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timber standing in Lincoln county. Large numbers of men are employed at good 

 wages in the lumber industry whose permanence is assured. The lumber camps 

 furnish a local market for farm products and the wages of the workmen contribute 

 largely to the business of the towns. 



The mineralized area is extensive and rich. In the southwestern part is the 

 Libby silver-lead mining district whose rocks are said to be a counterpart of those 

 of the rich Coeur d'Alene district of Idaho. The Snowshoe mine, in this district, 

 has produced about $1,000,000. About 40 miles southeast from Libby are the West 

 Fisher gold fields where many discoveries of rich ores have been made and much 

 development work done. As soon as a railroad is built into this district, it will 

 begin to produce large quantities of gold. In the northern part, near Eureka, are 

 also promising mineral claims; and the Yakt district, in which is Sylvanite, contains 

 much mineral wealth. The quartz mines present many opportunities for the suc- 

 cessful investment of capital to aid in their development. The Libby placers were 

 among the first discovered in Montana and have been producing gold since the 

 early sixties. Hydraulic mining followed the ground sluicing and gold dredges may 

 be used where the ground is favorable. 



The average rainfall is about 24 inches and irrigation is not necessary. The 

 growing season is long, and the altitude away from the mountain peaks, is low, 

 being 2,308 feet at Eureka, 2,113 at Jennings, 2,055 feet at Libby, and 1,881 feet at 

 Troy. Tobacco Plains is the largest area without a growth of timber; smaller tracts 

 of the same kind exist in many sections, and the area of farm lands is annually 

 added to by the clearing of cutover timber lands. Throughout the county the 

 conditions of soil, rainfall and climate are such as to insure prolific growths of all 

 grains, grasses, vegetables and fruits. 



As a fruit country, Lincoln county has exceptional advantages. The Tobacco 

 Plains district has a number of excellent orchards. Apples, plums, pears, cherries, 

 and berries of all kinds produce large crops of excellent quality. The same is true 

 of the whole Kootenai valley, which has the lowest altitude of any part of the 

 state. Many thriving orchards exist near Libby and every year a number of acres 

 of newly cleared land are planted to orchard trees. Troy is at even lower altitude; 

 and the whole Kootenai valley has the advantages to make it one of the greatest 

 fruit districts in the country. 



The Kootenai river drops 60 feet at Kootenai Falls and 40 feet in the rapids, a 

 fall of 100 feet in the distance of one mile. This wonderful water power is as 

 yet undeveloped. 



Lincoln county has much beautiful scenery, many picturesque mountain peaks 

 and waterfalls, and a curiosity in Blackwell glacier. Many visitors are attracted to 

 the county by the excellence of the fishing and the hunting. 



The advantages of this section, for wood pulp mills, are generally admitted. 



Three fine bridges have been completed across the Kootenai river at Troy, Libby 

 and Rexford at the cost of $95,000, the balance of the bond issue of $125,000 voted 

 for the purpose, having been used to aid in road construction. A good road now 

 extends along the Kootenai river from Gateway at the Canadian boundary to the 

 Idaho state line. 



The main line of the Great Northern railroad runs through the county and 

 a branch line runs from Rexford north into the Pernie coal mining district of 

 Canada. 



The principal towns are Eureka. Libby and Troy. Eureka is the chief trading 

 point for the Tobacco Plains country, has electric light, Avater works, churches, 

 scliools, a bank, a creamery, a newspaper, business buildings and attractive resi- 



