The Daily Missoulian., 1912-06-03
THRIFT AND BEAUTY
EVERYWHERE
THE MISSION VALLEY AND ITs
NEicHeoRs SHOW EVIDENCE
or PROGRESS.

gazed down into the Mission valley.
the sight that met my eyes was won
drously beautiful. The view OF the
Mission settlement. radiant In all Its
springtime splendor, beggared descrip-
ton. l saw In the landscape n picture
OF beauty unalloyed. painted by Ma
ture-most wonderful artist.
1t Is two miles down steep grade
to the mission and about 10 to the
mountain range beyond. The bright
colored buildings of the fathers set
tlement stand out conspicuously amidst
the dark green of the luxuriant vegeta-
tion about their grounds.
The wooded strip following the
course of Mission creek from east to
west gives a glimpse here and there
Of the clear, sparkling stream which
separates the old from the new town
where numerous pretty dwellings de-
note much activity in the building line.
The cultivated fields with their
growing crops of different shades of
green extend to the foot OF the noun
tains, where they meet the dark green
timber belt And those mountains!
what a magnificent sight they were!
The rugged peaks encascd in pure
white snow. their glacial pinacles pierre
Ing the deep blue sky, made picture
divine In Its rare sublimity.
Approaching the town. found this
section keeping pace with the rest of
the Flathead. The plow and grader
are at work on the road eliminating
chuckhole and washout impassabl bile
grades and dangerous curves. The
fertility of the fields Is demonstrated
IN the gardens of the fathers and the
nuns l noticed some alfalfa as
passed and gathered sheet that aver
aged 20 inches In length and Just begin
ming to bud on the 2sth day of May.
This whole Mission valley is a
verltablc garden: 1t is the epitome OF
all that is good of the Flathead.
The Beckwith Mercantile company
has made u marked Improvement In
It's store since my last trip, enlarging
II TO twice Its former size. with its
plateglass front and model equipment.
separate departments for groceries.
dry goods. implements. hardware and
shoes, the Beckwiths have n very cred
table establishment which bespeaks
much for the enterprise Of the pro-
prietors. and as both Messrs. Thomp-
son and OConnell. the other general
merchants. have materially increa sed
their stocks. It appears that st. Igna-
thus has developed into an important
trading center.
Driving along Mission creek n few
miles to the east, / was impressed by
the similarity between this country
here and the Bitter Root valley. and
wondered why so much good land was
lying idle. l was told IL constituted
Tor the most part what Is called dead
ailotments:" that Is. allotments to In
dians who were either dead at the time
or allotment or who have died since.
and the government has done nothing
toward selling or leasing the same so
that IL can be cultivated and produce
q crop.
On my way over to Roman, left
the auto stage at Post creek. These
auto stages. by the way, which r. l..
Bateman has just put into commits
sion are vast Improvement over the
old stages. making the trip quicker and
In more comfortable manner
The east end of the Big flat rises up
from Post creek at this point and Max
Loewenstein. Ben Jacobs. Joe Harris
and several of the best boosters In
the FIathead have located here
One Is astonished at the vast amount
OF SOIL put under cultivation here In
so short time. The settler certainly
has lost no time In getting in his crop
and building substantial dwellings. I
noticed particularly tho fine buildings
Mr.. Loewenstcin has erected, which
denote a confidence In the country
which assures success.
There is one subject would like
to impress upon these settlers, and
that is the value of ascertaining where
their wells are to be located before
building their dwellings,. understand
some have had difficulty in locating
water. know of the same condition
on the bench land in the Bitter Root
valley. where parties have expended
much money In home. subsequently
digging for well, only to find there
was no water within a mile OF their
buildings. 80 would advise everyone
to sink his well first and build the
home where he has found water for
domestic use.
Roman keeps forging ahead. no.
ticed within the last month Frank
Menager has opened his large dry
goods store: the Glacial Drug COM
pany has begun business. and the Res
ervation Land & Lumber company has
completed and Is now occupying a
large implement building. All three of
these speak much for the town, for.
when the business Of the place can
support special establishments of their
size and equipment. II must be a rat
tling good place: and Roman is: but
there Is one thing II needs badly, and
that is water system. Here Is good
chance for some capital to get busy
right now and erect a pumping sta
tion.
shudder when think of the dam
age a fire would do II II ever got
started among ali those frame build
ings with no protection except from
Scearce's water tank. which Is tenn
porarily out OF commission.
am pleased to note the county
commissioners doing good work on the
roads here. and I earnestly hope every
public spirited citizen, every CONNER
cial club and booster In western Mon
tana will ardentIy work for good roads.
There Ia no more valuable adjunct In
the building up of the country, moth
ing Of greater help to the rancher or