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

I'm Y lew miles more or - BY Z"
4 .lrmd survey it is seventy miles fro
h.. Three Forks" t. Helena. 1t will
therefore,. be about one thousa' 4 sixt,
hrcc miles from the ''Three Forks"
4 he eastern terminus at Lake Supero
:. md from Helena, about eleven hundre
and thirty three miles. From Helena I
t,aiama. forty miles below Portland, o
he Columbia river. by our survey, it
Just eight hum rel miles, and to T scoma
The western terminus on Puget Sound
nine hundred and five miles. These dis
? anccs serve to show where Montana is
with reference to the eastern and wester
water lines Of the continent.
i Montana is cmlnently grazing region
and there can be no question that it
|lesiined, when favored with proper rail
road facilities, to become the leading Ter
ritory Of the Union in raising and ship
plny, eastward and westward. cattle
horses, and wool, and mutton. not to b.
surpassed by any the world can produce
What it needs is railroad, t. place i
in connection with the other parts OF til,
United States, that these products may b.
profitably disposed Of But Montana j.
also great mining region. perhaps th'
greatest that has ever yet been known il
the world. Montana is one Of the young
est of the Territories only a child o1
some ten or twelve years growth-yc
she has sent out. for the benefit of tn
whole country, during that brief period
about one hundred millions Of dollars
from her mines. She has not only mine'
Of gold and silver, bnt rich lodes of cop.
per. beds Of iron ore, and valuable Goa
mines, all OF which are awaiting the help
ling hand of capital for their profitable
development.
Transportation has become one of the
most important elements Of our national
existence. This is largely owing to the
,mmensc size OF our country and the re-
moteness Of its various sections from each
other. All the resources OF brain and
money have been put in requisition to re-
duce the cost and time of carrying the al
most boundlces productions of our people
lbetween distant dis ricta. The proper ar
|fangement snd manipulation Of More than
three millions Of square miles OF ma
tional domain, 90 ~ to best accOnldatc
its present and future busy populations.
is labor Of craftsmanship, calling for
II, l.: ,:.rk, ind
II has become obvious that the country
must rely. for its development and for
the efficient transaction Of its already
vast ard growing business, mainly upon
railroads connecting the distant interior
with its ocean front and its manageable
water course.
Montana is to be connected by rail-
roads with the Pacific ocean IN the west
and with the Atlantic slope and its net
work Of rallroa is, and IFS rivers and
lakes, in the east. If Montana intends to
become branch Territory-a Cinderella
among her sister Territories-she can do
SO by depending upon branch railroad
letting her out by the circuitous route of
the Union Pacific and Central Pacific, bu,
if Montana is the great Territory it is
claimed to he, and which l sincerely. be-
lieve it 70 be. it is certainly worthy of a
main trunk line running east and west
through her territory.
l am not an opponent Of narrow gauge
for ! know they are advapta
s eous in .;:any places, and | am well sat
is6cd that they will prove to be particu
Iarly SO as branches and feeders to main
lines in the Rocky Mountain country. Il
am not an opponent of tine proposed mar
row -guage running north and south over
The passes intervening between the Union
Pacific snd Montana, If constructed, II
believe it will be ,ome useful feeder to
The main line of the Northern Pacific. 1t
will be more convenient and cheaper for
hose residing along its northern half, aud
,ven for others farther south. to make
heir outward connections via the North
,rn Pacific, than by any other railroad
inc.
The people of Central Montana could
,ot for moment hesitate concerning the
quite by which they should travel and
through which they would receive and
hip their business. Why should they 20
i've hundred miles south to Ogden, where
hey would be over fifteen hundred miles
rom Chicago, when in less than eleven
lundree miles they could ship by rail to
md from the head OF Lake Superior
Why should they 60 by rail over the
to Ogden, four hundred miles,
i considerable cost. ON branch road.
when they could 60 direct on main line
ii the way to Chicago. via the Northern
Pacific RAILROAD, in about the same dis
ance ant time that it now takes from
ogden. and at less cost from Helena to
Chicago, direct. than it now costs from
ogden to Chicago!
Montana wants q main trunk line rum
ing through or near the middle OF her
magnificent territory. as her railrosd
backbone; into which may afterward be
ramed Z great number of ribs and other
composed Of narrow gauge,
ailroads. including . north and south (
abroad, which shall extend to and far :
,eyond the Union Pacific line, and north
yard far up into the British DomlnionsI 4
nd the valleys Of the Saskatchewan. Il
For hundred miles northward from
into and along the valley of
which under favoIsblele