The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-01-02
MAGAZINE WRITER
LAUD$ STATE.
AN ARTICLE IN THE NATIONAL
MONTHLY DESCRIBES MON
TANA's RESOURCES.

The New Pacific Steel Trail" an
article in tn, National magazine
which deals with the newly fin
ished Puget Sound and the coun-
try traversed by the road. describes
at length Montana and its develop
ment. The portions of the article re-
lating to the Treasure State are as
follows:
Millions Of acres of government
land in Montana are still free for
settlement under the Mondeil act. and
many OF these sections are tributary
to the new railroad In three months
of last year over 5000 homesteads
were entered. Under the Mondell
homestead act $40 acres can be secured
by each individual in certain parts of
Montana. instead of 100. This is be-
cause dry farming makes it necessary
to let the land lie faliow for a year.
and for this reason double the amount
Is given. The Standing Rock and
Cheyenne River Indian reservations
have only recently been opened and 1t
is expected that over 100000 people
will register for the 10000 farms Of
1G0 each open to entry.
Agriculture.
Montana has the distinction Of pro-
ducing more wheat per acre than any
other state in the Union. AT the For
syth experimental farm a field of
Turkey Red wheat yielded s. bushels
to the acre. The average yield of
wheat on Montana farms. for a period
ranging over nine years. was 26.6
bushels per acre. against a general
average of the United States for the
same period Of 1873, giving the value
per acre and the average value of
the crops as s19sl per acre. against
1891 for Iowa and $3.50 for Nebraska.
The large home market in Montana,
insured by numbering and mining OPP
eratiOns, has had much to do with en-
HANGING the value of farm products of
the state.
1.-The popular faliacy that mountains
and mines. cowboys and Indians COM
prise all Of Montana is rapidly being
disproved. settlers and investors know
that 1t is only question of few
years when this great area must inn
mensely increase its value. Realizing
that the total population of the state
is now only 100000. they understand
what the third largest state In the
Union has TO offer in the way OF flu
ture development. Under the home
stead law this vast tract Of 10000
square miles has been rapidly striding
toward settlement during the past two
years. for the construction Of the new
railroad has revealed the fact that
Montana has material for fine homes
and profitable development that could
easily support 100000 people. Today
immigration settlement and develop
ment are each being systematically
carried on as a complete science in
themselves. 1t was never more clear
ly understood than now that the in
terests of great railroad corporations
and of the people are identical.
~ Valleys.
IAN over the map of Montana are
clusters OF valleys. like red grapes on
the vine wide areas OF valuable. ara
BILE land. larger than are available
in Pennsylvania. New York and New
England combiued. Over one-half OF
the direct line of the Pacific coast
extension. from the Missouri river to
the coast line. lies through the state:
over $50 miles of the iron rails traverse
the very heart of these fertile val
leys. opening land in the Yellowstone.
Musselshell. Judith. basin. Smith river.
Shields river. Gallatin. Madison, Will
low creek. Jefferson. Big Hole. Deer
Lodge. Ruby, Bitter Root and Mis-
soula valleys: some of these tracts are |
not directly entered by the line but |
1t passes near enough to make trans
portation very simple matter for the |
farmers.
Passing through Montana the Mil
wankee parallels the Northern Pacific
railway for many miles. and the great /
tunnel entrances. side by side. stand
out like pair of eyes In the crouch |
ing mountain. All along the road vast
timber areas are opened. and the new
telegraph poles stand trim as a row
OF poplars. with wide-spreading ant
lers yard away from the wires. CIV
ing room for the wires to multiply.
A trip in this section might relieve
the distress of mind OF some radical.
theoretical conservationists. who be-
lieye that the United States has no
trees left. Vast tracts of timber here
must be moved IL the country Is To
he developed into q productive area
for Increasing population. Unlike
some OF the first. transcontinental lines.
the milwaukee neither asked for nor
secured government land grant: on
the contrary. they have bought large
areas of timber along their road-a
certain and valuable reserve OF heavy
traffic in years to come