Montana Has Many Fine County High Schools. 



creameries and eight cheese factories, and a number of meat packing establishments, 

 several more being now under construction. 



Great Increase in Banks. 



The financial resources of the state are shown by the increase in the number 

 of banks from 222 in 1913, to 403 in 1918 and the increase in footings from 

 $101,645,432 to $200,352,464 in the same five year period. During the fiscal year 

 ending June 29, 1918 there were thirty-one new national banks and eighteen 

 new state banks created in Montana, while ten of the state banks became national- 

 ized, showing an increase of 41 national banks during the year, a record for the 

 nation. 



Many New Towns. 



Naturally with the growth of the agricultural industry there have come into 

 being many new towns, while the older ones have grown fast. Five years ago 

 there were not to exceed 150 grain elevators in Montana. Today there are 1100 and 

 almost every one of these later ones is located in a new town. Railroad extensions, 

 such as the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, and branches built by the Northern 

 Pacific and Great Northern, have developed the country adjacent; enterprising 

 business men have taken advantage of the opportunity to start a general store, 

 build an elevator or open a bank, and many a town has sprung into being in 

 twelve months, backed by a producing farming community, and having a solid 

 foundation. For the next ten years this story of business opportunity in new towns 

 will be repeated all over the state until Montana has a population of several 

 millions, instead of a few hundred thousand. 



