The Irish standard., 1892-03-19
A T HRIVI ING CITY,
Some thing About Montana in Gen.
i eraI and the City Of Helena
in Particular
GROWTH AND PROGRESS
Agriculture and Stock Raising, as
Well as Mining, Growing in
Importance.

There are a number Of bright, busy
cities along the line of the Northern Pa
cifc railway. Helena is one Of them -
the ''tinancial centre of Monta.aa--as it's
citizens proudly call it. The push, en-
|ergy and Intelligence Of it's people is pro-
verbal and it is city that to all appear
ances has magnificent future before it.
| There is no question as to it's stability.
Already does it's population number in
1.-THE neigh borhood Of &c, ,000, with excellent
railroad facilities and business blocks
that would do credit to cities Of greatsr
pretersions in every way. The large
mining interests tributary to the Queen
City of the west have assisted greatly
in making it what 1t is to-day, one OF the
wealthiest, il not the weaithiest, city in
! the union, compared with any other OF
equal size and population. Gold is still
O ghttering possibility within the con-
! fines Of Montana and it's rich silver mines
will last for generations to conae, Such
resources, permanent in heir nature, are
}of vast Importance to Helena, and that
city must advance and grow and know
little indeed Of hard times as long as she
makes her OWL dollars and furnishes
large share besides of those made from
the silver of the United States that
! equals, it is safe to say, the production
OF half the world. a.s
| y. Mining, however, is not the only in
| austry Of Montan;, that has assisted
Helena to that position which Il ns,Y ns'1,
attains. W.hesn4ths state was but htJle
known people only can1et5in search OF
gold, with no thought Of agriculture.
4 This has changed to a great extent upon
closer examination Of the lands and tbe
prospect OF agriculture. Tt has been
found that the soil and climate are
adapted to raising apples and the apple
crop for Montana for 1890 amounted to
thousands of bushels. AS for straw
| berries and vegetables Montana is cole
| brated for the lusciousness Of the one
and the great productiveness of the
other. It may nt't be generally known,
but it lis fact that as far back ay the
| Centennial Exposition Mon :ana took the
! premium for. both wheat ard barley. In
every one of the sixteen counties Of Mon
! tana are fine farms that produce all the
CEREALS and that furnish cattle. horses
and hocks Of sheep TO their fortunate
! owners. The counties show 1851 fruit
trees planted, and bushels of apples
raised in 1891 = 6,306. So far fruit grow
+ ing. after all, is only 10 it's infancy in
Montana though the prospects for the
future in this direction are most fatter-
| ing. The great sheep counties are Cho-
teau, Meagher, Cascade and Fergus,
where, as ID all the other counties, the
average fleece weighs over six pounds
and the total 1su mbersof pounds Of wool
raised, 7,783,W7. The great agricultural
counties are Missoula, Choteau, Custer,
Lewis and Clarke, Gallatin, Meagher
and Park. The total number of ranches
in the state is 6,843. Agriculture, there.
fore, under the head Of farming, is diver
sifed sothat the state with. the mines
which yielded $4,000, 900, in 1890, to
supply the consumers, is capable OF sup
porting present and future population
equal to any state III the uDion-and
support them we'll.
There are large number Of Catholics
IN Helena and the splendid cathedral on
south Ewing street, is one Of the finest
church edifces in the city. Rt. Rev.4J.
|. 3. Brondel, Bishop OF Montana, resides
at Helena Among the societies in connec-
tion with the Church are the Catholic
Knights of America and the Catholic
Literary and Dramatic association. st.
Joseph's hospital, under the charge OF
tho Sisters of Charity, isso one Of the finest
and best regulated institu lions OF It's
kind in che country and the people of
Helena have much to be proud 81, for
better care for the sick snd disabled
could not well ID provided than Is found
6 this popular hosp pital. .s5s
Every Did sett off Montana seems to
have been iintimatel qlnuaaintedl With Tho
.lamented Con .rhl rancis Aeagher,,
and none knsv hin, But to love md 1,. Il.
'spect him q splendid pilitias u lrstaamalpany, 81
known the g snariis iissone
u ths eloriss q n Helena, named a inlhono,