The daily enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1884, 1884-01-12
From Livingston TO Isenten.

From Livingston TO Benten
i referring to the mooted Benton
branch of the Northern Pacific the
White Sulphur Springs Husbandmsn
says:
The best and most practical route,
and the one that would do the most
business. develop the largest carrying
trade, and the easiest constructed. is
the road from Livingston via White
Sulphur Springs and Great Falls to
Benton. This is natural route for a
railroad, and may be traversed without
| climbing 4 single mountain. The
country mp Shields river and down the
south FORK of Smith river to tho
| Springs, is a beautiful route without
any mountain ranges, and could be
constructed without single grade,
cut or fill of any consequences. In
fact it can be graded tor less than $500
u mile. From White Sulphur Springs
to Great Falls the route lies all tha
way down Smith river, and is not diff.
ficult of construction. 1t wonld pass
through forty miles of canyon. but
this is of sufficient width to admit Of
railroad passing through without any
heavy rock work. From Great Falls
TO Benton the road would lie along the
banks Of the Missouri river, and could
be built at a comparatively small cost.
The advantage in operating this route
would be its freedom from SHOWS.
heavy grade and sharp curves. The
commercial advantages are also yery
superior. Smith river is one of the
best beef and wool producing regions
of the northwest. The agriculture of
the upper and lower valleys is also
promising, and besides this Sun river
would be tributary to it. The route
runs through the very midst of very
promising mining field. Sixteen Mile
creek. Birch creek, Copperopolis,
Casmas creek. Neihart and Barker.
would all be tributary to the road, and
by the time it could be completed the
carrying OF the bullion alone would go
far toward paying the operating
expenses. The travel to White Sui.
phur Springs, the health and pleasure
resort of the far northwest. would be
no small item. as the place cannot fail
to become vastly popular resort.
Then the Great Falls would be
source of attraction to tourist. and
besides the canyon of Smith river for
picturesque grandeur and extent, is
scarcely surpassed by the far-famed
Yellowstone canyon. But all these
are secondary matters compared with
the immense wealth of coal such a road
would develop. Between the head of
Shields river AMI the South Fork OF
Smith river, is splendid Eelt of coal.
One vein eight feet in width has al
ready been discovered, and there are
outcrops in the vicinity.
This coal the Northern Pacific rail-
road must and will have for the oper-
alton of the Rocky Mountain division
Df its road. At or near the mouth of
Smith river is another vast coal field.
The product of these mines, which are
and inexhaustible, is the
,est coking coal found in the north
rest. and railroad is all that is
leeded to bring it into market east and
vest. We do not write this from u
ectional standpoint What we state
Il the premises is absolutely trne. and
re feel assured that the road will
ONE day be bnilt. The coal alone
fonld provea sufficient source of rev.
nne. The coal fields of lower Smith
ivar are in the hands of jim Hill and
thrr capitalists. who we have no
Onht will sooner or later build a road
yer which they may send it to mar
ct in the event the Northern Pacific
lonld fail To grasp the splendid op.
ortunity now afforded it, 20 rpacl, out
nd secure far itself the trade OF ono
t the best regions in the Rocky Monl,-
.ins.
@. p. Garrison. formerly proprietor
the finest saiaf3n IN RiIIis,es st,<.sv