Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-12-22
NORTH PACIFIC EXTENSION.

An Interview With Contractor Bellows
Progress of tho Work-Conditi0n of the
WOrkers-The Soured Sub-Contractor
Who Telegraphs Lies to the Pioneer
Press. -.. -...a-
Hons. James Bellows and g. L. Lord, con-
tractors for the Northern Pacific beyond the
Missouri arrived at the Merchants yesterday
morning from Bismarck, and were properly
welcomed by GLOBE envoy who, during the
day, had pleasant informal interview with
Mr.. Bellows. He states that their work Of
building the road is going on, notwithstanding
tho late unfavorahle weather, rapidly enough
to ensure the full completion of the contracts
for next season. Sixty miles of iron have been
laid beyond the Missouri and the grading il
done for f,rty miles beyond to the end
Of tho first hundred mile contract. Graders
are at work ninety miles beyond the track, or
one hundredland fifty miles beyond the Mis-
souri,, in a section of country where the work.
men are fairly protected from the severe
weather.
WINTER TRACK
will soon be laid on the ice across the Missouri
ut Bismarck, and it is intended to take over
before the ice breaks up in the spring, iron,
ties, and contractors supplies sufficient to last
three months, SO that the whole work may be
prosecuted, without Interruption, throughout
the spring months. The completed road
beyond the Missouri is only used this winter for
forwarding contractors supplies, which will
hardly pay for keeping it open if there is much
more Of snowy and windy weather. But the
contractors have eighty teams and drivers and
strong shovel brigade, with which they can
keep all the supplies needed at the front.
The weather has been very severe in that
country this MONTH MIR. Bellows SAYS Snow
has fallen in unusual quantities and high
winds have prevailed. In the so-calIed bad
lands where the graders are now at work. and
between them and the end Of the track the
prairie uplands and bluffs are blown as bare
as they ever appear in fall or early spring,
while the canyons are many Of them.
NEARLY FILLED WITH SNOW.
The freighters Of supplies, during the last
two weeks, on arriving at one Of these snow
filled canyons, go into camp with as good shell
ter as they can find or make for the drivers or
animals, until the shovel brigade, which pre-
cedes each train of teams has opened q way
through the snow. A day after the train has
passed all traces of the track will be covered
and the deep snow lie Us level al before the
shovelers went into it.
In the course Of the conversation the recent
Mandan special to the 2. p. which stated that
four hundred laborers on the extension grading
were shut out from supplies, and were sup
piled with but three days provisions, was
mentioned. Mr.. Bellows said the p. p. or
respondent ID a disappointed ex sub-contractor.
He failed to make as much money az he want
ed and has ever stree been
DISPOSED TO MIsREPREsEsT
the contractors and to write down the country,
The special referred to was sensational in the
extreme. As matter Of fact the men at that
time were short Of butter, syrup and perhaps
some minor Articles of food supplies and we're
RI <r,r,
only the atormy weather caused them to
be for few days deprived of such things. The
men who were beyond that class Of supplies
numbered two hundred and scventy-not four
hundred: At the time referred to they had
on hand staple supplies ample for their
subsistence twenty days, including ESQ bar
rels of beans, so barrels Of pork, not less
than 40 barrels of beef, eight to ten tierces of
new hams and shoulders. and not less than
twenty days supply OF -four, with oats and
hay for the stock in abundance. A to the hay
Mr.. Bellows mentioned incidentally that the
grass IN the canyons was yet good iced and
abundant. The graders work AID live in
NOT ONE HAS SUFFERED
from either cold or hunger. The contractors
prepared for severe winter, intending to
keep their work in progress all the season and
are SO amply prepared that they do not anti
cipate any possibility of the work being inter
ruptsd. just as soon as the weather will Der.
NIT, and the winter bridge or ice track is
laid the laying of iron on the first hur bred mile
contract will be resumed and before the next
winter sets IL communication with the Yellow
stone country and Montana will be shortened
by at least one hundred and fifty miles of rail-
road beyond the Missouri
Can the road in that region of country De ca
silly kept open IN winter? Will it not be liable
to Interruptions from frequent snow and wind
storms! Yes, no, were the answers. The snow
fall this season is exceptionally large, and the
prevailing winds have piled it into the canyons.
Such season is rot likely to be repeated in
many years. But a we'll equipped railroad,
like the Northern Pacific, will always be pre-
pared for emergencies nd its management will
never suffer it's trains to be long interrupted or
delayed. The wi inter climate of the Northern
Pacific country, because the snow fall is light,
(belng even this season less than has fallen in
the Black Hills and south of there), is more ia
yorabie for railway operations than the Union
Pacific region or the thirty fifth parallel.