Daily inter mountain., 1900-12-21
EMPIRE OF THE LONG HORNS
custer County Would Make an European Kingdom.
Magnificent Possibilities Of Wealth Beyond
Dreams of Avarice.

course naturally led the owners to think
| they had much larger herds than they
| really possessed. A general reckoning
being about due in SO, the discrepancies
! between the imaginary and the rear
We're filled up by laying it to losses in
the severe weather But from that time
| the tendency has grown to be cautious
about holding more cattle than could
/ be fed If necessary. And another cause
OF fetrenchment, as before stated is
| the freezing onto the water holes by the
sheep men, through the soldiers scrip
law. Notwithstanding all this the latest
returns of the assessed valuation of
cattle horses and cows in Custer county
exceeds that of any other county in the
! state, having total of 67,159 stock cat
tie at an average valuation of $2319 per
| head, or a total valuation Of about 81
100000. In horses and cows it also leads
| with 2o229 of the former and 2,O49 of the
| latter.
Next in Importance, and probably the
one which will soon assume first place.
comes the sheep industry The county
.
nually about 100000 pounds of wool
Many of the ranges cover from SO to 100
square miles in extent, thus allowing
plenty of room for frequent moving. At
first the flocks of Montana were COM
posed of strong crosses of Spanish
Merino, yielding a fine fleece, but a very
greasy wool, and the mutton aspect was
entirely ignored. But the slump of the
WOOL market a few years ago induced
the sheep men to try raising for mutton,
ana now both features are considered
Pure-booded sheep have not been found
adapted to the conditions of the range.
so that a mixture between the Spanish
Merlno and some coarser strain is most
in favor One of the greatest drawbacks
to the industry prior to this wear was
! the absence of a warehouse of sufficient
capacity to hold the product. This need
at length became so pressing and threat
ened the prospects of the town by the
WoolIralsers being forced to seek another
shipping point, that a. meeting of the
BUSINESS men and sheep growers was
called, and in January, 1900, subscribed
$1,000 for the erection of a warehouse
| OF adequate proportions A site was
chosen on the south side of the track
and "a building 54x250 feet was but up.
ana IN month after completion was
stored With about 100000 pounds Of
WOOL. On the night of June 80 this took
iire and With its contents was totally de-
stroyed, though the financial loss was
not great, as everything was Insured
All necessary plans for a new structure
OF equally ample proportions. to be pro-
| tected with iron sheetng and erected on
the north side of the track, have been
perfected and the spring of next year
will see it's fulfillment.
The Custer County WoolgroWers' as
Soclation, which is a member of the
American Live Stock association, meets
annually at Miles City at the same time
as the Montana Stockgrowers associa-
ton "A. ). Wiley is president and John
Truscott secretary treasurer
IRRIGATION FOR CROPS.
Owing to the limited rainfall irrigation
is necessity. The waters of the Tongue
and Yellowstone rivers contain all the
+ moisture that is needed for any, number
of settlers who might locate in their VAL
leys but it is only from the Tongue riv-
en-, that any considerable diverting of the
waters has been accomplished. In 1882
Joseph Leighton and W. B. Jordan sue
ceeded in forming stock company of
about fifty members and the work of
dam that was put across Tongue river.
was carried out in the spring breakup.
In 1884 the same thing happened but
persistence Won the day and at length a
dam was erected which has stood the
most severe tests which it will ever be
likely called upon to endure. But the
Qltch IS constant source of expense as
breaks and landslides are apt to occur at
any time, and at this time the aid of the
business men has been called in to meet
the expense of repairs. There are about
eighty irrigated farms under the ditch.
that formerly could not command $3.50
per acre, but now would bring from $25
to $l00. The average amount of water
used is from three fourths to one inch
per acre and the price on cultivated
lands is $500 per acre; on hay lands s15O
per acre, and on new lands $1.OC per acre
The company have their own dredges
and engine, which sees frequent service.
w. B. Jordan is president of the COM
pany, H. B. Wiley secretary and w. S.
Smell treasurer. w. B. Jordan, w. A.
Jordan and w. N. Haynes are the trus-
tees. w. N. Haynes being also the gem
eral manager.
STATE REFORM SCHOOL.
Miles City is the home of our state in
stitution-the reform school, 1t is To-
Gated about one mile east of town on
land donated partly by citizens of Miles
City and partly purchased by the state,
The estate comprises about 100 acres un-
the irrigation ditch. The buildings con-
sist of two 3-story brick structures look
100 feet each. A 40xsO brick boiler house
and laundry, and barn also 4OXSO. and
likewise a brick sewer connection Is
made from the h,1iI5inpr tn .ba vaII,-,.
stone river, two miles distant The orig
inal cost of The nlant w 9 SEQ Gnn n ,,l L.