The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-05-07
RAILROAD TALK.
Local. General and Speculative Con
siderations.

siderations.
The Utah s. Northern Surveying Faf'y
consisting OF seventeen persons under
charges Of Engineer Moscrip reached Deef
Lodge last Friday evening. haying made
preliminary survey from Ryan Station s'a
Browns Bridge, Divide aud the
Deer Lodge Pass to Butte, hence utd SILVER
Bow, Pierses', Upper Deer Lodge crossing
and Girard's on the west side of the river
to point opposite Deer L'dge. rhe ine
was RIM a distance on the east side OF the
river. but the west side was found preiera'
BILE aud adopted. The grade In this valley
1. about 10 feet to the mile and very little
grading Ia required. The line run attained
"A high as 90 feet grade between Divide
and the Deer Lodge Pass summit; the grade
on this side did not anywhere exceed oo
feet. II We recollect ar,ghs the Northern
Pacific crossed the Pass ~ithout exceeding
IS feet, but az the U. s. N. has 13o fee'
grades in Utah and this survey is only pre-
liminary It is not probable an effort was
made to fluid minimum grade.
On reaching here Mr.. Moscrip received
Instructions to return and run line
through the Pipestone Pass between Butte
and Salisbury. There Is only one other
surveying party on the U. & N. and that 10
on the working surveys between lied hock
and Ryan. The survey Of the Pipestcne
will enable the Company TO determine
whether the brst route to Butte 10 uid Sails
bury or ria Browns Bridge and the selec-
ton will b. indicated as soon M the ioca-
ting surveyors pass Ryan. we are advised
it IL the purpose now as soon as the Pipe
stone survey is completed to pnS Mr.. Mo-
scrip's party on the Park route between
Butte and Helena, and then complete this
line of survey ola Little Blackfoot and
Priests Pass.
L. in not known the Union Pacific Conn.,
pauy has communicated to the press, If, in
deed, it has determined, the objective
point of the Utah s. Northern. 1t Ia stated
on apparently good authority that they
will run the road to Helena for bonus Of
$4,000. On the other hand it looks that
the inducements to run this way to the Pa
itic Ooeau are bsing favorably considered.
This project was in contemplation by Mr.
G ,uld two years ago. Then by some Ore
gon and Idaho combination attention was
directed to the route from Ft. Hall ria
Boise to Portland. The suddenly renewed
vitality of the Northern Pacific may have
had some adverse Influence in the
matter. The Fl. Hail-Portland route was
sill in favor until some six weeks ago
when the orders to surveying parties des-
tined for that work this season were coun-
fernandez and it appears, temporarily NJ
least, abandoned.
A very long distance on that line is DESC
late and uniuhabitable. The lava beds on
the east end and the deserts on the middle
are irreclaimable. Construction will be ex-
pensive and unremuuerative. Its sole rec
ummendatlon in its being a shorter line than
this. Opposed to that - the consideration
that every mile on this route from where
the Terminus now is down to tide. water IL
valuable for mineral, agricultural or timber
purposes, susceptible Of sustaining dense
p ,pulation contributing large local bust
ness to the road. The additional haul of
through business would be more than CON-
pensated by other advantages if competi-
ton over the same line were not SO serious.
iy threatened. 49, Ill
10 the meantime the expiration of the
charter time for the construction OF the
Northern Pacific-July 4. lsS0-is drawing
near. 1t may have occurred TO the loca-
ting genius of the Union Pacific Company
that it we're we'll to await Congressional nc
ton effecting that road. IL Is not beyond
the provinces of Union Pacific men TO secure
control OF sufficient Northern Pacific stock
to shape its destiny and the recent bearing
Of the N. P. stock rather strengthens that
anticipation. In fact IL looks probable that
the issue of Northern Pacific forfeiture, or
| legislation incident to expiration Of i's
| charter. ia an element OF some Importance
| In the Utah & Northern location.
But the Northern Pacific Company is
neither idle nor friendless. We give else
where account Of energetic work between
| Bismarck and the Yellowstone. Work.
| with les plumber of men,is being earnest.
ly prosecuted IN the West. The mail car
rier oetween Walla Walla and Missoula re.
rorts the road constructed from the Coum.
bia to within 1870 miles Of Pen d'Oreille
Lake, to which point it ia to be completed
this year, and the tie cutters are at work
| this side the Lake. within 200 miles Of Mis-
soula. The route from Missoula to Walls
Walla ola Pen d'Oreille Lake is, in round
numbers, 400 miles; eia Couer d. Alene LAX.
| 800 miles, ana ola Lo Lo Fork, pronounced
practicable, $50 miles. 1t is suggested thai
when the Utah & Northern reaches thu
mining camps OF Montana the need Of tim
Der will impel its construction to Missouls
and thence the Lo Lo Fork route woult
give it 10 miles shorter route than thu
Northern Pacifi, to tide water.
Apropos to these speculations we knew 9
wager laid and taken this week that th,
Utah & Northern would be constructed t.