GREAT FALLS, MONTANA BOISE, THE CAPITAL OF IDAHO
CHAPTER VI.
Great Falls, Montana—Boise, the Capital of Idaho.
After a brief stop at my home town, I went over the Great Northern to the second city of Montana, Great Falls. Here, on the banks of the Missouri river, is destined to be one of the largest manufacturing cities of the west, with its gigantic water-power, that can be so easily utilized through its numerous natural and continual chain of falls, the largest being Great Falls, from which the town takes its name. Rainbow is where the silver-lead smelters are located. Crooked, and Black Eagle Falls, have the immense copper smelters and refineries of the Boston and Montana Mining Company. Near here is the wonderful Giant Spring, and although it is unfathomable, I have stood at its water's edge and gazed at the beautiful lilies growing beneath its surface. The city is in an agricultural section surrounded by coal and quartz mines. Here are the shops of the Great Northern Railway, and large elevators and flour mills. From here a branch line extends to Lethbridge, Alberta, Northwest Territory, connecting with the Canadian Pacific, crossing the main line of the Great Northern at Shelby, as well as its connections at Havre. There is also a branch line running to Neihart and Barker. Neihart was once a very prosperous silver mining town, prior to the drop in silver in 1893. I made my first trip here in April, of 1890, before the advent of the railroad. I find some of the same people with the same high expectations there now that I found on my first visit, and I verily believe they will yet realize to the fullest extent their every desire. Over the range of the Little Belt mountains is the noted White Sulphur Springs. At Yogo are found the beautiful Montana sapphires. From Monarch the road branches to Barker, a lead producing town. On my return I stopped at Belt, a flourishing coal mining town, where the Anaconda Copper Company get their coal and coke for the Amalgamated smelters. The Belt valley has exceptionally good ranches with extensive stock ranges surrounding.
Sand Coulee and Stocket are coal mining towns of the Great Northern Railway.
I decided on my return to Great Falls, to make a trip to Boulder Hot Springs. At Boulder is the State Deaf and Dumb Institute, and is the center of a quartz mining section. A branch railroad extends to the Elkhorn mines. A short distance from here is the mining and smelter town of Basin, having the works of the Montana Ore Purchasing Company. The Hot Springs are four miles from the Boulder depot. I found a comfortable conveyance and on arriving at the hotel I was made to feel at home. After thoroughly enjoying my stop here, I made my first trip to the Gem of the Mountains, at its capital Boise, arriving on the 15th day of January, 1901.
It will not be denied that the people are satisfied with their individual prospects and with the prospects of their country. The utterances of its statesmen, the voice of its legislature, the language of its press, all show how firmly, intelligently and successfully the people of Idaho are working unitedly together for the benefit of the entire state.