The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-02-23
THE RAILROAD COMPROMISE.

The information that the Union Faciae
and Northern Pacific companies have arriFsa
at terms of adjustment Of their conflicting
interests 10 not unexpected, nor ere the
terms other than were probable. So fer -
relates TO Montana the known terms Of ID
justnsnt are simply that there shall be
three rail track between Butte and Helena
via mouth Of Little Blackfoot, thus giving
the N. p. broad gauge TO Butte and The
u. p. . narrow guage to Helena But tasrs
Is likely to be many sub-agrssRenss behind
this. For instance, 1t is net Improbable
there 10 general tariff Of inter change, cad
that 1t is stipulated the U. p. shall not sr-
tend the U. & n. via jefferson vsllsy TO
Helena, nor TO the timber regions Of Mis-
soula county, during the continuance Of this
agreement; on the other hand the n. T. may
be obligated not to build from from Butte 70
Three Forks, or any further south than
Butte.
That some adjustment would be arrived q
was, As business problem, inevitable. There
are sporadic railroad wars, but they are gen
orally for monetary purpose. They DO not
cut each others throats merely for The
pleasure of cutting. They cut to get the
blood-either for self-nourishmeRt or 10
weaken the adversary. The object in visw
Is TO make money, and q corporation Keeps
Its eyes steadily on the object. The threat
ened construction Of the Jefferson Valley
branch of the U. & n. to Helena was .
thorn In the side of the Northern Pacisc;
also the possible extension Of the Deer
Lodge Valley branch to tall timber Beside,
the U. & n. had made Its locations at points
in Deer Lodge valley so that the Northern
Pacific line would have been very expensive
and inconvenient. On the other hand, the
o. Il. a. n. Co., an adjunct TO the n. p. Co.,
had got its work in on the o. S. L. Of the U.
p. Co., over between Boise and the Columbia
river, in way that was exceedingly trouble
some to the latter company. 1t was much
easier for q few gentlemen to adjust these
matters in quiet Office In New York than
to employ . few thousand men running
bluffs in the West, and then to have to come
to 1t at last Is they might do al first. And
that they have done.
We do not see that we will be much hurt
by this settlement. 1t was unreasonable TO
anticipate these two companies would estab-
lish war of rates for the traffic of Montana.
1t wouldn't pay for "fyer" or "future."
There is q big country for each to work up
and II by combination they can keep out
competition the traffic Of both roads will be
largely increased. The U. P. will have Its
greatest benefits in an outlet TO the Pacific
Coast, independent of the Central Pacific,
while the N. p. will have access to nearly all
Montana, considerable portion Of which
the U. p. will have largely contributed IN
building up into productiveness before the
former reaches II. So far as this valley Is
concerned, we much prefer three-rail track
10 two lines. Il will take no more of our
lands than have already been acquired, ex-
cept for depots, yards, ETC., and we will have
the advantages of two roads with but the
disadvantages of one, and that one will be
single road. The road from Butte to Black
foot was surveyed and the track laid with
the ultimate purpose in view of its being
made standard gauge; in fact, from Poca.
tello north there are but two or three curves
too sharp for standard gauge track. The
road.bed will require widening in places and
the ties should be replaced to make thor
oughly good road.
Looking at the question Of rates We do
not sec 1t ID 10 the interest Of the companies
to make them excessive, at least for mum.
Der of years. The N. p. has an infinitely
better country to build up for local traffic
than the U. p. or Q. P. had. The grain fields
on its eastern and western divisions and the
mineral and lumber regions Of Its mountain
divisions have far superior resources to any
thing between the Platte and California.
The encouragement Of low rates in rapidly
developing these resources will pay better
than the embargo Of high rates, and as IL ID
stipulated the rates from the Pacific coast
to points in Montana shall be the same u
| tnc rhtcs iioIn o1. aui, ~ ioohs 20 shousn
the plan of reasonable rates were determin
ed upon. There Is one point In which the
agreement Ia different from what we had
anticipated. There is, apparently, no agree
ment for delivering the Northern Pacifi'
rails over the Utah & Northern. With ovel
100 miles of road bed between Mullan Tun
mel and Missoula ready for the ties, rails sat
bridges, 1t would seem to the interest Of boil
companies to deliver iron at Little Blackfoo
and have that portion of the track ready TO
operation when the road reaches 1t from th'
east and west. 1t may be that the n. p. ha
Its bridge timbeH out below and will hav
to bring them from the West. At any rate
as the date of completion is fixed for July
the day Of through railroading Is not ia
distant, and there will be lively times Will
J construction lasts.