Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-05-27
The Very Ne,cest Railroad Field.

The Very Ne,cest Railroad Field.
The Yellowstone Valley, into which the
Northern Pacific company has en- tered with its
graders and track layers-soon to be followed
by its regular train service-is not only new
field of railroad operation but also offers great
opportunities for Industrial development.
Hence few of the leading facts observed by
Col. R. M. Newport, chief of the Northern
TO and from Miles City, will be of interest to
cnterprising men who wish to Ego West and
grow up with the country" Col. Newport
had blackboard" ride of six days in the
Yellowstone Valley, saw great deal of the
country, and met and talked
with the men best qualified to give inferma-
| ton regarding the resources of the valley. The
| first questions asked were answered favOrably,
both by resi- ents and from the appearance of
| the country, its soil and vegetation. Coarse
| grains have been raised to limited extent, and
uniformly the product was large and good.
| Vegetables, all kinds produced in the northern
half OF the temperate zone, are grown to per-
lection along the Yellowstone The native
grasses, not only of the riverside land (Which
is one to four miles wide from Glendive to
Miles City but of the uplands and hillsides, is
abundant and nutritious. The climate is ia
vorable to stock raising, and numerous stock
ranches have been established on the river and
| It's tributaries. The loss of cattle in that re-
glon during the severe and exceptional winter
just passed, although there were no prepare
| tons for protection of stock and most of the
cattle were unacclmlted, fresh arrivals from
Indian Territory and Texas, was much less
than was reported early in the spring. Fine
| springs of water are of frequent occurrence
among the buttes and along the river valleys.
| The fuel question, all important in the region
between the great lakes and the Rocky Noun
1 <o:, VII
contiguous country by the existence of mex
haustible stores of Ignite coal of a superior
quality. Samples brought back by Col. New
| port, which were taken from veins OutcrOp-
ping on Fort Keogh reservation, are harder
and heavier than the Missouri river Ignite.
1t is evident that the process of coal formation,
IN it's earlier stages eastward, has been ad-
ductiOn of an article of fuel which
can be commonly used. 1t is
heating stoves at Miles City and is the only
fuel used by the people there. 81
Miles City is 1ourishing frontier town,
a surprise to the visitor who considers how
entirely 1t is an outpost of civilization. AS
the country about settles up, and when the
railroad reaches it, which will be during the
summer, it will have a new and solid growth
and is sure. to became place of great business
importance. Two years ago it was discovered
| that the town site was on railroad section
instead of on government land, but the oc
cupants, confident that the interests of the
railroad company would harmonic with theirs,
went on with their Improvements. During
his visit Col Newport effected an arrangement
with them for perfecting their titles which is
| fair and satisfactory to all concerned.
Glendive, where the Northern Pacific track
| will first reach good landing on the Yellow
stone, has been scripped by the Yellowstone
Land and Town Site company. 1t is q good
| location for both rail and river business, with
fine agricultural region on the west side of
the river and good grazing region on the
east side. The railroad track will be laid to
| Glendive, which will be the terminus of the
Missouri division, by June 18th.
By July 18th, or not later than
August 1st, the track will be extend
ed up the Yellowstone to Miles City.
Then, though perhaps on smaller scale,
growth which followed the coming of rail-
roads into Minnesota. The dependence of resi-
| dents of the valley upon river navigation was
| well illustrated at Miles City, during Col.
Viewpoints visit, by hotels and merchants
| being out of many articles and by their stereo-
typed response to inquiries, ".Plenty coming
on the first boat in few days"
Mr.. John Baugh, recently of the Windsor
| hotel, st. Paul, was at Miles City, negotiating
| for starting frst-class hotel, which
will soon be greatly needed there. He
is meeting with fair success in interesting
! the business men of the place and property own
| ers in his plans, and if they properly consider
| the needs of their town,in connection with Mr..
Baugh's qualifications and experience in the
hotel business, they will not fail to secure
| him for landlord at their best new hotel.
| During his visit to Miles City, Col. Newport
| inquired particularly as to the conduct and
progress of the $500 Indians, of those surren-
dered to Gen. Miles, who are settled on
H ns Ke sSs Of Fessi tDs. river on the IS
the universal testimony that the military
management of them and their affairs has been
very successful. They are apparently con-
tented and certainly orderly, and are making
good progress in acquiring industrial habits.
Their farms are cultivated by men as well as
women, and look like gardens because of the
thoroughness of culture, and produce large,
crops. Army officers estimate that these In
dams will produce at least half of their food
| this year, and say that they would do better if
| their facilities for breaking and cultivating
land were not limited.
All in all, Col. Viewpoints impressions of
the Yellowstone valley and its present inhAbi
ta1ts are far more favorable than he anticipat-
| ed; and his estimate of the future of the val
ley is altogether hopeful of a large and pros
porous population and railroad and land bust
ness in proportion.
The Fergus Falls Northern Road
De Graft & Co. are advertising in the GLOBE
for men to work on their new railroad con-
tract, between Fergus Falls and Wadena, and
also that they propose to sublet fifty miles of
the grading. This line, which we believe has
lately been given the name above, is supposed
to be only an initial though important section
of railway project, the ultimate purposes of
which are not apparent, unless they be
to strengthen the northern lake