The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-10-09
STATE LAND
AGENT ABROAD
He and His Deputy Camp Out
In Flathead
A PIP RAISING L AND
Worked Early and Late and Lived On
Bacon and Sour Dough Bread-The
Big O'Brien Mill.

State Land Agent Henry Neill, who
returned day or two ago from
six weeks trip to Flathead county,
where he has been engaged in ap-
praising state timber lanls, talked
interestingly of his trip, says the Hell
ena Independent. In the aggregate
there is an immense amount of mer-
chantable timber UP there said Mr..
Neill. but it is scattered on the diff
ferent sections. At places in driving
along the travelled road one would
suppose there was a great amount of
good timber. But on going a little
distance back from the road we found
in many instances that there was
nothing but underbrush and trees of
no value for lumber. Mr.. Whipple
and myself Travelled for six weeks
in that county appraising lands, and
we did not lay off one day for fun, beA
cause it rained almost all the time
| was out. We have our own outfit,
and do our own cooking. Our mode
of conveyance is a big wagon, drawn
by two horses. In the wagon we have
to carry not only our tent and sheet
iron stove. but food for ourselves and
for the horses as well. We have a
driver and he generally does the
cooking, though we all take a hand.
When we strike a good camping place
we drive stakes, and then work the
section. Sometimes we can work
| four from one point, and then we
| save time. As a rule we went to bed
| at eight in the evening, and were out
at the work by $50 in the morning
| We carried bacon, ham and canned
goods, and we were able as a rule
| to get game enough so that once a
| day at least we would have fresh
| meat. 1t is Il healthy sort of Occu-
| patton. and had it not been for the
rain, would have been pleasant. But
there is little pleasure in walking for
days through unlerbrush forests with
| everything soaking wet. We worked
every day except one half day on the
last Sunday | was out.
| "One of the big enterprises up
there is The John O'Brien Lumber
company. They have a perfect saw
mill plant, and will turn out an i'm
mense product when they get fully
under way. The company buys much
| of its tiMber from the settlers, and
cuts it off their lannds. For a fact
| the settler is worse off after the COM
| pany has cut the trees down, because
he has left ON his land the tops and
butts. After the tree is cut down it
will cost at least SIS an acre to clear
| he land, But the mill is a perfect
| one At present everything is made
into railroad ties that will cut them.
| The lumber that is going into the
| piles is only from the portion of the
| j,,t h, nff t0 h,sv,
| them 10 tie size. Square ties are be-
ing cut, but when the new machinery
| is all in, triangular ones will be cut
| chiefly. OF the ties nearly 100000
| have been cut and stacked upon the
tracks that connect the mill with the
preserving plant. They will remain
in piles for go days, and then will be
put through the preserving process.
The tie plant is already for opera
| ton, and will start up some time next
week.
AT the mill 10 men are now en-
ployed, and the daily cut is 100000
feet. Both the number of men and
| the amount of the output will be
| largely increased soon, and in an
| other year the mill will probably run
night and day without stop. Where
a year ago the picturesque hills were
covered with trees, now there is a
busy little town. Many houses have
been built and many more are build
ing. A postoffice, much needed, is
| to be established, and with all the
employees at the mill and the tie
plant, Somers will be quite place.
1t will have a complete system of wa
terworks and the electric plant will
furnish it with light.