The Montana post., 1868-10-09

Chicago a great share of that Montana
trade of which it recently enjoyed al
most a monopoly, is now looking about
for means by which to regain it. Low
er freights on the river than formerly
prevailed have been resorted to, but
still the chances are that Chicago will
obtain a large share of the mountain
business next year. This being the
case. St. Louis is turning her attention
from the river to the lines of land cons
munication, believing that she can OBJ
tain an advantage over Chicago in both
speed and rates of freight. The recent
railroad excursion of st. Louis men
through Omaha, and 20 the terminus of
the Union Pacific Railroad, was rot
without its bearings upon the question
OF which we speak While the practi-
cal business men who made mp that
party were rolling over the rails, while
they looked upon the temporary cities
of the plains, the larger and more inn
portant towns of Montana We're not out
of mind. They were discussing among
themselves how the Montana trade
could be secured TO st. Louis by the
way of the Union Pacific Railroad
That the bulk of goods brought to this
country would avail themselves of the
low freights incident to water transpor-
tation was a toregone conclusion, and
they had, therefore. only to consider in
ba4 hos Ia r..1 70,
ST. Louis that immense amount of busi-
ness which Montana annually transacts
with the East, after the navigation of
the Missouri is closed for the season,
and which has for its object the
filing up of stocks and the
supply of Differences in the market.
At present, Chicago seems to be the
most natural source from which to pro-
cure these supplies, being connected as
il is by an almost air line road with the
terminus of the L. p. r. X. at Omaha.
The St Louis merchant excursionists
had therefore 10 contemplate the FEAST
bility of an opposing air line road from
Omaha to their own city, and the real
object of this recent prospecting trip
was the accumulation of facts upon
wiiied they could base their thoughts
and plans concerning this subject. AL
though Omaha. or rather Council Bluffs,
on the opposite side of tue river, has
been recently connected with st. Louis
by the completion of the Council Bluffs
e l. I,4 r1,y
TO be somewhat too much on the crooked
fence order, and an airline road, passing
through Chillicothe, was suggested. By
the building of such a road Montana
would be brought nearer by rail to st.
Louis than to Chicago, and although the
shortening of distance would not be
considerable, il would still be sufficient
20 attract much of the trade from the
latter place. We must also remember,
in this connection, that St. Louis was
the original supply point for Montana,
and that there are many still in this
Territory who, having already formed
agreeable business connections there,
would prefer taking their trade TO that
city provided they could do so with the
same facility that is offered them by the
great city of the lakes. These facilities
would be more than secured to them by
the construction of the contemplated
branch road. Whether this road will
really be built, and whether St. Louis
will thus pay off Chicago for robbing
her of portion of her trade remains to
be seen. Should it be constructed, it
would establish between st. Louis and
Chicago a nearly equal rivalry for the
trade of the Northwest, ard could not
fail to result in advantage to the mer-
chants of Montana.
The business men of st. Louis, as
well as those of Omaha, are alive to
the importance of the enterprise. AT
a recent interview between the repre- |
sentatives of these two places, DIR. G.. !
L. Miller, of the Omaha Herald, in |
speaking of the proposed road, spoke
as follows: E" IL my office over here at !
the Herald, / sit day in and day out, |
and contemplate, spread out in rude |
picture, map drawn by General G.. NJ
Dodge, the indefatigable engineer of
the Union Pacific railroad. That map
points me to developments in that
country, and of which we
must advise s.. Louis little. She has
not seen it yet. They have not yet
struck the key which is to give us the
most powerful resources on the face of
the earth. l refer. gentlemen, to Mon
lana, and the regions of the North-
west stretching out to Puget Sound.
That country l hope we will be able.
when Seward gets out of the State