New-York tribune., 1879-09-20


is impractlcablc. although the roads may be COM
parativelv good ali the rest of the way from Ogden
or Cornne To Helena. For several months IN the
year. therefore, II has been impossible for the mer
chants of Montana TO receive goods from the
East, and II has been their custom to purchase
early in the spring supplies sufficient to last , tor
Missouri River during tie season of navigation.
FreiQhts from the Union or Central Pacific Rail
road had to be hauled $50 miles in wagons, and the
expense of this was SO great that the merchants
could afford 10 pay IL on none but the lighter and
more valuable kinds of goods. The completion OF
the railroad over the range will make t possible TO
obtain freight from the south at all seasons of the
year, although. as rates Will be much higher III the
Winter than in the Summer. a large proportion OF
the goods Will continue TO come III during thc
season of nav CATION.
Montana has already begun to feel the beneficial
effects of the competition of the railroad with thc
steamboats, on the Missouri River FOR the control ot
thc freight business OF the country. Formerly u
cot > o. . cents pound to transport goods iiom
Chicago COZ ~ Louis to Helena aud rates have been
as high 10 40 12l2 cents "A pJund gentleman
who was Formerly II merchant here told me That he
paid Hrle freight bill on one occaslon at the rate
Of - cents "A pound. This year the Union Paclfc
and Utah nnd Northern Railroads began TO compete
iOr the business, and U0utr cts were made with all
the large shippers To Jay down freight from
River crossing in ldaho without cassiii-
cation, AT cent "a pound The cost of hauling
goods IN wagons from that point to Helena has been
] y and a cents pound so that merchants ~
Montana have been able 10 repensh their stocks OF
goods this at no greater expense than those
Sal
miles nom the Union Pacific Railroad. and almost
0nc-haf the distance has had 10 bc made win
waeOrs while the latter are l"ss than forty mllcs
fIom tho tanscOntinental line and have all-IaiI
Ii vas the original intention to build the Utah
and Northern Railroad directly through u Helena
and II have the whole completed 10y next summer,
and the owners of the roai asked the TERRITORY Tor
assistance to enable them to do so. Many oi the
business men of Helena favored such ana. ana an
attempt was first made TO get permission from INC
LEGISLATURE TO issue 10 the company certNn
amount of The bonds of Lewis and Clarke County.
This was defeated, and during The present summer
special session of the Legislature was called 10 see
If the Territory would grant the railroad
company exemption from taxation for period
of fifteen years. Even this refused, and
the temper of the Legislature seemed to lie
against granting the railroad company any
favors There arc probably two reasons for tins.
he nrst Is strong conviction among the people
that the line has been pushed so far now that 1t
will certainly be built into the Territory, and TO
one OF more of the principal towns, no matter
whether assistance Is granted or not. il Is Il conf
mon remark that the company Will never estabi.sh
a permanent terminus m the unsettled southern
potion OF Montana, where IL VIII always he COM
PEELED TO do business at loss ~ order TO do at ALL
River competition Will always keep FIRE ghts down 10
about three cents a pound from Chicago ST. LOUIS
during 0ne-hslf OF the year, and the railroad COM
pouy cannot expect 10 receive more than
onc-half of that ratio for transporting
goods 1000 miles and moro. and hand
ing them at least twice. MS long as there j.
wagon haul of 100 miles between its terminus and
the commercial centres of the Territory. he peo-
pie therefore expect that the road VIII be built To
Helena OF Butte CITY without and H. order that Il
may secure the whole amount paid for freights in
stead of onehaf of II, and they argue that II would
be tOly for tho 4erntOry any county il to pay
Tor that which n Is sure To have without price.
The other reason for the refusal To grant aid or
exemption from taxation Is that large proportion
OF tie people of Montana would prefer TO have no
railroad built into the Territory al all. In tuis
class are included nearly all the cattle and sheep
men, the farmers and even many OF the merchants
The owners of cattle. horses and sheep are afraid
ID A.
utory there VIII be "a great influx Of people who,
tempted by tho enormous profits of the stock
less rcmuueTatlVe than II, now Is. Tho faImeIs
nave similar reason for not dosiung To
have the railroad built. They have now
ample market and high prices for all
they produce. With an increase of pop
uiation, new ranches Viii DC taken up iL the val
leys. grain md all other kinds of produce Will be
raised IN larger quantities. and prices VIII probably
decline. Tho merchants argue III this way II re-
Qulres very large capital TO do business IN Mon
ttua now. Stocks t. last for wlOie year haVo %
BE- purchased IN the Spring. ant the tfelsht5 pad
upon them. 80 few men can command the requisite
capital that there Is comparatively little compete
tlOn. II railroad Is bult men with lew thou
sand dollars CAPITAL viii be opening stores buying
only month or two IN advance, and
having very little money Invested. will make
the competition sharp. The classes have
named comprise considerable portion OF the popu-
aton. The owners Of mines aud those who have
invested their money in real estate are the real
friends of the railroad. The former need capital 10
develop their properties and make thCm pToduc-
tive; they need cheap ana qNck ircigNts IN oidtr
that they may obtain machinery at reasonable
prices and without delay an ship their bullion or
ore at profit IL is expected than the railroad viii
attract capitalists and capital. Eastern men hcsi-
tate about investing their money unless they can
visit the enterprises in which iiIs 10 be used and
tor themselves that they viii be prOhiabi but rs
lonc a. Montana was Isolated from tho rest OF the
c.uufr, by nearly 500 miles Of saEe-bruSh desert,
barren lava beds and mountain ranges, very few
Eastern pitallsis c.uld bc induced 10 come here
Ii Is generally believed IN tms Territory ana IN
idaho that the Utah oni Northern Railroad
will bo built next Spring down tie valley Of the
snake River from some point on tho present line IN
PasIic Company viii thus secure an INDEPENDENT
line to the Pacific and eutcr into direct cOlupctl-
ton with the Northern Pacific. party of engi-
necr~ examining the route, and II satisfactory
arrangements can he made 10 obtain the requisite
funds thc line could he pushed through very rap
idly. DO the people III tie East know that during
the present year no css than three great lines OF
raj way are being built to connect the Missouri
River with the Pacific Ocean3 In Dakota the
NoTthcu Pacific Company pushing ITS road west
from bismarck The AtchlsOn, Topeka and santa
F6 Road near the y sW-AIcXicO line n, indeed, II
has hot already crossed II, aud Is aiming for the
Gulf of California. The Southern Pacific IS ex-
tending east ward through AuZpra and, although II
Will bc uieTsected by the Atchis0n, Topeka ana
santa ie liBe each contemplatcs separate road
from the Pacific to the East. III we count the ttah
and Northern Pacific line, as l believe II Is
bound IL be, tie day is not far distant when tae
tourist VIII have the choice Oi 1--we routes 10 Cali
fornia or Oregon. L. J.. W.