The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-11-03
THE WEEKLY TRIBUNE.
GREAT FALLS.

-CSuANAbS 'iN Wy W
Wearied with IL hundred-mile stag
ride we are nearing the journeys end
The snow ribbed Rockies far to the left
the silver tipped Belt mountains at thu
right and the Highwoods before: waving
fields of ripening bunch grass on all The
plain around. resplendent sunshine
seeming to bring the whole scene within
a stones throw. Suddenly a break ii
the high bench land, and the Mecca o
our hopes bursts on the expectant view
four hundred feet below a dozen
brick and stone stores; IA group of small.
er buildings on another street, and here
ard there buildings scattered over the
surprisingly beautiful expanse of the
broad townsite; no railroad; no village
improvements yet. Such was Great Falls
in the summer of 1887. the year Of actual
beginnings.
We venture that a given place will
awaken interest, in proportion to the
chances to make wealth and progress.
The location of this city is such that
the streams Of prosperity all seem to
low down toward this center. A. loca-
ton possessing greater advantage in the
aggregate than any other in the west.
It is heal the geographical center Of the
state. Thousands Of gold, silver, cop
per, and lead mines await development
by tens of thousands of w%orkingmen in
the mountains tributary. The extent of
the present development is but as one to
a million. Sapphires ard other gems
abound in the river sands above the city.
There is a mountain OF manganese iron
ore neal by, especially valuable for Bes-
sinner steel and other products. Thou
sands of acres of coal fields, from ten to
thirty miles away, are being extensively
worked. There is good building stone
enough within a less distance to build a
second Chinese wall around Montana,
AMI most all admitting of an ornamental
J-ess. Beds OF excellent fire clay are
now being made into fire brick and tile
which are in constant demand at the
snelters. Many other brick yards are
,oing good service. Extensive deposits
Of marble, granite, and gypsum are at
land. This is running a rapid race with
1ther points in the matter of wool ship
Ments. The tributary stock ranges,
while second to none in the raising of
horses, cattle and sheep, are being en-
croached on by farms. Dry farming
pays, 1t is more successful than in Da-
kota: besides you can choose here be-
tween it and irrigation, for not one-tenth
# the land under irrigation ditch near
by has found farmers enough to utilize
i as yet.
The river banks here invite more ore
smelling and manufacturing enterprises
- locate. The Boston y Montana com
:auy have nov invested nearly three
dollars il there works here,
- embracing d combination of the most
modern appliances for smelling copper
with coal gas. They broke the
worlds record, the other day, for rapid
= smelling.
The Montana Union Silver sneltfr
plant here has been in operation four
Years. Several other companies are ar
to build smelters at this point.
We have two flour mills to grind Mon
tana wheat, extensive railroad shops and
railroad genera offices, iron works, lum-
Der mills and other manufacturing /
enterprises. Space will not permit to {
undertakings of great magni- !
,ude that are now in contemplation.
We only say that there is no apparent G
init. g
The splendid water power is now har- c
,essed TO propel the smelter and other
machinery, all the street cars on twelve :
niles of track and to furnish electric .
light all over the city. This is but a I
!rop in the bucket compared to the :
1ower that is going to waste, awaiting a !
A million.horse power will |.
urely continue to attract important in :
i~ustries. There is much of municipal !
Improvement in progress all the time. =
We have twenty-five miles of water .
mains, including a ten-inch main laid u
through the Missouri rivers bed. One !;
.undred and fifty thousand dollars II
Of improvements to the water l.
works are now arranged for next year.
here are two large sewer mains. miles G
4 lateral sewer. and miles more of broad ;.
idewalks. graded streets and shaded /
treets shaded by over five thousand /
and-planted trees and over two hun I
red acres in public parks. Other fea- p
ures are four and five story Office build !.
ngs, large and numerous mercantile !
.ouses. six national banks clearance g
early one hundred thousand collars per o
.ay), aud several newspapers. The pres d
Mt population Of the town is ten thous-
nd, and we. may remark that it has e"
each year for the past three n
ears, and that The proportional advance v
q property values with improvementsr il
as been still greater in that time, and :
he place is just beginning to grow. Z
Every state and nation is represented I
n the people except The Asiatic but they t
re mostly American. All the promi II
church denominations, lodges, or. !,
ers, clubs, and socie les of temperance l
reform are well represented. Five Ii
ne, large new ward school houses are I
attributed over different parts Of the =