The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-08
FUTURE OF THE CITY
The Outlook Is Indeed Bright 70
Great Falls.
EASTERN CAPITAL INVESTED
Real Estate Is Held by the Wander
bilts. Webbs and Other Shrewd
Business Men-Railroad Pos
sibiIities-Rapid Growth.

Great Falls, March I'm discussing
the rosy future of Great Falls with a
Standard reporter to-day a conserva-
tive and successful business man said:
with the surprisingly rapid devel-
opment of the science of electricity and
its utilization, the Importance of water
power as a factor in the growth of cit
les contiguous to it's application be-
comes more and more significant. 1t
was observed that when the Harvesting
of Niagara became an apparent sue
cess, the Vanderbilts bought extensive
ly Of outlying acres in that vicinity.
Even during the most stringent times
of the panic, these long-headed and
successful financiers continued to quiet
ly pick up tracts of land in the neigh
borhood of the development of that
power.
mot many persons are aware that
DIR. Seward Webb, a son-in-law of Will
lam II. Vanderbilt, owns several hun
dred acres of land-besides lots-in and
near the city of Great Falls. Several
of Mr.. Webb's close friends, and one
of Vanderbilt's legal advisers owns land
adjacent to town. Tuesday last
transfer was so quietly made to Seward
Webb that 1t attracted little or no at
tention. To knowing ones, however, it
appears most significant. The Wander
bilts know and appreciate the value of
water power. Already they are using
electricity as a motive power or force
on portions of their magnificent rail-
way lines. The stupendous growth of
Buffalo is palpable evidence of the vast
influence of water power in building
up cities and enhancing the values of
realty.
The vanderbilts practically own the
Northwestern railway, one of whose
lines now has its terminus at Pierre,
the capital of South Dakota. This line
is to be extended westward at an early
day and this city is directly on it's
route to the Pacific coast. To an in
quiring mind the question arises: What
do these heavy investments at Great
Falls portend?
Recent mention has also been made
in the Standard of the purchase of $40
acres of land, adjacent to the yards in
Great Falls, by the Great Northern
road. There is more in that transac-
ton than the average resident COM
prehends and the future will prove my
assertion.
Railroad directors and owners are
necessarily experienced city builders.
They seem to know intuitively where
large cities will be most advantageous
ly located, and to this fore-knowledge
is due much of the very large wealth
that some of them possess. Reckoning
on this premise, ii is exceedingly graf
flying to property owners in Great
Falls to know that the president of
the Burlington system, Charles E. Per-
kins, is a large stockholder in the Great
Falls Townsite company. II is no Sc
cret that this splendid system will be
constructed to this city. While the
financial condition of the country is
not such as to warrant any immediate
large outlay of money, assurance is
given that the Burlington has decided
to come to Great Falls with the return
of good times and the resumption of
railroad building.
Frank Thompson, vice president of
the Pennsylvania railroad, and other
officers of that company are Interested
in property in Cascade county as an
investment, and several of the promi-
nent railroad contractors of the East
and West have large holdings here. If
the judgment of shrewd business men
and capitalists is an indication of COM
ing greatness, who shall declare the
future of Great Falls?"