Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-09-13

head Of navigation, carries substan-
TALLY the same volume of water for
thousands of miles, and is navigable
for the same class of boats at Fort
Benton as are disable at Sioux City.
In other words, evaporation just
about equals reinforcements from
tributaries throughout the entire up
per Missouri for that matter,
far below. Again quoting from
Chittenden, who as head of the en- 4
cheering department Of the Missouri
River commission for many years,
has proven his mastry Of othe tech
nical and commercial features in
volved III that waterway, we find
him declaring, in his work above
cited: From this point (head of
navigation) the river descends like
an interminab1e winding staircase to
the level Of the sea, and with SO gen
tie slope that great boats can as
cend it the entire distance. He
ranks it 'one Of the most remarkable
streams upon the globe. It's source
lis further from the sea than that of
any other Again: or all the
western rivers the Missouri was by
far the most important to the trade.
And again: The physical charac-
teristics Of the Missouri river over
the navigable portion Of its length
are the same as those of the lower
Mississippi
A Vast Trade Treasury.
''And what Of the vast resources
upon which trade may feed in the
upper Missouri region?
"One-fourth of the areas of Iowa
and Minnesota, half Of Nebraska,
three-fourths Of Wyoming, and con-
siderable areas In Canada are within
the limits Of. the upper Missouri riv-
er valley. Concerning the resources
and products Of the state just men
toned we will not descend to figures.
But of the three great states in the
very heart Of the region under dis
cussion we win speak more definite
", since they are farther from the
great commercial centers as whole,
and they offer i'd what they already
show in products a most tempting
attraction from the lower Missouri
valley centers.
South Dakota's $4,000 square miles,
producing In 1907, In millions Of bus
hels, of wheat Is, Of corn 100, Of
oats 60, Of barley 80, and whose total
products that year were worth $780,
100000, whose gold output ranked
third among the states, whose al
ready developed natural gas belt in
connection with artesian waters en-
braces $500 square miles and is the
most extensive of any upon the con-
tinent; North Dakota of substantial
ly equal area, the assessed valuation
of whose taxable properties in that
year was about $215,0OO,OOO, whose
wheat product lead the array of
states with Gin million bushels) 70;
of oats "a, and whose grain, ccrn
and potatoes output aggregated one
hundred fifty million bushels, whose
flax totaled one-third of the entire
product Of the union, whose operat-
ed coal mines were hfty-nine in num-
Der and whose Ignite coal deposits
underlie 10000 square miles Of land;
and Montana, whose lumber products
that year was about $50 million feet,
whose assessed valuation was 275
millions dollars, whose total OUT
put of the precious metals was 115
million dollars, whose citizens could
boast Of twenty-five splendid librar-
les, whose coal and coke product
was 115 million tons-the coal cost
ing less than two dollars a ton at
the mine; whose Ignite coal resource
es and potentialities in making steam
fuel, light and gas are amazing,
whose Ignite areas are in extent sec
ond only to those of North Dakota
and exceed those Of all the other
Rocky mountain states, and whose
mighty and multifarious waterfalls,
in the various forms Of power born
OF their Harvesting, would truly daz-
zle the imagination if figures were
descended tothese colossal shower
ings forth of nature under mans
professorship, crowned, throughout
the whole territory here told Of, BY
the most formidable array Of live
stock interests developed In the
western world at the same stage Of
growth, tell a tale Of harvest yet to
come In trade and commerce which
cannot be discounted but which APP
peal with the force Of conviction to
every instinct Of enterprise abroad
in the merchants Of America and the
carriers who will do their bidding.
That the lower Missouri COM
unities will find in the upper Mis-
souri, territory a field worth con-