The Livingston enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1914, 1885-10-17
A COOKE LETTER.
The Proposed Railway. Gasserts Enter
prise, and Other Items.

The Proposed Railway. Gassert's Enter
| prise, and Other Items.
COOKE, NJ. I. Oct. Z, 1851 notice an
article in the Billings Gazette of Sept.
%, signed "Galena' in which to say the
least the writer indulges in hyperbole.
In speaking Of the feasibility of run
ming arailroad up the Y Yellowstone from
Cinnabar to East Fork l would ask the
gentlemen, knowing as he claims from
actual observation the proposed route
through Clarke's Fork canyon, which
he considers most practicable? Now
claim to know something of both the
Billings and Cinnabar routes having
been, where III venture to say Galena
never was, through Clarke's Fork can
yon. In fact do not believe there were
ever more than two men through it and
by them it was only accomplished with
great danger to life and limb; to make
a railroad through it would be feat of
engineering equal to crossing the Alps.
l also had the pleasure of ride over the
so-called Billings wagon road and in
stead of Travelling over it at trot with
| 1000 pounds in the wagon as Galena
says he did we had about 600 pounds
and it took four Of Chapman's best
horses to pull us through with the great
est difficulty; some Of our loose stock
got mired and it took all four of the
horses to pull them out. The low ridges
spoken Of are of much greater altitude
than would be encountered on the Yel-
lowstone route even if the plateau above
the river were followed from Gardiner
to East Fork; while the sides are springy
and in great many places almost i'm
possible to get through with pack horses.
Then l would like to ask about the
crossing of Middle Fork on the Billings
| route at Sunlight; if remember right
there are some fine ridges CO to climb
at that point-1,O0O feet high at least
and the rise must be made inside of a
mile before you reach Dead Indian creek.
Then you have a divide to cross before
you reach Clarkes Fork compared with
| which the BOZeman pass sinks into in
significance. AS for the GRASSY bench"
running through Clarke's Fork canyon
it does not exist; in going through the
canyon afoot it is necessary to cross the
stream great number of times in or
der to get narrow foothold along the
perpendicular cliffs that rise hundreds
of feet above. Galena assumes great
deal for one who has made but
"three short visits to the camp when
he says we do not want to reach CHINA
bar. We most certainly do. 1t is the
center OF our coal fields and has fine
water power. The rates from Cinnabar
to Newark or Omaha even now are but
little higher than from Billings. The
Rock Creek coal fields are 80 miles from
the Billings trail and would not be tap
ped by railroad over that route. What
we want is cheap transportation to the
nearest coal fields and reduction works
| will soon follow.
We are having beautiful weather.
The coal being burned for Frank Esler
is turning out fine and the smelter is full
of ore and coming down at the rate of
ten tons per day. Gasset and Reading
are burning coal for their smelter and
have sixteen men employed in their coal
camp. Some Of the pits have been fired.
While on this subject it might he well
to say that certain parties who, to say
the least, do not have the welfare of the
camp at heart, have tried to place obsta-
cles in the way of Mr.. Gasset's enter
prise by trying to make him pay roy
atty on everything he gets by driving
his men from their work and locating
the proposed ground for his mill site
all for the purpose of blackmail. Now
every thinking man in the camp knows
it is for his interest to encourage such
enterprises as his and while not aiming
to eulogize Mr.. Gasset he has been q
great help to our camp, spending large
amount Of capital and by his example
encouraging others to do likewise. To
none of us who were in need of assist
ance has he turned deaf ear. Instead
of placing obstacles in his way we ought
to do all in our power to assist him. In
a few days he will break ground for his
c,,, o1%or ~, NH;l1or mountain
Dan Brandt who had his hand blown
off is doing well. &c.