88 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



action. I have been asked merely to tell what we of 

 Billings have done. So I will pass that for the con- 

 vention to discuss and to determine. We want to say 

 of Billings that she has only begun; that in casting a 

 horoscope of her future, we see a motor system spread- 

 ing out in all directions with Billings as a center. 

 The coming of the beet sugar factory will cause a 

 dividing up of the great holdings of the cattle and the 

 sheep men so that in a few years the average holdings 

 in this valley will not exceed forty acres. With a 

 family on every forty acres the motor system will be 

 successful, and I want to say right here that we will 

 have it. With the advent of the motor line land values 

 will rise in every direction. It will give us courage for 

 new ventures and new possibilities will arise until in 

 the years to come we expect to see the hills surrounding 

 this beautiful valley dotted with homes. Nor is this all. 

 The people of this great valley with consequent increase 

 of values, will bring about a development of the other 

 resources necessary to supply the growing population 

 with their daily needs. New coal mines will be opened ; 

 the immense water power now running to waste will 

 be developed, the clays and shales will be turned into 

 brick and stucco work and more than likely the manu- 

 facturing of many different, things we do not now 

 know of, will take place. 



One more reference to Billings and its resources 

 and I will be done. Not many of you know that there 

 is tributary to Billings over one million acres of land 

 susceptible to irrigation and that at the present rate 

 of going this immense area will be supplied with water 

 and ready for the settler within ten years. What this 

 means for Billings I will leave you to decide. 



Now then, what is true of Billings, is true of any 

 other district in this State. We have no monopoly of 

 the good things of Mother Earth ; in fact, I know other 

 districts in this State claim that they are better. Be 

 that as it may, I only know this, it will take push and 

 energy and lots of it and lots of study and then some 

 money to put your claims before the people and so surely 

 as you do so the results will be more than satisfactory. 

 Being a land man I naturally suggest to you to look 

 to the lands. I believe one farmer is of more value 

 to the State of Montana than two men of any other 

 occupation. If we will put forth our efforts toward 

 the settlement of the lands, in a few years the agri- 

 cultural wealth of Montana will far exceed all others 

 and as to the welfare of the people there will be no 

 comparison. 



One of the objects of this meeting, I believe, is 

 to consider plans whereby we can get the farmer. We 

 want him, the railroads want him, and in his wake all 

 other things follow. 



NOTES ABOUT BILLINGS. 



Among the many prosperous citizens of Billings, 

 Mont., is Mr. W. F. Snyder, who moved from Midland 

 County, Michigan. 



During Mr. Snyder's early career he was a strug- 

 ling farm hand in Michigan, subsequently buying a 

 forty-acre woodland tract. He worked in the lumber 

 woods of his native State during the winter and worked 

 at clearing his land and farming during the summer 

 months. He had started with nothing, consequently 

 had nothing to lose and it took the better part of two 

 years' hard labor on the part of himself and wife to 

 get their "forty" in shape to do anything. They had accu- 



mulated during that time not only a fine girl baby, but a 

 cow, one brood sow and eleven bushels of wheat as well. 

 The above was all that their place in Michigan would 

 do for them with the addition of a moderate living dur- 

 ing that time. At the end of about twenty years' hard 

 work in Michigan Mr. Snyder had secured title to 160 

 acres of land on which was a mortgage of $600. About 

 this time he decided to visit Montana, where relatives 

 had preceded him, and spent the winter of 1893-4 in 

 that State near Billings. He subsequently returned to 

 Michigan, but was dissatisfied there after having investi- 

 gated the opportunities of Montana, and later on took 

 up his permanent residence in the latter State. He 

 worked for a time for I. D. O'Donnell, the well-known 

 ranchman, who was one of the pioneers of the Billings 

 country. Mr. Snyder first worked as a farm hand and 

 later became foreman for Mr. O'Donnell. 



In 1900 Mr. Snyder purchased 160 acres on credit. 

 He subsequently sold his Michigan holdings, on which 

 he secured $1,000 clear and with that amount, as part 

 payment, purchased an additional 240 acres partly im- 

 proved. 



He continued to prosper, erected farm buildings, 

 and the land meanwhile rapidly increased in value; in 

 other words the money earned from the land was ex- 

 pended in improvements until it finally reached the 

 value of and sold for $14,000. 



Mr. Snyder is now at work improving his original 

 purchase of 160 acres and is at present living comfort- 

 ably in the city of Billings. 



His family have, meanwhile, received all the bene- 

 fits of a good school system and he may be classed as 

 one of the properous citizens of that community. 



The above facts are given so that those in the Cen- 

 tral States who may contemplate moving to Montana, 

 may know what can be accomplished by a man who has 

 small means and is willing to work. Mr. Snyder is 

 probably worth $25,000 today. 



A CHEAP FARM LEVEL. 



We could scarcely have gotten along this season in 

 opening up a large ranch to irrigation cultivation with- 

 out the use of a farm level, the cost of which is $10, 

 but which we are satisfied has saved us hundreds of 

 dollars through the additional land brought under ditch 

 by it. 



In one instance we found by running some pre- 

 liminary levels that we were enabled to bring fifteen 

 acres of fine bench land under water which we supposed 

 by cursory glance of the eye was so far above the 

 water grade as to remain forever high and dry. This 

 patch is now in full bloom with a good crop of spuds 

 coming on and we consider ourselves just that much 

 ahead of the game. Quite a number of these instru- 

 ments have been sold in Colorado this year and others 

 will be wanted when their merits are better known. 

 They are manufactured by the Bostrom-Brady Com- 

 pany, of Atlanta, Ga., a perfectly reliable concern, 

 which will express a farm level upon receipt of $10. 

 Field and Farm. 



Send $2.50 for The Irrigation Age 

 1 yea.r, a. ml the Primer of Irrigation 



