The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-01-27
COPPER AND IRON HER JOYS.
Queen of Metal and Power. Great Falls
Holds the Key to Future
Greatness.
No Such Market on Earth for Products
of the Farm. Garden
and Dairy.

Following is the address delivered by
Senator Paris Gibson at the Farmers
banquet recently held here, in response
to the toast 1.-The Resources of North
ern Montana"
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen: The
hour is late and some OF us are quite
weary. What | have to say will be said
as briefly as possible.
l wish to say to you gentlemen that
/ forgot to mention at the meeting this
afternoon that | received Il dispatch two
days ago from Mr.. James j. Hill, who
expected to be present at this meeting,
and he stated that he regretted exceed.
ingly his inability to be present, that he
sympathized with the farmers of north.
ern Montana and hoped that much good
would result from the meeting that has
been held here today.
L will not say very much, but | am al
ways full of the subject which has been
assigned to me to talk upon-the re-
sources of northern Montana. When |
came to this spot where stands the pres
ent city of Great Falls, a few years ago.
l was so much impressed with this water
power, with these coal fields, that | said
to myself that here upon this spot must
become the great industrial center. |
never was SO thoroughly Impressed or
imbued with an idea as | was with that
idea at that time when there was not a
soul living upon this ground. 1T was as
naked as it was when Lewis and Clarke
appeared here in tho early part Of the
present century, not a soul living upon
this ground. Yet | was impressed with
the possibilities of the place MS | never
have been since that time.
Now, gentlemen, we have "A population
in Great Falls of at least ten thousand
people. Only nine years have elapsed
since the time | have mentioned AS hav-
ing first came here. During these nine
years the development of this tow has
becn wonderful. There have been cs-
tablished here important industries Civ
ing employment to men, and it is my
conviction, it is my belief. that here at
the Falls Of the Missouri will be created
the greatest city of the far western
country. Applause If we take into
consideration the vastness of this water
power, the fact that it is practically
without limit. and in that respect Is
greater than any other available water
power on the American continent. not
excepting the falls of Niagara; when you
take into consideration that fact and the
further fact that right at the doors of
this town lie almost illimitable fields of
fine coal, you have the two great resources
for giving employment to vast forces of
labor, and it is that employment OF la
Dor that creates great states through
out the country. Without such resources
as these which we have here it Is impos-
sible 10 create a great and %populOus city
at the present day. Now, thtn, III my
opinion, before the close of the present
Iarnln thorn urin lac "a non1lutinn hprp
at the Falls of the Missouri, of forty OF
fifty thousand people. Perhaps you
think | am drawing "A long bow. but we
live in a progressive age. If d man had
told me nine years ago, when there was
not a sou upon this ground, that at
this date there would be ten thousand
people actively engaged IN these and
other industries, residing here ! would
have considered it impossible.
During these nine years we have been
laying the foundation Of what is to come
and in my judgment before the year
1900 closes there will he a population
here in this town not far from forty
thousand. Now what will that pOpula.
ton do for the industrial. for the agri-
cultural industries Of this part of Mon
tana? Look at the market this town
will afford for the farmers. 1t is not
alone this place that will afford eNtcn-
sive markets to the farmers Of northern
Montana, but around this tow are
growing towns giving employment to
large forces Of men. Ia Sand tOulrc To-
uay. as | understand it. there are three
or four hundred men upon the pay roll,
and coal is mined there at the rate Of
1000 tons per day, being distributed AL
along the line of the Great Northern
road lnI yt.u.t a.. far M fhn rltIpE of
Butte and Anaconda. within three or
four years that output of coal will he
vastly increased and there will be on the
payroll in Sand CUulee from a thousand
TO fifteen hundred men, the policy being
to employ men who nave families, that
place will have a large population that
must be supported with the products OF
the soil. You must grow those products
here in northern Montana, or they must
be shipped from the east more largely
than now.
The mines Of the Belt mountains
Ncihart. for instance. is a very prosper
Gus camp today. 1t is destined to be.
come n of the greatest mining camp:
in the country. 1t is second only to
Butte, and is today and will be more 50
a very thriving town that will afford {
market for much Of the products OF this
country.
Combine these. and the country ying
around this city for II radius Of lfty
miles Will have one of the best markets
that is Afforded TO any agricultural com
munity in the land. And ! congratulate
you. gentlemen, that you live in a com
munity where you can market your
products at home. You will not be com
peeled to do as the farmers in Dakota
and n large Uart of Minnesota, 10 seut