Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-08-17
LETTER FROM O. E. WELLS
Continuing an Account of His Travels
in the West.

Continuing my itinerary the next
place of interest was Butte, Montana,
city set on a hill. 1t is said to be
the richest hill in the world. A
striking popularity is the total alb
sence of vegetation, due to the fumes
from the smelters. Tacoma was once
so accused but science and engineer
ing found remedy, and vegetation
again tiourishes.
Butte is literally honeycopbed with
mines of gold, silver, copper, and coal;
they are from 400 to 1890 feet deep,
and the length of the underground
passage ways or tunnels is several
thousand miles. In all parts of the
city are tall smoke stacks, hosting
machinery, and smelters. The value
of the output of the mines is many
million dollars annually.
To see the city one takes a seeing
Butte car" for a three hours ride and
all points of interest are explained by
the conductor. The car is left several
times for inspection of objects and
tour of the great copper smelling es-
adjustment. Enroute you have been
told that horses and mules often work
six or eight years underground with
out ever being brought to the surface.
You are now grayely informed that
when an old mule has outliyed his
usefulness he is sent to the smelter
and usually yields 80 per cent. of copper.
Continuing our journey to Living
stone, we turn aside for week in the
Yellowstone park and then pursue
our homeward way. 1t has long been
our wish to see the Bad Lands. At
early morn we drop out of an upper
berth in the sleeper and 10, we are
just entering them. They are much
more picturesque and attractive than
we had anticipated. We stop at Fal-
Ion, village of three or four hundred,
where four years ago was nothing
and are told that 100000 bushels of
wheat were shipped from here last
year, and this year the shipment will
be million bushels.
At Signal Butte we are delayed sew
eral hours by washout some dis
lance further on. Again atnight a
washout not only holds us up but
compels us to turn to the tracks of
the Great Northern, which we follow
to st. Cloud, Mimi.
In a valley not far from Glendiye
we saw signboard announcing that
Theodore Roosevelt once ranched in
this gulch. Even that did not make
it seem dreadful. In fact, it seemed
quite charming place though haunt
ed by the memory of SO frightful a
denizen. These gulches are not wholly
given over TO ranching but are becom-
ing productive grain areas. Montana
is forging ahead as wheat producing
state. The process known as ''dry
farming" is making available large
tracts once thought dessert. In the
Gallatin valley the ordinary yield of
wheat is 40 to 45 bushels to the acre.
In exceptional years it is SO to 60
bushels. The railways charge twenty
one cents per bushel for hauling it to
Minneapolis or Duluth
The great wheat fields of North
Dakota and Minnesota were delight
to see. The crop which is good is but
partially harvested, thousands of acres
dead ripe were still untouched. Much
has been cut and considerable is
stacked. Many more Ahands and a
better distribution of them are need
ed. A large crop of hay was cut and
corn is generally in good condition
The great Northwest is scarcely
touched as yet but great develop
ment is settingein which will yield
untold wealth to the husbandman ano
the capitalist.