The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-09-16
BUTTE AND The RAILROAD.
Isn't the Northern Town Making
a Mistake?
SILVER Bow, MONTANA,
Sept. 18th, 1881.

Editors Herald:
Your readers, though most Of
them probably reside quite distance
from this region of country, M
doubt read about, and some of then
may take an interest in public mat
tiers, connected with the construction
of the Utah and Northern Railway
more especially as your Salt Lake
affords an element very essential tC
the successful development of the
vast mineral resources of this
portion of Montana-to-wit: salt
which is shipped in large quantities
over this road, yielding to its owners
quite handsome revenue no doubt.
while at the same time an outlet is
furnished for an article furnished
| by nature to an almost unlimited
amount.
Such being the facts assumed,
! | wish to place before them certain
facts necessary to be known in order
to undeceiVe persons uniformed as
to these facts, and who are liable to
be misled into haSty and unjust
criticism Of the policy of the Utah
and Northern Railway company in
regard to the effort to construct a
line to Butte City, whose large
mining interests are centred. I am
in no sense interested in the opera
tiOnS of the railroad company, nor
in the aforesaid mining interests,
and am therefore in such a position
OF impartiality as to enable me to
speak without bias.
There seems to be q disposition on
the part of some of the people of
Butte, including portion of the
press, to prevent the completion of
the road into that place, and at the
same time to2cast the blame of such
defeat upon the railroad company.
This is unjust to that corporation,
and [ am satisfied that, did the
people understand the facts, no
blame would attach to the company
and it is partly for the purpose of
explaining these facts that this
letter is written,
The law of Congress which char
tered the Utah and Northern rail
way company and gave it authority
to construct a railroad through
Idaho and into Montana. authorized
and required said company to make
a connection with the Northern
Pacific railroad IN Montana, and
this connection, l think, is required
to be made next year. This COM
pany, in pursuance of its contract,
has been progressing graduallyWith
its work, and now has laid its iron
to point say, some sixteen miles
from Butte. As q large amount of
business, growing out of the
the mining and other interests of
Butte was carried on over the line
Of their road, the officers
were very naturally anxious to
lay the track to that place,
but unfortunately that town is not
situated upon natural route to con-
meet with the Northern Pacific, as
the latter now seems likely to con-
struct its line. In consequence of
this the Utah and Northern Com
pany, which has authority under the
laws of Congress to locate and con-
Struct its road, and if necessary to
condemn priCGte property over
which it may be necessary for it to
pass, could not construct an indie
pendent line into Butte; it could not
condemn private property, nor did
it have the right Of way over United
States lands.
Under these circumstances being
as [ have said, anxious to build a
line into Butte, a number of gentle
men, some of whom were interested
in the original line, have lately in
corpOrated a company under the
laws of Montana. whose design,
among other things, is to build a
road from some point on the Utah
and Northern road into Butte. The
incorporatorS Of this company,
which is known as the Utah and
Northern Railway Company of Mon
tana, have taken steps for thorough
organization, which will no doubt be
completed ere long; but as it is not
complete the new company has as
yet no power to condemn property
for It's right of way, nor can it do SO
until the company has been fully Or
gained by the election of directors.
etc.
Now, rs the road in the direction
of this place Silver Bow was near
ing completion, and as portion of
the citizens of Butte were anxious to
have line run into that town,
an effort was made to obtain
by purchase, a right of way over
certain placer mining ground be-
tween this place and Butte. This
effort has, thus far. proved abOrtive
through the intervention, probably,
of persons hostile to the railroad, as
well, perhaps, as the erroneous i'm
pressionS of certain land owners
who expected to realize large sums
of money from the compan ' for the
privilege CT building It's road across
their abandoned and worthless
claims.
The result of all these compiica-
tons is that the railroad company,
although, as I have said, anxious to
build into Butte, are estopped from
doing so at present, and have there
fore, as l understand decided to
make their winter terminus on Sill
yer Bow Greek, some seven or eight
miles vast of RIItfa