Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1875-02-05
RAILROAD.

We arc g'ai TO perceive tia: public 10
t-rest is o,iig aroused throughout the
Territory in favor u railroad. Inns Is
without question the most important con
alteration ;rs, row for our people. There
IL no d.spn,ing The fac. that i the citizens
unite AVID determine 20 have raI!roa''
tia, I will hc built, and that right soon.
Tie real difficulty is in agreeing upon The
you,e and vet a railroad coming into Non
,sna from any direction cannot tall 70 be
of great public utility. 1t is. however,
very impor'au, 10 bUild that road which,
vii, b,ir~ the most advantage to AZ The
pcnole ei the Territory. Now, that The
railroad question vii! oe brought fully and
fairy upon the citizens Of Montana. 1t Is
of the utmost consequence That decisive
action be taken. and road built. The
time has passe! for TALK-buildinG roat.
must be The result - The present agitation,
and every man must be in earnest, and
willing to bear his part in tie eXpen5 es IN
Cident 70 the completion Of railroad TO
connect either VITA the Northern Pacific
or Union Pacific Whilst We have advo-
Gated, and agree with Judge Meadow, that
We should open the FRONT DOOR" and
connect EAST of us, still we are for rail
road, if il is deterininel 10 connect South.
A rnlroad Is what is demanded to keep
every interest in Montana from lapguish-
inc-a rail,oa is need ed 10 make us pros
porous and rich--a railroad will build up
every Interest and business railroad is
a vital necessity to al of us, and if it takes
half Of Ill We hold, let US build railroad
and get ''out of the wilderness, - and be a
people Without railroad connection We
arc isolated and cut off from commerce.
civilization end cheap transportation for
the abundance produced by our soil and
minerals Let every man. every energy
and every dollar we can raise be invested
IN having railroad al the earliest possible
moment. and our word for it, every man,
woman and child in Montana will be the
better for it, ana rejoice exceedingly over
the glorious result. Work is what is re
uuircd at this crisis in orr affairs. and il
all should be employed in having rail
road by which living in Montana may not
be q torture hut real joy.
Below We give an excellent letter from
+. w. Meadow on the railroad question,
10 which we invite the attention Of our
readero
Ro;ENAN January % 1875
TO THE EDITOR VI THE TINES:
In response 10 your note Of Wednesday,
asking my IDEAS on railroad subsidy, will
say. that am clad 10 see the press waking
w. From articles published 10 The las,
two numbers of the Courier. think they
have about given up the idea Of waiting
for something TO turn up. The collapsed
of the Northern Pacific Railroad bill;
makes the future look dark and gloomy |,
Ola fo-ics. who have been drifting along
with the current. and hanging their hopes
on the representations Of a Iank' e com
pary that has neither brains or money. arc
beginning to see starvation staring them
IN the face and are coming 70 the conclu
sion 10 let Western men take hold Of this
enterprise. Ii the pope had shown q VIII.
ingness. we might ~ day he III commnni- /,
cation with the civilized world by rail.
md enjoying The fruits Of prosperity. II
is useless for me TO srs,k of the resources /
Of Mona ana sciautific men have demon =
strated The fact that we have untold wealth t,
III mines. and the capabilities OF her pro
lucing and pasturing land are plain TO De
seen by any. re. A rich and pepulous
State can be made Of this mountain cOun- /
Iry. ard if tie people will put Their shout l.,
der to the wheel the much desired object
AN be brought about in a few years. You
ask me what route. or routes, am in ia
Tor of If possible. LIT us open the front I
door. The line OF the Northern Pacific ,
.Etr-s tile Territory on the 1C4 parallel.
alnu, 100 miles from Bismarck-from
hence to Deer Lodge city is about i've
hundred miles on an air line We will
say that the deviation from straight
course will aid one hundred more, making ,
tx hundred miles east and west. directly !
through the heart OF the Territory. BY .
his route We develop Montana. ard every
dollar vested will prove direct benefit to
US. Railroad men say that IS 900 per mile ,
will grade and bridge tllrer-foo;-road- at ,
my rate it would require 5000, 900 The
ron and rolling stock can be easilv Ob
HJUcu Ny Va VIC lOoi-OSA ANOW.
car we afford 10 take this amount in rail
road? Let US see what our resources are.
The present assessed valuation Of Montana {
is about $40. 600. OSO-say the road l, built
IN three Jea-s-no one doubts that the in
crease ia valuation will amount TO three
lines g much 80, 100000 What, then.
would be the levy necessary to pay the
interest on the bonds at six per cent. per
Say we have six hundred miles
IF railroad--s0OO per mile would be
valuation. The taxes 'ue the
counties through which the road would
pass would be, say. twenty mills on the
dollar. which would amount 10 $50. 600
The Legislature can make . special fund
Of this and apply it on the bonds. Then
We would have $104 900 more to DAY,
which would amount 10 . fraction over
three mills on the dollar. But some OF
our bachelor friends will cay that we 10
not wish to beQueath this debt to our chill
jren--ihen make il six mile, and a. the
prd Of each year have the Territorial
Treasurer purchase 100000 Of the bonds,
thereby decreasing the principal, and At
he end Of thirty years both interest and
would. be cancelled.