The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-09
THE FLATHEAD VALLEY.

THE FLATHEAD L
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 OF the Dakotas.
and is the only section west of the Miss.
issippi river which can rival the cale.
bra ell Red River Valley of the North in
the superior quality of it's cereals. It 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 strawber.
ries, b~lackberries, goosebe rles, raspber-
ries are be ,ng raised successfully. With
a ready market for all products of the
soil in the rich mineral di tricts to the
east, west a ID south, the farmers of thu
Flathead valley will soon be classed
among the wealthiest and most infuen-
tailof this new countr5. Wheat averages
thirty five bushels per acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushels, rye thirty
bushels, potatoes 400 bushes, cabbage
ten tons per acre, rutabagas thirty tons
per acre.
The Flathead river, with it's tribu.
taries-tfe North, South and Middle
forks-the Saltwater and Whitetish
rivers, with their hume br anches,
making a total of over COZ miles OF log
ging streams, all Of which converge at
Kalispell, flow through vast forests OF
pine, tamarark, fir, larch and cedar.
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 1O3,4S9,2S3 feet OF lumber cawed
in the st tie during the year 1891, 100,-
0, 00OO 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-
NSiOEuloub Vi lHlS TeSOuTco alone VII
render this section the Pittsbuag Of the
northwest. Adjoining these immense
bodies of coal lie large tracts OF oil land,
which G We promise Of equa' ing the rich
petroleum folds of PENNSYLVANIA.
Natural ga has also been discovered in
this region.
Underlying a large portion OF
the valley, a t~hirty-foot start
um of the finest quail, ty of fire
clay is found, which offers excep.
tional opport mites for The manufac.
ture of potlevry, and affords the brick
maker a conEeli n and unlimi ell sup
ply for his kiln. Common and pressed
rick oil a most superior quality have
b en- made from this clay, and numer-
Gus handsome buildings throughout ihe
va ley sand as monumen $ 10 this in
dus ~.
M,ntana's mineral output, whieh now
surpasses that Of any o her s d g in Tho
uni, n, viii be largely augmen ed by tho
Development of The hidden reasures in
the mountan ranges surrounding the
Fla head valley. Rich veins of gold,
silver. copper and lead, which have
already b3en dis iov red, arc attrac ing
the attention OF The capi ais VIII,
have invested largely in mining proper.
tics throughout this sec ion, and u 0
RAPIDLY pushing their ~developmenL