The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-07-26
SOMETHING ABOUT THE RAIL
ROADS HEADING FOR BENTON.
The Great Northern Transcontinental Sur
vey- interview with Gentlemen Con-
nected with the Northern and
Canadian Pacific
Railroads.

effect are as clear as sunlight. If you do
not believe that the eyes Of railroad
builders are upon Benton, 90 and exam
inc the hotel registers. At the present
time we nave Prof. r. Pulnpelly and
party, Prof. r. being chief Of the topo-
graphical party sent out by the Northern
Transcontinental survey company, in
reality the Northern Pacific company
James Colvin, supply officer of the Ca
madam Pacific survey party John H.
Waters, upper i've navigator and rail-
road builder-whiIe the Northern Pa
ciic survey party are only twenty
miles away and moving towards Benton
as rapidly as they can can drive the
stakes. This is certainly a goodly array
Of railroad talent, and the presence OF
so many officials OF different lines is
suggestive of the fact that Benton is to
be a railroad center, and that in the very
near future. Not more than a year ago
Il person who talked of railroads for
Benton, from the north and south, was
generally esteemed q lunatic now these
ottNA II q Y gill; oItNt ~ N1Ii Ot q
race between them as to which gets to
the river metropolis first. Then it was
generally conceded that the line from
Helena to Benton would be the first
constructed now the former scheme
lies dormant, and orders haye gone
forth from both the Northern and Cana
dian Pacific for the extension of branches
TO Benton, the most important com
mercial town OF Montana. The Utah
& Northern, after it it is completed to
Helena, will not be content to surrender
this field to its rivals, and will extend its
line to Benton. Meantime, the country
north Of the Missouri-the real garden
spot of MOntana-Will be thrown open
Minneapolis 4 Manitoba lailroad-the
next transcontinental line-pushed to
b ocean, giving Benton u direct outlet
to the east. The construction Of these
lines, and the rapid settlement Of the
country certain to follow, will n%ecessi-
tate the building Of other lines, with
Benton as the radiating point, render
ing this the greatest railroad center of
the Northwest. These are the signs Of
the times and he who runs may plainly
read them.
yIIIARD'S Il SURVEY.
Prof. Pumpelly,+ who IS now III the
city y guest at the Choteau house, is the
director Of the Northern Transconti-
,n,,{a1 ,,,1-o~ :. xrorl- tl,+ 40. ~. oo,
ception to Henry Willard, the greatest Of
all the railroad kings. It is the mostim-
portant survey ever undertaken by a
corporation, and it is doubtfuli if the gov
eminent has eycr attempted so great a
scheme-one so difficult in its under
taking and SO far reaching in its results.
Of the distinguished scientist in charge,
the New York SIN of recent date has
the following:
1.-THE director Of the Northern Trans
continental survey is Prot. Raphael
Pumpelly, the explorer and traveller,
who has spent a lifetime in work ofthis
kind. He is a native of Ithaca, New
York. After a course OF preparation in
lle IlllIluS SCuoolS Vi IdIiS, I1dIlONcI
and Freiberg he started in his profession
in the mining fields of Arizona. Here
he spent two years. Next we find him
in the employ of the Japanese govern
ment, exploring the island of Yezo; then
in the service of the government Of
China, by whom he was employed to
report upon the coal supply of that
country. That work finished,..the profess
sor set out for the United Slater, over
land through Mongolia, Siberia and
Russia, about which lie wrote most
entertaining volumes. In 1866 he be-
came professor of mining engineering at
Harvard; in 1901 surveyed the Mich
gan copper fields; in 1873 was state
geologist of Missouri, and in 1880 had
charge Of the coal and iron reports Of the
United States census. He entered upon
his present work July |, 1851
III OBJECTS or H SURVEY.
ItisnoW a little more than ayear since
the Northern TranscontineTtal survey
was organized by the Northern Pacific
and Oregon Transcontinental companies
Jointly, and although they hayea host Of
experts III the field, only the initial steps
ia the great work have yet been taken.
Al originally planned, says the Sun, the