The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-13
THE FLATHEAD VALLEY.

THE FLATHEAD VALLEY.
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 cole.
bra Ell Red River Valley of the North in
the superior quality of it's cereals. 1t is
the only 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 strawLer-
ries, blackberries, goosebe 'rles, raspber-
ries are being 1ajeed successfully. With
a ready market for all products OF tie
soil in the rich mineral di tricts to the
east, west a d south, the farmers of thu
Flathead valley will soon be classed
| among the wealthiest and most intiuen-
! tail of this new countrf. Wheat averages
thirty-five bushels per acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushels, rye thirty
bushels, potatoes 400 bushe,s, cabbags
ten tons per acre, rutabagas thirty tons
per acre.
The Flathead river, with it's tribu-
taries-tbe North, South and Middle
forks-the Saltwater and Whitetish
| rivers, with their numer br anche3,
making a total of over COZ miles of log
| -,~, ,fro,,,, oil ~ nhiob nNpyapra OF
kalispell, flow through vast forests OF
| pine, tamarack, fir, larch and cellar.
Under the recent law enacted by con-
gress these boundies5 tracts OF timber
, land can be purchased at $3.50 per acre.
According to the state auditors report,
of the 1O3,489,2S3 feet of lumber cawed
in the st tie during the year 1891, 100,-
10000 was sawed in M ssoula county,
thus demonstrating this portion Of the
states SUI remacy in the lumber in
dustry.
In the northern portion OF the valley
are hidden vast measures OF a superior
quality of coal towards which the rail
ROADS are already building, and the de-
velorment of this resource alone VII
render this section the Pitt buag of tho
northwest. Adjoining these immense
bodies OF coal lie large tracts OF oil land,
which G We promise of equa'ing the rich
Petroleum fields of Pennsylvania.
Natural gas has also been discovered in
this region.
Underlying a large portion Of
the valley, a thirty-foot start
UNI of the finest quail ty Of fe
clay is found, which Offers excep.
tional opportl IN ties for he manufac-
ture of pot evry, and aft rds the brick
maker Il conyeLi nv and unlimi el sup
ply for his kiln. Common and pressed
brick of a most super or quail y have
b ,en made from this clay, and num,r
Gus handsome buildit gs througi out he
va ley stand as monumen 8 10 this in
dus ny.
Montana's mineral output, whi,h now
surpasses hat OF any o her s u = in no
uni n, Will be largely augmen ed by The
Development of he hidden reasures in
The mountain ranges surrounding the
Fa head valley. Rich veins of rold,
silver, copper and lead, which I've
already beer diseov red, are attrac ing
the attention OF the capi ais s who
have invested largely in mining proper
ties throughout this section, and as
] RAPIDLY pushing their Developments