Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1873-10-31
Government Aid for the Northern
Pacific Railroad.
fFroA the Helena Herald ]

Ii
III his address before the District Fair As.
ISOLATION, at Gallasin City, recently. Delegate
Maginnis referred to the Northern Pacific
Railroad, the situation in which 1t was placed
BY the late suspension of ifs promoters and
hackers. lis future prospects, etc. The Nor
lstaniaa, which prints the Maior address II
] full. reports his utterailce as follows upon
| this subject
He could give no Intelligent guess. as e
whit might q dnnejH the case OF that road
/ He4tiaaHglit that in the face Of the present
anti-ralroad excitement II the States, 4
would be impe ssihle 10 ret Congress to vote
q subsidy. Bit he thought a reasonable and
/ plausible argument might be made to show
| that it would lbesecosaOmy for the Govern
ment to take ha1d and build the next five CT
six hundred miles inorder 30 settle the Sioux
question. To save The expense OF annual and
useless expeditions, and the construction, 81
| forts and equipment at troops. He fhol ght
/ that only this road could settle Sitting Bull,
and that even il the Government did not
wish to complete the road, its construction
| through the Sioux country was a military ne.
cessity The speaker presented tlaisSHovel
and original view with much force, AMI we
only hope that he may be able to convince
members Of Congress as easily as he y his
hearers, that ii would be an economy instead
of an expense TO the Government TO blllld tie
road through thr Sioux ration and thereby
! into settled Montana. But while the speaker
thought this to be the most plausible ground
| on which to apply for aid. he said hat ne
had but little hope that it would be granted
at present.
The argument referred to by the Major
could not only be made reasonable and
plausible one, hnt strong and convincing
one. We DO not think it impossible on this
basis to persuade the Government that it
would be an act of economy on its part to
assist the construction OF the Northern Paei-
fic say for the distance of six hundred miles
west OF the Missouri its present terminus.
tire reach OF Indian country most trouble
some and expensive for Unc Sam to gov
ern. and prove not only a great convenience
but big saving in the end in the settlement
OF the Indian problem in the Northwest.
We believe that the Northern Pacific Com
pany-as anxious as we know the railroad
authorities to be to reach the settled portions
of Nontana-would release their land grant
for the SIX hundred miles proposed, condi-
toned upon the government guaranteeing
the interest upon the bonds sufficient to build
that distance Of road. On this or some SIM
liar basis lef the Northern Pacific apply to
Congress ut the approaching session for the
aid or rather exchange. suggested-an ex-
change which would greatly assist the rail
road and at the same time prove of inestima-
BILE benefit to the Government. Facts and
figures could be collected and presented to
Gongr IS which it is not unreasonable 10
suppose would secure favorable legislation
for the project we have bur rudely marked
out. a guarantee by Government of interest
at The rate of 6 per cent. on bonds rot to ea-
Coed $l5.000.000 in amount would probably
answer. This would allow S25 900 per mile
for the 600 miles. The interest on the sum
total would amount to but 100000 per an
num--a sum which would be more than off
set by the amount saved the Government
every year in military and Indian expendi
lures In this Territory alone. Let this mat
ter be brought to the attention of Congress
at the opening of the session in December.
IL it is properly presented it is not too much
TO expect that early and favorable action
will be taken, and another year see the rail-