The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-05-10
A PICTURESQUE AND DECIDEDLY
FERTILE REGION.
Rich Farming Lands-Excellent Timber
Varied Mineral Wealth - Large Rivers
and Lakes-Mild and H%ealthful innate
A Paradise for SpOrtsmen.
Garden Of the Northwest.


souri, River at Fort Bent On, east Of the
and lake, west of it. Surprises await
the tourist who descends into the noun
tain-girted valley of the Flathead,
where he finds everything of a magni-
tude in keeping with the general feat
ures of Western Montana, where Ma
ture has created rivers, lakes, forests,
prairies, and valleys upon a large scale.
The Flathead, instead of being a shall
low rivulet da.hing down the mountain
sides, is a majestic stream larger than
the Mississippi at st. Paul, tlathead
Lake is the largest body of fresh water
west of the great lakes. and is but one of
anumber OF pretty bodies of water scat
tered over the valley. Situated upon
the Pacific side OF the continent, the
climate give Is mild winters and tze
summers, much in contrast with che
lantic coast. There are no billiards
and cyclones. The liberal rainfall has
nurtured forests of pine and other trees.
not only on the mountain sides, but in
the valley itself, the timber being
in~terlaced with prairies which give
the country a park-like appe arance re-
sembling the oak openings of Michigan,
Ohio, and New York. Unlike the soil
where pine grows in other localities,
here it Is rich loan and makes the best
kind of agricultural land when cleared.
Seeing is believing" is IN a!aye as
old as it is true, and there are those sc
~incredulOus that only with reluctance
will they accept any but this kind of
proof. TO all such q visit to this val
ley is a source Of delight, and the COM
mon admission is that the half has
never been told" What q change. too,
after the magnificent trip through the
Rockies. over which the railway has
conquered a path, solid and safe, to
pass down among peaceful and attrac-
tive prairies with cultivated fields and
gardens, and see busy towns with hum
dreds of people engaged in the pur-
suits of peace and h~ome-seeking, where
only a short time ago a few indians
roamed in search of game and fish. A
few years and thousands more whites
will be here sharing the plenty indus
try is certain to give all willing to WOO
the earth with its treasures Of field,
mine. forest and water.
Flathead County, formed by the last
Legislature, has an area of 100 square
miles, a territory larger than the
States of Connecticut and Rhode Island
combined. The Great Northern Rail-
a from its first station in the county
on the east to its last on the west runs
a distance of l9S miles. The Flathead
River and tributaries, with l,gging
waters aggregating coo miles in length,
converge at k%alispell, and the manu-
facture of lumber and shingles is be-
coming an important industry. The
principal forest trees are the cedar,
fir, birch, pine, and tamarack, the lat
ter often attaining a diameter of six
feet, instead of being a mere telegraph
pole as in the east. 1t makes fine fur
niture, samples of which were seen in
the Montana Building at the Worlds
Fair.
There is much hat is attractive from
a health-giving, scenic and sporting
standpoint in this region. Snow peaks
are in view all the year round, and the
winters are seldom cold enough to close
the streams TO navigation. Lake Nc
Donald, a by, is becoming a noted
resort. Among the visitors last sum-
mer were Bishop Whipple, of Mime
sofa, and Vice Pres ident Webb. of the
New York Central Railroad. lakes
and streams abound with trout and the
hunter has chances to look along his
gun barrel at deer and grouse. Farm
ers distant from town are said to build
high fences around their gardens to
keep the deer out. Skins to be seen at
stores show that bear are still to be
found.
The mountains in all directions con-
<0;, ,nai0,,n nnA hn,A ,,Atl, md -,
the northern part of the county large
beds of coal and petroleum springs eX-
ist. Railway surveyors have been over
a route to this secticn and also on a
line south to Anaconda and Butte.
New sources of wealth making are re-
ing constantly brought to light as set
Element progresses from the common
centers along the railway, which gives
connections between ST. Paul, Mime
apolis and Puget Sound. Much of the
country is still Government land, and
valuable tracts of timber and f aiming
land can be taken up under the home
stead law. Two years ago the site of
kalispell was a vacant spot on the
prairie: now it has over 1900 PEOPLE,
several banks, three newspapers,
schools, churches, electric lights,
waterworks, large Touring mill, saw
mills, business houses and excellent
hotels.
The other towns along the Great
Northern Railway in this country are
Columbia Falls, Pleasant Valley, Jen-
nings, Troy and Libby Creek, the lat
ter being a prominent point in the
KOotenai mining district. Jennings is
a steamer point for the Fort Steele
gold district in British Columbia.
Kalispell is county seat and division
point of the Great Northern Railway,
with a two-story brick passenger depot
and Office building. The writer is I'M
der obligations to C. f. Conrad, Presi-
dent of the Conrad National Bank,
K%alispell, Mont. for printed matter
and other information. All applicants
and inuuirers will pet prompt atten-