Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1875-04-30

I W. az Nv" CAPOitmS OceL C0ttlc anu
wool.
II For the agricultural statistics of the
| Territory we respectfully refer to the an
nual report Of the Auditor and Treasurer
for 1874, herewith enclosed. We will
: merely state that the assessed value of the
lIproperty in the Territory in 1874 was So
1884 ,311.50. The assessment of Lewis and
: Clarke county was S2,617 400, or little
less than one-third of the whole.
7 We have shown above that we are now
paying three times as much for freights,
travel, expressage and mail Carrying into
and out of our Territory. as VIC would pay
had we a railroad, and that the saying q
railroad would effect would be more than
the interest on the largest amount of bonds
asked from Us by any company; therefore
we consider it the highest economy to sub
, lsidize in some manner, either BY q direct
'|gift or by guaranteeing for term of years
the interest on q reasonable amount of
bonds.
| NAVIGATION.
The greatest corrective to excessive
charges that railroads may at any time
make, IS from the competition good navi
cation gives. Last year over one. third of
our imports. exports and travel went by
the Missouri river, and at much less cost
than by overland from the railroad. So.
while railroad would insure us speedy
communication the whole year, we should
not forget to improve our magnificent,
river navigation on the Missouri and Vel
lowstone, to forever insure ourselves cheap
transportation. So plain is this fact tina,
freights from New York and other eastern
cities for Montana are laid down at Ogden
Tor Corinne at little If any more than half
the price charged for goods shipped for
use at Salt Lake City and Corinne from
the East. We therefore have the greatest
Interest in the improvement of tine great
natural highway which God has given us
ylfrom Fort Benton to the Gulf Of Mexico.
and we trust to your sagacity and wisdom
70 ask your convention to memorable
Congress to appropriate money sufficient
70 remove the obstructions in the Missouri
from Fort Benton to Buford, for which
purpose we believe from sec, 600 to S10O.
900 would be sufficient, and also to AK
congress to appropriate not less than $50
W Tor the same purpose In opening the
fet'owstone river to navigation from its|
mouth to the highest point possible. The
simple fact that thousand tons of silver
ores were shipped last year from Helena
BY the Missouri river, distance of nearly
5000 miles, to Chicago, St. Louis and
Omaha. for $50 per ton, while the cost BY
wagon from Helena to the railroad at Cor
inne, distance of $50 miles. was aboutI
the same, should be sufficient to imnreea
upon your minds the incalculablc yalue of
inc Missouri and Yellowstone rivers toI
Montana Properly improved they vilI
forever prevent any railroad from monopo-l
LIKING the freightiug business to or from
Montana They arc navigable for si1
months 10 the year, and III our heavy
frs'shts can b brought By them ct low
cost although ct . loss OF two or three
months In timo, which win not be conaid.
ered . matter Of great consequence IL mill
roads attempt 10 charge TOO hi~h forI
fFs'ghh 1Aev wll always b : cha FL
Excessive charges BY rail, and thelr easvl
and ate navigation - great national hieh.
wsys Of commerce should BE- foelered ~
tas General Govanmsnt, for they render
navigation possible from near our north /
boundary TO The Gulf 81 Mexico. : a.. /
tnne0 0f n0np ~ ~.s1>.