The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-03-12
A Great March Flood--Thou-
sands OF People Seeking
Homes, Are Attracted to
Mlssoula by Its Won
derful Resources.
A County With the Finest Agri'
rIcultural ValleyS---The
Best Mines and the
Largest Forests in
All Montana.
A City. the County Seat an Center OF This
Enormous Natural Wcalth-A City
Destined 60 Have n Remark
able Growth.
Inr Iensed Mirc.l

IBy Leased Wie.l
CHICAGO, March s. "A recent
number of the Arkansaw Traveller
contained the following article regarding
an important railroad center OF Montana:
Missoula is destined to become a great
railroad center. She cannot escape this
destiny. Her situation commands the
passes through the Bitter Root and
Beaverhead ranges OF mountains, and
through those passes the roads must
come. II is becoming one OF the most
important points on the Northern Pa
cifc system, and not only because OF the
magnitude of its traffic. but as a basis
Of operations for the building OF new
lines The Bitter Root Valley branch
DIVORCES here and runs up the valley iif-
teen miles TO Grantsdale. IL will soon
be extended about forty miles further
to the head OF the valley. The new cut
off line to the Cnur d'Alene mining
towns also leaves the main line at Mis-
soua. Running down the valley for
about seventy.iive miles, OF which twen-
ty-fve are completed, it strikes up the
St. r gis de Borgia river, crosses the
Bitter Root mountains, and comes down
TO MulIan, at the head of the South
Fork Of the Cpur d'Alene river, l25
miles from Missoua. This road, con
nected with the line from Mullan 10
Spokane Falls, already partly finished,
will feet saving of sixty-tiye miles in
distance over the present route by way
of the Pen d'Oreille, and will, as con-
sequence, become the route of the
through trains TO the Pacific coast. IL
will be completed this year and will at
once enable Miss oula 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
:ine agricultural region and the coal
fields north OF Flathesd lake, which
will he 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
question as to its early construction.
The Washington and Idaho line of
the Union Pacific already completed as
far east as Mullan, las been located to
Mssoula, paralleling the Northern Pa
ciic's new line The question Of further
construction has not yet been deter
mined by the Union Pacific manage
ment. II the road comes TO Missoula it
will undoubtedly go on to junction
with the Unions old line, either at Gar
rison OF 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 X lclSies. takes the road up
tho Dearborn river. through Cadottes
Pass and down the big Blackloot 10
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 Mlssoula.
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 Gail to be OF great
benefit to the city. Its present suprema-
cy as the distributing Iont OF western
Montana would not be endangered. and
the new towns that would spring up
would only add to the trade ot this
natural trade center.
THE GREAT AGRICULTURAL REsorscEs OF
MissouLA.
The valleys Of Missoula county are
and will continue TO be the pride of
Montana. Southeast from Missoula the
famous Bitter Root valley j. capable Of
supporting a population Of hundreds Of
thousands from agriculture alone. Lat.
eral valleys penetrate the mountain
ranges on either eide, aIording homes
for thousands besides what the valley
proper will support. The soil is a rich
alluvial. producing grain. grasses, yege-
tables, etc, with n minimum Of labor
and maximum ~ yield. All small
fruits, such as Strawberries, blacliber-
berries, currauts, etc. az well as apples,
pears plums, pruncs, grapes, etc. do
well and bear abundanty. The elm te
OF 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 d g
posing OF all they can raise for cash, and
at good prices, Gs the miners require
more than can be supplied with the
present farming population and meth
ods. The towns of St5yensvllle. Cor
wallis, Victor. Grantsyile. etc, up this
valley are tlourishng, growing places.
Sill the valley is not one fourth settled.
Patented land OF the very best quality
ran he bought for from ten to fifteen
liars per acre all readyfo 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.
IL has generally leen admitted that
the past year was tho dryest ever
known, but this did not prevent the
farmers OF Bitter root wiley from rails
ing ID QUO pounds of small fruits, which
found n ready sOle. Oats there welded
from seventy 10 eighty bushels per
acre. wheat, twenty-five TO forty bushels
and the hay fields yielded an average on
two and a half tons per acre. Thes
cereals find ready sale, and hay is now
bringing $50 per t0n.
For further particulars write or call
npon
MCCONNELL. COOK & co.
Missoula. Montana