The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1868-03-28
RAILROADS.

of two branch roads, leaving the u. p.
r. r. in Utah and diverging respectively
to Montana, and to Idaho Oregon and
Washington. The report traces the
routes and presents some of the advan-'
tages offered to the company TO at once
commence operations on one or both of
these branch lines. The great induce
ment is not adverted to, viz forestalling
the Northern road The proposition is
that the three hundred miles estimated
to be required to reach the heart of
Montana can be put in operation by the
first of jan, 1871, and the line to the
navigable waters of the Columbia in six
months thereafter. In common with all
residents of the great northwest, we
will gladly hail the day when rail com
munication is established between US
and the outer world, These projected
brach lines, however, are the lions in
the way of the greatest material enter
prize yet projected for developing, pop
ulating and building up tier of ten or
twelve great States out OF Dakota, Nom
tana, Idaho and Washington Territories.
The success of the latter is assured un
less by countenancing and encouraging
these branch lines we weaken the efforts
being made in Congress for the northern
road, and instead Of laboring for the
establishment Of a great main trunk line
along the a5th parallel of latitude, con-
Meeting the two nearest points north of
the Gulf of California where vessels of
heavy tonnage from the Atlantic, and
Pacific approach each other, we forego
the ultimate Inheritance for the pottage
offered-to be merely an outlying com
munity on one horse branch line, trib-
utary to the main road, crossing the con-
tinent several hundred miles to the
southwark. and not specially identified
with the interests of the more northerly
| territories. 1t is apparent that the bull
ding of these branch lines would cripple
the efforts and destroy what has already
been accomplished by those earnestly
laboring to secure n subsidy for this
northern road. If this is accomplished
\ the U. p. r. r. at once becomes mon--
opoly, the greatest and most dangerous
ever orgnaized on the continent, and
compelling into the one channel of tran
sit between the Missouri and Pacific,
along single line of latitude, the com
mcrce and travel brought by seven diff
ferent trunk lines from an area of coun.
u d.
i try on the Atlantic coast extending over
J sixteen degrees of Latitude. We may be
wrong in surmising that almost super
i human efforts have been made by this
d central road TO accomplish this purpose
and that the U. PR R.. bonded and
built ty government donations, controll
! ed the Indian Peace Commission last
sammer, and is hedging itself about
: with legislation, treaties, subsidies and
: projected branch lines to effectually pre-
vent the establishment for years Of any
{ other continental railway; but the fac
remains that such measures would bt
: precisely like those which have beer
: taken. y. The question is, do we desire t.
!: be located on direct trunk line, or 1
n tributary, circuitous, tenth rate branch
i road. 1t is scarce once in a decade tina
e governments lend such munifcent as
: sistance to national enterprises a
o is required to endow these contihenta
e routes. We must decide for one or tn,
r other, aud if the northern road is, as W,
4 believe, immeasurably more importan
to us, forego the inducements Of tn
more immediate one horse branch lin
h and working with diligence and waitin
n with patience, eventually see the sccom
d plishment of our most sanguine hope
sr in the completion of road through thes
er northern territories that by the yer
, nature OF the case will become the gres
N highway of the world. The U. p. r.
~ passes along the valley of the Platte,
P treeless, barren waste; over deserts an
is immense mountains. The n. T. r. ]
ne will penetrate the most productive agr
rs cultural yallies in the world from ii
On Red River of the North, through Il
wv Yellowstone, Gallatin, Jefferson De
r. Lodge, into the fertile fields of 0regC
on and Washington, and through immen
he mineral deposits almost along the senti
e route. 1t extends from the western el
he of Lake Superior to Puget Sound, ha
IN. ing the largest and best harbors on eth
ire body of water at its termini, and co
to Meeting by seven hundred miles {
II shortest line, the limits of heavy to
ib- mage vessel navigation from the east a
Or. west. Puget Sound has the nearest Am
Iop ican harbors to the Asiatic ports, fro
ard whence will sail out the fleets, earryi
the commerce that is destined to lind