St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-29

There is deeper significance in this news
than appears on the surface. 1t really
means that the line indicated in the dispatch
will be built at once, ana. further, that the
western end will be extended 10 Butte and
the eastern end TO a connection with the
Manitoba system, and still farther east
with a Manitoba extension from some
point on the north and south
line to direct eastern connection
with Lake Superior at Duluth.
1t is a fact well known that j. j. Hill is
the principal owner of the Sand COulee
coal mines. of the water power of the
Great fails and of 20. 900 acres of valuable
towIr-site property around the falls 1t is
perhaps a sequel TO. negotiations which
have been pending between j. j. Hill,
Dennis Ryan, c. A. Broadwater, Paris
Gibson and others that there is an intimate
relation between certain mineral and
landed interests and the stock industries
and railway development in this direction
The scheme is one that was
OUTLINED IN THE GLOBE
months since, though scarcely in. the way
the above dispatch mentions. Last May j.
j. Hill and Dennis Ryan. at the instigatiOn
OF G. A. Broadwater of Helena and an old
Minneapolis man, Paris Gibson, now of Ben
ton. Mont, went out, il was stated, TO
inspect the valuable water power of the
Great falls of the Missouri, some distance
above Benton. and the coal lands adjacent
to Sand Coulee, not far distant from the
falls and of easy access. The falls
constitute a 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 Mr.. Hill and Mr..
Gibson some two years previous, also some
very valuable water-power frontage at the
falls and along the rapids. When Mr.. Hill
returned his contemplated extension Of the
Devils Lake branch was first rumOred.
For some time since il is said, this power
full syndicate has been seripping large tracts
of land about the great falls of Sand Coulee
and securing valuable coal lands and min
eral properties. 1t is claimed that the coal
taken from the Sand Coulee mines will
make a fine grade of coke, which could be
cheaply supplied TO the sneiters at WickeS
through the medium of the Helena a. Great
Falls 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-guage branch OF the
Union Pacific. The greatest drawback would
be the breakage of bulk at Garrison, assum-
ing that the projected line would be broad
gauge However, this might be Obviated
by the laying of a third rail on broad and
narrow gauges. The bulk of the coke now
used in these smelterieS is
BROUGHT FROM PENNSYLVANIA
and costs about So per ton. 1t could be
furnished from Sand Coulee at about half
this price provided there was no break in
bulk i'm transit. This has been proved by
test coke made at and shipped from the
bituminOus mines at BOZeman. The de-
mand for coke i'm Montana is rapidly grow
ing. This great territory is developing into
the mineral treasure house of the nation,
and it seems a happy provision of nature
that coal should be discovered in the terri
tory from which coke may be made for the
use of smelters i'm treating the rich ores OF
the vast mines now only in the incipient
stages of their developement. 1t does not
require the spirit of prophecy 10 fOrtel
the future of this territory, nor tC
anticipate the extension of the Manitoba
system as outlined above. The facts which
the GLOBE has heretofore published exclu
sively, and which were made the subjec
of levity by antique contemporaries, appear
bound to verify themselves. The acts o.
Mr.. Hill have been very secret, and other
interested have been very discreet and reti
cent regarding his manouverS, but thu
GLOBE has kept the public informed o
them and will continue TO do so. The eX
tension from CrookstOn to Duluth is look
ing less improbable every day.