Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1876-10-19
THE R. R. QUESTION.
Sixth Letter from Col. A. M.
Voolfolk.
HELENA, october 13, 1876.

HELENA, october 13, 1876.
TO the Editor of the Herald
The principal objection urged to the
Benton Road is that the Missouri river
would only be navigable few months in the
year. We propose in this article to consider
this objection. We shall concede all that is
claimed by the opponents of the Benton road
as to the shorthess of the river season, and
vet demonstrate that even then it is the best
possible road for Montana.
Let us assume, for instance, that the Mis-
souri, river is navigable but for four months.
1t is unquestionably true that
TIE TRANSPORTATION OF THE TERRITORY
COULD AS WELL BE DONE BY THE
RIVER ROUTE IN FOUR MONTHS
AS IN SEVEN.
We have showed in former article that
eight boats, each CARVING t'~~ ~~-s~-' -~"'''d
III seven months transport from Benton to
Bismarck 43, 200 tons Of freight. Now, if
the same business had to be done in four
months instead of seven, it would only re-
uuire few more boats, or barges without
boats. On the Red River Of the North, for
even as many as five or six, loaded barges,
without materially affecting the speed of the
boat Of course, the shortness of the river
season would not prevent the railroad to Ben
ton from operating each year as long as the
business of the country required.
CHEAP FREIGHTs VS. LONG INTEREST.
But the question to be determined is what
would be the difference between the Benton
road, operating only four months in the year,
and any other road running the year round
Assuming, as would be the case, that both
roads could furnish all the transportation
needed, the difference would be simply one
of interest. If, for instance, the merchant
must import goods enough in four months to
supply his customers for the remaining eight
months, the interest or the money so invested
in goods is what is lost by the merchant in
consequence of the shortness of the river sea-
son. So, if the miner, taking out ores, must
pay the expenses OF taking out and reducing
his ores, but must hold on to the ores or bull
lion for eight months before he can ship and
realize, the interest on the money SO paid to
employees during the eight months is the
sum actually lost by the miner by reason of
the shortness of the river season.
But, in estimating this loss in the way of
interest, the merchant and miner should also
consider their gains in the cheaper transport
alton of this Benton road. The question is
one of cheap freight against long interest.
TIE ADVANTAGES TO MINERS OF THE BENTON
ROAD COMPARED WITH DISADVANTAGES.
Now, as basis for calculation, let us as
sumo that the first year after the Benton road
is built there would be taken out and pre-
pared for shipment enough silver and copper
ores to make II, 900 tons Of base bullion and
5000 tons of ore. We can, of course, only
approximate the number of men required to
produce this product but making our esti-
mates from the number Of men now employed
in producing our present silver product, it is
safe to say that it would give employment to
5000 men the year round. This includes,
not only the miners, but the men employed
in reducing the ores to base bullion to the ex-
tent above mentioned, and also includes the
men engaged in providing wood, charcoal,
ETC., for the reduction works. Now, assun-
ing that these 5000 men would cost, on an
average, $3.5Oper day each, (although during
the winter the rate would be probably less,)
and we have a total expense for labor of
$l7,5OO per oay-$455, 900 per month-mak-
ing, for the eight months in which no trans
portation could be had, $3,64O,OOO. This
amonnt would be paid for labor during the
eight months, and assuming that it was bor-