St. Paul daily globe., 1889-11-19
Such Is the Route Suggested
for the Manitoba's Pacific
Coast Extension
And Considered the Most
Feasible by Those Who
Know the Country.
Manitoba Annual Report
Shows a Deficit and De-
crease in Business.
Abbott Finds a Revision Of
Winter Tourist Rates Nee
essapy Again.

The route of the Manitoba to the
coast has caused considerable discus
sion, and many speculatiOns have been
made upon the subject. Several weeks
age the GLOBE published an article
based upon information received from
the highest Manitoba authority, to the
effect that the new line would not start
from the present line at either Great
Falls, Fort Assinaboine, or Butte, This
paper formed the conclusion from this
that in all probability Helena was the
starting point, and that the line would
parallel the Northern Pacific to Mis-
soula. That article did not pretend to
be anything more than speculative. but
was quoted in the Railway Age and
other papers as an authoritative state
ment that this would be the route
of the new line. Since its publi-
cation, information was received
from a railroad man who had just
been through the mountains between
Butte and Missoula, to the effect that
party of surveyors in the employ of the
Manitoba road was then at work locat-
ing line from Butte to MissOula. This
information was published in these col
umns, with the logical inference that
this was the proposed route of the new
line. That this was the case was de-
MED by man who knows exactly what
the truth Is, and man on whose word
reliance can he placed. 1t is quite
likely that neither of these is the cor
rect route. as there is one other much
more feasible than either. The Objec-
ton to the Helena route is the necessity
for paralleling the Northern Pacific,and
paralleling it with line in such close
proximity to it throughout its length,
snch a line would have to divide
route with an older and powerful
rival, and could scarcely pay. To the
Butte route there is this objection:
The snowfall in the mountains which
must he crossed is so great that the cost
of maintaining SnOWShedS and snow
plows would render it an extremely ex-
penSive line to operate. That there is
surveying CORPS up among these
mountains is fact, but it is doubtful
whether they are there with the object
of locating the new liue. There is
route, however, which is feasible in eV-
cry respect, and which is regarded by
those who are the most familiar with
the passes of the Rockies as the most
probable one for the Manitoba to take.
This route leaves the Montana Central
at : a point near Centersville. runs
up Dearborn Canon to the head
waters of the Dearborn, crosses
the divide to the headwaterS of the
BIackfoOt. down which it runs to Mis-
sOuia. The divide at this point can be
crossed without difficulty, comparatively
speaking: it is of course high grade
crossing. but is no more SO than that on
which the Montana Central crosses to
Butte, or than those of the Northern
Pacific over both the Rocky and Bitter
Root mountains. While nothing au-
thoritative can yet be stated on this
subject, it is regarded by many men
who are best posted on that part of the
country as the probable route the Man
itoba will take to Missoula; in fact, one
man made the statement yesterday that
he had information that this route had
been finally decided upon. While this
would place Helena and Butte upon
side track, it would not materially affect
the roads business from those points.
Its prospects for Butte business
are now much poorer than they
were a year ago. The North
branch will be finished before Christ
mas, and will be by many miles the
short Inc from st. Paul. j. B. Haggin.
for whom Marcus Daily is manager, is
now director of the Northern Pacific,
and it is unlikely that he will permit
much of his business, which is larger
than all others in Butte combined, to go
via the Manitoba. 1t seems probable,
then, that the new coast line will start
up Dearborn canon and 60 west to Mis-
soula.