The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-11-04
What a Well-KnOwn Newspaper Man
Thinks of Great Falls and
Its Prospects.
One of a Series of Letters Which Will
he Published in the East
ern Press.
An Interesting Communication About
the City and the Country Trib-
utary to II.

In the Minneapolis journal of a late
date the following appeared from the
pen of Mr.. James A. MacKnight, who
has arranged to furnish prominent east
ern publications with letters descriptive
of Montana and her matchless resources.
Mr.. Macknight is thoroughly convcrsant
with the various industries of the state.
Mining. now recognized as the most i'm
portant of these, will form the subject OF
several letters. and to this task the
writer brings the invaluable knowledge
acquired by residence in the state and
personal inspection Of the different min
eral producing sections while engaged in
the preparation OF an exhaustive work
entitled THE Mines of Montana which
he prepared for the National Mining
congress in session at Helena last sum-
mer. Every industry in the state will
be given deserved mention. The follow
ing letter relative to Great Falls will
prove of especial interest to readers here:
Julian Ralph is writing a series of ar
ticles in Harper's Magazine which have
been most gratifying to the people of the
entire west, including those Of Montana,
about whom Mr.. Ralph has had many
pleasant things to say, calling this state
Montana the Golden" His accurate
descriptions have enabled his readers to
form some pretty correct ideas about
this wonderful country. its resources and
ia ~o,o;k;l.t;oe l,t Il, tho not,pn af tI,
case It was not possible for Mr.. Ralph to
give much attention to details.
That the readers of the Journal may
Judge for themselves as to what kind of
a country Montana is. | will take for the
subject of this letter the city of Great
Falls. which sprang up at the junction of
the Sun river with the Missouri river
seven or eight years ago. The city is on
| the line Of the Great Northern railroad.
and is also the terminus Of the Great
Falls ~ Alberta railroad. a narrow gauge
running to the L~ethbridge coal fields in
Canada. Surveys have been made by
the Burlington which indicate that the
western extension of this road Will pass
through this city in the near future.
Besides these lines of communication
several stage lines run frc.n this point to
the adjoining stock country and mining
camps. and a branch OF the Great North
ern was completed last year giving the
CITY railway facilities TO Eeihart and
R.rxar and the treat coal fields at Sand
Coulee. From these circumstances it
will be seen that the city is already a
center Of considerable activity. 1t has d
population by actual count Of 10000, anu
is substantially built with elegant and
evnensiye business blocks. and private
residences. and all the adiuncts Of mod
ern civilization. The city Is provided
with an evcelleut service of stree, cars.
electric liohts. and one of the best sun.
nIies If nnre water enioyed by any civ
in the west
The deslone,s and promoters of the
town were fsr-siphted men. AS will be
understood when it is remembered that
amono their numbers were such men AS
lanes !, Hill. Colonel Broadwater. Paris
Gibson r + Collins and their yolInp and
active l~ieutepants. They laid their plans
far :. GREAT CITY. and if is now annarpnt
tn tLa evneriencpd observer thar their
most evtravgant dreams will be more
than realized within the coming wears
Thny yvsra not content 10 merely Law ont
streets and blocks by the points Of he
cornasc INT hey reserved for the ruh.
liz nse = srrarb mark and driveway On
! the river bank and reserved several sra
r,oue snuaree for interior marks in The
boart of tbc city. Already the limits Of
ia .our have zone heyoni tbe h.rriars
r".birh thav lad down and new additions
are Lninp settled ON every side nj mo
ORIGINAL toynsitr. Al the prescrt mo.
ment thouyh there has been more build.
mo at Great Fails than in any other civ
Of ,he statr during the last wear. If is i'm.
nass;Ii, 20 rnn, . desirahle Lnnsa in tIa
Town and small cottages with modern
,m,tor,s aro LeId a, very h;yb rriras
Thn "royth Of the citv is duc IN soy.
oral r.uses In the first pIace II is In.
,,ted in the hpar, of a very rich sbeen
md cattle country and is ihe shinnirr