Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-10-11
LARGEST IN THE WEST
Conrad Investment Comnanvs
Ranch in Teton County,
Montana.


aconda (Mont.) Standard says:
Hon. W. &. Conrad returned on
Saturday from a week spent at the
huge ranch of the Conrad Invest
ment Company in Teton county, and
Monday afternoon left for Missoula
to attend the irrigation congress AS
the representative of this city. 4
more apt delegate could not have
been selected, as Mr.. Conrad is more
directly interested in irrigation than
any other one man in Cascade coun-
ty, or perhaps in all of northern Mon
tana. The ranch owned by the Ina.
vestment Company includes more
than 10000 acres, living to the north
OF Dupuyer. MIR. Conrad and his
associates began TO obtain title to the
place over 10 years ago aud have
added piece to piece until they now
have the largest ranch in one spli5
tract in Montana and one of the
largest in the west or in the counrr,
for that matter
About two years ago they began TO
Improve it and to provide for Tvs.
tenn OF irrlgating canals aud bitches.
Work has been done at Intervals uu.
I'll there is now over 81 miles of ditcb
IN operation and az many more milr.
to build. The water to supply these
bitches is taken from the Dupuver
and Birch creeks bv = canal from
each, which is - feet wide at the
bottom and carries. with branches
$4,000 miners Inches of water. At
the center, or possibly as little below
that, reseryoi; covering 5000 acres
aud II feet deep is TO be built. and
this will not only irrigate all the por-
tlon of the ranch intended for farm
ing but about $4,000 more acres.
The vastness of the tract, the 10000
acres and more which are under
ditch and fence, is better realized
from remark made by Mr. Conrad
yesterday morning to the Standard
representative. when in speaking of
the work done there this summer. he
said that the men had fenced in
large bunch of antelope, but did not
know jnst where they were
The value of the tract may be
judged from the fact that about
year ago the company purchased
about 200 acres of land on the
northwest line of the ranch from w.
ID. Jones of Dupuyer aud paid him
$4,000 cash for the same. Figured
at this rate the whole tract would be
valued at over half million of dol
lars
The northern part of the tract, the
one which has the least irrigation,
Will be turned into a home ranch
and devoted TO the breeding of high
grade cattle and sheep. OF the lat
ter the breeds will be Shorthorn and
Hereford. Breeding stock for the
latter Is already purchased and will
he forwarded later and placed on the
ranch. All of the animals will be
blooded stock, for some of them as
high as $500 per head has been paid
These, of course. are animals import
ed from England and are registered.
As starter for the sheep Mr. Conrad
has now at the sheds across the river
used this summer bv III. II. Nelson
for shearing Al head of Delaine Me
rino bucks purchased in Michigan.
They will be inspected and dipped
here tomorrow and then sent north.
This part of the enterprise marks
new era IN the cattle business con.
Quoted by the ConradS. as it will be
the object to raise none bat The best
of cattle, and instead of allowing
them to range and take their chances
in severe weather the calves and the
weak stock will be brought in during
the cold weather and housed and fed
to save loss.
The other half of the enterprise
has more nearly public interest, for
1t will be the effort to interest settlers
and induce them to take up land un-
der irrigation and make homes. No
better place could have been selected
for this purpose. All of those who
have visited the land say that the
soil consists of deep black loam
which will produce excellent crons