Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1876-01-28

MASS MEETING ATTHE
COURT HOUSEI IN HELENA
Addresses by w. MilnOr Rob
erts and Gen. Geo. Stark.

: Pacific Railroad Company, drew to Il.
Court House . very large assemblagc
anxious 10 see and hear the distingLishe,
visitors. The bar Of the Court room wa
principally occupied by Legislators. mos
II not all the members Of both house
being present The seating space OF IT,
body of the house. allies, and lobby wer.
soIidly packed with the citizens Of Hell
enc, and many prominent visitors from
other parts OF the Territory.
Hon. w. J. Mccormick, of Missoula
called the meeting to order, and on mo
ton. Associate Justice Knowles, of thu
Supreme Court, was chosen 10 preside.
On motion. committee Of three wa.
appointed, consisting Of w. j. McCor-
mick, J. G. S2ratt and Granville Stuart
70 wai' upon and escort Gen. Stark ant
Mr.. Roberts to the stand.
The gentlemen soon made their ap.
pearance escorted by tn committee, and
We're received with applause.
W. MILNOR ROBERTS SPEECH.
Mr.. Roberts first addressed the meeting
He prefaced his remarks with rcfcrcnc.
to statements be had made to the people
jof Montana some two years ago. respect
ling the feasibility Of the general route Of
the Northern Pacific Railroad be,w. en- til.
east and west along this latitude AMI its
capabilities Of yielding profitable bust
ness; adding, that the surveys atterward
ma lie by the company had established i,s
f. asibil'tY. and that nothing had occurred
10 lessen the intrinsic value of the Terri
tories through which ii is to run. Thai
."Lo"el IL. eviu p,aCeA iniHing had de-
|creascd-mainly for want of capital need
Ell to construct more extensive works for
the conveyance Of water-quartz mining
was On The increase; and new and val
.'ab'e element, sheep-raising and wool,
had been added to the natural products
of the country and was rapidly becoming
a very important item IF Montana COM
merce. Tie claim made by many of your
intelligent citizens. who have resided in
the differt nj Territories, that Montana is
by far the best in natural resources, as far
as l can judge. appears 10 be well found
ed. The same, or similar enterprises,
which have developed the mining and
Other capacities of Utah, Colorado and
Nevada, will probably Lad to even
greater results in Montana. In 1869, the
year Of the opening Of the only continen-
tal line yet completed, and soon after II
commenced running, I Travelled over il
under tayorable auspices for observing
its location, lis then proposed terminus on
the Pac fic at San Francisco, and the i'll
cipient mining interests along the route.
The con. lusion to which then arrived
was quite contrary to the general opinion
freely expressed by travellers and others,
who were pretty unanimously of the cpin-
lon that it would be financial failure.
l thought l saw in ii elements Of proba
BILE success, and gave expression atthc
time 10 this belief in articles which were
published in the newspapers of the East.
l hal no intcrest in the road then. or 1T
any time before or since, and my judg-
mtnt was not formed from anything
which had occurred in its financial man
agement; but wholly on the fact Of its
trans continental character. aud as \
means of speedily developing the resour-
ces of the interior Territories through
which it passes. may say. here, parec-
that / afterwards ventured VI
sort Of prophecy in Helena. which has
not been fulfilled; to the effect that we
l,opei ard expected to take the citizen Of
Montana, including the ladies'. to the
in Phi'adclphis. in 1876, all
The way by rail So far as the ladies are
Lean only say now, that l am
here, ready TO escort them to the nearest
station, and themes by rail to Philadel-
pbia.
The circumstances which stopped the
onward move.nentOf the Northern Pacific
and which prOstlated many other
great interests aud individual fortunes, are
we'll known TO al of you. aud ute.l not
now be discussed. Lamentations are use
less. Our duty as men is to endcayor 70
recover tho lost ground at the earliest prar-
licab!e moment; End the prese, seems 10
be prop'tious time to resume active 0per-
atoms. Labor, crOss-ties. iron. and all
materials and supplies Deedful are lower
now than they haye rec" for years. Con
tractors of und0ubted experience and
ability are ready 10 take contracts At mod
crate prices, and thus the cost Of the ex |
tension OF the railroad west Of the Missouri
will he reduced to the lowest rate per mile.
The railroad now on its eastern end own
! sufficient number OF locomotives and
cars 10 run the road four or five hundred
miles beyond Bismarck; and ample for
he conveyance of the material. supplies
ard men required Tor the work. Fort
Abraham. Lincoln stands on the west side
If the Missouri. opposite Bismarck. ready
% protect the advance Of the road across
western Dakota iAto MontaDs. and Others
Forts are frolnised on the Yellowstone. as
non q Il shall be apparent hat The rail
.oad will be in the course Of construction
IloDg that valley. =