Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-11-17
VEAL TIL OF THE
INLAND EMPIRE
3. 8. Hobson Tells Of the Great Pro.
0ress Made During Past Few Years
In Fergus County.
ITS GREAT EST PRESENT NEED
10 a Railway Running From East to
West-0ur Flocks and Herds
and Mines.

While in Helena this week, s. 8.
Hobson devoted some of his time to
missionary work for his home county,
and an exceptionally interesting in
terview with him appears in the Hell
ena Independent. The article is as
follows:
mo county in Montana has in the
last five years shown more marvellous
growth than Fergus. From the ban
mel stock growing county in the state
1t has taken first place as the largest
producer of gold, and its agricultural
growth is keeping pace with it's miner.
al development,
"S. s. Hobson, Of Lewistown, who
was a recent visitor in Helena, and
who knows the county as well If not
better than any other man in Mon.
tana, talked Interestingly Of it's re-
sources and possibilities. There is
but one railroad in the county, and
that has been completed to LewistOwn
only about two years, and it has prov
ed how a railroad develops a cOun-
try. Mr.. H0bson is of the opinion
tnat what Fergus needs is another
railroad, running east and west, and
he also believes the business will jus.
tify better transportation facilities.
Millions Of Acres.
The total area of Fergus county,
said Mr.. Hobson, is 8,371 900 acres;
there has been appropriated out of
this 100000 acres, and there still re-
mains unappropriated 100000 acres.
From two to three million acres of
this is good agricultural land and will
grow twice as much grain to the acre
without irrigation as Dakota or Mime.
sofa.
I think there are two million acres
between Lewistown and Great Falls
that will grow grain without irriga-
tion, and it is all tributary to line
of railroad located between Lewistown
and Great Falls. The latter town
would be the marketing place for this
grain, where it could be manufactured
into flour by water power Flax makes
an excellent crop all over Fergus coun-
ty, as it grows wild, and in several
places where it has been cultivated it
produced over 20 bushels to the acre.
The acreage of land plowed this year
will be fully double what it was last
year, and If We had transportation it
would increase rapidly. In the near
future large business will be done
in Fergus in the fattening of cattle
and sheep for the eastern and west
ern markets.
No General System Of Irrigation.
There is no general system of ir-
rigation in Fergus county, but there
is large amount of land under cult
walton by irrigation from bitches own.
ed by private parties; this land is used
largely for growing spring grain, al
falfa and other hay crops. 1 have so
acres of alfalfa which has produced
two good crops each year for the past
seven years, which has never been ir-
rigated. have one field of irrigated
alfalfa which has grown from two to
three crops each year for % years
without reseeding.
Wealth Of the Mines.
The gold mines in the county are
improving and increasing in their out
put every month; new mines are be-
ing opened up, and those that have
and are producing over 100000 ev-
cry month in gold. There are large
deposits of silver-lead and iron ores
that can not be worked at present for
want of transportation.
There is large area of the coun-
try that is underlaid with good lig.
mite coal. This coal is found in al
most every section of the county, and
a sufficient quantity is being mined
for domestic purposes.
"'What Fergus needs is road from
the east passing through the county
from east to west. We have the best
and cheapest lands in the whole Rocky
mountain region and they only have
to be seen to attract the settler. Fer
gus would easily support 100000 peO-
pie and give them good homes and
business, and all it needs is good
class OF farmers and transportation
facilities for the crops, and when that
is assured all the other business and
capital will come.
"The population of the county is ap-
proximately 10000 people. The prop
erty in Fergus is assessed at $4,000, 900
and it is not assessed for over so per
cent of its value. Equally divided,
that would give every man, woman
and child in the county $500. There
are few people in the county VINO took
into it any capital; they have made
it all in the county,
Figures on Business.
Some Figures recently compiled of
the business of Fergus county go to
support the view of Mr.. Hobson, that
there is good business in the county
for an east and west railroad. Lew
istown, with population of 5000, has
80 business houses; Gilt Edge, Is miles
east of Lewistown, has $50 population
and IL business houses; Kendall, 20
miles north of Lewistown, has 1000
population and 20 business houses;
Grass Range. 35 miles southeast of
I.ewistown, has $50 population and
three business houses; Moore, 20
miles southwest of Lewistown, has
$50 population and IL business houses;
Garneill, as miles southeast of Lewis
town, has $50 population and eight
business houses.
Aggregate Of Transactions.
There are few towns in Montana
that can make the showing that Lew
isrOwn does in a business way. There
are four general stores. whose annu.
al sales amount to $55O.O0O. the aver
AAN@vr