WEST SHORE.
59
THE MONTANA RANGES,
Gradually bat surely the range industry tees the days of its glory de
part. About 1884 it reached the zenith, and hovered there about a year or
two, when the decline set in, says the Jfocih Mountain Hutbandman. The
first cause of this was the weakening of the market, bnt this wan ihe tole
cause for a short lime only, for. the feed supply soon became a serions prob
lem. The hard winter paralized the industry, so to speak, and our range
stock owners were long-faced for years ; and just as they were getting their
herds back to the original numbers, the dry weather set in, causing the fu
ture to be filled with doubts and forebodings. The settlement of Montana
after the dawn of the golden era was confined principally to the Beaverhead,
Ruby, Jefferson, Madison, Gallatin, Missouri and Deer Lodge valleys.
These valleys had come to be pretty well stocked before the close of the sev
enties, and the movements of herds to the Yellowstone, Musselshell, Judith,
Sun river, Teton, Marias and other unsettled ranges was commenced.
These new valleys were then the same paradise that their earlier homes
were in the sixties. But another decade has passed, and we find to-day
that the fencing of the water courses, willow patches and bottom lands on
our streams and their tributaries far up into the mountains is driving the
range industry far onto the frontier. Considerable (took is now moving to
the Milk river country, and when this is full they will recoil upon the Crow
and Blackfeet reservations.
There is but little doubt that the days of successful range growing are
well nigh spent. The land owner is the man who is to eventually own the
country. The day is not far distant when the owners of land will be the
only cattle growers of note in the state, as the country will be a network of
fencing. The production of stock will increase under the new regime if the
winter problem is solved, and if not, many muBt be sacrificed to quality.
As the country grows older, better breeds will take the place of our present
stock, for when it comes to winter feeding an era fast approaching the
scrub must go. When nature furnished feed in unlimited supply without
the labor of man, anything was good enough to own; hut with the new
order of affairs our people will not be slow to learn that it will pay best to
raise the beat. When it comes to the country being fenced from mountain
base to river strand, dairy herds and small bands of high grade cattle will
be the rule. We have been accustomed to the range system so long that we
regret to Bee it depart, but it is the inevitable d :cree of civilization that it
must go, and that too in a very few years. But cattle growing in the man
ner described will remain as long as the succession of sunshine and storm
renders our state habitable, and will be fully as remunerative as the same
industry is in any portion of the country.
The Willapa Harbor Cold Storage and Packing Company has been organ
ized at South Bend, Washington, with an authorized capital of $100,000.
One of the leading objects of the new company 1b to develop the oyBter in
dustry of Shoalwater bay, which for lack of suitable means for handling the
bivalves and changing market conditions has fallen off so that present ship
ments are only about half what they wtre twenty years ago. Early in 1853
the attention of the pioneers was directed to the fact that extensive beds of
oysters existed all around the bay, and some experimental shipment were
made to California, where none existed at that time. The shipment were
so well received, and yielded bo handsome a profit, that a most flourishing
industry sprang up and would have been still expanding to-day had not the
chief market been almost completely cut off by the success of oyster culture
in California. In the season of 1870 the business on Shoalwater bay had
reached Its prime. In that year fully 4,000 sacks a month were shipped,
realizing on an average $0 per sack here. During the mining excitement In
earlier years, as much as $8 per sack was realized. In short, when the bus
iness waa In Its prime, it was woith from 1250,000 to 1300,000 a year to
Shoalwater bay. The business hai been reviving during the past five years
and with systematic culture it promises to assume Its former importance.
The oyster and clam beds of Shoalwater bay have an area of about 80,000
acres. The bivalves grown there are of the best quality, and the revival of
the trade will be watched with Interest, especially as that section is exper
iencing very rapid development in every line.
The Canadian Pacific, with its newly rehabilitated Oriental steamship
line, will carry the imperial mails to and from China and Japan, and will
make a special effort towards controlling the respective trades of those
countries. One of these ships, the Emprtu of India, has been completed j
the second, the Emprtu of Japan, will be completed by January first next,
and the completion of the third, the Emprtu of China, will follow about
March first. They will each cost about $1,000,000, and It la said no expense
will be spared to make them equal In all respects to any shl afloat. They
are twin-screw steamers, of 10,000 borse-power, a gross tonnage of 5,700,
and are contracted to do eighteen knots on the measured mile and liiteen
and one-half knots on a 400 miles' sea trial. The dimensions are : Length,
between perpendiculars, 485 feet; breadth, moulded, flfty-one feet, and
depth, moulded, thirty-six feet. Each vessel will carry 120 first-class, fifty
second and 300 steerage passengers, aa well as nearly 4,000 tons of cargo.
A special feature will be made of the second-class travel, which the Cana
dian Pacific authorities believe may be extensively developed. They believe,
too, the whole traffic by this route is capable of much expansion. Western
ideas have of late so permeated the life of China, and especially of Japan,
that the people of these countries are traveling far more than they did for
merly. The Emprtu of India will sail for the Pacific coast about the first
of November, and the others will follow as fast as completed.
The city council of EllenBburgh, Washington, has purchased twenty
acres of ground about four miles northeast of the city for a water works
reservoir. It is 370 feet higher than the city. A large number of springs
occupy the area, but an artesian well will be sunk so as to Insure an abun
dant supply at all times. The reservoir will be of brick and cement, and at
Its outlet a filter will be placed. Half a mile nearer town a atandpipe will
be erected to equalize the pressure which will be sufficient to throw water
over a seven-story structure In the city. It is estimated that the new water
works will enable the city to save between $7,000 and $8,000 a year over the
Holly system now In use. Ellensburgh has just purchased the electric light
plant that furnishes the city light. The price paid was $35,000, and it Is
understood that the monthly receipts exceed the expenditures about $1100.
The city is getting In a good condition for enjoying comfort and business
prosperity.
Capt. ',. L. Tanner, of the United States flsh commission's steamer
Mbatrott, at Ounalaska, writes that he has just finished the examination of
Bristol bay and finds that " the great coal banks lie along the north side of
the peninsula, from the northwest cape of Unimik to Cape Constantino, off
the Mushragak." A series of geodetio surveys will be continued during
September and prosecuted westward. He also writes that the Ruth has
gone north, and that owing to the lateness of the season he does not expect
any more vessels up. The Albatrou will sail for Port Townsend the latter
part of September, and will return to San Francisco when the coast survey
work for the season shall have been completed.
Caldwell, Idaho, claims a population of 1,200. The company that laid
out the town recently sold its interests there and the conditions are now
favorable for a healthy growth. (20,000 have been expended in new busi
ness structures this season and about $50,000 in residences. The railway
company has made Important improvements In the town tills year, Cald
well has one bank with a capital of (50,000 and eight stores carrying stocks
ranging in value from $10,000 to $100,000. The agricultural Interests of that
section are rapidly increasing in Importance.
About a year ago the Lone Pine mines in the Vlpond district, Montana,
were brought to the attention of capitalists who organized a company for
working them. The developments were so promising that an English syn
dicate was attracted by the group, and a sale was recently made to the
Englishmen for $525,000. The property consists of six claims, carrying rich
veins of free milling silver ore. Some of the velm have been pretty well
developed. A new ten-stamp mill la now on the ground.
The long-standing disagreement between the Sumpter Valley Railway
and the Baker Valley Irrigation Company, In Baker county, Oregon, has
been amicably adjusted and both companies are going ahead with their
respective enterprises. This means a railroad to assist in developing the
timber and mineral resources west of Baker City, and also that thousands
of acres of arid land in the Powder river valley will be made susceptible of
general culture.
The city assessor of Spokane Falls deserves a monument. In 1880 the
valuation of taxable property In the city was $8,700,000. According to the
report of the assessor for tills year the valuation of taxable property In the
city Is $18,700,000. This speaks volumes for the growth of the town, Inas
much as assessment figures are likely to be greatly under rather than over
actual values.
A wrought iron and wire nail factory Is to be established at Whatcom,
Washington, by a Chicago capitalist who has been looking over the north
west (or a location. Local business men will unite with him In an Incor
poration capitalized at $100,000.
Fullman, Washington, now has six artesian wells which yield about
4,000 gallons of water per minute. The water is of good quality and flows
with considerable force.