Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1875-02-12

RAILROAD MEETING. =
Agreeable to a call in the local papers.
The citizens of Bozeman ard vicinity IS
sembled Saturday evening last to discuss
the subject Of building railroad. connect
ing Montana with the present trans-conti-
mental line or with the Northern Pacific.
On motion, Judge Stephen Allen, of
GalIatin City. was elected Chairman and
Joseph Wright Secretary.
Hon. II. N. Mcguire, being called upon,
IN the course of some sound and Judicious
remarks in regard to our situation, said:
Let US consider the beginning OF our
first cause and then we can
attend 10 the details. 1t is evident perma-
n mt relief must first come from renewe'
vitalizatlon of our mining interests. La
borers must necessarily have more for
their labor here than they can get In the
organized States or the country will be .
failure for the laboring men. The facts
of the case are obvious-easily understood
Counting time and direct outlay, man
cannot come here from the East tor lees
than $4OO-an item to working man.
Now he is here. at that cost and he is in
. country to which all his suppies excep,
flour. meat and vegetables must be freight
ed at an average cost Of say 30 per cent.
more than the cost of bringing these sup
plies to his old home, and he must pay just
that much more for them. Then it 10 evi.
dent that lie must get considerably more
for his labor here than lie got 10 his old
home to come out even on the change.
Now, to what field must he look for this
extra compensation There is but one
the min. raj. If our mines will not, on
the average. pay fifty per cent. more for
their development than the general labor
fields of the East will afford, then the
country is absolutely failure. This is
goins; right to the root Of the evil-to the
maihcausc OF our tr,ub les. Ii 10 useless
to take up the farming interests or any
other interests until you first solve the all
important question, Will the gold and sill
yer mines of Montana pay for their devel
Dpmcnt? This is the point on which ev-
turns. for this is the only resource
we have to remuner.te the mechanic. mer-
chant and farmer. say our mines WILL
pay. believe the immediate expenditure
Of a very little money in the Sixteen-Mile
mines would do more FIR the country, sub
stantlally. than the opening Of wagon
road between here and Bismarck; for after
you get the road the great problem. .'n
which everything depends, must still be
solved, or we are no better off say then
the first necessity of the hour is to prove
10 Eastern capitalists that we have rich
silver mines here as well as Utah and
Nevada. But the importance of railroad
or at least wagon road connection with
the East by way of the Yellowstone can
not be over-estimaled Something must
be at once done in this direction. But
talk will do nothing. Send courier to
Bismarck and have q movement set on
foot there to cooperate with US here in
opening the road. We must now as pu-
yilists say, force the fight" No time is
% be lost But united movement will
everything, &C."
Mr.. j. b Boger'. the next speaker called
upon, made few remarks. urging the
necessity of immediate action in the mat
ter of securing early railroad connection.
He regarded the Bismarck route as first in
importance to this section, and connec-
ton with Cheyenne as second. The road
South would follow as i necessity.
On motion of Major Pease committee
Of Nelson Story, j. S. Menden-
hall, p. w. Meadow. j. V. Bogert, L. S.
H. N. Mcguire, Walter Cooper,
and Joseph Wright, was selected to cor
re- pond with prominent citizens of the
different towns in Montana and of Dako-
ia. Wyoming and Utah, on the subject of
this meeting.
Nelson Story made some sensible re.
marks, urging concert of action with other
portions OF the Territory as the only way
in which anything could be accomplished.
Sectional jeaous should be discarded
nd udited effort made.
Remarks were also made by Messrs.
Cooper, Hoppy, and Willett.
The meeting was largely attended. and
the spirit evinced was strongly in favor Of
a railroad TO our Territory.-come from
where il would.
On motion tue meeting adjourned,
STEPHEN ALLEN,
Chairman
1oco,,h WrirIt Cooro.aru