St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-30
Report That That Road VIII Extend its
Devils Lake Branch to Fort
Totten.
Trouble Expected in the Sale Of Minneap-
oils & St. Louis Tickets at the
Union Depot.
The ST. Paul Explains Why 1T With
drew from the Colorado
Utah Pool.
Central Iowa Pool Percentages are
Made Nearer to satisfaction
Than is Usual.
Montana Protects

Some interesting gossip is coming to the
surface, growing out OF the recent visit of
J. j. Hill and Dennis Ryan to Montana.
They went out at the instigation of Paris
Gibson of Benton. an Old Minneapolis man,
and c. i. BrOadWater of Helena. 1t is in
timated that they went out to inspect the
valuable water power of the Great Falls Of
the Missouri. some distance above Benton,
and the lands adjacent to Sand coulee not
far distant from the falls and of easy access.
The falls constitute Il water power of from
three to five times the power Of the falls of
St. Anthony at Minneapolis, and much
more easily adapted to milling and manu-
featuring purposes. A town site had al
ready been secured by GIr. Hill and Mr. Glib
son some two years since, also some very
valuable water power frontage at the fails
and along the rapids. Some say they went
out there III the interest Of railway from
Helena to the great falls which would bring
them within easy communication with the
capital Of the territory. 1t was also limited
in this connection that Mr.. Hill cOntem-
plated extending tie Devils Lake branch of
the Manitoba system to the Missouri river.
These projects Will 10 doubt be carried out.
but they are Vet some time i'll the future.
When they are carried out, taking the rail-
way lines in communication with the Mis-
souri, river, the Manitoba would have
through transportation facilities between
st. Paul and Helena, which might eventu-
ally develop into through railway system
between the capitals of Minnesota and
Montana, opening up new agricultural,
grazing and mineral lands over wide scope
of country now unsettled and undeveloped.
Strength is given to this speculation by the
fact that this powerful syndicate is scrip
ping large tracts of land about the great
falls OF Sand coulee, and securing valuable
coal lands and mineral properties. 1t is
claimed that the coal taken from the Sand
cOulee mines will make fine grade of
coke, which could be cheaply supplied 10
the smelters at Wickes, through the medi-
i'm of the Helena & Benton line.
when built, and the smelters at Butte and
Anaconda through connection at Helena
with the Northern Pacific. and at Garrison
with the Utah Northern and Narrow Gauge
branch of the Union Pacific. The greatest
drawback would be the breakage of bulk at
Garrison, assuming that the projected line
would be broad gauge. However, this
might be obviated by the laying Of third
rail on broad and narrow gauges. The bulk
of the coke now used in these smeiteries
L
costs about S22 per ton.
1t could be furnished from Sand coulee at
about half this price provided there was no
break in bulk in transit. This has been
proved by test coke made at and shipped
from the bituminous mines at Bohemian.
The demand for coke in Montana is rapidly
growing. This great territory is developing
into the mineral treasure house of the ma
tiOn and if seems q haDDV ,,rOyiSiOn of na-
ture that coal should be discovered in the
territory from which coke may be made for
the use of smelters in treating the rich ores
of the vast mines now only in the incipi
tent stages of their development It does
not require the spirit Of prophecy to fortell
the future of this territory. nor to anticipate
the extension of the Manitoba system as
outlined above. President Hill Of this road
left for New York last night, it is under
stood, for the furtherance of these Montana
projects