The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-08-09
THE BENTON BRANCH.
Interviews With Members of the Northerr
Pacific Survey Party.

Interviews With members OF the N ortherc
Pacific Survey Party.
The Northern Pacific survey party is
still in the city, but will probably leave
tomorrow morning on their return trip
to the Yellowstone, completing the work
mapped out for them on this line. A
RIVER PRESS reporter had the pleasure
yesterday Of meeting two or three mem
bers Of the corps OF engineers who talked
freely Of the work that had been done
since they left Billings, and that which
Is laid out for them in the future. We
found them most pleasant and agreeable
gentlemen, ready to impart any infor-
nation at their command in reference
to the survey.
The length OF the line from Billings to
Benton as surveyed is 255 miles, the dis
tanee on bee line being probably little
less than 200 miles. The route taken
from Billing to the crossing Of the Mus
selshell would require some difficult
work at one or two places, the crossing
of deep coulies. From the Musselshell
TO the Gap is almost a natural road bed,
and but little grading would be re-
quired. The route from the Gap to Ar
row creek is not satisfactory, and will
probably be revised, reference to which
will be made hereafter. From Arrow
| creek to Benton, following the Big Sag
and shonkin river, is a favorable route
for railroad, presenting no difficulties
that would be called such in these days
Of railroad building. In general, the
route is not difficult one, and on their
return, the engineers expect to improve
on it to great extent.
| The party will not, as has been stated,
return by way of Belt creek and the
| foothills Of the Belt mountains, but by
the way they came, their object being to
locate 3 more practicable route from Ar
row creek to the junction Of Ross fork,
Judith Basin, the present line between
those points being the longest way
around" by several miles, and at the
same time presenting many difficulties.
Chief Engineer Hastings has informa-
| ton that leads him to believe there is e.
! shorter and better route between the
points mentioned, ard to find that will
! be the first work Of the party, after
which they will return to the Judith
river and run a line to the Yellowstone
at point about 100 miles below Billings,
passing as near as they can to the
Maiden mines and between the Judith
and Snowy mountains.
The work Of this party is but pre-
liminary. They report not only upon
the practicability of the route, but as
well upon the resources Of the country
| tapped, and its capability Of sustaining
a railroad, and are4afterwards followed
by locating survey party.
Thi gentlemen interviewed were very
we'll pleased with the country passed
over, save that ron the Judith to Benz
ten, which is certainly the most barren
and uninviting stretch In the territory
tributary to our town. Benton is simply
a surprise to them. They did not eX-
pect to see st this far off point a town of
such commercial importance, where busi-
ness is transacted on such a mammoth
scale, single firms, as they learned, dis
posing Of more than million dollars
worth of goods annually. Leaving Bill
lings with its tents and shacks they
Were not a little surprised to find in Ben
ton the finest notel structure in the
northwest, and SO many substantial brick
blocks and residences, evidences OF solid
and permanentgro The great trade
that Benton enjoys and its Importance
as d commercial center will cut prom
inent figure in their report, and as much,
or more, than anything else insure the
construction of the branch line to this
city.
| THE CANADIAN PACIFIC.
| Rapid Construction of the Road-JrOu Go.