Helena weekly herald., 1889-11-28
MANAGED by Chaney

the n. T., Wnlcn runs up tuc DietoA hoo' W
Grantsdale. There is a street railroad con-
Meeting the business part OF the city wltn
the repot, which gives good service. 1nls
line will be extended across the river In
the spring. 1t is owned by the M. M. com
pany. An electric railroad, also to cross
the river, is projected for next year Dy
Stephens & Bickford, Frank Higgins. OF
Missoula, A. J. Davidson and } 5. NJ. Neili,
of Helena who have already applied Tor a
franchise. There are two bridges over the
river, one an iron structure over '" "nlcn runs
the track of the Bitter Root road, the other
wooden bridge for vehicles and general
uses. Two new bridges, OF steel
will be built next year by the
street railroad companies. The city is
lighted by the Thompson Houston system
of arc and incandescent electric lights. 1t
has gravity water works, which furnish an
abundant supply of water for fire and
domestic uses The water is pure noun
tain water taken from the Rattlesnake
creek, and the supply can be increased to
furnish enough for manufacturing purposes.
There is city hall and well organized
fire department. A Touring mill and a
brewery are also among local institutions.
THE GREAT INDUSTRY
of Missoula is numbering, which is carried
on to a great extent by the Montana Inn
provement Co., who have about twenty
saw mills going on the Bitter Root and Big
Blackfoot rivers. They employ about
eight hundred men and furnish enormous
quantities of lumber f,r export. Last year
they furnished the Northern Pacific Co
with 10000 900 feet of lumber and the An
aconda company with 25,O0O,OOO feet. Mar
Gus DAILY, of the latter company, is now
building mill of his own on the Bitter
Root, which will produce several millions
of feet and employ 200 or 300 men. The
present output of lumber from the Bitter
Root is from twenty five to thirty carloads
a day. The growth of this industry has
been simply marvellous, and the vast tim
Der supplies in the adjacent mountains
promise a still further increase of its man.
moth proportions.
OTHER RESOURCES.
Timber is not the only raw material
which Missoula can furnish and manufac-
ture. There are good coal mines in the
immediate neighbOrhOod that only await
development to become excellent fuel pro-
ducers. One mine, two miles north of the
city, is already opened and supplies the
local market with very good heating coal.
Precious metals have been discovered in
numerous places in the surrounding noun
tains The Mineral Hill district, about
seventy miles distant, is the best known
now. In it the Iron Mountain and o. r.
& n. mines are situated.
Both the Bitter Root and Missoula val
leys are noted for their agricultural possi-
bilities. The soil is rich and fertile and
produces bountiful crops. Fruit growing
is also profitable, and nowhere else in Mon
tana do orchards flourish as they do in the
Bitter Root valley, which last year grew
about 100000 pounds of fruit.
NEW RAILROADS.
Missoula has we'll founded claims of
soon becoming a railroad center. The
Manitoba's westward extension is surely
expected next year and the Washington
and Idaho extension of the 0. r. & N has
already been located from the West.
The Union Pacific is contemplating
line from Garrison and the
Northern Pacific is expected to build a
branch into the Flathead Lake country,
which is tributary to Missoula.
The prospects for the town are indeed
rosy, and it is no wonder that the real es-
tate market displays so much activity.
With her beautiful situation, her excellent
climate, her rich resources and her enter
prising citizens Missoula bids fair to be-
come one of the largest cities in the North :
west.
Missoula cast ], $50 votes at the last cleo
tion and her population is estimated t
4,500 to 5000.
The assessed valuation of the county is
about S6,000,O00. The city tax is be-
tween and mills.
~
Like Helena, Missoula is well supplied
with saloons and many of them are fitted
up with metropolitan elegance.
~
There are five real estate firms in town,
all doing a good business. They are Cor
nish & Fairchild, Mcconnell, Cook & Co.,
/. S. G. Van Wart, Evans & Cox and MIR.
Garrett.
*x*
The Missoulidn, published by Harrison
Spaulding, has obtained the Associated
Press franchise and will start in with a
metropolitan morning paper next Sunday.
The Gazette, an excellent weekly edited by
L. Molinelli, will begin the publication of
an evening daily about December 1st.
~*x
A smelter is talked of for treating GUS
tom ores, and many expect to see the con-
struction of a 500 ton plant undertaken
next year.