The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-06-05
WEDNESDAY, JUNE ), 1907.
IT TELLS ABOUT MONTANA.

.@.O
The tenth annual report Of the Mon
tana bureau Of labor, agriculture ant
industry, which has just been issued
is the best and ;most readable publ
cation that has been compiled by Of
fcials of that department. 1t is les.
bulky than some!of the former reports
Of the bureau, Ibut the reduction ir
size is due to thelelimin alton of much
statistical datalthat were of question
able value.
In compiling this peport it:has beer
the aim of Commissioner Ferguson
and L. p. Benedict, his able assist
ant, to present facts with special ref
erence to the resources OF the state
and the life and opportunities OF IT.
people. Under the divisionI on lands
the laws of special interest to settlers
are discussed. The homestead and
other land laws are quoted and the
settlement of Indian reservations and
other topicssof. like nature are fully
set out. In the next division irriga'
ton in all its phases is discussed.
The work oflthe federal,government in
the state is reviewed and irrigation
enterprises of corporations and in.
dividuals taken up.C Agriculture, la
Dor and the industries form the sub.
jects of three divisions, in each OF
which q vast fund of information tina
may be relied uponi as being correc,
is given. Under the head of "Miscel.
laneous' q review of the counties and
their resources is given. together with
statistics that must interest intending
settlers and others.
Under the title of Montana" the
commissioner prefaces his report as
follows:
Even a .,c%ursory study of presen,
conditional andi future prospects il
Montana is sufficient I o convince the
most skeptical that the measure OF
successful achievement coincident with
intelligent industry is not excelled
and but rarely approached by any
other community on earth. The rec.
ord OF present development, great as
it now appears, will be looked upon ir
future years as crude and elemental
The production Of precious metals ii
only begun.C Agriculture and irriga,
ton have barely passed the prelimin'
airy stages. Livestock industry even
now is undergoing changes that will
make the present output look ridicu.
lous. Development of water power in
almost unlimited degree will work a
revolution in manufacturing indus.
tries, a field now sadly neglected. The
building.of new railroads and the ex.
tension of old ones. will enable hun.
dreds of prospects to .become paying
mines, develop agricultural districts
now idle for want OF ~:access to mar.
kets. andocreate busy towns!and cities
in what is now a wilderness. Electric
roads will supply transportation to
thousands Of prosperous9farms which
in that time willlbe watered from gov
eminent irrigationNprojects, and the
products Of this pleasant toll will en-.
rich the state and'its people. Nature
created Northampton IA broad plan
and there is enough and to spare for a
population ten times Is great as that
which occupies its vast domain: nor
does it require the gift ofjprophecy to
proclaim the coming OF this greater
population. Preparations have been
made for its advent, land it is even
now on the way. New towns are be.
ing established. industries that have
beer mentioned but scarcely hoped
for, are being created andiput into &C.
tive and successful ,%operation: land
values are being steadily advanced as
experience p~rovesithe soil capable of
earning a large dividend upon the in.
creased valuation: government and
state land known TO be agricultural is
becoming nor difficult to obtain, and
the various land Offices report a vol.
ume OF business hitherto unpreced-
en.ed.
Enquiries come from every quarter
asking information and advice, aud
there is no longer room to doubt tina,
q great movement Of settlers and in,
vestors toward Montana has begun.
That this extension OF the popula tior
will necessitate great changes in pres
ent conditions is admitted and &C,
cepted. Many OF the enormous indi
vidual land holdings are being ant
will continue to be subdivided and Ar
era OF intensive farming on tract,
ranging from forty acres up must b,