The avant courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1871-1872, 1871-10-04
HELENA. August 4. Is

aHu Tile lOcalItleS. IN winch more detailed eX
animation would be advisable Tile cllapte
upon the subject contributed to the report o
1870 of the Commissioner of Mining Stats
i tics, by Mr.. Roberts himself, indicates COM
p1ete acquaintance with the general feature.
of the case and is still the best authorit,
4 within'the reach of the public. Accorains
to that clear and comprehensive statement
the line Of easiest grades, and least snow ap
pears to be one crossing the Missouri at O
near the mouth Of tile Yellowstone thence
4 along the * 1ellOWst0ne valley to the Bozemal
i pass in the, Belt range; thence over to ths
waters OF the Gallatin fork, down and acros.
I the stream, and across the Madison fork tt
the Jefferson fork, and MP that valley to The
i Deer Lodge pass through tile Fnlain chain O
the Kocky Mountains; thence down the Deel
Lodge valley and the He'll Gate river te
Clarks river--but this brings us into Idaho
j and we are only concerned at present will
the route through Montana. The westward
1 continuation OF the line will probably depend
upon the pass chosen in the mountains, as il
/ is only necessary to occupy the valley OF
some tributary Of the Columbia rising i'm the
| mountains. and follow a general downward
grade to the 5 a. Probably Clark s river will
be the tributary chosen, and it win be reached
either by tile Hell Gate, its main soHthern OF
/ the Blackfoot. its northern fork. s 4isaSf
The route above sketched has thus far, ]
think, been most in favor among those best
| acquainted with the country. But this may
possibly be due to the fact that other noun
tam passes. lying outside the lines OF pioneer
/ travel, have never been explored. Mr.. Rob
erts is not the man to jump hastily to Il con-
cinsion; and while his disposition of the
company IS surveying parties indicates some
expectation that the Yellowstone will prove
the best entrance to the mountains, there is
no lack, OF faithful and persevering inquiry
as to more northerly routes. In the present
'iilcomnleteness OF data, there is much to be
vaguely, and little to be definitely. said on
both sides. Tile Deer Lodge pass is one of
the lowest yet etunexplored-ilo more, think,
than $500 feet. This line, moreover, would
pass not very far from Virginia City, Helena
and Deer Lodge, and open what are now the
most productive mining regions OF the Ter
ritory. On the other hard, it involyesa Il con-
siderable eetour. Moreover, III may be ftiles-
toned whether the railroad could not DO bet
ter to pass through the districts further
north. Its beneficial effect upon the mines
will be great enough in either case. itwould
be easy to construct short merdianal
branches of narrow guage for the transpor-
tation of ores, bullion or supplies. Again,
the nearer it passes to the British line the
more certainly it controls the trade of the
North, and prevents all successful competi-
ton on British soil. ~ "a ...l...zyss
Finally. the southern part Of Montana will
be reached by branch. line from the Union
Pacific, at no distant day. The engineers of
that company are now surveying a line from
Evanston, up the Bear river valley to Soda
Springs, where there is Mormon town ;and
am assured that a narrow guage road will
be running to that point before the end of
next year. Now Soda Springs is i'll south
eastern Idaho, and about a hlsndred miles
nearer than Corinne to Montana. 1t seems
inevitable to me that the northern trade of
Corinne will be taken away by this measure,
and that Soda Springs will become for time
the shipping point, from which the freight
teams will start. But this road is Intended
to go on through Montana and to connect
with the Northern Pacific. asi
There are profound plans and great powers
underlying these movements. It is contest
of the giants. The Central Pacific Of Cali
fornia has never cordially co-operatedI with
the Union Pacific, though one; would think
as these two companies, whose roads form.
in reality, but one line across the continent.
Butt whatever may be the reason, the Colos-
sus III the West and the Colossus Of the East
are in thinly veiled hostility. The Central
Pacific, absorbing all the lines of California,
is extending its connections to Oregon on the
one hand, and creeping southwark on the
the Southern Pacific. Having established its
eastern terminus, after some tTibulation, at
Ogden instead, of Promontory, it controls to |
some extent the trade of Idaho (yia Kelton
ind Elko) and Montana (via.C .Corinne.) Ogden |
being Just dit the, entrance of the Weber
Mountains, the Union Pacific has no station |
1eyond the range, whence communication /
:ala be opened with the north. But by start /
ng from Evanston, and following the Bear /
iver through its pass TO Soda Springs, this
can cut the communication OF Cor
nne; and then proceed to connect with the |.
Northern Pacific. it cantap thetrade Of Idaho I
md Oregon. The vision that looms up IN the
uti1re, therefore, is an alliance Of the Union
With the Northern Pacific, and of the. Gem
raj with the Southern Pacitic-a curious and
lnforseen complication. Many possible
hanges- perhaps even the death OF e. single .ns
lan-may totally change this state of af-
airs. SO far as the animds of the parties is
oneerned but the cross railways projected
vilI probably be built, since the country re-
uires them. Nor can any man prophecy l.
oW long it will be before they are completed.
The American spirit, and the experience OF
he first Pacific roads, has reyolutionized the
fholes business of railway construction m fn
oim Of time; and when to this circumstance
j added the new furore for narrow guages, II
ecomes a question of determination and
Means merely. how soon great plans slial
rnctify into great facts. Certainly the chlld
] born that will be able before he dies 10
isit by railroad every town now existing In
be United States, with !, 900 ifhabifail tse-
rdgided, ,eof course the said inhabitants 90 H
ct change their minds and moFe their town ~
i the meantime. -. f.
But to return from this long depression. it
certain that Southern Montana will be
cached by q branch of the Union Pacific t1
abroad, and This circumstance leaves the
Iorthern Pacific free to choose, if other con-
iderations invite route further north than
hat Of. the Yellowstone. refer TO that Of
he Missouri, following the main river to the Il
fountains, and occupying the valley of the
Dearborn, one of its tributaries Gadotte
ass. Id latitude Az deg. 10 nlin., has been i
nggested as the best tor this line; but there
re many possible openings south Of this II,
rhich need to be more fgl lly examined before
De exact location can he determined.
hoiild add that Deer Lodge Pass, III latitude
) deg. 10 nlin., is the sonthernn6st Of those /
nggestcd for the Yellowstone linz. and pos
biyT one may be- found for that line lying Il
irther north. There are, III fact, many Tow r
iviles IN the Rocky Mountains between the
NO extrer les of latitude which | have
anled and the ultimate choice of the COM