Connecticut western news., 1891-07-09
OUR MONTANA LETTER,
Editor Of the Ne,cs :

Editor of the Ne,cs:
 During the last five years I have been more or less wanderer upon the face of the earth-principally more-:wan- dering to and fro seeking what might devour, and Investigating the different resources of the new towns and the country backing them. I have travel ed across the whole country and have crossed the Great Plains nearly dozen times, always with my eyes and ears open to find the spot in which to perma- nently locate where the best showing was. Many people are crazy about Washington and it's Puget Sound cities. While they are always bound to be al- ways good towns with their magnificent lumber industries, coal mines and un- excelled shipping points. still l have never yet struck a town to compare with this Great Falls) in its varied resources and the immense wealth of it's surround ing and tributary territory.
 Great Falls is situated on the Ms souri river just below the point where the Sun river joins it. Here the river is not like the muddy stream one sees after it's long meandering across the plains at Omaha, but is clear aud blue fed by the eternal snows of the Rockies and the springs of the Highwood and Little Belt Mts. It falls over 500 it. ln less than 10 miles, and by its succession of falls allows its water power to be used over and over again, thus making the most available power in the whole northwest, if not in the whole United States. Already we have here the Union Shelter, erected for smelling the silver ores, ct a cost of $500, 900 and the Boston & Montana copper smelter has now expended over $SOO,OOO, of the $1 800, 900, necessary to put 1t ID running order. This is for the smelter alone and when that is complete the company is going to expend Ike amt in refneries. It is the most glgan- tic plant I have ever seen, and when they run it to its full capacity they will be able to turn out 1000 tons of copper every day. Compare that with the East Canaan furnaces and you can get an idea of its magnitude.
 I can only mention few of the other resources now, but hope at some future time to give you some idea of them also. The mining industries comprise in their variety, gold silver, lead, copper, iron and coal. And the cattle and sheep business is very large also. Last year over 5000, 900 lbs of wool were shipped from this one point, and this will prob ably be exceeded this year as the un- usual rains have done wonders for all the live stock men.
 At present we have population of 5000 and all the modern conveniences, as electric lights, both arc and incan- discent, electric street railways, water and sewers. We have two lumber mills, flour mill. and quarries of the only sandstone that can complete with the Connecticut brownstone anywhere in the northwest. Eastern people would laugh to hear us say that we ex- pect a population of sO,OOO in ten years. Some put it at 100000 but will be a little conservative. But look at Denver, Omaha, Kansas city, Duluth, Minneapolis and St Paul, and see what they have done in the last decade. There is no reason why Great Falls with its much greater resources should not do as we'll if not better.
 S.B. ROBBINS, lroat Falls Mont June 23, 1891.