Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-09-07

the town well lighted and Adequately
protected from fire. Commercially,
is the largest trading center in Eastern
Montana.
1.-THE town derives its patronage from
a rich agricultural district and draw
trade from $50 miles north and fully
the same distance on the south, anC
about rs miles east and west.
1T does not depend upon any ont
industry and is rapidly coming intC
| prominence as a iobbing center.
The principal lines Of industry are
the growing Of wool. mutton, and beef
/ Great stretches of wonderfully ricf
/ grazing land lie on every side Of the
town, and any number OF the most fer
tile farms in the state can be found
within a few miles of the city.
The town is built on an undulating
plain between high sandstone bluffs
I and the great Yellowstone river, which
/ rises In the famous Wonderland flows
/ through the valley, watering the whole
of eastern Montana and turning north
empties into the Missouri.
THE portion of the Yellowstone val
ley of which Billings is the center has
the finest climate in Montana. The
influence Of the warm breath Of the
Japan current, or equatorial river IN
the Pacific, is felt over the entire
state. There are occasional cold spells,
which rarely last over three days, when
the mercury drops lower than 20 de-
grees below zero, but in the dry air 1t Is
not felt so severely as zero weather In
the lake or Atlantic coast states, and
the wind never blows when the tenn
perature falls below zero in Montana.
The recorded mean temperature in
Montana is 40 degrees The average
rainfall is 20 inches. The snow fall Is
less than in New York or Ohio, except
in the mountains A day when the sun
does not shine is a rarity, and build
ing operations and work in the open
air can be carried on in every month.
The elevation of Billings above the sea
surpassed for healthfulnesS.
Had Modern Facilities
Billings contains the improvements
and advantages usually to be found In
cities of $4,000 inhabitants. She has a
fine modern sewerage system; water
works, with a capacity of 100000 gall
Ions day, and IA miles Of mains, cap
able of supplying a population Of 5000
with pure, wholesome water; an electric
lighting system, with night and day
circuit for light and power; local and
long distance telephone exchanges; the
best equipped fire department in the
nOIIlWeSb. III Is lie D6SJ llBuD6Q CITY
in the northwest. 1t possesses the free
mail delivery, and the first rural free
delivery to be established by the post
office department runs out from Bill
lingS and brings daily mail to a rural
population of about 800; the postal
business at Billings, as shown by the
department of statistics, is the great
est of any city of the United States of
similar size except Sterling, Ill, /
a,ta d ,%F lnI@~ tod
ent medicine laboratory. The streets OF
the city are all graded and equipped |
with sidewalks, and most Of them lined !
with shade trees; the lawns and flower
gardens of Billings are admirably kept
and greatly admired. Notwithstanding
the erection Of many new houses each /
year, there is not an empty house in /
the city
Billings is the greatest primary wool
market in the world, over 14,000,0O0 /
pounds of wool having been sold and |
consigned to eastern centers during the I
season of 1901. 1t is also the greatest
mutton shipping point on the Northern /
Pacific railway. Other exports are cat
tie, horses, agricultural products and /
building stone. About 5000 horses were I
purchased here last year by the re-
mount department Of the British army I
Large Commercial Interests
1.-THE commercial interests are larger
than in most cities of several times
the size of Billings. One firm pays
nearly $4,000 annually in freights,
while several others pay two-thirdS and
half that amount. There are three
wholesale houses, and several very
large retail firms. Billings as a rail-
road center will ultimately be the
point of Montana. The four
banks have an average deposit OF ST.
$50 600 All the banks then in Billings
stood firm through the panic of 49,
Although this anonymous writer
seems to stretch a few points, espe-
cially when it concerns the weather
and similar statistics, the facts that
he brings out on Billings all seem to
be true and his enthusiasm may be
Dardoned when it is realized that Bill
ings has made good even beyond that
writer's widest dreams. In less than
10 years Billings has grown from a
village of 5000 to a genuine city. The
growth has been such that the proud
boast of the Billings booster OF 1902
that the city'S water system could take
care Of population of 5000, now
seems ludicrous. However, it was this
and this ability to keep
one step ahead of the times that was
responsible for Billings growth.
Had Up to Date Laundry
Examples of this spirit may be seen
in the Industries of the times in Bill
lings. Among the thriving business
houses was the steam laundry owned
by Erickson & Scott. In 1902 it boasted
the latest equipment and machinery
and that it was capable of turning
out the finest work from st. Paul to
Butte.
The building was on First avenue
north and Twenty street. Built
Of brick, it was 100 feet long and As
feet wide. w. j. Scott, one Of the own
ers, planned the building and arranged
Tho ,,,ooi7ff,a,-xy y, ttrro 1orac fl1a nfltfrq !