Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1877-03-01
NORTH AMI SOUTH ROAD
Fort ELLIS, MoNT..
February, 81, 1875.


Editor COURIER =
l have rea all your editorials on the
suhjec. of railroads, as wei! as your com
II eats on lay letter to Mr. Meadow. Your
expressed wish in the two last issues of
the COURIER that I slioniJ write more
about railroads, considering that it comes
from an opponent to my views, is, GER
family very complimentary, and | thank
you for your courtesy.
You must not fail into the error of
supposing, because advocate the build
ing Of the North and South road from
Franklin to Pipestone, that am neccs-
sarily hostile to the Northern Pacific.
No sir, on the contrary, am friend of
The Pacific road. and most strongly in
favor of its early completion. What I
wanted to say. and what thought d
say. was that the people of Montana
could not hasten the building of the Paci.
fic line. but conld secure narrow gauge.
and through it an outlet to the great East.
The psce 70 secure aid for the Northern
Pacific. in my opinion, is not from the
Legislature Of a young. undevelopod and
sparsely seitiel Territory. but from the
Congress OF the United States, represent
ing 40.O00,0 900 of people. The senseless
cry raised against substituting rail. Dads in
the Great West is passing away, and a
new era of railroad construction will soon
begin that will completely develop every
part Of our country.
The nation never made a better invest
mPnt than when i, subsidized. and secured
the building Of the Union Pacific road.
Even should it not receive back one cent
Of the principal or interest on IFS bonds,
still the road is cheap. Does any one be-
lieve that Colorado, Wyoming or Utah
would have been developed in the next
fifty years if it had not been for the Union
Pacific railroads In counting the benefit
of such an enterprise we must a Id tOgeth-
er all the federal taxes gathered from
nincty-s, ven cities and towns, two hun
drei mines, and more than a thousand
farms along the line Of this road. Does
my one believe that these towns would
have been built, mines opened, and farms
titled if the roal had not been construct
ell? Certainly every one who is at all
familiar with the history Of the West
knows better.
After all the hue and cry against the
great middle Continental line, it has
in ten years developed for the Govern
mcnt property on which the levied tax isl
equal to the interest of all its bonds. |
Nor is this all; the road, from feeble |
beginning and a patronage not equal to
its running expenses, has now business
revenue sufficient to pay all its expenses,
aud turu over from $500. 600 to $3.50 900
per year : sinking fund to take IN and
cancel interest and bonds Every dol
lar Of Its Indebtedness TO the Government
will ultimately be paid, principal and IN
terest. and the time is not far distant
when its stock will be sought after as an
inv. stmcnt for profit from dividends.
A road that can increase its freight trade
% per cent. per anEum need not have any
fears OF the future l sincerely believe
that since the Louisiana purchss Sc no such
wise investment was ever made by the
Government, OF the United States as when
it subsidized Trans continental line tf i
railroad.
The history of the past gives me great
hope for the future development of our
land. We can have no better lamp TO
guide our feet thsu the lamp of experience,
and, if it teaches anything, il tells US to go
on a, d build. not one. but three lines Of
railroad across the continent. Ten years,
more and the Central, the Northern and
Southern Pacific roals will be built, tied
at the ends, and looped in the middle
Then throughout the length and breadth
of the land that struggles in the grasp of
two mig ty oceans, there will be an inter-
change of products. aud union of intcre
csis, as well IA OF hearts and hands. This |
is the national network, and thai it will |
be completed have not doubt. Let ms
va as patiently as We can for that good
time.
Driving. rs l do, cennot see Tint it is
III duty of y"nr people n help build the