the company.
The especial object Of the trip WAS o.
show to the visitors that the statements re-
garding the parehed and burnei condition
OF the county and its general unttness for
agriculture, which have been circulated in
the east, were pure fiction. The journey
not only demoo strated this, but the visitors
were treated 10 view Of as tine a stretch
OF farming country as any of them had
seen-a region that has been wonderfully
favored II this year OF drought with mOrt.
rainfall proDAh y than any other part of
Montana From Fort Benton eastward
the appearance of the country steadily i'm
proved and the valleys of the Teton, Marias
an Big Sandy all showed good grass
The Mtlk river valley proper, however,
was revelation OF verdure that surprised
he furrF fafa fhaa Ta
broad rich bottom land, wider than the
range CT vision can take IN. and extending
north hward for hundreds Of miles across the
British boundary. Much of IL is subject TO
slight spring overflow which fertiliZes
and enriches tbe soil with black loan, in
which every kind Of vegetation thrives
luxuriOusly. The visitors waded in an
unirrigated field of wheat at Chinook IN
which the gram nearly reached their
shoulders and will yield forty bushels TO
the acre, and dug potatoes IS large as any
that came TO the Helena markets. Self sOwn
oats showed a fair head, and garden vege-
tables were OF the finest quality. The
grass every where was so rank in growth
that the grazing herds had made little inn
preston upon il. 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
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 on rise of ground over
looking the valley, and made a night run to
Helena. In testimony of what they saw the
official members of the party made the fol-
lowing statement:
"The undersigned having at the request
of the inhabitants in the MIX River valley,
made a personal visit of inspection 10 that
section Of Montana, which was described
in recent letter in the New York Times
as wind swept and sun baked. sirocco
blasted, blizzard cursed and uninhabItAble
REGION feel it simple justice 10 the set
tiers OF that section f the territory to say
the statements in the article referred 70
are wholly without foundation and fact.
'sThe rainfall in the whole territory the
present season has been the Iightest known
in many years, as that in the Atlantic ses
board states has been the greatest But
with one third the average amount of rain
the valley is green from one end TO the
other, hay Is being cut In large quantities,
grass Is abund2nt, and live stock In fine
cOndltOn. We went into fields of wheat
been irrigated, and will be ripe for harvest
within a week.
In our opinion that section of the valley
visited by us will produce thirty-ive TO
forty bushels OF wheat per acre, with lit
tle risk of failure as in any region of the
United States. AS a grazing country 1t
has no superior anywhere, as the condition
Of the herds in this unusually dry season
viii testify. The soil is rich, the climate
healthy and pleasant, and the prospects of
the settlers as favorable as in any part of
the county. BENZ +. WHITE,
Governor.
HENRY Y. BLAZE,
Chief Justice.
l.. A. WALkER.
Secretary OF Montana"