Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-02
N. P. POINTERS.
WIZ THE u tLLdN ROUTE W0ET
BE 4BANDONED.

Designs Of the Northern Pacific TO Bull
From Boulder TO Three Forks, Thu
Giving Butte u More Direct Easter
OutIet-EnsIneers Now at Work.
hgent McCaig was in receipt OF the follow
ing communications yesterday from NORTH
ern Pacific officials in reference TO the Oh
structions to travel on the Northern Pc
cifc arising from the burning of the ar
~proaches to the Mullan tunnel: Superiu
tendent Gilbert wires: "We will run tn
trains overhead for the present. The ap
proach OF the tunnel is blocked and will b
for Il few DAYS. There will be no delay {,
freight or passengers General Aeep
Stokes wires from Helena: s'Eyerythin
0. K. and trains running. First section
No. / just left; second section will leave a,
soon as they get over the mountain.
Agent McCaig last evening said that trains
were running over the s~witchback without
obstruction and that the change involved d
delay of only hall an hour.
Suppose the tunnel is ruined" asked
the reporter, ''by the caving in OF the work
done last spring on the interior, will thai
not involve the abandonment OF this route
entirely and necessitate the construction OF
the line hither from Gallatin over the Pine
stOne?"
The main line via Mullan can never be
abandoned, - replied Mr.. NcCaig, ION ac
count OF the fact that it was accepted by
President Arthur as
h MAIN THoRoUGHFARE
to tidewater on Puget Sound. Under the
conditions and terms OF it's charter from
the Government, the Northern Pacific has,
under certain restrictions, been permitted
to bond the line at a certain sum per mile.
The permanent roadway leading from
Helena to Elliston was favorably reported
upon by Government Commissioners in
September, 1883, and the was
then placed in position to issue bonds on
that section of the road at the minimum
prescribed by Congress. They have done
so. To abandon this route would involve
a complication that cannot be contem-
plated. The bonds on that division are
partly dependent for payment on the earn
ings OF that division. Then. too, the land |
grant is claimed and has been allowed
forty miles on each side of the main line as |
accepted and to abandon that would be
impossible on this account. Another thing
| may inform you of. The Northern Pa
engineers have been out all winter
working their way westward from Three
Forks and report that they have located
an easy line from there to Boulder with a
of only forty miles. The distance
rom here to Boulder is less than forty
niles, making the length of the new line to
no pnnlt r11a Tod frn,1o ha,o - TI,-oo ~ /
not more than eighty miles or almost equal
o the distance from Helena to Three
'orks.
IT is NOT
hat the Montana Union will under the
resent contract betw cen the Northern
aciic and the Union Pacific be compelled
cooperate in the operation of this road
ON Butte to Three Forks, whether the
MON Pacific consents to engaged in it's share ,
the construction or not, 1t is q well
titled fact that the line from Calvin's to ,
ute will be under construction within the
ext three weeks. Engineers are busily at !
ork now on location of this line begin !
ng at Calvin's, then running permanent =
les toward Elk Park station where they 8
oss on a level grade the Montana Cen. {
al. The roads will 8
Run SIDE BY SIDE O
Woodville, where the Montana Central o
anches off to the north and runs down Z
the portal OF the tunnel, after which it s
sends on a grade similar to that of the
ullan towards the right and makes a
round by Meaderville, skirting the
Bow mill into its terminal grounds,
liCh, as every one knows, are located on q
e southern end of this city The Northern 81
Icitic will pass it on grade at Woodville
d gradually descend the same side OF the =,
nyon, but on a much lower elevation !.
d work towards the mouth of Park a
nyon on a grade somewhat similar but y;
feet lower than the Woodville al
mel. The line will then extend due west, in
it were. within the bounds of the Mon y!
la Central bend and make q shorter cut vi
ross the valley thar the located line of
other road, and in a zigzag line will w
Ich the base OF Meaderville at a much W
1rter distance, but heavier grade than M
enjoyed by it's competitor" hf
THE RADEs. Lilo
Won't these grades, then, be as heavy as 81!
use you have to contend with at Null "a
?" "
SO far as heavier grades are concerned, wi
Montana Central after leaving South &c
tie will require double.headers to takeit OF
the Woodville tunnel as their grade from fig
aderville to the top of the summit at or
,od vile is exactly similar to that of the jul
Llan, namely, 1I6 feet to the mile. The TO
rthern Pacific, being aware OF this situa- an
has run it's lines from Woodville into pc
tie at a still heavier grade, but will be de
Ibled to make the same time to Wood FRI
e where the Park begins as it's COMPETE sa
;. In other words, both roads will re. ~
re to use double-headers, and it matters II
whether the grade is 2 per cent. or 2h tn
cent. After leaving Woodville the two tn
IDS are tit-for-tat to Helena, 80 far as ne
des and mileage are concerned, and the tn
e consumed on either line between Hell it
and Butte will be the same. 1t a
Is THE AZ
the Northern Pacific to issue round-trip sh
,ets from Butte to Helena, good over to
,er limo tbot l. oo;no hv the PARK and Is
lrning by Garrison or vice versa. 1t IN
hoped that the Northern Pacific would in,
CHI Meaderville at an elevation which an
lld permit them to continue an indie wi
dent line into Butte and have it's own OO
lllDul ldCliIUleS. buU TSceAU EuI FCy5
this to be III practicable. 1t has been DC
ided upon, with much regret ESQ far as L.
Northern Pacific folks are concerned) LIZ
t the line will have to join the Montana to
line at the Boston and Montana flu
ks and seek to share the terminal facil- foI
s at present enjoyed by the Montana ar
This will no doubt cause great dis ha
continent to the people OF Butte. They CO
re hoped that the grades between tx
and this city would have been ce
h as to permit OF the Northern Pacific pa
ming its line into pecmane t grounds to 81
purchased by them, but the engineers at
D have been at work on it state that an fir
ependent line into Butte
Is MPRACTICABLE
that the Northern Pacific will be COM
led to enter Butte in the way have in d
WI
Then you are positive that Butte will 80
We a direct eastern outlet over the North st
Pacifc?" in
There is no question Of it. The adyan- BIT
es of the Gallatin route are manifest. .Js
a., Cd 49, - Ill ha in nositiOn TO =