The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-02
THE FLATHEAD VALLEY.

$4,000 - A1AA A1A-A
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 or the Dakotas,
and is the only section vest of the Miss
issippi river which can rival the cele,
bra ed Red River Valley of the North in
the superior quality of its cereals. 1t is
tho oaly agricultural section in the state
OF Montana, where crops can be raised
without irrigation. Vegetables of AL
kinds ara grown ia abundance, while
apples, plums, peaches, cherries, pears,
and the small fruits such as strawber-
ries, blackberries, goosehe 'rles, raspber-
ries are being raised successfully. With
a ready market for all products of the
soil in the rich mineral di, tricts to the
east, west az south, the farmers of thu
Flathead valley will soon be classed
among the wealthiest and most influen-
tail of this new countr5. Wheat averages
thirty five bushels per acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushels, rye thirty
bushels, potatoes 400 bushels, cabbage
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 Whitefish
rivers, with their numerous br anches,
making a total of over Coz miles of log
ging streams, all of which converge at
| kalispell, flow through vast forests OF
| Under the recent law enacted by con-
gress these boundless tracts of timber
+, land can be purchased at $3.50 per acre.
| According to the state auditors report,
of the 1O3,4S9,293 feet of lumber oawed
in the st lte during the year 1891, 100,-
| 100000 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-
yeloI ment of this resource alone VIII
fenGer lnlS SectlOu lne IlJtSDuhB Vi Tile
northwest. Adjoining these immense
bodies of coal lie large tracts of oil land,
which give 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
um of the finest qualt y of fire
clay is found, which offers excep.
tional opportunities for the manufac-
ture OF potlevry, and affords the brick
maker a convent mt and unlimi ed sup
ply for his kiln. Common and pressed
brick of a most superior quality have
b.en made from this clay, and numeR-
GUS handsome buildings throughout the
va ley sand as monumen 8 10 this in
dustry.
Mcntana's mineral output, which now
surpasses hat of any o her 8 ate in The
uuiC n, will be largely augmen cd by the
development of the hidden treasures in
the mountain ranges surrounding he
F,a head valley. Rich veins OF gold,
silver, copper and lead, which have
already been discovered, are attracting
the attention OF the CAPT alisis who
have invested largely in mining proper
tics throughout this sec ion, and Il .
rapidly pushing their DEVELOPMENT