Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-05-27

provinces OF Alberta and Assiniboia,
on the east by the Dakotas, on the
south by Wyoming and ldaho,and on
the west by the latter state. The
great area of the state can be better
appreciated by giving its width north
and south as 275 miles and its aver
age length east and west 535 miles.
and calling attention to the fact that
il Is the third largest Of the states
of the Union.
While Montana is popularity known,
and, with the millions not well In
formed of its local topography, sup
posed to be entirely mountainous, less
than one.third of its area is occupied
by the Rocky mountains and lesser
ranges and spurs, and the other two
thirds is about equally divided be-
tween range and agricultural lands.
all being susceptible to the highest
and most profitable cultivation when
artihcially watered. There are, how
ever, large districts of the agrlcul
tural lands that are Tor and can be
placed under profitable cultivation
without irrigation, and many of the
valleys, notably the Flathead valley
and others of smaller area, have an
abundant precipitation of moisture to
insure a certain and luxuriant growth
of the varied crops of the western
farm. The arabic lands of the state
are greater than that Of New York,
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connect
lieut., Rhode Island, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware,
all combined, and from this fact the
future possibilities OF Montana as an
agricultural state may be easily and
safely prophesied. The extent Of Mon
tana can only be appreciated by COM
parsons. II is larger than Minnesota
and Iowa combined; IL is larger than
New York and the six New England
states, and Is larger than England,
Ireland, Scotland and Wales all put
together-and all of its vast area a
be made TO produce a world of wealth.
Its every mountain peak stands as a
sentinel over rich mineral wealth; its
rolling foothills pasture great herds
of cattle and locks OF sheep, and its
broad acres of fertile prairie can be
made to provide homes for tens OF
thousands of agriculturists.
Taking the state as a whole, Mon
tana has a greater variety of resour-
ces-the lavish gifts of a liberal Ma
ture-than any other state in the I'm
ion. and each of these resources Is
abundant and free to those who will
exert their energy in making them
n.nl,att..A .f thu 0rnatAGf and clfQcf
returns. Montana offers unlimited
and varied opportunities to the capt.
talist who desires to invest his money
in lines that hold out as an induce
ment the largest profits and involve
the minimum of risk; but a well,
Montana offers homes to thousands
offers them homes OF the most fer
tile prairie, bench and valley, where
little capital and a willingness to work
will soon establish a home of perm
anent and constantly increasing pros
perity. In Montana the miner and
%prospector can find mineral in the
greatest variety and abundance; the
lumberman a find great belts OF the
finest timber: the farmer broad acres
of the most fertile soil, and the man.
ufacturer abundant water power, and
of all this abundance of Nature, one
may have for the asking.
Though there are many fertile hor-
ticultural and agricultural valleys in
the state, the mountain ranges pass
through and occupy a good portion
of Flathead. Teton, Missoula, Deer
Lodge, Lewis and Clarke. Cascade.
Ravalli. Beaverhead. Madison, Silver
Bow, Jefferson, Granite, Broadwater,
| Meagher, Park, Carbon and Fergus
| counties, and in these are embraced
the mining districts OF the state. and
they present the opportunities for
those who desire to engage in min
eral discovery and development.
While there are thousands of square
miles of the finest agricultural lands
embraced in the valleys of every
county that we have here classed as
mountainous and mineral, the coun-
ties of Cascade, Carbon and Teton,
aside from their mountain and mineral
portions, and Fergus. Choteau, Valley,
Dawson, Custer, Yellowstone and
Sweetgrass. may be classed as agri-
cultural. Though there are large
areas in these counties that may be
rated as semiarid, yet there are
thousands of square miles that receive
an abundant precipitation of moisture,
particularly in Cascade, Gallatin, Te-
ton, Fergus and Sweet Grass coun-
ties, much of their lands bordering
the foothills of the mountain ranges.
The other agricultural lands, with the
exception of those of the low river
bottoms, whose sub-soil is moistened
continually with the waters of the riv-
er, require irrigation, but where plac-
ed under water produce with wonder
full and unfailing abundance.
Montana is young in the period Of
her active development, and now has
a population of over 100000. but 1t is
increasing the number of its inhabi-
tants every day, and the per capita
production of wealth exceeds by far
that of every state or part of state,
and familiarity with its illimitable re-
sources forces the conclusion that the
near future will see it one of the
greatest and wealthiest states of the
Union.-J. f. Morrow in Northwest