The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-03-04

kicked, or at least of exciting the feel
ing that precedes that action.
EASTERN MONTANA.
Inter Mountain: Newspapers in
eastern Montana are calling upon the
communities in which they are pub
lished to take immediate steps to at
tract homeseekers to the favored To-
calities in that section of the state.
There can be no doubt that effort put
forth to attract settlers will be re-
warded. The wave of homeseekers
that will pass through this state in the
known in the west. The searchers for
new locations will come ready to set
, tie in the section of the country that
proves the most attractive and offers
/ the greatest inducements from a fl
nancial point Of view. Montana stands
in an enviable position in respect to
this army of homeseekers, though
many are ticketed through to the
coast. Most of them have had PAM
phlets descriptive Of the states lying
west of here. and all Of them know
less about Montana than they do of
other sections Of the northwest that
have beer thoroughly exploited by adj
vertising.
The conditions under which home
seekers enter the state this year are
similar to those under which they have
always come. Railroad and immigra-
ton companies figure that Montana
will take care of herself, and the
heavy advertising has been done for
Washington, Oregon, and other sec
lions to the westward. Seattle has for
years been the objective point of
many, Some who have been needless
of the advantages offered by other sec
tons, have remained on the coast.
but the h"omeseeker who was alert and
shrewd became interested in the state
of Montana when he passed through,
and asked questions concerning it's
pi OSoSlS o11u 1SooulS vi 40 q Lii
quence, the better class of homeseek-
ers-those capable Of Judging for
Observation-Disclosures to this state.
They had no difficulty in determining
the comparative advantages of the
rival sections of the west. and found
upon investigation that Montana ex-
celled in every respect. By this pro-
cess of settlement Montana has secur-
ed the best of the excurionists who
came into the west looking for homes.
The settlement of this state has gone
forward rapidly and settlers have been
secured without especial flourish of
trumpets.
All along the line of the Northern
Pacific, from Butte to the eastern
boundary of the state. recent years
have witnessed radical changes. The
Gallatin valley has received recruits
from the h~omeseekers' army until
nearly all the available land has been
taken up. In Park county the Vel
lowstone and Shields river valleys
have nearly doubled in population dur
ing the past few years, and Living
, ston has grown to a magnificent, thirty
ing place. Settlements near Big Tim
Der have increased until Sweetgrass
county is dotted with the homes of
%ranchers. Red Lodge and Billings
have grown in population, the country
about them has been rapidly settled,
and the same condition prevails in
counties farther east. Montana has
secured settlers who are worth hay
ing. The homeseekers who come in
waves have passed through the
state, and the demoralizing influence
upon wages caused by too rapid i'm
migration has never been felt here.
The settlement of eastern Montana
has proceeded along normal lines,
n this will doubtless be the banner
year, of the states advancement. Mon
tana will receive the greatest benefit
from homeseekers' excursions of any
state in the west.