The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-09-24

the west, the Eutaw road is comm up
from the south and 1 hearn tell as
how the Britishers was q goin' to
build road clear across the country
Just over the line. It's gett1n' too
crowded for me young feller, and I'll
have to follow the Injun and the buf-
falo." And he did, but that strange
prophecy was fulfilled to the letter.
The Northern Pacific came from the
east and west meeting at Garrison.
The q. & q. built up from Salt Lake
City, the Canadian completed a line
from Ocean to Ocean, and to crown
all, "Jim" Hills Manitoba road came
right through the cream of the coun-
try traversed by all the others.
Great Falls is a booming young
town just above Ft. Benton, and is
the victim of circumstances.
The story here in related should be
pondered on by some men who do
not live more than a thousand leagues
from Astoria.
When the Manitoba was headed
westward, Jim Hill went out to the
substantial old city of Fl. Benton,
and tried to get depot
grounds and other favors fol
bis road, but Thos. Powers and his
associates who own about nine-tenths
of the city, would not make a single
concession toward the road.
The result was, Hill gave about a
dollar and half for couple of town.
ships near the falls, a few miles above
and started a city. He got a live
newspaper man to start in there, and
doomed the town systematically, SO
that now it is a city of 5000 people,
has fine streets, and is growing rap
idly.
Ft. Benton is over two miles from
the railroad, and a disabled box car
serves as a depot for her.
Half of her business men have left
and gone up TO Great Falls, and she
now remains "a mighty good town
site,"' but mighty poor town.
OF course Powers has plenty of
money and doesn't really feel the
need of any more, but "they do say
that if he had made a slight conces
sion toward Hill that the painted In.
dian would still be chasing jack rab-
bits around in the sage brush where
Great Falls now stands, while Ft
Benton would be city of 10000 peo-
pie instead of less than one fourth
that number.
At Great Falls party OF Southern
Pacific railroad conductors, accompan-
led by their wives and sisters, join us,
and after supper the dining car waf
cleared of chairs and tables, and G
merry dance begins, the colored cook
and walters furnishing music with
the violin, guitar and banjo. The car
afforded plenty of room for twelve
couple to dance, and joy was uncon
fined until 2:3Q A. NJ. This was 6
strange scene in a strange place, and
a score of years ago the widest TO
mancer would not have thought oi
such q performance.
Here we were rushing across the
country at the rate of forty miles an
hour, and the bright lights from tht
car shining out on a land that less
than q decade ago, echoed only the
tread of the buffalo, and his Indian
hunter.
We had late breakfast the next
morning, but the culinary department
was excused on account Of the amuse
ment they had afforded us the night
previous.
The Manitoba road is doing an i'm
mense stock business at present, anG
big train loads Of fine cattle are passed
every few hours,
The cattle kings who own the stccl
were quite plentiful on our train
They are all rich, and for fear that
would not know it, each one of then
took advantage of my confiding ma
ture and told me how they were pool
once and came west with nothing bu
a Maverick steer and a spotless rep
utation, as capital to work on, and nov
they eat pie three times a day an(
smoke whole cigar at time. Thss,
recitals are full of interest, and the,
were told to me so often and in such
stereotyped way that expect I will b.
| GcllIuB tuem iOT TIE trutH DcloTe
reach the east.
The wheat crop in the Red rive
country has been very fair this sea
son, and all along the line from
Minot, Dakota, to Devils Lake ant
Grand Forks. Threshers and reaper!
are busy at work, the straw is burned
after it leaves the thresher and a
1 - l., l. r L.
out in every direction all over tn
vast sea of land present beautiful
appearance.
Considering that / am no Longer
engaged IN writing slush for tn
printers I will cease for the present
but at some future time may tell yo,
something about these twin cities, st
Paul and Minneapolis.
E. w. W.