Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1884, 1880-06-11
THE COUNTRY WEST
PROGRESS OF THE NORTH Pa
CLFIC EXTENSION.
The Road Completed Eighty-Nine
Miles West---The Superior Quail
ity Of Work Being Done---
The Country. .-.s
OVER THE RIVER.

OVER THE RIVER.
In the rush of river business and immi
grafton, the people of this section are apt
to overlook the rapid extension of the
North Pacific road through Dakota One
can now get on the train at Mandan and
travel west nearly as far as from Bismarck
east to Jamestown. Along this entire
line not sign of civilization can be seen,
except at the few station houses. The
track bed is in excellent condition, and
the scenery is varied wild and interest
ing. The road crosses the Heart six times
in five miles and the Sweet Briar twenty
seven times in eight miles. Truts'
bridges are used on the Heart, and are
said to be the strongest and most durable
bridges made. Winston & Co., who had
the contract Of putting in the bridges on
theextension, have indeed displayed great
skill and efficiency in their construction.
Comanche, the first station west Of Man
dan, is but a side track, and lis better
known as Rattlesnake Station. Why it
was ever thus named is best known to the
graders who first established the town.
There never has been but two or three of
these reptiles seen over the river on the
line. The grade between Mandan and
Comanche is very heavy, many places be-
ing the max imum grade, fifty feet to the
mile. In ascending from
THE HEART VALLEY
to the table lands above, the track winds
snake-like around the foot hills, the
curves being SO short in some instances
that not over halt dozen cars can be
seen at one time. The Sweet Briar is
quite an extensive valley, but the land is
not as good as that Of the Curlew and up
lands further west, but as a stock range
it cannot be excelled. Blue Grass station
is so called because of the luxuriant
growth Of blue grass in the immediate
vicinity. This grass is so rank that the
valley looks like a vast oat field Near
Baby Mine is Spring Tank station.
Water is furnished the tank from a beau
tiful spring bubbling out from the side of
a bluff about three hundred feet from the
track The windmill is placed over the
spring and the water forced into the tank
through pipes.
AT BABY MINE
there is considerable activity. About
thirty-tive men are now at work, each man
mining from three to five tons of coal per
day. Baby Mine is a bonanza, and is
giving it's owners, M essrs. Bly, Il Thomp-
sen, neat revenue. The main passage
is now about three hundred feet into the
bluff, with fall of one inch to the foot.
The vein being worked at present pre-
sents seven foot face, and the quality Of
the coal is superior to ordinary Ignite.
These coal beds underlie the larger por-
ton of the country west Of Mandan, crop
ping out in many places on the streams
and cuts along the road. In digging the
wells for the water tanks, extensive veins
are struck. A few miles west of Baby
Mine the road makes sudden turn to
the northeast and the beautiful Curlew
valley is reached. This valley is about
fifteen miles long and in some places is
nearly five miles wide. On either side
are ranges of bluffs which resemble bar
racks or barrlcadcs AT the western end
of the valley is Curlew station, and Z
miles further on is the "Y," 591 miles
from Bismarck. From this point west to
the supply store there is a gradual rise.
The quality of the soil becomes better as
the summit or divide is reached, and the
best stretch of country west Of the Mss
ouri thus far traversed by the North Pa
cifc is from
YOUNG MANS BUTTE
west to the Bad Lands The track is now
laid a distance of eighty-nine miles west,
and in about ten days the first one hun
dred miles will be completed. The sup
ply store, which ls now about seventy
five miles west will remove in few days
to Green River, where it will remain un-
til the road is completed to the Little
Missouri. Graders are at work all along
the line from Green River to the Little
Missouri, and by the time the contract
for building the second 100 miles Of track
is let, the grade will be ready for the
rails. ALI the iron and ties for the first
100 miles, oi which there are tlt eleven
yet to build, are now over the river and
being transported
RAPIDLY TO THE FRONT.
The rapidity with which the road is be-
ing extended is indeed astonishing, when
one considers the long distance from the
base of supplies and the consequent dis
advantage under which the constructors
work The track is being laid at the rate
of mile and quarter day, and the
telegraph wires are being strung at the
same rate. The new superintendent Of
the Missouri division, D. r. Taylor, is a
thorough, practical railroad man, and
gives the transportation Of supplies his
careful attention, as on that depends the
speed of the construction. Early this fall
trains will be running to the Little Miss
ouri, and the Yellowstone will be but a
short distance from the end OF this sea,
sons work.
EVERYTHING THOROUGH.
The new station houses Oh the extension
are the best ever built on any railroad.
They are large, two-story buildings, flu
ished oft in good shape and nicely paint
ed outside and in. They are residences
in every sense Of the word. The water
tanks put up by Mr.. Hill are also large
and substantial reservoirs. In fact every
thing on the extension has heen done
very thorough. The snow fences are
built along, and no trouble from snow
will be experienced next winter.