The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-04-30
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why no WE BUVs WHY GO IDLE'
According TO the report Of the United
States geological survey Montana coal
mines produced last year $4,000 tons,
valued at Sl,sl6,0O0, or about g per ton.
There are some singular facts in rela-
tion to Montana coal and our consump-
tion Of that fuel
Montana has more coal than any
other state in the union. Our state has
every known variety Of coal save anthra-
cite, and those varieties are OF good
qualities. And yet we import Goals
from the Dominion. from Pennsylvania
and from Wyoming, and from the Pa
cihe coast. We in Helena burn coal
from Saskatchewan no better than
Goals in Teton county. by which these
foreign Goals are hauled to us. We also
have good Goals In Flathead county in
extensive beds. Park county has vast
quantities OF both dry and coking
GOALS, aud so have Gallatin, Custer,
Fergus and Cascade We have Goals
which will make good coke and gas, OK
tending all the way along the mountains
from the .ltional park TO Cokedale,
from Cokedale to Timberline, Mountain
Side, Chestnut. and thence on TO
Bridger and Sixteenmile Creek. The
same Cokedale coal appears again two
miles south Of Castle, IN Meagher
county. We have all these coking
Goals, and YET when Uncle Sam makes
his silver into money and business is
prosperous. there is constant flow Of
coke from Pennsylvania into Anaconda,
Butte, East Helena, Castle and Great
Falls for their furnaces. Dry Goals,
which we import 10 large quantities, are
found in inexhaustibie beds between
Rocky Fork and Clarke's Fork, on the
Musselshell, and in many other parts OF
the state. We have, then, an album
dance OF good Goals Of all the varieties
assd in making coke and in our smelt-
ing furnaces.
Had Montana made her own coke and
burned her own coal for the last ten
years she would be many millions richer
to-day and in a much better condition
TO make the Improvements we 30 much
need in other industries We need men,
women and money in new diaries. We
should milk 10000 more OF our COWS 10 |
supply US with milk, butter aud cheese |
In a state where cattle live on native /.
grasses ali the year we buy butter,
cheese and milk from states which are 4
compelled to feed their cattle four and /
five months in the year
In state inhabited by five different I
varieties OF native hens, and where do /
nestle fowls do better than IN any OF .
the older states, We BUY chickens and /
eggs by the car load
Turkeys do we'll ia Montana and it is .
the home Of ducks and geese; and there
is no reason why we should not raise .
all the turkeys, geese and ducks we need .
on our tables, aud which We import in
large quantities.
We import car load after car load OF
hogs, bacon, hams and lard, while there
is DO good reason why We DO not raise
all the hogs We need II costs no more
labor u raise pig 10 Montana than it
does in Iowa.
With the best soil and climate for
wheat on the continent. we buy flour
from the east. In a state that has pro.
duced eighty and 100 bushels Of wheat
per acre we buy flour from the states
which can raise but ten and twenty .
bushels per acre.
We have an abundance u good land.
free 20 an uho viii cultivate IL. Why. /
tnen, should men be lille
But We are not farmers. Ho are min +
ers. Very we'll There arc at least 900 /
promising gold properties which are
waiting FOR Development Nearly an
" pay something. and .omo will make .
Here Is work; here ire
prospects ~ future comfort, indepeud- 4
snce and opu.eure. While our silver
D.nes IRE idle let us open up and work
sur many promang gold prospects. .
@hile money is scarce lot lbs raise what 4
40 eat. I