The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-03-02
RAILROAD CONNECTION.

The oftener consideration is given to the
subject of direct railroad connection with the
Union Pacific road, the. more evident does il
become that Butte possesses natural ant
acquired advantages the extent of which M
other city of this Territory can equal. A
few enthusiasts in Helena blindly claim that
the railroad authorities would best subserve
their own interests by extending the track
direct to the Territorial capital. Among
these few may be mentioned the four editors
of our able contemporary, the Herald
Among the more reasonable classes, however,
there seems to be a well grounded conviction
that the road will be constructed to Butte
unless Helena, by a popular subscription,
should raise a sufficient amount of money to
cause the railroad magnates to reconsider and
alter their present determination. In CONVEX
sation with a prominent citizen of Helena
yesterday we were Informed that the respon-
sible business men of the town entertain no
hope Ct successfully proving to the u. T.
managers the superior business Importance OF
Helena, either present or prospective, and
the persistent refusal CT the Herald to
show by facts and figures the insigniticance
of the Deer Lodge country and the superiority
aud business advantages OF the Lewis and
Clarke section of the territory is evidence
sufficient and convincing that the position
lately taken by Mr.. Saunders organ relative
to the railroad question is entirely uitenable.
Not one solitary argument has been adduced
on behalf of the capital city which could be
construed by the most imaginative us having
any logical weight. Helena men we'll under
stand the lopelessness of the project to secure
the railroad by a legitimate showing of COM
mercial superiority. They place sole reliance
on the popular subscription to be raised in
that city. And unless a fund can be sub
scribed sufficiently large to induce the
railroad officials to accede to the wishes
of the Helena business men, it is fair to
assume that the attempt to prejudice Gould,
Dillon & Co. against Butte will be abandoned.
But conceding the ability of Helena to raise
say $4,000 to pr ocure the direct extension of
the railroad to that point. This amount
might be fairly considered as about equal to
WllaJ TIE company Noulu lose Ill one year Dy
neglecting to run the road to Butte, and is it
reasonable to suppose that Helena would
take up a yearly subscription of that amount
i'll order to guarantee the road against loss?
Not much. If the road is once constructed
to Helena its inhabitants will be careless
as to whether its operation is profitable or
not, and after the first bonus had been
paid there would be no more public concern
in relation to the business of the road. If
the railroad kings are possessed of the level
heads with which they are credited theS will
act Oh their present determination to extend
the road to Butte, for the very fact that Hell
ena offers a money inducement to cause its
construction to the Territorial capital in op-
to Tie just claims of the Silver City,
is uncontrovcItible proof that the natural and
advantages ofthe countrytributary
to Helena are inferior to the various resources
of the section of which Butte is the great
growing center.