The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-13
Mr.. WEBSTER'SPAPER
A Conservative Treatise on the Re-
sources of Cascade County.
ITS GREAT MINERAL WEALTH
The Varied Industries of That Sec
ton OF Montana-A Compare
son OF Water Powers-The
Assessed Valuation.

Great Falls. March 12.-one of tn
most interesting papers read in tn
immigration convention was that pre-
pared by Mayor Webster of this city
1t is as follows:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of tn,
Conventions:
am asked to present a paper upor
the resources of Cascade county. Ii
complying with this request I can but
regret that 1 have neither the facile
pen nor eloquent tongue to do half jus.
tice to the subject. For indeed 1t would
take less space to enumerate what Cas-
cade county has not than what it has.
In the way of advantages. Few coun-
ties In this, or any state. are so richly
endowed by nature.
Cascade county was organized by act
OF legislature, special session, 1887, and
was created principally from the then
mammoth county of Choteau, with a.
few ribs purloined from Fergus and
Meagher.
The school boy would tell you that 1t
is bounded on the north by Choteau
and Teton counties, on the east by Fer
gus. on the south by Meagher and on
the west by Lewis and Clarke. 1t is
bounded on the top by the dome of
heaven and on the bottom by coal. iron.
IRE clay, limestone, sandstone, various
precious metals and a soil of rich.
sandy loan. not forgetting a sprink-
ling here and there of consistent and
insistent adobe.
Cascade county contains about 5000
square miles, being the size of the
states of Rhode Island and Delaware
combined. A large portion of this area
Is GOAL land. In 1894 Cascade county
mined 6SS,s60 tons of coal, out of a to-
tai production for the state of Montana
OF e27,Ss5 tons. In 1895 the output of its
coal mines was approximately loo, 900
tons, being so per cent of the coal mined
in Montana, representing a value of
s2,OOo.0OO, the total value of the state
coal product being s2.5OO,OO0.
The deposits of building stone within
its limits. consisting of the finest white.
red and brown sandstones, are already
Famous. 1nexhaustible beds of gypsum.
terra Gotta, fire and brick clays exist
here in abundance. Immense deposits
OF carbonate iron are found in the
sand Coulee and Belt districts. Close
on the southern boundary, and con-
nected by rail with the county seat, are
the mining districts of the Belt noun
tains; these mines carrying the finest |
silver-lead carbonate ores found north
OF Leadville, free milling silver and |
gold ores, copper deposits and immense |
lodes OF specular hematite and magnetic !
iron, unsurpassed for furnaces and roll |
ing mills.
Wherever there is a great manufac-
turing center like Great Falls and min
Ing camps like Sand Coulee and Belt.
or cascade county. market for all
kinds of products of the range and
soil is at once created. As 1 understand
the purposes of this convention, it is
not TO induce mechanics, laborers or
professional men to flock to Montana;
they VIII come faster than the demand
Tor them 1ustifies. 1t is, first, to make
known the inducements here offered
TO capital for the profitable develop
ment OF our mines and manufacturing
and secondly, to induce
bona ffde settlers to come here, stay
with the soil and smite IL persistently
Until II gives forth in abundance.
III is nigh time that we awake to the
necessity of having tillers of the soil
lere who will exchange their products
or other commodities Hundreds of |
thousands of dollars annually are sent
tut of this state for butter, eggs. yege-
ables and even hay and oats, all of
which should be produced here in such
Quantities as to have a large surplus
or expectation. Cascade county offers
n unusually inviting field for diversi-
led farming. Its many fertile acres.
acked by vast ranges and with a mar ]
ct at hand, offer exceptional induce ,
1ents for combined farming, dairying :
nd stock raising. I
1t is estimated that there are 500 c
quare miles ian area as large as Della G
vare) Of arabic lands in the county r
OF yet irrigated, and chiefly used for {
a la 4
INCH Is open to settlement. S
III you Will take the trouble to ex- C
mine the accompanying map you will o
oserve with what facility the broad h
cres of this county can be irrigated. n
he Belt. Highwood, Willow and OF e
II creeks, the Smith, Dearborn, Teton. q
Iuddy and Sun rivers, all pay tribute
the Missouri in such a way as to be o
isily available for irrigation. In the Il
alleys OF all these streams and their u
there are already in sue | n
'ssful operation extensive irrigating
mails. But there are thousands of Il
res on the foot hills OF Highwood | /.
cit and the main range OF the Rocky L
ountains which are as fertile without | NJ
rigation as the far-famed Red River NJ
ihey and produce as fine a quality OF
neat. oats and barley and more to the
re than the Red River country.
MI. Pascal. manager OF the Royal G.
" NISdN rams, lnloIns me that
nee the building of their mill in 1893 G.
e production of wheat in this county
IS increased four fold; that in 1895
ere We're approximately loo. 900 bush
OF wheat raised i'm the county. and
out the same amount Of oats He
edicts that in 1896 the crop will be
uble that OF 1895. q,
There were shipped from Grea. FALL
1893, two and three-quarter millions
pounds OF wool; in 1894 three and
ree-quarter million pounds. and I'm | ",
. five and a quarter millions OF | cl:
unds, thus showing Great Falls to DO
the largest primary wool market in II