The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-03-19
A County With the Finest Agri-
rIcultural Nalleys---The
Best Mines and the
Largest Forests i'm
All Montana.
a city. Tho County Scat and Center OF This
Enormous Natural wealth-A City
Destined to Have "a Remark
able Growth.
IRy nensed Mirc.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
Beaverhead ranges OF mountains, and
through these passes the roads must
come. IL is becoming one OF the most
important points ON the Northern Pa
ciic system. and not only because OF the
magnitude of its traffic. but as basis
Of operations for the building OF new
lines. The Bitter Root Valley branch
diverges here and runs up the valley III
teen miles TO Grantsdale. II will soon
be extended about forty miles further
20 the head OF the valley. The new cut
.,tf line TO the Cmur d'Alene mining
towns also leaves the main line at Mis-
eoula. Running down the valley for
about seventy-tive miles, OF which TWEEN
ty-fve are completed, il strikes up the
St Regis de Borgla river, crosses the
Bitter Root mountains, and comes down
TO Mullan, at the head OF the South
Fork of the Cmur d'Alene river, 125
miles from Mssoula. This road, con
nected with the line from Mullan to
Spokane Falls, already partly finished.
will effect a saving Of sixty five miles in
distance over the present route by way
of the Pen d'Oreille, and WILL as a con-
sequence, become the route Of the
th ough trains TO the Pacific coast. IL
will be completed this year and will at
once enable Missoula to secure much Of
the trade of the Cwur dAlene camps
and towns.
The Northern Pacific has projected a
line through the Flathead vallay TO the
fine agricultural region and the coal
fields north OF Flath ad lake, which
will be OF very considerable help in the
building up of Missoua. This road
will be about $50 miles long ending close
TO the British boundary. There is no
question as To it's early construction.
The Washington and Idaho line OF
the Union Pacific already com pleted TO
far east as MulIan. has been located as
Mssoua, paralleling the Northern Pa
cific's new line. The question OF further
construction has not yet been deter
mined by the Union Pacific manage
ment. IL the road comes to Missoula il
will undoubtedly go on TO a junction
with the Unions old line, either at Gar
Tison 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 vet set.
tied. One survey, and the easiest for
crossing the Rockies. takes the road up
the Dearborn river. through Cadottes
a hs. plusHfAaf 10,
Mssoua. 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
eru route is selected the development Of
farms and mines and lumber i'm the
northern nart 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 lie endangered, and
the new towns that would spring up
would only add TO the trade Of tins
natural trade center.
THE GREAT AGRICULTURAL REsouRCfsoF
NIssoULA.
The valleys Of Mssoula county are
and will continue To be the pride Of
Montana. Southeast from Mssoula the
famous Bitter Root valley is capable of
supporting IA population Of hundreds of
thousands from agriculture alone. Lat
eral valleys penetrate the mountain
ranges on either side, affordng homes
for thousands besides what the valley
proper will support. The soil is rich
alluvial. producing grain, grnsses, vege-
tables. etc. with minimum of labor
and maximum Of yield All small
fruits. such AS strawberries, blackber
berries, currants, etc. as well as apples.
pears; plnms, prunes, grapes. etc, do
well and bear abundantly. The cl mate
NJ the Bitter Root valley is noted for
mildness and the seasons open some
months earlier than further south and
east Farmers find no trouble in dis
posing OF all they can raise for cash. and
at good prices, as the miners require
more than can he supplied with the
prefent farming population and meth |
ods. The towns Of Stevensvile. Cor
wallis. Victor. Grantsyille. etc. up this
valley are fiourishng. growing plnces.
Still the valley is not one fourth settled.
Patented land OF the very best quality
cun lie bought for from ten TO fifteen
dollars per acre all ready for the plough.
Water for irrigation can be bad any
where On each side Of the valley the
mountains are full OF miners and pros
pectors, thus assuring good market at
every door.
IL has generally been admitted that
the past year was the dryest ever
known. but this did not prevent the
farmers Of Bitter root valley from rails
ing 22j,0O0 pounds OF small fruits. which
found a 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
two and half tons per acre. Thes
cereals lind a ready sale. and hay is now
bringing SO per ton.
For further particulars write or call
npon
MCCONNELL, COOK & &C.,
Mizeouio Mon ana