The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1871-05-05
WHERE WILL THE ROAD E7

Next to the questions of who shall be
Delegate and who Sheriff. tho question of
the route of tho n. P. r. r. through Mon
to0a, sous,o P,~,..:.>~t-- To Ia f~--L .siti,
you, We don't know where it 10 going. We
asr even convinced that the precise route
has not been determined upon by the Com.
pany, and will not be until instrumental
surveys are made. Mr.. Roberts, chief en-
ginccr, will be over the route this Summer
from the West. He was in Portland .
month ago, and at that time il was not even
determined which side Of the Columbia the
road would be located. The question of
extending the surveys from the East across
Dakota and up the Yellowstone this Sum.
mer, was to be decided last month, and it is
altogether probable the decision was favor
able Assuming that It will approach from
the East cia Bozcman and Three Forks.
there is only one other town In Montana
that has reasonably sure thing on the
= Rai:road-Missou,a Whether the Big
Blackfoot, Boulder. Pipcstonc, or Deer
Lodge Pass in the Rocky Mountains East,
or the Lo.Lo Fork. Mullan or Bitter Root
route West is chosen, Missoula is on the
inevitable line. Hence, we infer, the delect>
able rumpus over town lots, down there.
Between Three Forks and Missoula-in tho
e. happy hunting grounds of Helenians and
Deer Lodgcrs-is the portion of route that
most interests settled Montana. Deer Lodge
Pass is q standing invitation to a locomo.
tive. Unhappily it involves dctour South
from direct line. The Pipcstone is less
inviting but more direct; the Boulder still
more direct but requiring heavy work, and
the Little Blackfoot will require nearly
three.mile tunnel or . dizzy climb. Be.
tween these lies the choice, for either is
practicable
West Of Missoula 10 tho region of per.
plexity. The Ceur dAlene Mountains are
the eminent obstacles the engineers have to
surmount. Between the Lo-LotqFork and
4ullan routes, the latter seems to have pre.
ference. NJ. !. w. D-..;.i-. whn has heen
examining and accommodating for the r. r.
Company for the past two years, speaks
very favorably of that route He says it is
City miles shorter, and that it will cost
Ga, 000. 900 less to build the road on it than
tho other His observations show the great.
est snowfall in the past two years on the
Mullan Pass, ut the head of the St. Regis
Borgia and Ceur d'Alcnc, was 6 feet 8
inches on five miles of the summit. This
would have to be snow shielded. On the
Lo Lo Fork route he says there arc much
deeper SHOWS for 80 or 10 miles. The Null.
Ian route passes through belt of splendid
land extending 200 miles East and West.
and 100 miles North and South, embracing
the fertile valleys Of the st. Joe, Palouse,
Hangman's Creek and Spokane. It also pass.
es through timber belt $50 miles wide, of fir,
pine and Cedar. cqual!ing the famous timber
OF the Sound, many Of the cedars attaining
diameter of 10 ind Is feet, and q hight6 |
of 200 to 300 feet. Gold has been found on
these streams, and II Is not improbable good |
mines will be some day struck As this 10 |
said to be the nearest an air line route from |
Nissoula TO Walla Walla, Ia easily practica. |
bic. and least snowy. 1t certainly has the |
probabilities in its favor.
And that's about all that can be posi- |
lively said Of any route In Montana