The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-14
eUTTE'S HRoUG TRAIN.

cover WIere eltner cOHlIOTt UT tncouT-
agement come in.
ON the part of the railroad company
two significant points were developed
ir the comments of General Manager
Mellen. The first of these concerned
the remarkable ignorance of the rail
road authorities regarding the needs
and the wishes of the city of Butte. III
General Manager Mellen is truthfu lly
reported i'm the STANDARDS story of
the conference, he said that he never
heard of Butte's demand for n of the
through trains until Saturday. Posi-
bly, the gentleman fancied that Butte
has been crying all this time for a spe-
cial strawberry train from Bozeman or
rapid transit for a vegetable run from
the Gallatin country.
Now the situation is perfectly clear,
so far as il involves a knowledge of
the circumstances on the part of the
railroad people. Many days ago Mr..
Oakes sent to Butte n telegram saying
that he supposed one of the Northern
Pacific through trains was making the
daily run by way of Butte. More re-
Gently people who are very close to
Mr.. Mellen have been in CORE
spondence with prominent railroad
officials some of them attached
TO the Northern Pacific railroad
regarding minor details relating dis
tinctly To the operation of the new
short line for this through-train ser
vice. The main offices of the North
ern Pacific, both in New York city and
II. Paul, have known these many days
precisely what Butte is asking for.
The STANDARD does not question Gen
eral Manager Mellen's confession of his
own ignorance that would be discour-
teous; but we undertake TO say that he
is the only officer prominently connect
ed with the Northern Pacific company
who, at noon on Saturday, was ignor-
ant of what Butte expects or desires,
and his Ignorance on this score issome-
thing of which he, as general manager
of the road, ought to be ashamed.
Butte's demand has been very dis
tinct. Ii Mr.. Mellen is ignorant about
il, he can make il pay to tarry for a
time in Montana where he can learn
a good many things that would he i'm
mensely TO his interest. Possibly the
general manager has not learned that
the summer has resulted i'm two acct
dents between Garrison and M~issoula,
both attended with loss of life and both
publicly charged To the unfit condition
of a road bed over which trains are
scheduled at a rate that would put a
reputable milk train To the blush. Per
haps the general manager b not aware
that people this side the range are ac-
tually afraid of the t~restle-work at the
eastern approach to the Mullan tunnel.
which has already survived the average
life of railroad construction of that
sort. Mr.. Mellen may not have heard
of all this. III that is true, it's our
opinion that he could make il pay to
spend several weeks in Montana. lie
could gather some very interesting
facts for which he would not have far
To hunt everybody in these parts is
familiar with them, just as all of us are
accurately informed about Butte's rail
road needs.
But there is a second point worth
noting in the remarks of Mr.. Mellen at
Saturdays conference, where he told
his hearers that the short line is not in
physical condition for the transit of
through passenger trains. Butte's
shippers will take Mr.. Mellen's word
for this. The fault of the road in this
respect is the affair of the railroad
company. Nearly two millions were
spent in the construction of the new
line. and the public supposed il was a
completed railroad. II was formally
accepted by the company months ago.
II was built in the most trying season
of the year because. n the railroad
people themselves declared. the ext
gencies of traffic put further delay in
construction work out of the question.
Yet we come along To midsummer,
months after the road is declared com
pleted. 10 discover that this brand new
line is not safe for through passenger
traffic. Can IL be that this road, like
the Helena and Boulder branch. was
built over unsafe gulches and along
overlianging rock merely 20 furnish the
annual stipend to the Northern Paci-
iic's ring of contractors, there to be
left To rust itself away in years of dis
useg We sincerely hope that this is
not the policy of the Northern Pacific
regarding the new short line. But how
does il happen that the Northern Pa
ciiic can build the cutoff from Little
Falls, i'm Minnesota branch started
months after the Homestake line was
undertaken-and promptly adapt that
piece of road TO passenger traffic while
the Homestake line is left in idleness'
II seems 10 us that Mr.. Mellen's pro-
fessions ofignorance regarding Butte's
needs is a BIZ of imnnnance which the