The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-27
BITTER ROOT SETTLERS.
Three Parties Of Hollanders Striving
to Secure an Excellent
Location.
Success Of the Gallatin Colony
Has Attracted o Good Glass
OF People.
One Of the syndicstss. n Successful, Will
Bring TO the state o Families to
Develop tho Country.

For several years a determined effort has
bsen made to secure settlers from Holland
for Montana. They are recognized az
being among the beat class of emiRrants.
and a number of the big ditch companies
have offered representatives OF Holland
colonists special inducements to settle along
the line Of their canals. A year or 10 ago q
number Of Hollanders. the first to locate in
the state, settled in the Gallatin valley.
They have prospsred and the result IL that
the thrifty Holland farmer IL now a. desir-
Gus of locating in Montana as the canal
owners arc thnt they should do so. Next
spring quite q number of families are eI-
pected to settle and take ny land along the
Dearborn canal. A large colony has been
making arrangements to settle in Colorado,
but IL seems there Ia a scarcity Of water In
the particular locality they had selected, so
the representatives of the c~olonists have
turned their attention to Mon
tana. About two weeks ago g. F. M.
Bush, representing q Denver syndicate.
arrived in Miasoula for the purpose of
making an examination of tho land and
title OF the Bitter Root Canal and Mining
company's ground, lying between the Bit
ter Root river and Stony creek, in the Bit
ter Root valley. The property Of the com
pany is said to consist of over G.0OO acres of
placer ground and some 10000 acres of
agricultural land, together with about
5000 acres of timber land. The Butte
Miner gives the following history Of Mr..
Bush's operations:
For the last six months numerous at
tempts have been made in the east to in
duce capitalists TO make an investigation of
the resources and possibilities presented by
judioious operations in the Bitter Root val
ley. All that was wanted was water, and it
could be secured in an unlimited supply by
100000. That done, it would make posi-
BILE for the first time the washing of the
gravel Of the placer claims. These bars
the changing waters of the diff
ferent streams, have never been
worked save upon avery small scale, miners
heretofore finding il impossible to get water
upon the ground. Three different syndi-
Gates or sets OF capitalists are said to be
now making efforts to seoure possession of
the company's property. but every move
and deal il being made with caution and
secrecy.
One of the purposes of the syndicate
which has apparently secured control of the
property is the colonization of a very large
number of Holland farmers.
After receiving the report of Mr.. Bush,
the syndicate concluded that the 81; ter
Roat valley in Missoula county was lust the
location ii wanted, but when il came to
CLOSE the deal it ound that two other Hol-
land colony syndicates also wanted the
same property. Then came a race TO secure
the outstanding stock of the Bitter Root
Canal and Mining company. At this time
the Amerioan-Holland Colony COMPANY.
represented by Bush. seems to be in the
lead, but what the outcome will ba remains
to be seen.
Rollanders: "We must have and are
going to secure tho location for which sew
eral Others are trying. Within ninety days
we will commence operations on the ditch
work, employing native Hollanders, for
they are admitted to be the best ditch
builders in the world. Cold does not affect
them. and unless the snow In the Bitter
Root valley is heavy we will continue oper-
atoms tn oughout the winter. BY April 1
we will commence placing the farmers and
their families upon the ground. Eighty
acres only will be allotted each head of a
800 heads of families. Each family on an
average consists of five people. So you see
we will c~olonize about Zoo people next
year in the Bitter Root. The people whom
we bring to this country are all of the bet
ter GLASS of immigrants, honest, sturdy.
thrifty and quite we'll educated, and every
one of them a thorough farmer.
1.-THE raising of wheat, barley and hops
will be the principal industry, but dairying
will also be a prominent occupation with
the colonists, and / apprshend that instead
OF Montana importing almost all of its
butter our colonists will SO r%evoiutiouize
things that Missoula county will be a large
shipper OF dairy products. A large creamery
and cheese factory is also contemplated
but here. / have told you enough, and for
the present am afraid to say too much,
but just keep 1t q secret for IL few days and
] will tell you some more of our plans for
the future"