The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1888-03-07
RYAN AND GALUsHA SAY YES.

1t will be seen by the independents
St. Paul special despatch, which appears
In this issue of the CHRONICLE, that Den.
mis- Ryan and r. Galusl,a stand by their
contracts with the Rocky Fork road and
that their agent, who has made the con-
tracts for them in Ryan's name, had
been authorized SO to do. just as the
CHRONICLE predicted. This, then, is
full and complete vindication of Mr..
Cooper. So much for that.
Now, it has been stated that no money
has been put into the Rocky Fork enter
prise; to the contrary, the management
has paid out in cash in this territory.
$142,525.53, in developing the material
resources of this territory, and, in our
opinion, it deserves the encouragement
of the press of the territory, instead of
the condemnation. The CHRONICLE is
conscious of the fact that the people OF
Montana, when the matter is presented
to them squarely and without bias, will
say with MS that every enterprise calcl-
lated to develop and improve the advan.
tages of our great territory, should be
fostere, and sustained, at least by home
papers. Such is the Rocky Fork. 1t is
Montana enterprise, pushed by Nm
tana men. These men have worse and
struggled on with their enterprise unaid.
ed, in the face of an opposition that
would have discouraged almost any other
set of men under similar circumstances /;
but opposition seems only to stimulate
them to renewed cXcrtinns.
These men had secured c,al fields
fifty miles south of the Northern Pacific.
To reach these lands an Indian reserva.
ton had TO be crossed. Undannted they
went TO Washington to contend with The
most powerful opposition in securing a
franchise; but the Montana men were
not discouraged. Their persistence and
energy commanded the attention of our
statesmen who had studied the wants of
the west, These gentlemen united in
saying that as the session was short and
well advanced that there was not one
chance in thousand of the Montana
men getting their bill through. The
Montanians took the chance however,
and went 10 work. They made the ac.
quaIntancc of Hon. knute Nelson of
Minnesota and few other western
statesmen and quietly went at it with
the assistance oftheir new made friends.
The bill passed the Senate and went to
the House. and with the assistance of
Mr. Nelson was speedily passed on the
third of last March, receiving the sign
aturc OF the President soon after. The
survey had to lie made and the maps
sent to the President for his approval,
Congress having left it optional with the
President whether or hot the consent of
the Indians should be obtained. After
awhile the maps came back and the
President stated that the consent Of the
Indians was necessary before another
move could be made. This was done.
Then the treaty had to be approved and
commissioners appointed to appraise the
right-of-way. This being done the de-
partment then had to approve tho work
of the commissioners. Then the money
had to be paid and suitable bond filed
by the company, &c. By this time the
summer had passed, the last act of the
department bearing date of October 9th,
1887. This was the earliest date that
construction could be commenced and it
aid begin at once and has been pushed
forward with all vigor and energy possi-
BILE until the line is now ready for the
steel.
The incorporation articles on file at the
court house show the following gentle.
men to be the incorporators: J. L. Plat
of Fort Dodge, Iowa; Hamilton Brown,
Des Moines, Iowa; James b. Hubbell,
long a resident of Montana, Walter
Cooper Of Bozeman and Samuel Word
now of Helena. Three of the five are
classed as Montana men, the other two
being western men of high standing and
of good business capacity. This is ad.
mittedly, a strong combination. We
can only speak of the two now in Mon
tana and Of these we can say that they
received their business training in this
territory principally and they have
started out to make this enterprise a
success and that they will win. They
will build the Rocky Fork road and with
its completion will come their reward. 1t
deserves success. And this is the enter.
prise that the Indepeneent allows its
special correspondents to back.cap and
then proceeds to lecture us because we
remonstrate. 1t is home enterprise
having for its object the development of
Montana and to give the great copper
producing districts an unlimited amount
of cheap and superior fuel, the need of
which these districts are already begin
ming to feel. In addition to this iiI is
pushing on to Cooke City and proposes
to give this struggling and meritorious
camp an outlet for its ores, and thus
open up another source of wealth for
Montana.
II is said that these people do not in
tend to go to Cooke. Who else has de-
monstrated any disposition to build a
road to Cooke? Have they not already
graded about fifty miles in that direction?
Say what you will of the Pocky Fork
road, it has out-generaled the opposition
30 far. 1t has expended one hundred
and fifty thousand dollars almost. and
spent it in good faith and is therefore