The Livingston enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1914, 1890-05-03
Another Railroad Meeting,

Another meeting was held at the
rooms of the Livingston club yesterday
afternoon to further some measure fol
securing railroad transportation from
Livingston to Castle. An organization
was effected by the election of j. A
Savage as chairman and Geo. H. Wright
as secretary. The incorporation of a
company to construct railroad from
the Great Northern at Great Falls to
Castle was considered, and it was
| thought advisable to urge this fact with
| others pertaining to the Castle traffic
upon the attention of the officials of the
Northern Pacific With this object in
view the following statement Of facts
was prepared and the officers of the
meeting instructed to forward the same
to the officers of the company:
To the Honorables Thomas F. Cakes
and Henry Willard, of the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company, New
York:
AT meeting Of the citizens and tax
payers OF the city of Livingston and vi
cinity, held on the End day of May, 1880,
it is resolved to submit the following
facts to the officers of the Northern Pa
cific Railroad Company:
That the city of Livingston is situated
on the line Of said railroad at it's june
tion with the Park branch thereof.
That the country surrounding said
Livingston for many miles in extent is
underlaid with large quantities of coal
suitable for making 4 good quality Of
coke, which is SO much needed in the
reduction of ores in the state of Mon
tana.
That Shields River valley extends
from Livingston about fifty miles north
erly to within few miles of Castle
Mountain Mining district, and is about
ten miles wide. 1t is valley of rare
fertility and capable of producing large
quantities of wheat and other grains, as
well as hay and pasturage for cattle and
sheep. Besides, in the mountains on
each side of the valley, coal is found in
many places, sufficient to show beyond a
doubt that it is valley of great re-
sources for coal, for coke and other min
erals, as we'll as agriculture.
That Castle Mountain is mining dis
trict of great extent, and from the de-
velopments already made and now being
prosecuted it is shown that said district,
as soon as transportation therefrom is
had by railroad, will be one of the great
mineral producing districts of this great
state.
We further have reason to belieue that
the Great Northern railroad company
will soon extend branch railroad to
said district. Such a branch is now in
course of construction and is completed
to point near Neihart, about sixty
miles from said Castle Mountain. A
company has recently been organized
and obtained its charter on the 18th day
of April, 1890, for the purpose of extend
ing line of the Great Northern from
Neihart to the Castle Mountain, and
Helena and White Sulphur Springs cap
italists have offered liberal inducements
to construct this line at once
That we feel deep interest in the fact
that such road constructed by the
Great Northern railroad company will
divert business of almost incalculable
value from the Northern Pacific railroad
to that company.
That from the nature of the country,
the easy grade from Livingston to Cas-
tie, the fertility and great resources of
Castle Mountain and Shields River val
ley, railroad from the Northern Pacific
at Livingston would be of great pecuni-
airy value to the Northern Pacific, as we'll
as to the business interests of Living
ston and vicinity, and besides direct the
trade and business from that country in
its natural and proper channel.
We would further represent that dur
ing the year 1886 the citizens of Living
ston organized company for the pur-
pose oil constructing a railroad from
said point to Castle Mountain by way of
Shields River valley. That SAID com
pany was organized for the purpose of
aiding the Northern Pacific railroad
company in building said road, and not
for the purpose of speculation or hind
rance to said company in extending it's
branches.
That said company SO organized will
transfer It's franchise to any one whom
you may indicate, or do any other act
within its power to forward and aid in
the enterprise of building the road to
Castle.
We therefore earnestly request that
you construct said road, believing that
1t will be to your advantage in adding
much to the paying business of the
great railroad you represent, as we'll as
to develop great extent of country,
rich in many resources, the commerce of
which will be permanent source of
profit to the branch as we'll as the main
line of your system.
Respectfully submitted,
J. A. SAVAGE, President,
GEO. II. WRIGHT, Sec'y,
for Citizens Of Livingston and Vicinity.