Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-09-19
A GREAT WESTERN WATER POWER.
Hugh Joyce Writes Of River and Mountain Beauty
ana Power In Montana
GREAr FALLs. MoNr. sent. t2th.

GREAT FALLS, MONT. Sept. 10th.
MIR MuNsoN:--As you requested,
will endeavor to give you a faint de-
scription of the principal feature Of this
part of Montana, The Great Falls of
he Missouri. After the Louisiana pur-
chase by President Jefferson, and in tie
year 1868, the exploring expedition nj
der command of Captain Lewis and
Clarke, whose achievements will ever be
memorable in the annals of our country,
began the tedious a eent e the Missouri
river III the spring &C 1893, and in June
1903. reacl I'd tn Iais the Missouri
800, mi'e Ton II, L Mt aere the
wat. of ne iii IN / 4 81 sa Of the
Mis- sippi Ha ine h rd rom the
Indians inst such falls existed. it is evi-
dent that after reaching Montana, the
falls Of the Missouri Yves one of the
prominent oble rs IN ehe minis of these
men. These brave ii en- made careful
survey Of the river from the upper rapids
to the mouth of Belt creek. distance Of
12 miles, in which the fall is 512 feet II
j. TO be horne in MUD bet this survey
was made under the lost uufavnrab'e e
conditions, the ;ount at thai time
being in the h nds cr the Bla0l1feei
Indians, then one of the rlUsB warlikt
tribes in Northern Mon tana
For manr years after ,ne exr edition Of
Lewis and Carrie, but few Ylen were
there thai knew that there III the heart
of Montana was ore of the grandest
creations OF nature. In the bringing into
prominence OF Montanas natural feat.
ures. attention was drawn in 1889 to the
immense and easily developed water
power which the river would afford At
this time the Great Northern railway
had its terminous in the Red River
valley, and the Northern Pacific had
only passed the Western boundry of
Dakota In the year of 1883 the foun-
dation was laid for the city of Great
| Falls, located at the head of the rapids
| where Sun OF Medicine rivers unite with
the Missouri At this point the river IL
made shallow by the rapidity of the
current, affording crossing for wal
parties of Blackfeet and Crows for cen
| turies Here too can be seen even tx
the waters edge the deep worn trail oi
the Buffalo herds, as they moved from
the north to the rich pastures Of th'
south The Indian, always lover o1
nature, cLuld find no more appropriate
spot on which to linger. Here, too, the
| white man in pioneer days, found it ad
! visable TO pick his flint and be ready t'
tattle for his life, for the enemy wa
uever absent from the picturesque spot
Although the flow of the river at thi
point is somewhat variable, it is far les
SO than most of the large rivers of tn
continent because of its sources anon
the SHOWS of the Rocky Mountains whicl
are not far distant, and in the shor
distance between the falls and th
mountains the waters are not reduce
by evaporation or absorption. The Gi
ant spring which discharges its waite
into the river mile below Black Eagl
dam, adds materially to the power q
the falls Of the Missouri, and it's unvary
ing flow contributes TO the river 6o
cubic feet of water per second. Th
dam at the upper fall was built in 1890
and was first employed by the Grea
Falls Electric Power Company. Th
Boston and Montana copper and tn
Silver Smelling and Refining Compan
are now using 5000 horse power, largel
in electric refining processes, and 1t
expected that the employment Of powt
by this company will soon be great
increased as their works are being rapid
extended.
AS this Is all the time ] have ! wi
!. close for the pretsnt. From this 20
may be able to get few points as to Il
! natural resources of the state OF Mo-
! tana in and about the city of Gre;
2 Fall. Yours respectfully,
HUGH L. JOYCE.