The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1886-04-21

| case is the Great Falls City and Water
Power company, and their interest is to
make that place. The great central and man
lufacturing point, a city at which there are
| 10 be large reduction works, drawing ores
from all other points certainly q com-
mendable enterprise, and | wish them suc-
cess.
Rep.--But am told they intend to build
reduction works here.
| Cow have no doubt they will build
| works here large enough to handle the
ores of BroadWater's mines, as he Broad
Water) has large real estate interests here
and will work to that end just as the other
owners Of the Montana Central railroad
aud Great Falls city. will do Remember,
Broadwater's company don't own ane-
tenth of the mines in the Ten Mile region.
and as they own nine-tenths Of the road
and Great Fails city, they being no better
or. worse than the rest Of mankind, will
run the road in that interest.
Rep.-Would it be to the interest of Jht,
road and is it feasible TO take the ores ol
| Ten Mile to the Falls?
Gov.-There can be no doubt about ghe
first part of your question. The road
would get the freighfs, and when the ores
are reduced to bullion they would get that.
as to the second part, would it be feasible
or practicable, undoubtedly the cnntroll-
ing interest in the Falls believes it i,
They claim good coal and iron ore and we
knew they have plenty of water power
| The owners of the Anaconda built their
works forty miles away from Their mnes
to get cheap fuel, even when they dill not
own the road, having to pay freight t.
other parties. In their case the freight
would go to the proprietors of Great Fails
city and road. In Colorado the great re.
lduction works are built at Or near the
point of cheap fuel and power rather than
/ near the mines. II 1 he road TO Benton
would be owned and controlled by the N.
P. r.. r.. company and would be operated
in the interest of that company. It's in
Iterest is to draw the freights or products
OF the country north to it's main line, and
| it will naturally work to that end. Helena
/ being as the point of junction would OF
course reap largely of the benefits OF the
road IS effort to draw the country north to
this point, making it tributary to Helena.
t Rep.-Suppose the Montana Central il
not going to stop where the charter makes
| its terminus Falls city-but is go
ing to continue right through and become
part of the Hill system Of railroads, and
then, would you prefer and think would
be the greater benefit, this or the N. p.
branch to Benton? ...s..s. IS. a.4
| Goy.-There would be no comparison
as to the general benefit to the territory,
and particularly Helena. The relative
advantages would be even greater than
the difference in length and magnitude Of
the tWo-one $50 miles, the other about
800 miles; one costing about three mill
lions, the other from twenty to twenty
five millions. The benefits would be more
in proportion, Hill giving US another east
ern outlet, while the Benton branch would
not.
Rep.-It has been represented that you
were opposing Hill's system Of roads COM
ing into the territory?
Gov.-There is not one word of truth
in it. The facts are: Before leaving here
some four months ago, Conrad and Power,
Of Benton, asked me to join them and
others in donation of $780, to be given
to a branch road of the Canadian Pacific
upon its reaching Benton, which I agreed
to. This road would certainly be in direct
competition with the Northern Pacific and
is greatly against their interests. Besides
this, Mr.. Toole, our delegate, and called
upon Mr.. Harrison, chairman Of the SEN
ate committee on territories, and other
members of the senate and house, and
urged the Importance Of not only cutting
down the northern reservation (as it now
stands it completely shuts out Hill and the
Canadian Pacific company, but of giving
the right Of way through the remaining
portions Of the reservation to the Canadian
Pacific and Hill systems. On my arrival
In New York from Washington I met Ma
ginnis and Clark and returned with them
to Washington, and We, together with Mr..
Toole, went before the committee and Sec
retary Lamar and represented the impor-
1ance of reducing the reservation and Of
giving the right of way to the Hill and
Canadian Pacific railroads through the re-
mainiag portions. From these acts you
will see that I did al in my power, indi-
vidually and officially, to encourage and
make it possible for Hill to come into the
territory with his roads.
Rep.-They claim that encouraging the
n. T. to build to Benton would prevent
Hills road from coming to Montana.