The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-31
Butte Department.
COMING TO MONTANA
Forty Illinois Families Are Planning
to Settle in the State.
ON THE GOVERNMENTS LAND
Theodore L. Schurmeier. President
of the Northwestern Immigra-
ton Association. Answers
Letter OF Inquiry.

A colony IL being organized in Gen.
trail Illinois to settle on Montana gov
eminent land. About 40 families are
planning to remove to Montana early
in the spring. The company recently
addressed a letter of inquiry to Theo-
dore L. Schumacher, president of the
Northwestern immigration association,
asking for full Information regarding
the advantages and resources Of Mon
tana. Mr.. Schurmeier's reply is print
ed in the st. Paul Pioneer Press. and is
as follows:
Montana has demonstrated herself
TO be one OF the most desirable states
In the union for the prospective settler.
whether 1t be the farmer. the miner or
the lumberman. Nowhere have enter
prising people been more richly re-
warded for their efforts than In that
state.
Extending. as It does. over a dis
lance OF nearly 700 miles east and west,
and 200 miles north and south, great
as Is Its prosperity, and remarkable
as have been Its rewards to the In
divfdual. yet do not believe that this
fact is as generally known and appre-
ciated as IL should be throughout the
eastern part of the country; for. with
all its advantages. the state to-day
a
person to each of its $4,000 square
miles of area. Notwithstanding this
very small population. the state is as
large tonnage producer as other
states of the union possessing 10 times
its population.
Some idea of the magnitude of its
mineral resources may be had when
we realize that this handful of people
have taken from it's mines OF gold, sill
yer, copper and lead a product OF a
value of $553, 620, 925, from 1862, when
gold was first discovered, to the pres
ent time.
The state has the largest and most
productive copper mines in the world
whose output was of a value of ST.
production of value of s144.216.s90 In
the last II years, since the state be-
came a copper producer.
There has been produced 500, $685.
425 in the last Is years since IL has
been silver producer. with n product
of sl6.575.45S for 1894; and $19S.941.4 AIS of
gold In the last 80 years, during which
1t has been a gold-producing state,
with production of the yellow metal
of a value of $3601. 40 for 1894 The
astonishing magnitude of its mineral
productions as compared with its small
population can be understood, but
overwhelming as are these figures,
tntit 10 tNtTy TtdbOn 10 DenoNe tnat on
a most conservative estimate its min
eral resources are but in the early
youth OF their possibilities.
Extensive bodies of unworked gold
placers exist both east and west of the
Rockies, while promising lodes of sill
Yer. copper and lead are being con-
tinually discovered. and are only wait
ing for capital and energy to become
large and profitable producers. Mon
tana, in fact, affords the most attrac-
tive field for a careful. conservative in
vestment of money In its mines. by
men who are willing to study and ac-
quire practical knowledge OF mining !
matters. Hundreds of acres of gold |
placers still exist at Confederate gulch |
and other points east OF the range, and |
along the Deer Lodge and Little Black |
foot rivers and their tributaries on the /
western slope of the Rockies. These
are awaiting the investment OF suffi-
cient capital to convey water to them
TO wash out the gold in the rich. au-
riferous clays and gravels.
For the farmer. Montana has been.
and is still. a highly desirable field for
occupation. The state makes a won
derful showing In average yields of
crops per acre, which according to the
official reports. is as follows: Wheat
25.s bushels per acre; rye. 1872 bushels;
oats, ass bushels; barley. 3l.4 bushels;
-Ohhs oo b0cntic anu DOttlOtS 100 DuSn- |
Els per acre. These very large aver
ages are caused largely by the prac-
lice OF irrigation. and crop failures in
hat state are unknown. Long dry
lays and sunshine mature all these
Inherent crops and OF a quality which
assures for them the highest market
price. In addition TO the large yield
md magnificent quality of the various
'rops produced In the state, IL pos
'esses very important advantage in
he home market at profitable prices
or all agricultural products. This is
'aused by the demand from the numer-
Jus mining camps situated throughout ,
he central and western part of the !
tate, and while irrigation is the prin-
ipal method by which farming opera |
ions are carried on, there are quite Z
areas. especially in the
western part OF the state, where the
ainfall Is sufficient for farming TO be
arried on without irrigation. q
NO part OF Montana is a desert
ountry; every part of the state has I
ufficient rainfall TO nourish lux I
Iriant growth of grasses. of the most I
nutritious character. and the great
olling. elevated plains In the eastern ,
art OF the state mature cattle. horses I
ND sheep in the greatest perfection ]
" the hundreds of thousands. For the
mall farmer who will engage in mix
q STOCK and grain raising. the var
BUS agricultural valleys offer the most {
INVITING Inducements. and the numer-
US rivers and creeks, pure as crystal, I
ashing down the mountain sides. make
he state one of the best watered in
he union. Few farms I'm the agricuI-
ural valleys are more than ten miles {
rom timber. which grows luxuriantIy
ither along the streams in the plains
ection. or along the mountain slopes =
the mountainous part OF the state.
statistics show the state 20 be the
bird In point OF health in the union. 9
nd the vigor and health of the people I
re always subjects of favorable com I
tent 20 visitors from the East. This 5
caused by the moderate elevation. y
nd extreme purity OF air waited down i
he snow-clad slopes of the mountains
} the warm. sunny valleys
"Of the public lands of Montana s
acs AZ acroa ha..o - .--