Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1885-06-18
SHIPPING R0Ilts.1.
The History cf d N9EtiIern Montana
City WEi3il S|ra.eses. i,tt3 Exist
ca1c III 0I:e Night, lis
Elici' Career.

/ VI nave Just learned from Atl
Horton that the steamer Missouri
chartered by the government for u5e
Of the surveying party arrived at Bis
marck and Will come directly through
and 80 on to d point below the Grea,
Falls, and complete the survey Of ths
river on their return trip. Press.
1t mag be OF interest to 2ur readers
to know that an appropriation has
been made by Congress for the i'm
provenent Of the Missouri above the
| Fails, OF at least we azaso isfTara1aj
by gentleman who is a position tt
know. The appropriation is an out
growth Of the scheme to run boats tc
the Great falls, transport their car
goes by means OF 4 short railroad tc
the head Of the falls, and then reload
them in small steamers for transpor-
tation to points further up the river
This enterprise is not impractical, and
it is b. 10 means improbable that il
may not yet matcria1ize
When the scheme was sprung it oc-
casioncd no little excitement. aud Wis
ions Of & great city below the Great
falls Immediately appeared, and there
was Q lively scramble foy the land
thoraaIo3ats. We believe I. c. Power
Of Benton. was the first man on the
ground. He Immediately took pos
session Of the most desirable location.
built cabin and pat ont a sEingle
proc]aiming his possession Of the
land. He was not destined to long
remain III peaceful possession. Be
sides parties il Helena and Benton,
Judge Lippincott and john Largent
OF San River, caught tao infection,
and started for what they confidently
expected was to be the future great Of
northern Montana. As it happened,
Messrs. Largent and Lippineott and
carriage containing the Hell
ena parties started from Sun
River one evening about the same
time, both bound for the same destin-
alton, and both having in view the
same object, viz: that Of relocating
and jumping Powers tovnsite. The
Sun River parties had The advantage.
They were aware Of the destination
and object Of the Helena parties,
while they in turn were ignorant Of
any intentions on the part Of the two
Sun River citizens. st the Leavings
OF Sun river the two rival parties met,
and here it was that tho Sun River
diplomatics got in their work. They
piled the driver Of the Helena carriage
with copious draughts frola bottle
and shortly had the satisfaction of
seeing him driving Of toward Twenty
Eight Mile Springs. Having cleared
the way of all rivals, by this neat
strategem, our two worthy Sun River
friends proceeded on their way rejoic-
ing. and arrived at their destination
about midnight. They Immediately
had the land surveyed, we believe,
by John kerler, deceased, promptly
demolished Powers shack and pitch
ed it into the river, built one Of their
own, aud when old Sci rose majestic
ally over the Rocky Mountains, she
bealned forth for the first time on a
new city, which was ehristenad Ship
pingsport, by its new proprietors, who
were sitting IN the doorway partaking
of some refreshments after their hard
nights toll.
About noon the Helena land Jump
ers appeared on the scene, after max
ing a circuit of about sixty or seventy
miles, and it took them but an instant
to realize the situation. They seen
they had been duped bp a couple of
old timers from away back. They felt
their discontinue keenly, but wisely
refrained from making any kick. It
is needless to say that the two worth
les remainedin in undisputed possession.
The vision faded like the mist before
the sun. As soon as the excitement
abated, the proprietors Of shippings-
port abandoned their townsite. On
the banks of the Missouri just below
Great Falls the cabin still stands,
which in years gone by was called by
its owners Shippingsport, and was
fondly expected to be the metropolis
Of the Territory.
During the time the excitement was
at its height an experienced navigator
from the east came on. at the solicita-
ton of Helena capitalists, and made
an examination of the river from
Three Forks to the present site of
Great Falls, and gave it as his opin-
ion that the scheme was practical;
and if capital would interest itself in
its furtheranee, it is just as. practical
now as it was then.
The site remaining unclaimed for
of years, has at last been pur-
chased by syndicate Of English cap
ltalists. What object they may have
IN view Is Lnamn only To them sn1ras