ever, and the next decade will witness an increase in the mineral production of Montana that will eclipse the record of any mineral location on earth. In 1899 Montana produced in value of gold, silver, copper and lead, $68.357,307.54, an increase of over $17,000,000 over the previous year. The copper product of the world for 1899 was 468,463 long tons, or 1,0.49.357,120 lbs., and of this the United States produced 386,410,356 lbs., which is 37 per cent of the entire product. Of this copper Montana produced 245,602,314 lbs., or 23 1-3 per cent of the copper product of the world and 61 per cent of the copper of this country. It must be borne in mind, however, that the mineral growth of Montana is only in its infancy; that the development of the future will be much more rapid than the past, and that the present mineral output of the state, though exceeding a half a hundred million dollars in value, will be but a bagatelle of output of the future, and that in not a very distant future either. Copper is the paramount feature of Montana's mining industries. More than 80 per cent of the total values produced in the state during 1899 came from the mines at Butte in the shape of gold, silver and copper. The effect on conditions, both local and general is enormous. While the number who find direct employment in mining and reducing the copper ores reaches into the tens of thousands, it is not greater than those indirectly benefited by the manufacture and sale of the necessary supplies for these employees and for the mines. The towns of Butte, Anaconda, and Great Falls, having a combined population of about 90,000 exist largely to minister to the mining and smelting industries connected with copper mining. But more important than all this great advantage to Montana and to the commercial life of the country, is the effect on the industrial production of the world. While much of the fertile lands of Montana require irrigation, thousands of square miles can be tilled with more than customary profit. And Montana presents another advantage that is not secondary in importance and that is an unfailing high-priced home market for every product of the farm and vard. One of Montana's greatest sources of revenue is the live stock industry. Between one hundred thousand and two hundred thousand head of cattle are annually shipped out of the state. In addition to the cattle shipments the home consumption is estimated between 60,000 and 75,000 head. Heavy shipments of horses are made from this state. Montana is the largest wool producing state in the Union, and ranks close to the first in the number of sheep. The state is credited with about twenty-six or twenty-seven million pounds of unwashed wool, which is far more than the product of any other state. While the state has many districts that do not require artificial watering there are large areas that will have to be watered through the medium of a national irrigation. system, as the waters for the purpose must be conserved by large mountain reservoirs, and led through the foot hill districts by large main canals, all requiring an investment of capital that is geater than can be interested through individual effort. There are also districts where the water has been easily accessible and the topography of the surrounding country has been such as to warrant irrigation by individuals, corporations and by co-operative companies that have been wholly successful in watering large areas of land, and in securing profits for those who are interested in them. In the northeastern part of Montana stretching from the North Dakota line on the East to old Fort Assiniboine on the West, a distance of 285 miles, and bounded on the North by the international line and on the South by the mighty Missouri, lies the Milk River Valley. This immense territory was first opened for settlement May 30th, 1888, and, misled by an unusual rainfall during that and the following year which caused people to believe that paying agricultural crops could be produced there without irrigation, an immense immigration movement set in to the valley. The next few years were dry ones, no crops were produced and many left the country in disgust. The more determined ones decided to build an irrigation canal to reclaim 14,400 acres of land. Each farmer was to work out his proportion within a specified time, and if not done his stock was to be sold, and he thereby forfeited all rights in the canal. During the season of 1900 this canal was full and resulted in many thousand dollars of farm products being produced. Since the completion of the first canal almost a dozen others have been organized. The cost of reclamation by the means of these co-operative canals has been $3 per acre, with a maintenance at 15c. per acre per year. With national irrigation. Montana will become one of the greatest agricultural sections in the world. It is now the greatest mineral state, one of the greatest stock sections. It has a number of very enterprising towns including Butte, the greatest copper camp in the world, Great Falls with its marvelous water power, Helena the capital city, Livingston the gateway to the Yellowstone Park. For a mountainous state and one that has been going through the process of active development for such a short period, Montana is well provided with railway facilities. It is traversed chiefly by the Northern Pacific and Great Northern and their branches. IDAHO was associated some years ago in the public mind with the Coeur d'Alene mining region. The wealth of the mines and the disturbances which retarded their development have ceased to occupy much attention. Idaho is now looming up as a state rich in possibilities in fruit culture and general agriculture. In places irrigation is needed. The new projects in that direction are doing well. Immigrants are coming in from Minnesota, Iowa and other older states and seem to like their new habitation. mine the true value and extent of the It is stated that on Thunder Mountain proper the gold bearing property seems to be unlimited and is invariably struck when the capping or overlying soil is penetrated. A company made seventeen locations on the snow. Shafts were sunk to a depth of ten feet on each claim and good values were found in fourteen of the holes. Gold has also been found on Rainbow Mountain in the same region. Large copper deposits on Big Creek, discovered some years ago, are being located, in the expectation that the country will be opened up and made accessible for active and profitable mining development. People are also going to the Marshall Lake country, where rich gold fields have been found. It is said that 10,000 miners and prospectors from Colorado may go to the Thunder Mountain region this summer. Some persons estimate that as many as 30,000 people from the entire country will flock to the new gold fields. The railroad companies are distributing information for miners and are preparing for extensive traffic. The Thunder Mountain region is in the southeast of Idaho and is accessible from the northwest by the Great Northern and Northern Pacific systems. The Oregon Railway and Navigation system connects the region with points on the Union Pacific. Much steady progress may be looked for in Idaho apart from this mining excitement. The general products of the state are in demand. Last year only about 120 miles of railway were constructed. This year eight projects have attained definite shape and contemplate the construction of nearly 1,000 miles of track. Among the powerful companies at the back of these schemes are the Northern Pacific, the Oregon Railway and Navigation and the Oregon Short Line. The Thunder Mountain excitement, however, may replace Idaho as a mining region in the public mind. The accounts are conflicting. Truthful reports differ owing to the diverse experience which prospectors undergo. Miners generally go to extremes in describing new regions. They are very good or very bad in their opinion. It is as Serted that the Thunder Mountain is the greatest gold discovery made in twenty years, with the possible exception of the Klondike. Men who were in the early Cripple Creek excitement say that the first finds in the Colorado camp would not compare with the showing at Thunder Mountain. Persons representing large Colorado mining companies have been in the Thunder Mountain camps recently, looking for OREGON, the most favored state, perplaces where they can put large milling haps, in the Union, all things considered, plants. These agents generally bring with is feeling the general progressive impulse them a carload of assaying requisites, pros- which pervades the Pacific coast. In Portpecting tools, tents, baggage, burros or land the wealthy merchants and bankers are pack horses and general supplies. These preparing actively for the Lewis and Clarke expeditions come from Colorado Springs, Exposition of 1905, which is to be on a Canon City, Cripple Creek and Victor. grand scale and worthy of the vast region This might be called "up-to-date" mining that embraces the gold fields of Alaska, the or prospecting, and there will be little place mines and fisheries of British Columbia, and in it for the characters or adventurers dethe fertile lands of Oregon and California. scribed so well by Bret Harte. It may reMeanwhile Oregon is attracting immisult in speedy developments that will deter- grants to the productive Willamette Val ley and to the plains in the eastern counties, where there is much fertile land within moderate distance of railroads. In Eastern Oregon mining is going on with much activity. Capital is pouring in for the development of quartz mining claims, which it is expected will yield a bountiful return. Gold was discovered in California in 1849, but in Eastern Oregon the miners were tardy in turning the gold fields to account. David Littlefield and his companions located at Auburn diggings in 1862. A prosperous camp was soon formed there and vast sums of gold were extracted from the placer deposits. A party of south way to attain much importance. From 1877 to 1899 both, inclusive, Oregon produced $28,000,000 in gold and nearly $2,000,000 in silver. Now that capital is being invested in the many mining camps, the production is likely to increase considerably. While Oregon is thus producing gold in the east the merchants in Portland and Astoria are astir in preparing for the oriental trade. They look forward to a time, not very remote, when these ports will send flour, fruit and other products direct to the markets of China and Japan, as well as to those of British India. Oregon is in a position to produce flour in abundance, as cheaply as any wheat region on the coast. Moreover, Portland is admirably located to attract to her marts a large part of the wheat and flour produced in Washington and Idaho. ern miners discovered gold on the site of Oregon had a bountiful crop of hops last year. It yielded about 74,000 bales. The growers received about $1,250,000, the average price being nine cents per pound. This year the hop crop should be fully 100,000 bales. Oregon can supply the world with hops, her soil and climate being well adapted Dairying is also receiving attention in Western Öregon, where the conditions are all favorable to its success. The lands on the coast are adapted in a special degree for dairying, and may soon be generally turned to account for that industry. There is a steady demand along the coast for butter and cheese. In proportion to its extent and resources Oregon has not enough railroad track. Many hundred miles of railway might be built throughout the state without impairing the business of the present lines. There are now fair prospects of a railroad revival. Twenty-two distinct projects are on foot this year. Some of them will certainly be carried out. Among them are the following: Columbia Southern extension, Shaniko to Bend, 100 miles. Portland, Nehalem and Tillamook, Portland to Nehalem and Tillamook bay, 88 miles. Oregon Midland, Klamathen, Cal., to Klamath Falls, Ore., 91 miles. Goble, Nehalem and Pacific, Goble to Nehalem and Tillamook, 95 miles. State of Washington in the past few years. Oregon Railroad and Coal Company, Heppner south to coal mines, 25 miles. Hilgard, Granite and Southwestern, Hilgard to Granite City, 65 miles. Silverton railway, Salem via Silverton to Wilhoit Springs, 35 miles. Corvallis and Eastern, Idanha to Nyssa, 250 miles. Baker City, Eagle Valley and Seven Devils, Baker City to Seven Devils mines in Idaho, 97 miles. Oregon City and Southern, Oregon City to Silverton, 30 miles. These enterprises show that the railroad Among other things it may be noted that Oregon contains the largest body of The values of the Oregon stock interests approximates $25,000,000. In the diversity and extent resources, Oregon and Washington are the greatest states in the Union. WASHINGTON.-A wonderful growth and development has taken place in the Hardy miners and prospectors have explored the hills and mountains, and their labors have been rewarded by the discovery of vast deposits of valuable minerals. A number of mines have been opened up and promise large returns for the money and effort expended in their development. Many mines are now producing large quantities of ore, and the smelters at Tacoma, North Port and Everett have been kept busy, while new smelters are being built at other points to supply the increasing needs of the new mines being developed. New coal mines have been opened and old ones extended, so that the products for this year will approximate three million tons. The manufacture of iron has been commenced on Puget Sound at Irondale. Satis of factory results have already been. obtained and in the near future the mills and smelters Washington will employ thousands of men in addition to those now engaged in these industries. The fishing industry has advanced beyond all precedent. Millions of dollars are now invested in it, and more will seek this industry within the next two or three built up WATER FRONT AT EVERETT, WASHINGTON. years. The profits of the business have been enormous. The fear that the waters would soon be depleted, which has deterred many from investing in the business, has been eliminated. Wise legislation for the protection and propagation of the salmon carried. into execution in a scientific manner, has shown conclusively that the business can be until it becomes one of the leading industries of the state. A large number of state hatcheries have been established, and the scientific methods adopted a few years ago have borne such proofs that during the last season the run of salmon was the greatest ever known; so great, in fact, that the canners were unable to handle the whole catch and were therefore compelled to return thousands to the sea. The Oriental trade, since the acquisition of the Philippines and Hawaii, has grown at a remarkable rate, and to-day is limited only by the capacity of the ships engaged in that commerce. Several additions have been made to the Oriental fleet this year. More will be made next year and from year to year as the trade grows. The possibilities of this commerce are almost beyond conception, and its development will employ thousands of men and millions of capital. During the past year new flouring mills have been put in operation, and the output of others has been increased. Washington flour has acquired a world-wide reputation, and Washington wheat represents a high standard of quality. The average yield of wheat per acre last year was greater than ever before, and the acreage will increase as the country is settled. It is only necessary to bring the resources of the State of Washington to the attention of the people of the East in order to make them wish to share in this prosperity. During the past two or three years these resources have been advertised as never before, and the immediate result has been a large immigration to Washington. The leading journals of the East have a staff of correspondents in this state who furnish them with the news of daily occurrences and development. The eastern railroad companies have established offices in the leading Washington cities, and their agents have sent back a large amount of useful information. In 1899 the editors of the United States spent considerable time in Washington, and upon their return home. wrote many flattering notices of the resources of the state, which attracted widespread attention among those who wished to change their location. In 1900 more than 50,000 people were in Washington on their way to and from the gold fields of Nome, Southeastern Alaska, and the Klondike country. Thousands of the argonauts spent weeks or months on Puget Sound, and were so favorably impressed by the climate, resources and natural advantages of the country that many of them located there on their return. Those who returned East informed their friends and neighbors of the great opportunities to be found in Washington, with result that |