The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-01-04
THE UTAH AND NORTHERN.
It's commencement, It's
Struggles and Final
Success.
The Immense Amount of Freight
that Has Been Handled on
the Line During the
Past, Year.

The history of this road is a recital of what
energy, perseverance and pluck can accomplish
in overcoming almost u~nsurinountable diff
culties. The road was projected early in 1872
by John w. Young, a son Of the late Brig
ham Young, prophet, seer aud revelator of
the Church of Latter-Day Saints in Utah.
Mr.. Young was backed by an eastern capital
list by the name of Richardson. 1t started
from a point just below Brigham City, on the
line Of the Central Pacific, in April of the
above named year, to run to Cache valley, in
the northern part of Utah. As it was origi-
nally intended for a short line road to accom-
modatc the local traffic that was springing up
in the northern part of the territory, instead
of a through road to the Pacific and to the
head OF navigation on the Missouri river, it
was laid with a narrow track. Abranch was
run to Corinne, but was afterwards taken up
and the road continued to Logan, where 1t
remained for some time. Under its manage
ment at that time the road struggled on the
verge of bankruptcy, but was finally extended
to Franklin, in Idaho, on the north end, and
to Ogden on the south. Ultimately Mr..
Richardson interested Jay Gould in the en-
terprise, and that great railroad builder be-
came a partner. Mr., Gsuld's practical eye at
once saw the necessity of securing the i'm
mense carrying trade that the rapid growth of
Montana demanded, and the road was switched
off from the Soda Springs route and out of
Cache valley, and extended with all possible
haste dew the Port Neuf to Blackfoot, on
the Snake river. At this point the road be-
came the property of the Union Pacific rail-
way company. This company has since
pushed it across the Snake river valley, fol-
lowing the line of the old Montana stage
road, over the main range of the Rocky
mountains, and thence Town the ~afiluents Of
the Beaverhead river to the new town of Dill
lon, its present terminus. From Dillon the
surveyed route strikes across to the Big Hole
and ascsnds that stream to the mouth of Di-
vide creek, which it follows up and again
crosses the main range through the Deer
Lodge pass, and from thence heads towards
Butte. This pass is about 5000. feet high
and is surmounted by an average grade OF
about ffty-three feet to the mile. 1t is open
and seldom, if ever, bleckaded by snow. The
grade is nearly finished to Camp Creek, OIL
the Big Hole, IS miles north of Dillon and
about eight miles from Glendale. 1t is sup
posed the track will be laid to Camp Greek
early in the spring and continued on to Butte
at the close of the coming season. From
Dillon there is a natural route down the JEFF
ferson river towards Helena and on to Ben
ton, where a branch may be ultimately run
The Utah & Northern is the longest narrow
gauge railroad in the world, and probably on,
of the best paying roads for the amount o
money invested in its construction in tn
country. The business that the road ha
lone during the past season is very large, a
may be seen by reference to the following lis
of shipments made to different points in tn
territory
B. F. White, forwarding and conmissio,
merchant at the terminus, has up to Dec. 6tl
inst. made the following shipments