Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-12-29
A BRANCH ROAD.
The Northern Pacific Company
to Bridge the Yellowstone
at Miles City
And Build a Branch on the
North Side to Protect Cattle
Shipment.
Where Our Water Supply is to
Come From in the Near
Future.
ACROSS THE YELLOWSTONE.

ACROSS THE YELLOWSTONE.
The Northern Pacific will Dispute Jim
Hills Entry Into Their Territory.
From its infancy almost, Miles City
has been impressed with the necessity
of bridging both ths Tongue and Yel-
lowstone rivers at this point. with
view to center the trade and travel
that would otherwise be diverted to
other localities, but the immense cost
of these undertakings, particularly the
bridging Of the Yellowstone. has con-
fined all exertions in the premises to
talk, but even this cheap and plenti.
full article in time accomplishes some
thing. Continued discussion of the
necessity of these highways, led last
winter to the formation of bridge
company, which after becoming in
corporsted, secured from congress
through delegate Toole, q permit to
construct across the Yellowstone, at
or near Miles City, bridge of such q
character as is designated by the war
where navigable streams
are to be bridged. Strangers who
look at the map of Montana, and note
a broad expanse of unsettled country
across the Yellowstone river to the
north and west of us, unmarked by a
single town. village or hamlet. will
wonder what the deuce the people Of
Miles City want with costly
bridge spanning river 700
feet wide and leading into terra
incognita. But when We tell them
that this broad area though virtually
uninhabited by man, Is the range of
countless thousands of beef cattle, be-
tween whom and the EASTERN market,
flows the deep and treacherous Vel.
lowstone, faint idea of the utility Of
bridge will be gained. The first
step In shipping beef cattle to market
from the other side of the Yellowstone
is attended with costly delay and
much danger. The river is never
fordable, and to swim II with large
herd means percentage of loss IN
cattle that is considerable and in the
majority of instance loss Of valuable
human lives. Ferrying across is safer
but the delay is exasperating and the
cost of ferriage is great. These things
have made bridge across the Yellow.
stone an immediate necessity and the
great benefits accruing from such al
avenue of trade, induced the formation
of the company above referred to and
the securing of permission from the
government to build at or near Miles
City. Here is the center Of all the
great grazing interests Of eastern Mon
tana and here the highways Of thi:
traffic should centre. The original
idea of the incorporators of the
bridge company was that with q
safe and commodious bridge across the
Yellowstone at this point the cattle
men of the north side would drive to
this crossing of the river and ship
from Miles City, and in 80 doing bring
a largely increased business to the
city, but the conditions of year age
are not the conditions Of to-day in
this rapidly developing country; the
advent of the Manitoba railroad in
northern Montana has introduced an
entirely new factor In the problem oI
transportation to eastern markets.
This road traversing the northern
range and possibly crossing to the
south side of the Missouri river ai
Fort Buford, brings transportation
right to the doors of the stock grower.
of the north side of the Yellowstone
and menaces the business of the
Northern Pacific railroad so far al
this last mentioned section is con
ceIDcu. III oIuct w pC u CoiuDctitOl
for this business the Northern Pacifi,
will now be compelled to bridge th,
Yellowstone and put out q branch
road far enough north and west to pu
them on an equal footing with the In
truder into their territory. and th,
building of this bridge and branch
road cannot be delayed single sea
son. The present congress will un
dou otedly grant to the Manitoba road
the right of way through the grea
northern Indian reservation, and will
this granted, 1t will be pushed rapid.
through the country, and unless un
ioreseen circumstances prevent IL, b.
an active competitor for cattle ship
ments from ths north side of the Vel
! low stone the coming fall. The North