Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-12-28
Published Every Friday by
John N. YRO0MAN, Editor and Proprietor
nALSEY r. WATSON, Business Manager
Entered as second-class matter Aug
ust 8. 1906, at the postoffice at Lew
istown. Montana, under the act Of
congress of March 8, 1879.
Subscribers failing to receive meir
papers will please notify this Office,
that the cause may be Investigated aud
reported to the proper authorities.
LEWISTOWN, MONT, Dec. 20, 1906
A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

n 6AFPY NEW TEAM.
The people of Lewistown and Fer
gus county, in looking back over the
past twelve months, find every reason
to be entirely satisfied with the prog
ress made, and they salute the dawn
ing year with the certain knowledge
that it will bring to this section a
greater measure of material prosper
ity, development and general advance
ment than has ever been experienced
In all the past.
II there We're no promise in the
future other than the continuance of
year, the outlook would look bright
indeed.
Fergus county has turned out this
year over 100000 bushels of milling
wheat of the finest quality and an
immense supply of other grains, while
80 per cent more land has been placed
under cultivation than had known the
pillow one year ago. There has been
very large addition to the pOpula-
ton of the agricultural districts, and
the hOmeseekers who have come into
the Judith Basin all belong to the
most desirable class of settlers. 1t
has been the greatest year for the MN
ing industry ever experienced in the
history OF the county. This is indi-
Gated not alone by the output of gold,
which is shown by the official figures
to have averaged little more than
100000 each month but in certain de-
velopments that cannot fail to give
this industry great uplift The sale
OF the Barnes-king at Kendall to out
side capitalists, the assurance that
John A. Drake will erect a mill on his
splendid North Moccasin property at
the same camp, the installation of the
Parks plant at Maiden, the great inter.
est aroused in the Cone Butte district,
the fine record made by the Gold Reef
at Gilt Edge-all these things mean
much for this great industry and can
not fail to result in a notable increase
in the output of the yellow metal from
Fergus county.
Still it is in Lewistown, perhaps,
that the progress made by the whole
county has been most plainly seen.
In the additions to the population,
In the volume of trade done by our
merchants, in the value of the i'm
provements made and in the awaken.
ing of a spirit of civic pride the past
year has been a record breaker. Some
splendid additions have been made to
the business blocks Of the city, the
lines OF the residence districts have
been gradually extended in every d..
rection, and handsome homes have
gone up in sections that but a few
years ago were looked upon as bang
practically outside of the city proper.
The most competent authorities, after
checking over ali Of these improve
ments, estimate that they represent
an outlay of at least 100000.
Yet all this, for both the city and
the county, is but happy augury of
the coming year. The building OF two
great transcontinental lines Of railway
across Fergus is of such transcedent
Importance LAT Vi: Cannot yet asp
all that it means to us. We know
that it will start a great movement
of homeseekers to this section; that
it will bring an immense area or land
that is now unproductive under cult
walton; that it will add enormously to
the wealth of the county, reducing the
burdens of taxation and giving a
mighty impetus to the onward march
of this whole section. And while the
details cannot be grasped, we all rea-
lie that it means the transforma-
ton of the whole Judith Basin coun.
try.
The outlook for Lewistown for the
coming year is especially bright. It
will bring the realization of many long
cherished hopes and we believe that
everyone will find a new meaning in
the greeting this season of "A Happy
New Year."