The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-06-15
BRIGHT IDEAS Of
MONTANA EDITORS
Montana's Resources.

This paper has never engaged in any
extraordinary effort to boom Montana.
to induce immigration, but has devoted
its labors in the direction of develop
ment which means a steady increase of
population. We have always been an
advocate of a steady growth and we be-
ieve the future is full of promise for
our state--that the next ten years will
mark greater strides in our agriculture
than any previous decade has done. We
have. passed through the experimental
stage and are now abreast of an era
which only needs to utilize the infor
nation which the past has written in
living letters on the face of nature. We
have here in Montana an industrial
population surpassed by no other coun-
try in the wide. wide world. Montana
as mining state stands out most con-
spicuously. Hhe manufacturing facili-
ties are also second to none. Her water
courses, coal measures and vast deposits
of the baser metals, and especially iron,
assure us that the time is not distant
when the hum of machinery, manu-
featuring wares, fabrics, ETC., for the use
of mankind will reverbrate throughout
our mountains and some day the popu-
lation engaged in manufacturing will
very nearly equal our mining popula-
ton. And in the meantime from this
day forward for fifty years at least we
have a vast numbering interest which
assures great things in an industrial
sense. But all these combined-our
mining, milling, manufacturing and
numbering interests-will scarcely equal
our agriculture when the state Is once
occupied and it's rural resources are de-
veloped. 1t is estimated that fully one
-: ,,,vEn1 IN cy<n to
ar;ble, but we do not claim more than
one fourth of the state can be brought
under irrigation and the fullest Agricul-
tural development. But we do insist
that this area is capable of supporting
an immense population and adding mil
lions to the wealth of the nation. Under
a thorough system of agriculture Mon
tana will produce just double the pro-
duct that is secured from lands four
times their value in the great Mississ-
ippi valley states; and when we con-
slider that wheat, beef, mutton, pork.
butter and eggs can be produced here at
a prot far in excess of any country east
Of us there can be no question as to
what the Ultimate outcome OF our agri
cultural proposition will be. At the
present time and for some years to some
Montana will ship surplus products OF
beef. mutton and wool to the Atlantic
seaboards and breadstuffs to the Orient:
bue when our water powers are utilized
and our mines are developed the state
will have a home market for the most
of her agric G:ural products. Pessimistf
of today are Inclined to rail against the
idea Of encouraging further agricultural
development, asserting that already We
produce more than we can consume
This is true Of beef, mutton, wool and
sometimes. breadstuffs. but we are far
deficient in pork. bacon, lard, cheese
butter, poultry, eggs. fruit; and there is
a most inviting field here for the pro-
duction Of these articles. And ever
though we do not live to see the day
when our state will be able to consume
her beef, mutton and wool product. to-
day we have the satisfaction of knowing
that we can lay the articles of com
merce down in the marts of the worl(
with a better margin to the producer
| than is achieved by the Mississippi val
! ley or Pacific coast states. Markets, WI
admit, are sometimes disappointing-ar'
below what we previously figured on
but be this as it may, the Montana agri
culturist can always congratulate him
self on the fact that he can make none,
if any agriculturist in the United State
does. The cheap lands Of Montana, re
quiring as they do less capital to operat
on, will as long as this condition pre-
walls be to the advantage of our invest
ors, while the increased product which
they will produce with the same ex
penditure of energy Is another ad
vantage not easily overcome. Wit