Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1894-02-15
Marvels of Montsna.

ABOVE Jne lufnHceS as InAt NODie SHAlt,
Lewis and Clarke looked for the first
time over the site of the present city,
but then temporarily occupied by q
herd Of buifalos, and later, in an en-
counter with a wounded ore. Lewis
was chased into the water oppt site the
town, where the river is $500 feet
wide, aud compelled to swim to the
other shore.
A new edition Of "The History of the
Explorations of Lewis and Clarke has
just been issued under the direction Of
Prof. Elliott Coues, Of the Smithsonian
Institution. 1t is recital of a most inn
portant event In our history, and
brought down to date by numerous
foot notes. 1t is dedicated as follows:
To the People Of the Great West: jefferson
gave you the country Lewis and Clarke
course Of empire. Honor the statesmsn who
foresaw your West. Honor the brave men who
first saw your West. May the memory Of their
tage Accept from my cart the undyine record
OF the beginning OF all your greatness.
According to Eastern ideas OF calcu-
lation, this Is very young city, but
undeniably it is one of the most prom
ising in the West, and is bearing out
the predictions of the explol ers, that
an important industrial city W uad
spring up here. The first settler, Hon.
Paris Gibson, an honored and still ac-
tive citizen of the sturdy young giant
with ever l., COO population, and as en-
thusiastic over the future as ever, with
much now to back up his opinions and
prophecies, broke ground for the first
house about ten years ago. It's growth
was slow until the first railway, the
Great Northern, reached there four
years later. Now railroads reach out
In various directions.
The reader will naturally inquire
what there is in the Northwest to make
great States and cities. Is not this
country in the American desert the
school books used to tell about? Yes,
but the desert has since been chased
hither and thither, until it Is now To-
Gated in srOts among the lava beds and
high ranges Of the far Southwest, and
what there is of it contains borax. salt,
and resources of value to man, and
there Is n, such thing as the Great
American Desert"
What made the older States of this
Union wealthy? Pine forests, iron ore
and copper mines supplied the raw
material upon which Northern Michi-
gan, Wisconsin and Minnesota was
built. Coal, iron and oil made Penn
sylvania great. Corn and hogs brought
of corn and rye distinguishes Ken
tucky. Wheat has given prominence
to Minnesota and the Dakotas, and SO
on through the list.
Montana is new State, and but lit
10 tno
and producer Of precious metals.
Stock shipments last year exceeded
$6,O O,COO worth. Herds of cattle and
fiocks of sheep are brought into this
State from the country south as far as
Texas, to fatten on the ranges for
Ea stern markets. All the conditions
here, grass, water and climate, are
conducive to the highest development
OF physical life. The State produces
horses OF large lung power and endur-
ance, much sought alter by the War
Department for cavalry purpo es.
Budd Doble feeds his horses on Mon
tana hay and oats. 1t was too. far west
SO stockmen said, to raise wheat, but a
roller Touring mill with 500 barrels
daily capacity, located here, il making
high-grade -four from native wheat,
and this immediate locality supports
two agricultural papers.
Those who have not been West have
little idea OF the possibilities and ell
bow room OF State like Montana, .
region larger than all Ct New England,
and then with country enough left
over to include several OF the Middle
States.
Standing by the tall smoke stack OF
the copper snelter. we looked down
on the mighty river. with its rapids
and catarects, and saw waters fall with
quick descent, furnishing power to
turn wheels to crush ores, to generate
electricity, to grind -four, to make not
fires hotter, and agreed with the
builder OF the marvellous wheel at the
Worlds Fair, that whore there was
such enormous water power an indus
trial city must arise. The monthly
payroll now exceeds $780, 90 for la
Dor. and Is to be largely increased.
The electrical energy possible at this
point Is beyond reasonable compre-
hensicn. II is already used In multi
form ways: To refine metals, to run
machinery and street cars, to cook
food, and for heating purposes.
Five ranges of mountains are in
sight, clothed with forests and veined
with precious metals and iron, and val
teys between scanned with beds OF coal.
Fertile lands slope back to grassy
pains, where plowmen and stock rais-
ers are already busy. All these potent
and varied resources are within bound
aries that make them tributary 10 .
common center, and that location is one
of destiny, for men see these natural
forces, and are beginning to utilize
thcm. With all these things, there II
inde6nable hopefulness and keen alert
ness In the air; every breath one draws
IL pleasure. making II indie "a . land
worth living in.
In this energetic climate % condu-
Give 10 longevity, : few OF the early
fur traders still linger. We remember
meeting . year ago old Hngh Monroe,
who spent ninety years In the North
west, dying . few months agO q the
nge of los years, and old man Rcndout,
Who lives forty miles east Or here, = In
hfs hnndredth year, coming to what b
M00tana Ia 1b36, Chen q pnknOwn
8 yegtcn O Africn. Tho CCunSry and
Condit1one rive u1en An Opppf4ul1ty 10
displAY fhodr Ahiitties. H0hert Wfll-
ianss, 1,passt snd qaieSI T. hst3sr known
u ecfenftGc carcloa ~ NJ EaoA md the
"A p - NJ go m nsd otrs
aas y 1 E 4 4 B ! ! =. - I 81 E als u u