, 1890-02-06
THROUGH MARIAS PASS
That Is tho Route the Manitoba
Railroad VIII Probably
Select.
A Country That Is Rich in Coal,
Mineral and Agricultural
Resources,

attended by two assistants, returned
from the summit Of he Rockies in the
vicinity OF Mnrias pass, where he had
been looking up q route for the Mani
tobn. The trip was M alc nearly all tho
way on snuwshoes and was q very dill
cult one, the snow being ntthis time of
the year soft and yielding, and even
large sized suowshocs sink t. several
inches. The last few days Of the return
trip were put In on half mtons, and tin
ally the last day without any thing at all
to cat.
The writer has long been aware that
the route is q feasible ono for railroad,
and was not surprised to hear
that the engineer not only reported
itrrac;icabc, but possessing advantages
not expected.
The maximum grade will not exceed
100 feet to the mile, and there will he no
tunneling on the summit The work
too, Is not Of the heavy and expensive
Kind met with generally on the crest Of
u mountain range.
By adopting this route and proceed
ing from the Marins pass down the
south fork Ot the Flat hehd rIyer, thence
up the saltwater, and from there up the
south fork Of the same stream over tile
hCudwatcrs of Wolf creek, and down
the stream TO Fisher and finally down
the Kootenni river they will
have PASSED through th0 rugged Rock
les without crossing hut single spur OF
that range, and that with q much more
easy grade than tho l3O2eman, MJllian
or MssOula grades on the Northern Ia
ciilc.
Then from Great Falls on the east to
the vicinity OF Spokane Falls ON the
west, the Manitoba will have u track bed
with hut one heavy grade, no tunnels,
and a general east and west line not
varying to exceed thirty miles either To
the nurth AMI south IN this I'll stance.
Whom 10 Is remembered that the Cana.
dian Pacific on the north is tugging
away at q route that must be abandoned
ia tho near future and that the Northern
Pnrihc ON the south Is cntioHyOring with
its several cut-oils to eliminate some Of
the serious difficulties OF numerous
grades and turtupus bonds that is ham
lcTiug IL In IT, immense ttnnscout mental
traffic, thus must route rough the
Marias pass in the direction indicated,
with it, advantages as to dttcctncss and
elevation, he somewhat appreciated.
II has never seemed really probable
that the Manitoba would construct it-
main line by either Butte or MissOula.
The old days of n,lIUGding have bccn
rcVolutiouized. In this cminently pro-
grcssiVe age hours. and even he smaller
Subdivisions OF time, count in transpOr.
tation systems as ia every thing else.
Then in the pu,s sihllity of the Mani
tolu taking either the HuJte or MissOula
route il would only draw its quota of
tho III ruu.h traffic, and this In itself
Could never repay the vast distance
trINCrsed and capital expended, besides
The serious loss of running time from
st Paul TO the coast The Northern
Pacific IL practically answering all
spCCuIatiuus oi this kiud In tie mega
tive by its activity in shortening IT.
route,
And here It might not be innppro-
pirate to refer briefly to the resources Of
the country along the limo Indicated, a
fact OF great, though perhaps secondary
importance tp trans'Cunt mental line.
II might seem n strange statement to
the uninlormsd, but II Is entirely within
the limit Of possibilities hat the Flat
head country will ship more tonnage In
three years after through line pcnc-
trutcs this region than N .S-Ouln and it,
NiCinitiCs. That the ilath cad country Is
the richest country In Montana In nat
urnl resources, no one acquainted with
II has ever denied,
IN timber coal and agriculture its re
sources can scarcely DO realized.
Nowhere IN Montana OF any part of
the West arc there such lurgc bodicb Of
such u varied character That lies can be
furnished for railroads. vUCd for fuel
and saw logs Tor thCmilis IN almost end
Ices quantities. With the growing Clty
OF Great Fail, ON our east, with the
numerous factories and furnaces that nu
doubt will soon bc erected there, and
tho great prairie country beyond settling
NJ aud already responding 10 the hunu
OF industry, together with the great
mining camps IN the mountain regions
We iocl that flathcad, With its vast
regions Of timber, where white man
never rod and forest echoes have never
been disturbed by tine WpOdmun, has u
wealth that will develop to wonderful
proportions before another decade has
passed.
Last season when other parts Of Mon.
tAna were dried up and barron. with
cattle hcards niuilessiy wandering IN
search of water, which could not bO
found In many eases Flathead produced
over halia crop and chat without lrri'
TLc rainfall here i, larger than in any
other part ot the state. as was clearly
shown IN the past season.
Throughout a large region Of country
situated between the moth and south
fork Ot FIathcad there agc numerous
evidences of coal deposits,
ON u small stream tributary to the
North Fork, and not over thirty miles
from the valley proper. is situated one
OF the largest coal mines IN America
There arc several parties IN tore stcd In IL,
aud several different veins hayc been de.
vcloped showing u thickness of two to
twcilty-throc fec, Of good coal without
stratum intervening of any foreign
matter
ON tho South Fork numerous veins of
good quality have been located, aud
here Us ON the North Fork indicate
vast ineNhuustiblo coal field. About
thirty miles north OF this county and
short distance across the limo are some
fine petroleum springs of V0 ~ in Z quality
and size, These have already been To-
Gated 10y numerous of her Maicsty's
subjects aud q considerable excitement
caused thereby. Lying as they do on
the hcaC,wntcr Of the great North Fork
and enCirclcd on tho west, north and
cast by mountain walls they will even
tunlly, /, developed, bebrought down the
North Fork TO some shipping point Oh
the propuycd line.
Al English syndicate are taking hold
of the matter and no doubt will soon de-
some remarkable developing It II jusiiilcs
them.
Ofthc quartz mines OF this country so
much promise can not bc made with the
same degree Of accuracy,
II is a fact, however, that VIC are sur
rounded with mineral belts and that
some fine locations have been made in
the last few years.
PcrhupsnO county In Montana or in
decd the west, is so rich in prospects as
that section from libbv and Fisher
creeks To the kootcnn lake mining camp.
IT Is Impossible for the widest cnihu-
last To forecast even slightly the de
vclopment that undoubtedly will he
made III tho next few years through this
TCEiOu.