The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-06-13
ARLINGTON AND BELT.
Two Thriving Young Towns in the Midst
of the Great District.

Two Thriving Young Towns in the Midst
of the Great Neutrality-suspicious..
ARMINGToN, Mont, June Dust a
year old. That's Arlington. = When the
SHOWS began to leave in 1890 the little
valley in which the young town now lies
was a mere expanse of waving grass
nothing but a pasture-tield for stock. A
few months passed and a change began.
Buildings seemed to spring up in a
night. The engines of the Great North
ern steamed cheerily in and out. The
possibilities of the country dawned on a
few enterprising men and the onward
progress of Arlington began. The town
is beautifully located. 1t is situated IN
a valley surrounded on every side by
hills, through whose stony surface the
everlasting grass bravely grows. Belt
river rushes through the valley on its
turbulent course. Its great fall, not less
than 100 feet TO the mile. renders it an
unusually rapid stream evcn for the
mountains. Its sides are shaded by over
HtlSln C~OtiOIlWOOus.
Two stores do business in the city:
one is the property Of the Arlington
Mercantile company and does a large
business of a general nature. Its man
ager is j. 7. Athey. The other is owned
by +. c. Roosevelt and is also a general
store.
The hotels are likewise two in number.
Among the first buildings erected in the
city was the Seims hotel. 1t is run by
IA former Great Falls man. who
does a good and steady business.
The other is the Arlington hotel. a
handsome and commodious building.
Among the merchants. Allen a. Daniels
also do a thriving wholesale and retail
/, meat business. There are also several
livery stables, which are kept busy at
tending to the wants OF the various
~ranchmen.
The country surrounding the village is
one of the finest in the state for ranch
ing purposes. The grass grows green
and luxuriant. Numerous little noun
TAIN SlltdllS INV tlON HUN anu dtlDSS
the benches. The two great requisites
for ranching purposes are thus present.
for there is an almost unfailing supply of
feed and water. These advantages, seen.
have been improved. Far and near the
country is taken up with large ranches.
The sheep industry here is really mann
moth. Last year, it is claimed. 100000
pounds of wool were sent out. This
year one immense ranch will shear 1000
sheep, securing probably not less than
10000 pounds of wool. Another shears
near 1000 and there are many who will
count their wool by the thousands and
tens of thousands of pounds. Wool is
now quoted at from Is to - cents in
Boston and any one knows that Montana
woods ranks high and will sell well.
Belt, which is located about two miles
nearer to Great Falls than her younger
sister Arlington, is situated On both
sides of the Belt river. Its store is owned
by +. Il. Clingan and does a general
mercantile business. Between Aiming
= ton and Belt are the great coal mines.
! Their contents are almost in%exhaustil.e
! and might quite easily be worked. Owing
! to the high freight rates they are closed
at present; doubtless the future will
bring with it a demand for their con
tents and with the demand they will be
I reopened. Whenever this happens both
Arlington and Belt will unqucstionably
receive another stimulus and boom.
The ride from Great Falls to Aiming
e ton is a delightful one. The scenery is
fine beyond comparison and the rate at
which the train runs gives passengers
ample time to enjoy it. A great deal Of
S the time the train skirts along the brow
of the hills, overlooking a valley from
two to three hundred feet beneath.
, Over deep, rocky gorges firm trestle
! work has been thrown. The engine
L steams laboriusly up and down huge
grades and winds slowly around mar
I vclous curves. The coal and mineral
! groupings are everywhere evident.
One thing your correspondent noticed
! was the fine aspect of the country every
7 where, and the jubilant terms, which the
, people used in talking IF coming pros
l poets. One asserted that ranching was
looking mp. 1T is fine" he said. 1T will
\ be one of the best years Montana has
ever seen. if not the best" The build
! ing of the railroad toward Ncihart was
u also discussed and a wonderful
r opening was prophccied there. The
wonderful development of Great Falls
. was also discussed and her still greater
possibilities confidently commented on.
, at is the greatest state in the world.
said a gentleman, with iron gray mutton
chops. in the smoker. 1--WE raise the
! finest stock; we have the biggest mines;
! by irrigating can raise the biggest crops.
and when these fail We can sell the finest
u climate in the world. Can you find
greater advantages anywhere" And no
~ body answered Il word.
Stockholders Meeting.