The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-02-28
The "Future Great" Seen When il
Consisted of Only a Paper Plan
and Three or Four Cabins.
a FlOurishing City Now Marks the
SpOt-Its Resources and Tribu-
tary Country Attracting
Great Attention.
Mr.. Guthrie, the Railroad Contractor,
Makes Il Trip to MOnarch-Rail-
road Work to be flushed.

"W. ). liz" a travelling correspondent
of the Salt Lake Tribune, pays IA glowing
tribute to Montana, her railroads, anu
particularly Great Falls. He says:
The Great Northern line, made up of
what was formerly the Montana Central
and the ST. Paul, Minneapolis and Man
i'oba railways, has long drawn Il good de.
gree OF patr. mage from Montana, and
from Utah and Idaho people who wish to
take in" Montana points on the way. The
fine equipment, light grades and fast time
of that line attracted "A good degree of
travel IN that direction, but Utah people
had Il wholesome fear of the narrow-gauge
link between Ogden and Pocat-ll"; and
if going to st. Paul or Minneapolis, or
other Minnesota points, would 80 VIA
Omaha.
The writer has been in Montana so
often, and SO often sampled the service
IF the Montana Cen tral in that"up north
country that when he learned that the
line north Of Ogden was to be opened,
aud he had IA call to Minnesota, he de-
t-rmined To take Tat route and see for
himself; and seeing was believing.
Probably every one who has frequent-d
Butte during the past years recalls how
some public improvement is made be-
tween each visit. When the writer first
went there he had to 60 sup town" 10y
the "bus" of which Jack" somebody was
the pilot, who WAS II typical New Eng
lander slrayrd "out west ana thorough
~ accllmaied physically and morally;
then caHie the "sieam motor" line; after.
wards the 'cable" line to Walker>villr;
and COW the electric" from the depot
up own. 80 now one takes his choice
and then pays his money. Tney help
amazingly when one is bent on seeing the
town, the mines and "work>."
The Montana Central supplies a view
of the city. the valley. the very rocky aud
les, late hilisides back Of Butte, aud H.
Its line climbs the side of the main range
OF the Rockies east OF the town the mhule
l. again seen in one grand view, over
which in the IN rning hours the blue
cloud o fumes from The smelt-rs usually
hangs, giving IA weird and strange ook to
the deep lying valley, with The bare hill
sides surrounding, aud the green forest
topped mountains beyond.
FEARING EAsTW ARD.
The ride through the Prickly Pear
canyon and the Grand canyon Of the MIS-.
souri, river, The beautiful views of the
Missouri river, suggested "reminiscences
of the early eXplorers-L-wis and Clark
and others-picturesqle Square butte IN
the direction of Fort Shaw and the thirty
ing town of Great Falls fix the attention
With deep interest. just before thu
writer made his iii st visit to Grea: Falls
he had read an account by AN army off
Ger of Il boat trip down the Missouri from
the vicinity of Helena, through the 'G ,tr
of the Mountains" TO the falls and Giant
spring of that river, which was printed in
an eastern magazine. In the article the
author had pokrd II little quiet fun AT
Paris Gibson because of his enthusiasm
about his coming city, which ut that time
consisted of only II paper plan and three
or four log cabins and board shacks. In
less than three years the writer of this
found it a sIZable town, already a raj.
road center, crossed on the ''openlng
day." II fine railroad bridge spanning the
Missoui, lodged in the best hotel then
in the territory. nav splendid wholesale
wv ittiii SUITS, "ih 90 AN
able pulse throb of Il coming
r large town. And on this trip iount
the promised town materiallzed viii
smrlters on either side of the river;
r railroad opened TO the south to the SAND
Coulre coal mines, to Monarch with il
$4,000 mining claims near by and its trib
utary arabic land which can be cultivated
without irrigation, and the line projected
to the Nrlhart mining region; aud anoth-
er railroad (narrow gaugeJ To the north
opened by Canadians, tn bring IN the
! highly bituminous coal OF Lethhridge
POI miles distant in the dominion. Thest
things show the substantial character q
the improvements at the new "city." Tn
natural attractions supplied by the Fall
of the Missouri" and the "Giant spring
in its bank is enough 10 enthu,e an east
erner; but the matter-Of-faCt UTILIZING
spirit of the westerner has harnessed th'
power of the falls, and IA pro>aic ditch ha
been dug from the Giant spring I" secur'
some OF its remarkably pure water. N
y one who has seen these speedy change
and knows of the abundant undrvelOpe'
go. ,,,l 10 ,la ptn,l,V ap1 Nor