The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-09-05
The Farm, Field and Forest Wealth
of This Peerless Country.
WHERE FARMERS GROW RICH
Better Grade of Live Stock Should
Be Raised.-The Lumber Industry.
Mines and Oil Fields Described by
An Old Time Resident.

has lived, labored and loved under
the shadows of the majestic peaks
of the Kootenais, and incidentally
conducted a newspaper at Columbia
Falls in the early days, furnishes the
following good stuff for his Helena
paper, the Montana Stockman and
Farmer:
1t is rather strange that greater
number of the prosperous stockmen
and farmers of Montanas range coun-
ties do not take their families and go
to Flathead for a month or more in
the summer. They certainly spend
more money in seeking less delight
full spots in which to while away the
summer days. Maybe Flathead is too
near home to be fully appreciated by
Montana folks, but the number of east
ern people who class it as a resort
section grows year by year. This
paper is not given to the resort bus
mess as a rule, treating usually of the
agricultural and livestock interests.
But among the stockmen east of the
mountains in this state are very
many who annually spend money
cheerfully and unsparingly for the
comfort of their families during the
summer months. The suggestion is
made to such men that they investi-
gate the charms of the Flathead river
and it's two principal tributries-the
north and south forks.
Mcdonald lake now becoming well
known among those who travel on
the Great Northern is all that can he
said of it, with the adjectives used
in the superlative degree. Clear as
crystal, with frame of green is the
picture it presents. Looking beyond
it to the north are the snow-capped
mountains that wind away to the
Canadian boundary - and beyond.
Eighteen miles from the foot Of lake
Mcdonald is the glacier to which
tourists and natura1ists wend their
way each year. One corner of the
great impaction of ice and snow
peeps around the edge of peak, and
in the clear air is plainly visible
though 10 miles away.
North, west and east of Mcdonald
lake are other smaller water bodies,
fed by the sparkling mountain waters
and set in that indescrbable shade of
green that seems never to tire the
eye 1t is the blending of the verdure
of the stately pine, fir, cedar and
spruce trees that give the hue to the
great timber belt that stretches east
and west from the Idaho hne to the
summit where the Great Northern
crosses the western slope. This EN-
pire is yet untouched. The govern
ment has reserved great tracts of
land under it's forestry reserves
privilege, with the idea of preserV-
ing it as vast pleasure ground. The
waters, which are stored, ripple on
to the Pacific without playing con.
spicuous part in agriculture.
One feels almost like getting up an
argument with Nature for diverting
such a volume of pure water toward
the Pacific instead of heading it tc
the east, where it would reclaim
millions of acres of Montana lands
in our north counties, But it whirls
away to the west, singing, roaring ant
jumping through the mountains, anC
spreading noiselessly in the FlatheaC
lake. seemingly for a rest before
again taking up its journey to thu
sea.
In it's darkened pools are trout ga
lore-and many people know it.Fui
Their in it's journey it carries million
and millions of feet of logs to the van
ious mills and plays its part in tn
commerce, as well as the pleasure, @
its section.
Farming and fruitgrowlng hav
given Flathead county a classificf
ton among Montanars agricultural
counties, and it certainly ueserve
all it has claimed in an agriculture
way. Development of the agricultu
al lands has been steady since 1889
Early in Flathead county's history
large number of the best quarters
land were acquired by men who ha
never farmed. Very many miner
went from Butte and homesteadet
While they were good men and GOO
citizens they were not practical farr
ers, and they could hardly be expoc
ed to develop farms. Since 1SE
farmers have been gong to Flathee
Lands have changed hands; practic
farmers from Iowa. Illinois and 9th
states have gone there and the chanl
is wonderful. On what is known
the East Side''-that is, the lal
east of the river from Bad Rock ca
yon to Flathead lake-there has be,
an entire change The log dwellin
of the homesteader have given pla
to the handsome farm house; the
cattle shed and stables have be
supplanted by the big red barn of t
pattern so prominent in Iowa a
other cornbelt states. Now there a
granaries, haysheds, hog hous