The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-12-18

1OOnd.
Fruit growing in the county gives
promise Of great things. From one
seven-year-old orchard near Kalis-
pell four thousand boxes of apples
were picked the present year and
hundreds of young orchards are lust
coming into bearing.
Mining is rapidly coming to be one
Of the leading industries, the western
part of the countv being devoted al.
most entirely to that industry, the
town of Libby, one hundred miles
west of Kalispell on the Great North.
ern being the distributing point for
that section. All told, over one
Thousand men are engaged in mining
and kindred pursuits in the county.
the Snowshoe mine alone employine
about 200 men. The mines of the
Libby district are producing gold. sill.
YER and lead. The silver-lead mines
are in the Snowshoe district, about
twenty miles south of Libby, while
the gold-quartz mines are in the Fish.
er Creek district, about 35 miles
southeast of Libby.
Hydraulic placer mines are also be.
ing operated on Libby creek about
20 miles up the creek from Libby
from which many thousands in gold
dust is being taken annually. The
mines of the Libby district furnish
an excellent market for much of the
Hour. grain and other products of the
county.
About Is miles west Of Libby on
the Great Northern and on the ex.
IRENE western edge of the county Is
the town of Troy. Troy is a railroad
division point and is a prosperous
place with good schools, business
houses and hotels.
Public Lands.
The total area Of the county ia
5,565,000 acres, of which 2,159,2O7 "a
surveyed; of this latter 1,992,158 acres
have been appropriated by settlers,
leaving 167,049 acres of surveyed
land that is still unappropriated, and
3,4O5,793 acres that is unsurveyed and
Incorporated. When it is remem.
bered that ~ years ago less than
1000 acres of land was under cultiva.
ton it will be seen that the develop
ment of the county has been rapid
and gratifying, but the figures also
show that there are still thousands
OF homes to be taken in the county.
These unappropriated lands offer I'M
opportunities to the home
seeker.
Much of the vacant public land that
remains in timber, but the timber is
valuable, and when the land is clear.
ed it makes the best orchard and
fruit land to be had.
Fruit Growing.
Fruit growing offers better oppor-
tunities to the home builder than any
other branch of husbandry. Land
suitable for the business is cheaper
and more easily obtained than land
suitable for grain crops, and when
planted to orchard can be used for
growing potatoes and other vegeta-
bles and crops that are cultivated.
When planted to small fruits the re-
turns are speedy and certain, and
the net revenue per acre is greater
than can be realized from any other
crop. When once in bearing the Or
chard is an unfailing source of reven-
lie as long as it is given proper care
and as soon as planted the orchard
increases in value with every year.
Good fruit always finds ready sale
at good prices. Berries in the local
market the past season brought
from $1.75 to 1915 per crate, while
apples bring from $1.25 to $3.50 per
box. Either small fruits or bearing
orchards will yield form 500 to $3.50
per acre in net returns.
Assessable Wealth.
The assessed valuation of the coun-
ty for the year was $S438,278 as
against $4,962,289 for 1901 The rsa
Indebtedness of the county is apprc--.
imately $135,000. The amount OF
delinquent taxes for the year was
less than three per cent, a less per.
centage than can be shown by any
other county in the state.
The amount of fees and Licenses
collected for the year amc--.ts to
$54,269.15, December estimated), az