Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1876-02-04
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fcoSrrSUED FROM FIRST PAGE
Wien We row arrive at Ogden from
Tho Est We stop over night; the mex.
day at 10 o'clock we take the mario"
gauge. and at tbr-e or four in the AFTERNOON
w. r.ac Frank lin, after touching on the
route Ill the principal MOI mon settlements
the roal having been thus fer located
% every one knows, not with any vie"
OF accommodating or reaching Montana
hut 20 As best to accommodate and develop
the local resources of those Mormon sett'e-
ments. This is kind Of location qu''eI
advantageous TO these special settlements
but it is not we'll adapted to general Inc
of railroad or promising much for Monta"
JAMS.
It Is now proposed to extend this mar
row gauge railroad northwaSd across la
ho and into Montana. and to ask the p'o'
nile OF Montana to lend them a helping
hand toward its construction. What route
II 10 to take does not appear to have been
determined. We are not aware that
railroad liue has ever been surveyed oe-
tw.aa Utah aud Mont ana. but whatever
route may he chosen. every Montan'a"
who has ever Travelled between the two
Territories of Utah and Montana. knows
that the country across that portion OF
Idaho can offer lit e or no support 10 a
railroa if one were constructed. 1t IS ~
great odd&&hc most Inferior natural region
between Tie Union Pacific railroad and
Montana. The difference in favor OF
Montana is perccp,i lie almost as soon y
the high main pass of the Rocky Noun
tains, near Pleasant valley, is surmounted,
No vnc can question the fact Without
careful surveys, it would b. difficult to de-
eide a. to the probable length and cost OF
the line required 10 reach tile central paris
of Montana. The Divide between Bear
river and the waters of Sn IKE river has 10
be overcome, if that route be taken. and
after thus getting west OF the Rocky
Mountains, it will be meet ssary 10 again
surmount the Main Rang at high sum
nit IN order to get over 10 the waters OF
the jefferson. How much extra distance
the passage of these divides and the fol-
lowing Of the streams on both sides may
involve, is yet entirely unknown; bu,
there is no reasonable probability that the
entire length OF the railroad will be rs
short as the stage route 1t is likely to b.
materially longer. The chance is thai
there may be nearly or quito five hundred
miles of railroad to get from Franklin t.
Helena.
We have heard that the eighty miles Of
railroad between Ogden and Franklin have
been mortgaged for fifteen hundred thou
sand dollars. II this is so, il CIV $ an
average of eighteen thousand seven hun
dred and fifty dollars per mile. At this
rate five hundred miles. if inortgngch,
would amount 10 nine millions three hun
dred and seventy-five thousand dollars
We have seen it stated in the newspapers
that the Utah Mott parties would ask
for one million five hundred thousand
dollars subsidy from Montana, in some
form. Probably an issue of her bonds for
that amount. At the rate Of eighteen
thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars
per mile that would cover just eighty
miles. II the cost should be at the rate
shown. that would leave over four hun.
dred miles of railroad, at a cost Of seven
and q half million dollars to be raised from
other sources. II has been said that Mr..
Joseph Richardson, who holds the mort
gage on the eighty miles of running road.
has undertaken TO extend this narrow
gauge line into Montana; and that about
ten miles of the road northward from
Franklin are nearly graded and tunnel
in that vicirity begun; that he expects TO
finish about twenty five miles or possibly
forty miles in all this year. We do not
know what II will really cost to build the
railroad for four hundred or five hundred
miles along the ranges of the. mountains
in this dIre ton, whether it can be done
for seven or eight millions or tor five or
SIX millions, but in either case million
and halt or even two millions of thcI
bonds Of Montanx woul1 have to he snip
ed by very large sum to finish
the road. For at least two hundred and
fifty miles, AZ mentioned, across Idaho,
The very region through which the road
must be built before striking the sonthcr"
Of Mont,na, whicl, is still tw"
1undre,i miles from Helena, there is scarce
y settlement. There is hardly any pop
,lation at MI. and very little to attract or
|upp, rt population in the future even if q
'ailroal existed in it tc-d,y. The first
lightly miles of rai!rosI was origina ed by
d0rmons for the accommodation OF the
dormon settlements and it runs through
region which. tor Its area, has p 'rhaps n
arger population thtn any portion Of
Utah or Montana, If the extension should
'e carried over to the vicinity Of SODA
|prings" it would there meet little set
lement, but with that exception, it case it
hould 60 that way, the extension north
rard ill it entered the Jefferson, valley.
. Montana. would be mostly through
q unsettled and extremely fOrbidding re =
ION.
1t 10 therefore highly improbable that
ny eastern individual, who has th
.quisite pccuniary ability. will invest
.versl millions OF dollars. at this time, IL =
northern narrow gauge railroad Of such :.
character. The capitals. Who would be =
lsposed 10 apply O. large an amount of q
'oney upon distant public improvement. !:
o"'" "s"s w NV" ""e' 40 =" oe s"S f.