The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-13
NORTHWEST RAILROADS.
Construction Work Will be Very
Active During the Next
Three Years.
Great Northern Already on the
Sound and Headed To-
ward Portland.
a Great Trans Continental system from
Chicago to Portland to be Built
Within Two Years.

Indications are that there will be more
railroad building in the Pacific northwest
in the next three years than in any other
locality on the face of the globe. This pre-
diction is made by the Seattle Press. The
lines that are already under construction
and projected together with those that in
all probability will find their way into this
country in the time designated will, in
mileage, be immense, and IN point of ira-
portance will surpass those in any other To-
cality.
All Of the grea transcontinensa! lines
are pointing this way. One here compels
the other to come; it is simply question of
self-preservation. Within a less period
than three years the transsontinental rail-
roads that will unload freight OH the shores
of Puget Sound will be tho Northern Pa
cifc. the Union Pacific, the Canandian Pa
ciic and the Great Northern. Two of these
are already here, and the other two
are building as fast as money and men can
do the work. These roads do not simply
mean through lines, but they mean sys-
TENS: feeders will extend out to every point
of Importance. These four transconti-
mental lines will not complete the list. for
tho Southern Pacific and the Burlington
are already heading in this direction. In
are building on all sides. The amount of
railroad development already going on here
and that in prospective is indeed difficult to
appreciate. The development will be I'M
surpassed, not SO much OH account of rail-
road mileage as the Importance of the lines.
What does the Great Northern intend to
do? is the way the Astoria Columbian puts
it. 1t is already on the sound and making
preliminary surveys to Portland. Jim
Hills engineers have been taking sound
ings on the Columbia rive. His commer-
cial agent has inspected the harbor here
and the country which a line between AS
toria and Portland would develop. He de-
clares his intention of building to Port
land. Does anyone think that the man
whose keen discernment and shrewd tnan-
ciering has built great railroad system
which completes successfully with the
Northern Pacific will content himself to
parallel the lines of the Union and North
ern Pacific to Portland, and then stop,
Just where competition really commences?
Does anyone believe that the man who will
not build roads anything heavier than
two per cent. gra de, in order to keep oper-
ating expenses at a minimum, will drag
ships over the three per cent. sand bars of
the upper Columbia? Not he. If he builds
to Portland he will build to the coast.
This points most decidedly towards As
toria.
It is now reported on good authority that
the Bur ngton and the Hunt system of
railroads have joined for 81 great transcon-
tinental line, and within two years the sys-
tenn will extend from Chicago to Portland
and Puget Sound, says the Seattle Press.
In extending to the west the first long
stretch for the Burlington was from Chey-
enne. The northern route was selected,
and the contracts have been let for building
the line from Cheyenne. In Washington
and Oregon is the Hunt system. It is
thought that Hunts attempt to float $lO,-
100000 of bonds for the extension of his
system was vigorously antagonized by
Northern Pacific and Union Pacific infu-
ences, and failure was almost certain, but
now comes the announcement that the
bonds have been placed in London by the
aid of the Chicago, Burlington 4 Quincy.
All this simply means that the Burlington
has taken the Hunt system of roads under
its control and will consolidate them in
great transcontinental route. The Bur-
lington is one of the wealthiest railroad
companies in the United States.