The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-11
THE l. L

L I'LL - AxA
The Flathead valley, ten years ago an
almost unknown region, the home Of the
savage and wild beast, to-day is the
most productive section Of the north.
west, yielding per acre double the out.
put of Kansas, Iowa CT the Dakotas,
and is the only section west of the Miss.
issippi river which can rival the cale.
b a o Red River Valley of the North in
the superior quality of its cereals. 1t is
the o lily agricultural section in the state
o Montana, where crops can be raised
without irrigation. Vegetables of all
kinds are grown in abundance, while
apples, plums, peaches, cherries, pears,
and the small fruits such as strawber.
ries, blackberries. goosebe RES, raspber-
ries are being raised successfully. With
a ready market for all products of tne
soil in the rich mineral di tricts to the
east, west a d south, the farmers of thu
Flathead valley will soon be classsd
among the wealthiest and most intiuen-
tail of this new countr Wheat averages
thirty five bushels per acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushel-, rye thirty
bushels, potatoes 400 bush -, cabbi ga
ten tons per acre, rutabagas thir. y tons
per acre.
The Flathead river, with it's trlbu.
taries I'll Q North, South and Middle
forks-the Saltwater and Whitefish
rivers, with tn 4ir hume" ous br anches,
making a total of over 90 miles of lo.-
ging streams, al of which converge at
kalispell, flow through vast fores's OF
pine, tamarack, fir, larch and oeitr.
Under thu recent law enacted by con-
gress these DO ndles3 tracts of timber
land can Ie purchased at $3.50 rer acre.
According to the state aud tors report,
OF the 103,489,2 feet ot lumber rawed
in the st lie during the year 1891, l0O,-
O 5000 was sawed in M ssoula county,
thus demonstrating this portion Ct the
states SUI remacy IN the lumber ill.,
dustry. at d
In the nor hern pcrti,n Of the valley
are hidden vast measures OF a superior
| quality OF coal towards which the rail
roat are alrea dy building, and the de-
| yeloI ment of this resource alone W Il
render this section the Pitts buag of thu
northwest. Adjoining tn SO nm ms
bodies of coal lie large tracts oil Oil land,
which g We plonis, of equa ing the rich
petroleum feds OF pennsylvania.
Natural "a, has also been discovered in
this region.
Underlying a large portion of
the valley, a thirty-foot start
UNI of the finest qualt y of fl q
clay is found, which oil, rs excep,
tional opport m ties for The manufac-
ture of pot,eyry, and aft rds the brick
maker II conye II and unlimi Q sup.
ply Tor hs kiln. Common and pressed
brick of IA most super or qualify have
b zen made from this clay, and hume
GUS handsome buildings Ihrougt out ths
va ley s and as monumen 8 10 this in-
dus ~. ~
N, ntana's mineral output, which now
SURPRISES hat OF any o her s n , in no
uai n. will be largely augmen cd by the
Development of he hidden reasures in
The mounta II Ranges surrounding TIE
Fa head valley. Rich veins of gold,
silver, @ pper and lead, which hive
already b en- discov red, are attrac ing
the at eniion of the CAPT alis 3 who
have inves ed largely in mining proper.
lies throughout This sec ion, and q .
] RAPIDLY pushing heir DEVELOPMENTS