Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1916-02-03
co1slluatoArlon.

Great Falls. Mont. Jan. 2l;.To
THE Editor of the Mo. Valley
Times. Dear Lahman. 1 thought
| would give you a description OF
this city and also the effects Of
a chinook we had last Saturday
and Sunday Saturday at 40 in
the morning the thermometer
Registered Is below and at 2.::3O'
lit began to thaw, the snow being
about a foot deep and by night the
sidewalk were all cleared OF. BY
tho next afternoon the streets
were like river and by the next
morning il was as cold as it was
before it hogan TO thaw, about a.
below, hut the people here do not
Seem to mind il much, as they
think zero weather is not bad. 4
don't mind it as much as you do
at home. The ice they are cut
ting here. is about twenty-four
inches thick This is the finest
city that have seen on my trip.
III has a population of about 81,
900 and is growing fast. a new
hotel antf'a new Y. M C. A. build
ing have just been finished here
that cost about $500, 900 each. Il
was at the opening OF. the New
Park hotel and it surely is fine
building. There was a big as
semblage present all day, which
in the evening attended a bali
given by. the management that
was a swell affair. All the cook
ing Of this hotel is done by cleo
tricity. There are several other
fine buildings in. course of cree
ton, also new Daily Tribune
building, which when completed
will be as fine one as there is
in the state.
The city is on the boom, with
o new 1000 barrel FIGURING mill,
a new zinc smelter and a sugar
factory will be built next year.
The big copper smelter is the lar
gcst concern of its kind in this
country and employs about 1000
men and it has never been shut
down. They work three shifts
and most of the men are taken
back. and forth on the street cars.
They work only eight hours a day
and everything is on a union
basis. Copper is up now and
they hire all the mechanics they
can get at good wages. It is quite
a curiosity to see the different
processes the copper goes thru.
They have three big dams on the
river, which furnish all the cur
rent to run the city, the Anaconda
and Butte mines and the Milwau-
kee railroad. The city has many
churches, two fine opera houses
and six picture theaters. This is
surely a healthy place. have
|gained about seven and one-half
|po1nds since have been here
Everything in the grocery line is
Iabout 10 per cent higher than in
the Valley. with the exception of
|clothing, which is as cheap as it
lis at home. At present eggs are
IS cents dozen. Rents are very
high, and the folks have a three
room house. for which they pay
S2i month, the only one they
icould get. Coal is about as
cheap here as in the Valley, IS to
81 a ton. The city has several
fine parks along the river front.
The Great Northern railroad has
Ibeen snow bound several times
this winter, but the Milwaukee is
running about on time. There
are about thirty saloons here and
Ithey remain open Sunday as we'll
as week days. We have two daily
lpapers, the Tribune and the
Leader. The folks like the city,
but they cannot stay long, as they
have TO go to their homestead in
March in time to put in their
crop of spring wheat. The farm
ers say their wheat is fine and
from what | saw before the snow
fell it certainly did. do not
know how soon will be back, but
lit may be about March 4. | think
if 1t agrees with me as it does
with the other members of the
family will make the stay as
Hong as possible. Clarence and
his family are enjoying the best
of health, especially the girls.
M. A. DONAHOE.
IA Fifth Avenue, South.