The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1900-12-01
FOR ALL OUR BLESSINGS.

Safes, and while we recognize the
guiding hand of an all wise, benef-
cent Providence, in the up-building
of our common country, let us for a
short time con6ne our thoughts to
this young city at the Cataracts OF
the Missouri, in which we have es-
tablished our homes and for the ad-
vancement of which we have pledg-
ed our best efforts.
Thirteen years ago, when the pop
ulation of Great Falls scarcely ex-
ceeded 500, a huge bonfire on Pros
pect hill announced the arrival of
the first railway train; and although
this town had been founded four
years prior to this event, it required
the stimulating effort of railroad
to remind its pioneer people that
Great Falls had ''come to stay" and
that new and better efforts were ex-
pected of them.
Since that time our town has
steadily grown in population and in
everything that tends to make the
thoroughly modern city, while the
realization of what is to be has daily
taken a frmer hold upon it's people.
Doubts as to its future greatness
have given place in the minds of
nearly all to firm belief that here
is to be built one of the great cities
of the continent a city that is to be
to the Upper Missouri region what
st. Paul and Minneapolis, the dual
city, is to the Upper Mississippi;
while some Of us believe that before
the last helf of the new century is
reached it will become the manu-
featuring and commercial centor of
a country embracing as many square
miles as the German empire and
possessing unsurpassed wealth of
soil and minerals. If these predict
ions of the future greatness of this
city are not fulfilled it will be the
fault of those in whose care its des-
tinies are placed. 1t will not be
due to ANY lack of endowments.
The praises of this great water
power have been sung so unce asing-
ly as to become tiresome to many.
and yet the fact today stands out in
stronger relief than ever that this
magnificent water power is the i'm
perishable foundation upon which
the future great city Of the Rocky
mountains will rest We cannot
comprehend what this river in its
descent hele, step by step, of more
than 500 feet, means to the rapidly
unfolding west, and especially to
che coming generations that will
possess it and its immediate sar
roundings. The energy of 100000
horse power fully employed here in
diversified industries, when supple
mented by the rich agricultural and
mineral empire that lies around it
means, if it means anything, that the
municipal government of Great
Falls will at no distant time extend
over million or more people-and
that time may come before the boys
now in our schools have passed the
period of active business life. In
view of the brilliant future that lies
before our city, how deep are the
responsibilities that rest upon us
who are to great extent shaping
its future. ''As the twlg is bent the
trees inclined, The people who
now are in active control here should
bear in mind that their work is far
reaching in its effects, and that their
chlldrer will follow in their foot
steps. Fortunately in many re-
spects the people of Great Falls
nave made an excellent beginning.
They have shown their belief in
good schools and ample, commodi-
Gus school buildings. They na ,e
lnaugurated system for beautify-
ing the avenues and streets of the
CITY, and are making the surround
lngs of their homes attractive. They
have eheerfully appropriated money
for the purchase and maintenance Of
public parks. They have establish |
ed library worthy of any Young
city. The opera house built by