The Northern Pacific Railroad runs through this wonderful State, with so great a future before it.  Helena, the capital city of Montana, was originally a mining camp, and early prophecies were that it would not outlive the mining enthusiasm.  These prophecies, however, have proved entirely mistaken.  It is no longer a mere mining town, with rough, busy, uncultured men rushing hither and thither in the eager pursuit of their daily avocation.  It is now not only the judicial capital of Montana, but it is also the great center of educational advance.  It has a number of very handsome public buildings, and is the home of many men, who, having made their fortunes in the mines of the new Northwest, have been so impressed with the beauties of scenery and climate, that they have decided to abide where at first they merely intended to sojourn.  Helena is more than 4,000 feet above the sea level, and its 20,000 inhabitants are reputed to be worth more than $100,000,000.  The apostle of socialism or communism who suggested an equal division among the 60,000,000 of our people of all the wealth of the nation, would find little encouragement in this great mountain city, where poverty, if not unknown, is very scarce.

Much more typical as a mining city is Butte.  This is situated upon a hill quite peculiarly located, and is reached by a ride along the Silver Bow Valley.  Close here is the wonderful Anaconda mine.  The mines in the neighborhood have a reputation for immense yield, the annual extracts of gold, silver and copper being valued at more than $33,000,000.  The Anaconda smelter, built some twelve years ago, is said to be the largest in the world, and the town itself seems to literally talk mining by its streets, its houses, its business, its habits and its people.

Missoula is the third largest city of Montana.  Its site is a splendid one for a city.  The Hell Gate Canon and River merge into a magnificent plain, the foot of the noted Bitter Root Valley.  The Hell Gate River breaks out from the canon and mountains into the wide plain and sweeps majestically across the extreme northern limit of it, hugging closely the Mission Range to the north.  At the western side of the valley the Bitter Root River combines with the Hell Gate, and together, and now under the name of the Missoula River, they flow westward between high mountains.  The northern end of the valley is perhaps six miles or more wide.  The great opening in the mountain is rather triangular in shape, with the apex of the triangle many miles up the valley to the south.  Here is a city laid out and built up in perfect harmony with its location, as is evidenced by the tasteful manner in which the place is planned and the character of its business blocks and residences.  Telephones, electric lights, and water supply are found even in the remote suburbs of Missoula.