Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1891-02-05
Property is not taxed at over 60 pc

Properly 10 HOO SdAtO at ONcI w PCT
cent of it's true value. The mines,
which constitute the largest product
i've industry and represent millions oil
dollars of market value, only pay a
tax on their net output and surface
value of government price, and the
value of mills and other improvements
erected thereon. Taking this into con-
sidsration and placing other property
at it's true value, the total wealth OF
Montana to-day may safely be placed
at the magnificent figure of 81 5O,OOO,-
900, a showing that cannot be equalled
by the same number of people else
-whare on the face OF the globe.
Thachief source of Montana's wealth
is mining. The entire mountainous
portion of the state, embracing over
one-third of it's surface, is rich in min
erals. The greatest copper mine, the
greatest silver mine and the greatest
gold mine in the world are located in
Montana, being respectively the Ana
conda, Granite Mountain and Drum
Lummon. The Granite Mountain is
the best dividend-paying mine on the
continent. 1t pays 100000 per
month to the stockholders. The out
put of the mines of gold, silver, copper
and lead for the decade will approx
mate $3.50, ,OOO,O 900, divided as fol
lows: Precious metals, $11O, 900, 600;
base metals, $4,000, 900. OF this
product the Butte mines contributed
$l22, 562 900, including S25 900, 900
(estimated) output for 1890. The
output of the state for the closing
year will not fall below $40, ,OO0, 900,
divided about equally between precious
and base metals. Seventeen listed
mines of the state during the decade
paid in dividends $2l ,OOO,OO A
careful estimate places the profits OF
non-listed or close-corporation mines
during the same period at S6O, ,OOO, 600
additional.
About eight-ninths OF the cultivate
able area OF Montana is still unoccu-
pied The number OF farms in 1883
was 5,O26. On 26,15 acres was
raised TO, 200 bushels OF wheat and
: on S4,67S acres 3,O26,572 bushels o
oats. Over one-half the total amount
of grain produced is raised in two val
leys, the Gallatin and Bitter Root
These valleys are contiguous to the
most thickly populated portion OF thu
state and afford ready market
, Montana is by far the best watered o
any of the Rocky mountain states
With Clark's fork of the Columbia OIL
? the Pacific slope and the Yellowston'
, and the Missouri, with their various
| tributaries, on the Atlantic slope
7 water for irrigation purposes for ever.
. foot of tillable land in the state Is as
!. sured.
D The wonderful nutrition of the ma
D tive grasses in connection with the sa
D lubrious climate has given Montan'
D the distinction as the leading stock
g growing section of the west. Therang
!, system in vogue ten years ago, wit
t its countless thousands of horses, cat
d tie and sheep upon the ranges. unpre
h tected from the storms and bitter col
of severe winter, nearly collapse'
during the unprecedented drought, TO
lowed BY q heavy snowfall and extrem
cold of 1SS6-S7. The farm of the va
lev now supplements the pasture {
J. the hills and plains. A careful est
>. mate shows the number OF differer
animals in the state to be as follow
sr Cattle, 1920, 900; horses, $1,000
sr sheen, 2, ,7OO,O This is an increas
K in ten wears of 10 per cent in cattl
IS so per cent in horses and n per cer
re in sheep.
ri At the beginning of the decade I'll
D. only means of transportation was I'll
al primativs stage coach. At the clio
er of / $50 there were three trans-con'
as mental lines within the state-wi'
bit branch roads leading to every impo
Id tant agricultural or promising mimi
id center, aggregating 22OO miles-ma
at lines and branches.
ck The growth of the school system dr
by ing the past ten years is as follow
DIS Number of schoolhouses, 1880, 90; l
an 90, 332. Value of same, 1880, 81:
,e, $40; 1890, $74S,72O. Number
as school children, 1880, 5.623; 1890. 2
cy TAO. Number of teachers employs
m, 1880, 12O; 1890, 47S.
nd The rapid growth, enterprise and
as PRODUCTION of modern architecture,
o. rapid transit, electric liRntings, ETC.,
Tor characteristic of the west, are striki
lfesturers of every city of Montal