The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-03-28
A County With the Finest Agri-
rIcultural ValIeys---The
Best Mines and the 2
Largest Forests in
All Montana.
A City, the County Seat and Center OF This
Enormous Natural wealth-A City
Destined 10 Have Remark
able Growth.
tBy Leased Wire.l


number Of the Arkansaw Traveller
contained the following article regarding
an important railroad center of Montana
Missoula is destined to become great
railroad center. She cannot escape this
destiny. Her situation commands the
passes through the Bitter Root and
Beayerhead ranges OF mountains, and
through these passes the roads must
come. 1t is becoming one of the most
important points on the Northern IA
cifc system. and not only because of the
magnitude of its trailic but as a Dasis
of operations for the building OF new
lines. The Bitter Root Valley branch
diverges here and runs up the valley nj
teen miles TO Grantsdae. It VIII soon
he extended about forty miles further
TO the head Of the valley. The new cut
oil line 10 the C@ur d'Alene mining
towns also leaves the main line at Mis-.
soula. Running down the valley Tor
about seyenty-fiye miles, OF which TWEEN
Ity-five are completed, il strikes up the
st. Regis de Borgia river, crosses the
Bitter Root mountains, and comes down
to Mullan, at the head OF the South
Fork of the CUur d'Alene river, I'D
miles from Mssoula. This road, con
nected with the line from Mullan TO
Spokane Falls. already partly finished,
will effect saving Of siXty-iive miles IN
distance over the present route by way
of the Pen d'Oreille, and will. as a con-
\Reouence, become the route oil the
III ough trains TO the Pacific coast. IL
will be completed this year and VIII at
once enable Missoula To secure much OF
the trade of the Ceur d'Alene camps
and towns
The Northern Pacific has projected a
line through the Flathead vallay TO the
fire agricultural region and the coal
feh;n. north Of Flathead lake. which
will be of very considerable help in the
building up Of Missoula. This road
will be about 80 miles long ending close
TO the British boundary. There is no
onestion as to its early construction.
Tho Washington and Idaho line OF
the Union Pacific already com pleted TO
far east as Mullan, has been located as
Missoula, parallelng the Northern Pa
cific's new line. The question OF further
construction has not yet been deter
mined by the Union Pacific manage
ment. ff the road comes to Missoula il
will undoubtedly 80 on TO a junction
with the Unions old line, either at Gar
rson or Anaconda.
The Manitoba Company. now called
the Great Northern. has determined to
start from Great Falls this year for the
Pacigc coast. The route is not yet set
tied. One survey, and the easiest for
crossing the Rockies takes the road up
the Dearborn river, through Cadotte's S
Pass and down the Big Blackfoot TO
Mssoula. Another runs north by way
of the Flathead lake country and the
Kootenai valley A choice OF route will
probably not be made until spring. The
building OF the road through Missoula,
opening second trunk line east and
west, would be OF enormous advantage
10 the place, but even in case the north
ern route is selected the development OF
farms and mines and lumber in the
northern part OF Missoula county that
would follow could not fail to be of great
benefit to the city. Its present suprema-
cy as the distributing point OF western
Montana would not be endangered, and
The new towns that would spring up
would only add TO the trade OF this
natural trade center.
THE GREAT AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES OF
MlssoULA.
The valleys Of Missoula county are
and will continue 10 be- tho pride Of
Montana. Southeast from Missoula the
famous Bitter Root valley is capable OF
supporting population Of hundreds of
thousands from agriculture alone. Lat
eral valleys penetrate the mountain
ranges on either side, affording homes
FOR thousands besides what the valley
proper will support. The soil is rich
alluvial. producing grain, grasses, vege-
tables. etc, with n minimum of labor
and maximum Of yield. All small
fruits, such as strawberries, blackber
berries, currants, etc. as well as apples
pears; pums, prunes, grapes etc, do
well and bear abundantly. The climate
OF the Bitter Root valley is noted for
mildness and the seasons open some
months earlier than further south and
east. Farmers lind no trouble IN dis
posing OF all they can raise for cash, and
at good prices, as the miners require
more than can be supplied with the
present farming population and meth
OILS. The towns Of Stevensyille. Cor
wallis, Victor, Grantsyille, etc, up this
valley are fiourshing, growing places
Still the valley is not one fourth settled.
Patented land OF the very best quality
can be bought for from ten to fifteen
Dc liars per acre all ready for the plough
Water for irrigation can be had any
where. On each side OF the valley the
mountains are full OF miners and pros
pectors, thus assuring good market at
every door.
it has generally leen admitted that
the past year was the dSest ever
known, but this lid not prevent the
farmers OF Bitter root valley from rails
ing 225.0O0 pounds Of small fruits. which
found ready sale. Oats there yielded
from seventy to eighty bushels per
acre; wheat, twenty-five to forty bushels
and the hay fields yielded an average o
two and half tons per acre. Thes
cereals find ready sale, and hay is now
bringing sop ton.
For further particulars write or call
npon
MCCONNELL, COOK & Co,
Nissoula, Montana.