The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-09-05
THE CHOTEAU COUNTRY.
Same Interesting Notes of That Region by
the Tribuu Traveller,

the Tribune Traveller.
CHoTEAu, Sept. 1.-Choteau is a pleas
ant and enterprising town situated on
the Teton river about fifty miles north
west of Great Falls in the center of a
widely known cattle and sheep region.
The population is perhaps 300, but it
does an immense business with the sur
rounding ranchers and the country that
lies between it and the mountains. The
town was founded some ten years ago
and is very beautifully situated. 1t is
supplied with pure, clear water from the
Teton which rises in the mountains and
is teeming with the speckled trout SO
much sought after.
Choteau has an enterprising news
paper-the Montanian-two good hotels,
three general stores, two blacksmith
shops, five saloons, two butcher shops
and a fine school building. Everything
has the appearance of push and enter
prise. One can better judge of the bust
ness done when it is known that the
stores here carry stocks of from $4,000
to $4,000 and have goods freighted in
every day.
The town has a very good school, en-
ploying two teachers and having school
ten months in the year. What is most
noted On arriving here is the fine green
lawns, shaded by trees, and surrounded
by fences, giving the appearance of re-
tinement and comfort.
One thing needed here is a bank. All
the large ranch owners and the mer-
chants also have their money deposited
in the Great Falls or Helena banks and
pay their obligations by means of checks.
Sometimes it is almost impossible to do
business here on account of absence of
currency to cash the checks.
The Teton valley is a rest to the ewes
after staging it over the prairies from
the Missouri. Its valley, which is sever
al miles wide, and its numerous branches
furnish some of the best grazing lands
in Montana. Some of these valleys are
supplied with irrigating bitches and ag-
riculture is carried on with great sue
cess, wheat, oats, barley and vegetables
being the principal products. The wheat
and oats are being harvested at present
uIlV tIC SlClu III oC NCly large. lHe
crops have been grown this year without
irrigation. The grain grew tall and
thick upon the ground and is well
filled. 1t is thought the wheat will yield
40 bushels and the oats 20 or 80 bushels
per acre. Large quantities of hay are
being cut this year; the grass never was
The rancumen are deter
mined that the winter will catch them
with sufficient feed again.
The Sands Land ~ Cattle company
and the Clark ranch are immense CON
Germs in the cattle and sheep business
here, The Sands Land d Cattle COM
pany's ranch consists of several thousand
acres in a few miles of the city, fenced in
and the Teton river flowing through it.
This company is engaged principally in
the cattle business. The Clark ranch is
further up the river and is devoted to
sheep raising. 1t covers a large scopeo of
country and is stocked with more than
10000 sheep. These are divided into
herds on different parts of the
ranch and are in communication with
headquarters and each other by tele-
phone and 80 miles Of wire.
A very noticeable thing here and one
vast Importance, were it situated in
other places, is the millions upon mil
Of loads of the finest gravel scat
tered along Gravel Bottom creek. There
is enough to gravel all the streets in
Montana for a hundred years.
The citizens here are very DESTROYS of
a division of Choteau county and have
hopes of accomplishing this result
the next session of the legislature. After
this is expected q railway and Choteau,
the county seat and metropolis, will n
Joy a substantial boom. TRAVELLER.