The semi-weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1890-1891, 1890-08-20
DEEMS IT PARTICULARLY BRIGHT,
The Great Falls Il Canada Railway
Company Hold a Meeting
Here.
A Large Party of Helena and Other
Folks Are Camping Out
There.
FAyORABLY IMPRESSED.
Mr.. Labar, of Waukesha, Writes Interest,"
iucly of Great Falls.

inely of Great Falls.
Mr.. II. Z. Labar, of Waukesha, Wis,
has sent TO the Freeman of that city some
interesting letters relative to his visit to
Montana. He writes in part as follows:
F'orty-thr miles southwestward from
Benton, Great Falls is reached. This
marvellous place, but a few years old, has
a present population of 5000, and in the
next census it will be c!assed among the
leading cities of the United States. Here
are situated the mighty falls of the Mis-
souri,, explored and made famous by
Lewis and Clarke, under Jetferson's ad'
ADMINISTRATION in 1SO4-5. Here the grea,
torrent of water, clear as crystal-formed
from thousands of springs and the melt
ing snow in the mountains-"plunges in
a number of Titanic leaps over a series
of rocky lodges a perpendicular distance
of 512 feet" Niagara is a single sub
lime fall of 100 feet. The Great Falls of
the Missouri are a succession of gigantic
leaps, each with beauty, grandeur and
individuality of its own, placed amid an
amphitheatre of handicapped, snow
f1ecked mountains, so lofty that they APP
pear almost to reach the sky. Here,
too, as if to complete the ensemble OF
grandeur, is the Giant spring, a %torrenj of
sparkling water which, springing from
unmeasured depths, makes itself a river
200 feet wide, and 4 feet deep, forming a
sparkling cascade flowing over a series
of rocks into the Missouri, and retaining
its crystal purity for many yards below.
The lights and shadows enclosed in its
abysmal depths, and the changing colors
from lightest blue to deepest green
in tint and dellcacy defy description.
Near by is the Montana Smelling
works, for the reduction of gold and sill
yer ores. On the opposite side, adjoin
ing the immense dam in curse of con
st, uction, is the $4,000, 900 smelling
works to be completed in November.
These mammoth works will reduce
1000 tons OF copper ore a day, all of the
ore coming from the great mines at
Butte, ITO miles away. Close by is the
great city of Great Falls, placed there to
utilize the one million horse power Great
ed at this point by the Missouri. The
city is an ideal one and adapted by its
natural resources and geographical posi-
ton to become the leading manufacture
ing city between Minneapolis and the
Pacific. Iron, coal, limestone and the
finest of building stone are found with
Ill Il lew llllCS VI lllO tOWA. LlCCLIlC
light and electric line of cars. sewerage
and waterworks are among the substan-
tial improvements already made. To
avoid interference with other electrical
currents, all the telephone wires are
strung in the alleyways and sewage
pipes are likewise laid there to prevent
the tearing up of streets. All of the
streets are 80 and 100 feet wide, with a
series of beautiful parks along the river
banks.
The climate is superb, cool breezes
from the mountains rendering the sum
mer evenings delightful, while the warm
Chinook winds from the Pacific moderate
the severity Of the winter. Cattle and
horses range upon the natural grasses
the year around. Sheep also flourish,
and the clippings from these are brought
to the Falls from hundreds of miles.
This season over three million pounds OF
wool were brought here. 1t is a com
mon sight to see from three to five wag-
ons, filled with these ~tieeces, hitched one
to another in a long train, and drawn by
a string Of from fifteen to twenty span of
cayuses (ponies) or oxen in a single team.
On their return the wagons are loaded
with a seasons supplies.
One of the refreshing sights of the
country, as in fact throughout the north
west, is tine number of bright, intelligent
and energetic young men. There are no
moss-backs, but all put their shoulders
TO the wheel and act as a unit on any
question of general interest. 1t is the
spirit, animating all the citizens, that ac-
counts for the rapid up-buildlng of the
great northwest.
At the Helena hot springs in a ravlne
of the Rockies is a magnificent hotel and
the finest natatorium IN the western
world. This plunge bath is ii marvel of
beauty, being of Moorish architecture,
and costing over $4,000. The citizens,
however, are at present emerging from a
bath of another nature-a genuine cold
shower one, the last census enumeration
falling below ten thousand of the "esti-
mated" population of the place. Official
figures give it twelve thousand while the
residents claim twenty-five to thirty thou
sand. Leaving Helena we commence
the last stage Of the journey to marvellous
Butte, ascending a grade of 40 feet to
the mile, until an elevation of $500 feet
above the sea level is attained.
Days could be protitably spent in Butte,
amid Its mines and shelters. The noun
tain upon which it is placed is honey
combed by hundreds of drifts and tun-
nels reaching the levels from which
precious ores are extracted to the amount
of thousands of tons daily. Here there is
no night. no Sunday. Work. the mines
and smelters, from its very nature, is con
tinued "a hours in the day, in elght-hour
shifts, and seven days in the week. What
heavy clouds of smoke incessently rise,
belched forth from the hundred smoke
stacks Of her many smelling works
and retineries! 100000 a month is paid
to her wage-earners, and the streets are
almost as lively at one O'Clock in the
morning as during the day. The doors of
many business houses are open day and
night the year round; while cable roads
and motor lines run to all parts of this
city of Aladdin. The annual product
amounts in value to more than sec, OOO,-
600, or an average income of 5000 for ev-
cry man, woman and child in this strange
city.