The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-11-27
KIND WORDS
FROM VISITOR
HOW YELLOWSTONE VALLEY I'M.
PRESSES AN OUTSIDER.
THRIFTY AND PROGRESSIVE
An Area of Comfortable Homes, a
Region with Bright Future
Before 1t.


Before 1t.
j. w. Pace, who was one OF the
speakers at the recent farmers insti-
tute held in this city, upon his return
to Helena took occasion to give the
readers of the Montana Stockman and
Farmer the benefit of some OF his OBJ
servations. Mr.. Pace is the editor OF
that publication and consequently
what he has to say is entitled to all
the more weight. OF the Yellowstone
valley he says:
Valley Is Progressing.
The Yellowstone valley is progress
ing. 1t is strictly a farming and stock
section. It's citizens have become self
reliant; they have adopted new meth
ods. They are giving attention to the
conversion of surplus teeu into meat
rather than the shipment of the grain
and hay. The feeding of the past
two years, especially Of sheep, has
brought a profit to many-to all, in
fact, who fed their own stock. There
ing ION shares" proposition.
Alfalfa is the golden crop of the
Yellowstone. Its value is becoming
more potent each year. For years the
middlemen and eastern feeder have
gathered the profits OF the mutton pro-
duct. The stockman of Montana has
for years sold his wethers and lambs
to the feeder of the middle west, who
reaped more profit in a 9O-day course
of feeding than did the producer in
his year or more of care.
Under the changing conditions the
! ranchmen of the Yellowstone valley
propose to produce the finished meat
and reap the profits.
!. Less Of Venture.
" Beyond the breaks on either side OF
! the Yellowstone valley stretch the
| miles of public and railroad lands.
! During the past few years the railway
lands have been thrown upon the mar,
ket, and very large tracts have been
| bought and fenced. 1t is reaching
the period when stockmen will own
| and enclose their pasture lands, and
under such condition it will be posi-
| BILE for them to count more certainly
upon the cost and return from live
! stock operations.
Place Of Good Homes.
The Yellowstone is valley OF com
Portable homes and there is the all
of prosperity everywhere. 1t is com
mencing to resemble the Gallatin val
ley in many respects. The settlement
is steady and satisfactory. More at
tention is being directed to eastern
Montana now unan, for years. The tide
of immigration has been through ant
i beyond Montana by both Of the rail-
way systems that cross the state. Fol
the same price to Montana the home
seeker has been able to go to the Pa
cific coast, and he generally made hi
desire to see Montana secondary to thu
} chance to ride thousand miles fur
ther for little or nothing. This ap
pears to be changing, and regardless
!, of the low rates westward a few ar
: stopping in Montana, and they like il
In Thrifty Billings.
i Billings offers another example Q
J the stability of the town that is base'
upon agricultural and livestock inter
} ests. The city is we'll built-bette
: built than any city of it's size in tn
northwest Some beautiful homes ar
| the result of the past years building
!, A hotel that will cost 100000 is neal
; ing completion-the exterior is in tn
highest art-the interior promises t
correspond Good homes for rent hav
been fewer than the demand, and il
vestments are being made with COZ
). fidence and faith.
Stockmen are moving from the SUI
rounding country to Billings-just a
they are moving to Bozeman from tn
Gallatin valley-building substantis
n homes, taking advantage of goo
? school system and living. The pionee
Q in these valleys has in many case
/. existed-he has not lived in the fu
il sense. The habits of the earlier strul
+ giles, before the competency cam
were fixed and he has been apparent