The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-07
DAYS BREEDING FARM.
Riverside, the Copper Kings Ranch
in the Beautiful Bitter Root
Valley.
It Comprises Twenty-F Five Square
Miles Of River Bottom and
Plateaus.
Three Continents Not Representa-
in the PaadOcks.

The Riverside farm is situated about
forty-fve miles from the handsome city OF
Missoula. and about midway up the bsauti-
full valley of the Bitter Root-the richest
and most productive section Of our state,
and familinrly designated as tho "Garder
Spot of Montana" Tho site of the farm
has been selected with unusual Judgment
and care. both us to the beauty of the looa-
ton and it's environments and its utility
for the purposes desired. says the Breeder
and Sportsman. AT the point where the
farm is situated the valley is about eight OF
ten miles wide. with the Bitter Root-a
splendid trout stream-running we'll owe,
on the western side. On the eastern side is
a low range of mountains which comed down
to meet the valley in a succession OF rolling
hills and which form a magnificent summer
range for mares and colts, for it is in climb
ing these hills that Montana colts acquire
that great chest and lung development
which has already enabled them to compel
the admiration and respect of eastern
breeders, and which at no distant date will
make the Montana bred and raised thor
oughbred and trotter a distinctive class.
On the western side of the valley the
mountains rise to a much greater height,
and are steep and rugged, with hero and
there a deep and narrow rent piercing their
rough sides, AZ it made BY the cleaving of
some mighty axe in the hands of a tabled
giant. West of the river the valley ia
largely covered with a moderately thick
growth of magnificent fir and pine, which
extends we'll up the mountain sides, their
dark green foliage forming a strikingly
beautiful Background to the golden stub
BILE OF the fields and meadows. Taken all
in all, it is an ideal spot for a breeding
achieve a grand success.
The farm itself comprises between twenty
and twenty-five square miles of land, from
the river bottom and rising in successive
until it reaches away up into the
foothills. The whole is enclosed by a five
foot high ive-board fence nailed to sawed
posts eight by eight. This again is divided
into grand divisions, each division con-
shutting an immense farm of itself and
under the charge of a oreman Each
division is provided with an immense barn,
outbuildings and all necessary farming
utensils, and is conducted and worked indie
pGlu6Ibly VI Wis Otu0iD 1S lOloAldl DolA x
held responsible for results. Each foreman
of the farms and each foreman and trainer
of the stock departments is provided with a
handsome residence, built of frame, lathed
and plastered inside, usually two stories
high. with handsome verandas and porticos,
and all of them painted in uniform and at
~tractive colors. In addition these are
also quarters provided for all the help, usu-
allv one-story frame houses with COM
Portable porches in front, and finished up
and painted to co respond with the large
dwellings. The barns upon the farm divl-
sions are immense structures, being about
100 fest long by forty feet i'll With. They
are two stories high and are all painted red.
If one will get IN an elevated plateau he
can see these huge red barns and brightly
painted dwellings, scattered at intervals for
miles, presenting Il thrifty and orderly ap-
peasance.
Aside from the grain lands and natural
meadows. over 1000 acres have been sowod
in timothy, alfalfa, white clover and Ken
lucky blue G ass, all of which is growing
luxuriantly. These tame grass lanos are
fenced off into separate lots and pastures,
into which are turned the different grades
of stock, separate groups according to age
and class. In one lot are found d group of
yearllng tho~,o uGhbreds. in another a choice
lot of Thoroughbred broodmares; i'll still
another q bunch of two-year-old trotting-
DTeQ Llileb, anu 30 Oh tHlOuRu Ieu Oh DlteeH
pastures. Then again there are some forty
or fifty smaller lots comprising from three
to five acres each, enclosed with a high
double board fence and each one Of these
containing Il neat shed into which the &C.
cupants may retire to escape the hot sun or
sudden storms. These smaller lots are
used for the numerous stations and for
especially valuable individual animals.
The wateI for this immense tract of land
is brought from the Bitter Root river and
what is known as Girds creek, The
ditch which conveys the water from the
river amounts in proportions to a canal. At
the head of the farm the water is diverted
numerous channels which Conyey a
clear stream of sparkling water through
every pasture. field and paddock, Inc along
the line IF the seventy~tive miles of fenc-
on the farm, over all of which. planted
at regular intervals, are to be seen young
shade trses, which. in a few years when they
have attained q little more growth, will
give Riverside Il most stately and magniti-
cent appearance.
In the general subdivision of the farm,
such rs laying out of roads and driveways
and the planting OF shade trees
and in the location Of training
erection of waterWorks, plant
ing of orchards and especially in the
site and arrangement of his W handsome
residence and the laying out of lawns and
Ao"Cl LOAo, liz lay Auo uiopinJou I'LL
usual taste and Judgment. The whole sys-
tenn captivates the eye at a glance, and it
requires no vivid imagination to picture
the beauty of the place when grass, flowers,
shade trees and orchards snail have had
time to put forth all their charms and per-
fections. One noticeable feature is a
straight boulevard, two and one-half miles
in length, which runs north and south
through the farm. 1t is sixty feet in width
and perfectly level. On either side are the
pastures and paddocka, in which may be
be seen much of the farm stock without get
ting out of the buggy. Upon either side of this
boulevard, at every twelve or fifteen feet,
arc planted catalpa shade trees which we're
last year broughA from Wisconsin. They
are of II handsome variety, and when
grown will make this the grandest drive
III the state of Montana, II not in the
northwest.
III training stables are about one and
one-half mlleB apart, the trotte.s and run
ners being kept entirely separate and under
separate and distinct management. The
thoroughbred, or running department, is
under the management of Mir. Smith, q
most competent and aifable gentleman who
has had q long experience in this east.
When we reached his quarters we found
some twelve or fifteen handsome thorough
bred colts and fllies. yeariings and two-
year-olds, each with a jockey upon it's back,
and all, with q single exception, walking
a Ound the cooling grounds as
eddy as a lot Of stald old canpaigners who
had run through the entire gamut of racing
instead of a lot Of youngsters,
of them Just out of the nursery, and
non of whom has ever yet faced the
flag. They were a grand lot, and
probably upon no b eeding farm in this or
any other county could be found in a