The Daily Missoulian., 1912-09-16

A. T. OKad, prominent resident
Of Mitchell, s. d., recently went from
his home to Seattle on an excursion
trip With others he stopped off In
Missoula on his return and visited
the Bitter Root valley. The following
is a portion of his letter to his home
paper, the Mitchell Republican, de-
scribing the vallay and telling what
he thinks of conditions there:
After breakfast at Missoula, We
boarded jerk water train on the
Northern Pacific, for Hamilton, the
metropolis of the wonderful Bitter
Root valley. Crossing the Missoula
river we We're soon speeding along
between two ranges of mountains, put
few miles apart The Rockies and
the Bitter Root. In many instances
snow capped peaks loomed against the
sky and seemed forbidding. but in the
valley quite another condition in
vited Here were numerous well es-
tablished farm houses with vegetation
almost tropical, and orchards every
where. Shortly the valley Widened.
giving greater opportunity for horti-
culturists and farmers. and tumblins
down through the entire valley, flow
ing to the north. runs the Bitter Root,
stream of beauty and filled with
soft, cool snow wateT- and springs
of similar character. No; not filled
with water, but with water and noun
tain trout. Almost the fishernan's
paradise
Our impressions of the valley were
thus far of the ecstatic kind; and it
almost seemed like a fairy land; but
after reaching our destination, meet
ing the Wolgemuth families, and
taking in'' the entire valley, by auto.
we advanced our estimate of its val
lie and virtues, some hundreds per
cent
Real Fairy Tales.
We have been told fairy tales re-
garding its fruits and climate, and
We expected that personal contact
would disillusion us, and that it
could not stand up to the mark given
it BY enthusiasts. Well; either WE
were hypnotized, or the half had nev-
er been told" Ii is the veritable Gar
den of Eden True, Adam does not
swell around there clad in a fig leaf
only. and no serpant ever tempts an
unsuspecting Eve, and man has to earn
his bread in the sweat of his brow;
but for all that it is AN Eden.
We visited The Inn a hotel e,-
tahlished by the Bitter Root Improve
ment company, eight miles from a
railway, and built TO accommodate
the landseekers that daily infest that
valley for bargains. 1t is dainty
hotel in a. dainty setting. and its cui-
sine equals the best. The Bitter Root
company bought some $4,000 acres of
land on the east side of the river, but
without water. They expended some
S3.000000 under the direct superIn-
tendency of Mitchell boy, Lee e.
Wolgemuth, in building a dam, over
mile long, possibly $50 feet high thus
lmpounding water in three mountain
lakes, and furnishing sufficient water
for at least 100000 acres. They built
about so miles of canal, from which
the water is taken to irrigate every
foot of that land they own, prac-
tically every acre of which is first
quality fruit lands, although any veg
etable or grass will grow to the limit.
They have a demonstration garden
hard by, of some 10 acres, that capti-
waited us for over two hours, the broil-
ing sun having no power to drive us
from it. No, gentle reader you would
not believe us if we should tell of what
We saw there. But If you wish to see
a wilderness Of the richest vegetation
earth can produce; if you wish to
see IA Strawberries lying side by side,
measuring over yard; if you wish to
see the sum total of earth's possibil-
tiles, visit that garden
Visit Ross Hole.
We then visited the orchard that DIR.
Lamme is establishing, and greatly ad-
mred the location, and general evil
dence of thrift prevailing; also saw
40 acres Lee Wolgemuth is developing
IN the same locality. Later we Wis
tied Ross Hole" the place where Bit
ter Root river begins its run of a
hundred miles or more.
On the return we stopped at Med
icine Springs" where we saw water
testing l2o degrees Fahrenheit, gushing
from the solid rocks, while only a few
leet uistans' ana apparently from the
same rock, came water almost ice
cold. This is summer resort, with
hotel, baths, plunges cottages, etc,
and is situated in a weird canyon that
offers nature worship in a marked de-
gree.
Later We visited the Rose Garden"
beauty spot covering acres of
beautiful roses: the owner must ne
something of Burbank, as the vari-
ETY. is beyond the dream of man.
Grand View Ranch.
We next visited the GRAND View"
ranch. owned by Wolgemuth & Tay-
lor. This is the "show orchard" OF
the valley, and comprises so acres of
fruit land, nearly all into fruit trees,
with large portion of it bearing.
With it's $4,000 house and outbuild-
ings to match, it is ideal Peaches,
pears, apples, plums and cherries in
front of them, and all around them,
rode the 400,' but we surrendered 1t
was the first time we ever had