. The story of Montana . Other trans-continental roads had all sorts of financial troublesbut this one was built without any State or Govern-ment land grant. When Mr. Hill took it in chargethere was a debt of thirty million dollars to be over-come, but during all his management the road neveronce defaulted the interest on its bonds or passeda dividend. 5. Agricultural Valleys Early farmers. — There had been a few farmssince almost the first, when it had been discoveredthat everybody was not going to get rich bj^ find-ing gold. Those who were unsuccessful in locatinga good claim tried their han
. The story of Montana . Other trans-continental roads had all sorts of financial troublesbut this one was built without any State or Govern-ment land grant. When Mr. Hill took it in chargethere was a debt of thirty million dollars to be over-come, but during all his management the road neveronce defaulted the interest on its bonds or passeda dividend. 5. Agricultural Valleys Early farmers. — There had been a few farmssince almost the first, when it had been discoveredthat everybody was not going to get rich bj^ find-ing gold. Those who were unsuccessful in locatinga good claim tried their hand at some occupationwhich would be useful to the successful miners. All AGRICULTURAL VALLEYS 213 had to have butter, eggs, milk, meat, and vegetables,and the one who ^yould raise these necessities waseagerly patronized. The Bitter Root Valley. — The first farms were inthe Bitter Root Valley at Stevensville. A few menwho lived at Fort Owen or near there planted thefirst crops and took the first fruit up the valley and. Copyright, L. A, Hoffman Sheep at the Rrer over into the Big Hole Country to the W. Harris was the first man in the BitterRoot to take up farming as a business. The mis-sionaries had had a farm there for ten or more yearsbefore Mr. Harris planted his first crops, but theirobject was merely to raise enough for their existence,and to teach the Indians farming methods. farmed on a small scale at Fort Owen until1863, when he moved to Three Mile. There he 214 DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE planted his orchard in 1866. His trees did fairlywell, but he was not as successful as were the BassBrothers who planted their orchard in 1870 at Ste-vensville. It took some ten years to make fruit grow-ing a paying business, but once started it gained forthe Bitter Root Valley a name of which it is justlyproud. There were a few farmers at Hell Gate, asmall town now abandoned, which stood about fivemiles below the present Missoula. Missoula. — In 1864 a saw-mil
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