The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-04-15
Says Libby
Country Tops
With Him
Traveller Over ALI The State
Thinks This Section
Leads In Beauty.
DESCRIBES GRANDEUR
OF KOOTENAI CANYON

after travelling into all parts of the
state and covering some $4,000 miles II
the 20 to Il months since left Libby
/ have yet to find a place with the ap-
peal that the Libby country has for me,
said Elmer Phillips while talking tc
the Libby Lions at their dinner Monday
night at the New Model cafe.
And my work carried me into the
most inaccessible parts of the state,
continued Phillips. II went into the
tops of mountains and back into far
remote places, and yet found nothing
to equal this wonderful section for
natural beauty and for attraction for
the tourist
1.-THE people of this district have little
conception said Mr.. Phillips, of the
great number of tourists who will visit
this section when the highways are
districts where the highways are
good found &C mn 0 t n S
swamped with tourists and unable to
take care of the great numbers of
travellers. | found the hotels and
tourist camps all filled and in some
places the tourists were forced to sleep
in their cars as accommodations else
where could not be found
Want to Visit Libby Country
Another thing ran onto frequently
was this. When people found that |
was originally from the Libby country
many of them stated that they had long
wanted to visit that country. We have
heard lot of the wonderful scenery
in the Libby district they would say to
me, but we also have understood the
highways are poor and that has kept
lis away However, we now hear that
the roads are improving and we surely
want to take vacation in that section
They said they were coming not only
in the summer but also in the winter
to enjoy our skiing and other winter
sports The tourists who will come
will far exceed the most optimistic ex-
pectations at the present time.
And NEST Of these tourists will want
TO fish, said MIR Phillips, while we
have fine and efficient little hatchery
here, it is altogether too small and in
adequate to perform the big job that is
being laid upon it 1t cannot stock the
streams Of so large a district as
it now has to serve If we want to take
care Of the fishermen that will come
to lis in greater numbers every year,
we will have to develop larger hatch
cry here hone YOU men will all put
in good word whenever the oppor-
tunity arises in favor of enlfi 5ing the
Libby hatchery.
According to our best estimates,
fishermen alone spent 20 million dol
lars in Montana last year That gives
one something of an idea Of what a
huge sum may be brought into the
district by sportsmen coming here to
fish"
Mr.. Phillips is superintendent of the
Libby state hatchery and was recently
returned here after having served as
state superintendent of fisheries. He
was introduced by Lion j. w. Farris
who said that Phillips needed no in
PRODUCTION as he had long been one
of us
President Krall presided at the meet
ing and introduced the Rev. Richard
Price of Whitefish who spoke a few
words commencing the Lions for the
good work done and thanking them foi
their hospitality to him.
During the business session, Iior
Hoffman reported regarding the clean
up at the Kootenai falls park He sale
seven good men turned out last Sunday
and while the number was small yet I
lot of good work was ACCOMPLISHED.
Lion Klehm suggested tfat the bes
thing to do right now was to feduce a:
much as possible the fire hazard By
cleaning up bad brush heaps And de.
bris. This should be donelk once a!
it probably would be unwise to burr
material much after May /. Accord
inglv Lion w. Fl. Kemp was appointed
chairman of a committee to head an,
other cleanup project next Sunday
The chair then called on Lion KLEIN
to tell about the boat ride which he ant
Lion Hoffman had taken through tn
Kootenai canyon last Sunday afternoon
Mr. Klehm replied with word pic
ture of the beauties of that little know
trip.
New Scenic Attraction
after our labors at the CLEANUP
job" said Mr.. Klehm, "a number Of n
paid the Throop place below the falls
visit There we enioved seeing a larp
sturgeon that MIR. Throop had caugl
and tied up. He was about four fec
long and WEIGHED 30 pounds, so W
were told. Then Mr.. Throop invite
Lion Hoffman and myself to take boz
ride through the canyon in that 10
cality. 1t was a complete surprise I
us. The ride REQUIRED about two hour
going and coming and during those tw
hours there were marvellous beauti,
before us all the time. The walls Of II
{. canyon are solid rock and lift above or
from 80 to 100 feet in an almost pei
pendicular line The various strata
rock can be plainly seen. Some of the
Continued on page 81