140
THE WEST SHORE.
NEW RAILROADS IN THB NORTHWEST.
NEVER mum the era of railroads begun in this re
gion, not even during the boom years of 1883
iiml lfvvi, have there Itmu mi rnauy railroad pro
jncU on foot as lit tlifi present time, and many of
them prosei.t greater assurance of being constructed
Hi h ii did the majority of similar enterprises nt that time.
Then everything wan sp.tculativn; now railroad projects
arn hosed largely on thn rwut needs of tho oonntry.
Tln'ii companies wore organized to bolster op the gale
of town lots; now for the purine of constructing much
needed line if capital can lo secured. A summary of
these projects, with a statement of routes and condition
of work, will lie interesting to those who desire to keep
informed on thn development of the Northwest
Northrn Montana ha Ihmiii calling for a railroiul for
several yearn, and thn Northern Pacific has promised a
linn to Fort Benton, either from Helena, Livingston or
Billing. Iiiutt year (Sir A. T. (lalt organized a company
and surveyed a route from the Canadian Pacific south
wnrd to Benton, and inodn preparations for it coimtruc
tion a ik hiii an a charter wiut granted by the Canadian
parliament. It wiut thought this invaaion of iU territory
would ooinell the Northern Pacific to construct its Ben
t4in branch at once; but it now transpires that Mr. Gait
in unable to obtain a charter, since for a term of yearo tho
Canadian Pacific Ima been granted a nionojKily of tho
territory south of iU line, and refuses its assent This
holiU the C 1 itlt schema in alieyiiMco indefinitely. Another
railroad looking to Northern Montana in the Minnen)
li & Manitoba, of which J. J. Hill is preHidenl Thin
road baa a branch aa far weat as Devil'a lake, in North
ern Dakota, and promises an extension liy way of Fort
Bonten to Helena. In pursuance of this intention Mr.
Hill uniUsI with others two years ago and laid out tho
town of (Ireat Falla, on tho Miaaouri, at one of the fall
of that groat atroam. The firat step in thin acheme waa
taken early thia apring, by the organization of the Mon
Una Central, in Helena, and tho surveying of routes
from that city to Great Falla and alao to HiminL Con
tract have Imxmi let, and thoso linos aro now under
active construction. Reduction worka, flour mills and
other iuduNtrica that can utili.u tho enormous water
power of thn falla ami the excellent ooal of the adjacent
Kami Coulee mine are contemplated features of the now
manufacturing town. Work baa alao lieon commenced
on the Dsvila lake branch, which will thiaaeaaou bo ex
tondod ot to Turtle mountains, and no doubt will be
continued westward Ut Bi ton and Great Falla. Thia
activity tin the art of the Manitoba road baa brought
out the Northern Pacific, which ia now aurvoying a line
from Helena to Benton, ml imiiounoes the intention to
build a branch linn to RimiuL On the north aide of
the Miaaouri, and seven mile below Great Falla City,
another town of the aame uama baa been laid out,'
through which the Northern Pacific line to Benton will
lawa. Tlma the rival systems will each poasoss a town
t U falla of the Miaaouri, which supply the greatest
amount of practicable water power to be found on any
stream in the United States. These lines will render
Helena one of the most important railroad centers west
of St Paul ami Omaha, and will givo Fort Benton the
transportation facilities she has long uooJuJ. Tho
Northern Pacific has other projects in Montana, oue of
which is a branch from Drummond to Phillipsburg, to
tap the celebrated mines of Granite mountain, and an
other a lino from Missoula to run up the Bitter Boot
valley. Theso lines are practically determined upon
and will no doubt be constructed as soon as the company
sees its way clear to do so. The Montana Western R.
B. Co. was recently organized nt Missoula for the pur
pose of building a line from Drummond to Phillipsburg,
with hii eventual extension to the Utah & Northern, near
Butte City. A preliminary survey is now in progress.
This may lie siuqily the initial step of the Northern Pa
cific branch just alluded to.
The Utah & Northern is credited with a decided pur
pose of pushing a branch into the Nationnl Park, ami
thn question of a branch from some point in Beaver
head county to Holunn has been much discussed. All
this practically requires that the road be converted to a
standard gnugo, so that the Union Pacific, to which it
belongs, can uso it advantageously in connection with
its other lines. The road has accumulated enough stan
dard gnuge ties nt Eagle Rock, Idaho, to construct one
hundred miles of track, and it is the general belief that
they are to be usnd in changing the line from Pocatollo
to Garrison from narrow gauge to standard. Two routes
and two companies are in the field to reach the rich
Clarke's Fork mines from point on the Northern Pa
cifia The Cinnibar & Clarke's Fork company has boon
trying for more than a year to secure the right of way
through tho National Park for a line running from Liv
ingston to Cooke City, the principal mining camp, but
has not yet succeeded. A few months ago the Billings,
Clarke's Fork & Cooke City R. R. Co. was organized, and
a route is being surveyed from Billings to tap those
mines from the other side of the mountains. One of
those rival lines will probably be built, and will be an
imiHirtant feeder to the Northern Pacific. Another
project is that of the Montnua & Idaho company, re
cently organized. It proposes to build up the Bitter
Root valley, from Missoula, sending one branch to Sul
nion City, Idaho, oue to a connection with the Utah fc
Northern, iu Beaverhead county, and a third up the Lo
Lo Fork to a connection with the 0. R. & N. Co., when
the latter shall have extended its Moscow branch
through Lewiston and up the Clearwater to Camas prai
rie. Home of tho most wealthy and enterprising citizens
of Moutaim are incorporators of this company.
Iu Washington Territory the Northern Pacifio is
making the fur fly. Work is progressing rnpidly" at
both ends of thn grent Cascades tunuoL The line from
Paaoo baa been completed to Ellensburg, and the con
tract for the remaining seventy-five miles from that
point to the mouth of the tunnol will be let on the fif
teenth of May. Five engineering parties are at work on