The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-19
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 TIE cele.
b a ell Red River Valley of the North in
t 10 superior quality Of its cereals 1t is
the Only agricultural section in the state
o Montana, where crops can be raised
without irrigation, Vegetables Of all
kinds re- grown il abundance, while
apples, plums, peaches, cherries, pears,
and the small fruits such as strawber-
ries, blackberries, goosebe rles, raspber-
ries are be 'ng la;sed successfully. With
a ready market Tor all products of tie
soil in the rich mineral di tricts to the
east, west i south, the farmers OF thu
Flathead valley will soon be class,d
among the wealthiest and most intiuen-
tail of this new countr Z. Wheat averages
thirty five bushels per acre, oats sixty
bushels, barley forty bushels, rye thirty
bushels, potatoes 400 bush,s, cabbs GO
ten tons per acre, rutabagas thir, tons
per acre.
The Flathead river. with it's tribu.
taries the North, South and Middle
forks-the Saltwater and Whitefish
rivers, with tn ,ir hume .ous br anches,
making a total of over Coz miles of log
ging streams, al of which converge at
kalispell, flow through vast forests OF
pine, tamarack, fir, larch aad collar.
Under thu recent law enacted by con
gress these bolndless tracts of timber
land can be purchased at $3.50 per acre.
According to the state aud tors report,
of the 1O3,4S9,2 1888 feet OF lumber cawed
in the st tie during the year 1891, l0O,-
10000 was sawed in M ssoula county,
thus demonstrating this portion Ct the
states SUI remacy in the lumber in
dustry.
In the nor hern portion OF the valley
are hidden vast measures OF a superior
quality Of coal towards which the rail
roa6s are alre dy building, and the de-
velol ment of this u alone VIII
render this section the Pitt buag of the
northwest. Adjoining these immense
bodies Of coal lie largo 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 fi:e
clay is found, which oil, rs excep.
tional opportunities for The manufao-
ture Of pol,ev and atft rds The brick
maker Il conve i n and unlimi o | sup
Wy for his kiln, Common and pressed
BRICK of IA most super or quail have
b zen made from this clay, and numer-
| Gus handsome buildings throughout The
Va ley s and as monumen 8 TO this in
dus ~.
Mcntana's mineral output, which now
surpasses that of any O her s a Elm he
uni n, viii be largely augmen cd by the
development of he hidden s in
,ie mountain ranges surrounding the
i u head valley. Rich veins of gold,
silver. C pper and lead, watch have
alreaCy b on dis sov red, are attrac ing
The a. enlion OF the CAPT alis 8 who
| have inves ed largely in mining proper
/ tics throughout this Sec ion, and are
! rauidly pushing lheir DEVELOPMENTS