Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1888-02-18
THE BEST ROUTE.
The Manitoba Will Secure the Business OF
Northern and Eastern Montana.

"We are surprised to read in so we'll
informed a paper as the Portland Ore
CONAN, a statement that this road (the
Manitoba) parallels the Northern Pacific
all the way from Saint Paul to Helena,
and will draw most of its business from
the Northern Pacific" Thus says he
Northwest Magazine for January, which
proceeds to give a statement OF the dls-
lance of the Manitoba track at various
points in a straight line from the nearest
noint south on the Northern Pacific.
This statement shows that the distance
apart at Devils Lake is 100 miles; at Fort
Ruford so miles; at Fort Assinnlbolhe
216 miles. and at Great Falls 145 miles.
In a geometrical sense the lines are not
parallel, but in the COMMON railroad use
of the word, the Manitoba and Montana
Central may compete with the Northern
Pacific for the Helena trade on the same
basis as if the lines entered that city side
by side. Great Falls, by the way, is only
" IHllpS IiOlE iiCiCld, IL CaA foiiie
on the Northern Pacific, and not 145, as
the Northwest says.
The same magazine says: East Of
Great Falls there is very little traffic
which the Manitoba can divert from the
Northern Pacific. 1t will take a few cat
tie. but the Missouri river is a barrier to
its invasionof the Northern Pacific's cattle
country in northern Montana" This calls
e.. r. Etnp$ IF {tranf Eot}S l < tho
rich grazing and farming country OF the
Judith basin. This populous region de
rived its supplies either by way OF Bis
marck and Benton or Billings and Helena:
In either case the Northern Pacific had
the long haul. Now the goods for the
Judith, the Highwood and other districts
least of Great Falls" come here and are
forwarded hence by wagons. In like
manner the cattle, sheep and wool which
found their way to the Northern Pacific
at Bismarck or Helena now come here
for shipment. In both cases the
ordinary laws of trade and traffic
| settle the matter. The wool traffic alone
OF that region was over 100000 pounds
last season. The river traffic which was
largely for the service of this region also
employed a fleet of steamers throughout
the summer. hence we CouGiuut IL SdH-
not be regarded as Every little"
We do not see how the Missouri river
| can serve as a barrier to the Manitoba's
invasion of the IN. P.'s cattle country in
| northern Montana" The Manitoba agents
went right into the Judith Basin last fall
and secured all the cattle business despite
that "barrier." The two bridges at Great
Falls will also serve to break down the
barrier" No cattlemen will drive their
| herds to the Northern Pacific when they
can ship them, as the above distances
show, mere readily at Great Falls. Nor
will they any longer drive cattle to Maple
Creek, on the Canadian Pacific. when they
can ship them at Great Falls or Big San.
| dy. The cattle traffic of northern Mon
tana belongs to the Manitoba because that
road can render the best service. The
n. P. might as we'll regard the field at
lost. The Manitoba line has only been
open since October last. It has already
compelled the N. P. to reduce heavily its
rates for cattle and merchandise to ali
points in Montana. 1t has acquired con
troll of all the trade of northern Montana
and with the Montana Central will efec,
the deliverance of Butte this summer. Il
reaches Helena by a better route than the