Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1874-05-14
Business On the Northern Pacific RAN.
road.
From the Bismarck Tribune

OuIuR tue mO0tnS OI June, july, August,
September and October, of 1878, the freight
business of the N. P. Il. r. as shown by the
books of the company at Bismarck station,
aggregated in round figures "a, ,OOO, 600 pounds,
upon which the railroad received charges
amounting to almost $3.50, 900. This is q
magnificent business showing for SO short
period of time, and that too, Immediately fol-
lowing the completion of the line to the Mis-
souri, river, and must impress the public with
the growing importance of the Northern
Pacific and the necessity for its early compile
ton to the Pacific coast. Large us the busi-
ness Of the company has been it but fOrshad-
Ows, in Il small degree, the heavy traffic which
it must inevitably secure when it once taps
the fertile valleys of the Yellowstone and it's
tributaries, the immense coal fields of West
ern Dakota and the rich mineral region of
Montana and Idaho. We only give the fig
ures of last season in order to show that,
though very great, the trade and travel OF the
present season will far exceed it; indeed, We
shall not he in the least surprised if the busi-
ness of the company this season is quadrupled.
In addition to the military, Indian and pri-
vate freight of the last season (Which will un-
doubtedly be largely increased this season)
there will be added to the carrying trade of
the company not less than TWELVE THOUSAND
TONS of merchandise and machinery for the
merchants of Montlna-ten thousand tons of
which haye already been contracted through
from the cities of New York, Boston, Phila-
that Territory, and cOnsignments covering
almost thousand tons of this have already
arrived here and is now awaiting shipment
up the river This alone is largely in excess,
in point of tonnage, of the entire business
done at Bismarck last year, and has been
diverted from the Union Pacific, the route
over which it has heretofore gone, by the
moderate rates and quick time offered by the
Northern Pacific Railroad and its connecting
river line over that of the former road. From
Bismarck weekly line of fast boats will
carry this freight to Carroll, a new town re-
Gently established at the mouth of Little
Rocky river, about 225 miles east of Helena,
Montana, and but little further from all other
important places in that Territory. From
Carroll it will be transported to the several
destinations by the Diamond "R" Overland
Fast Freight Line, owned by Messrs. f. g.
Maclay s. Co.. of Helena. This freight line
has reputation among the merchants and
miners of the Rocky Mountain country for
reliability and dispatch, such as will secure
for it not only the entire carrying trade to
Montana, but returning, will turn Northern
f8CluC-W0Eu Tic lUlLcuSc sulpucuC VI AlIl-
eral ores to the east, heretofore carried by
Oakes Ames' Credit Moblier Concern. We
now have before US a circular of Messrs.
Maclay s. Co., in which they guarantee to
shippers ''quicker time by thirty days and
lower rates than are offered by any other
line," and agreeing to "correct and avoid the
delays so frequent by all other routes" They
have also established agencies in all the prin-
cipal cities of the east, and are prepared to
receipt bills of lading through to all points in
the Northwest reached by their line.
BY this arrangement the Northern Pacific
secures permanent foothold in the region
of territory west of the Missouri river in ad-
vance of the extension of the track, and per-
haps for the road when completed local
trade that will, without aid of through bust
ness, be sufficient to meet all the operating
expenses of the line and leave handsome
margin in the treasury.
The award of the contract FOR carrying the
military and Indian supplies on the Upper
Missouri from Bismarck to Commodore Coul-
son, will, also, in our opinion, rebound to the
benefit of the Northern Pacific Company, as
it will be the means of establishing rival lines
of steamboats, at this point to compete for the
immense trade and travel that comes over the
road bound for points west and northwest.