The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-15
THE WORLD On WHEELS.
How tho Kootenay Country Will
Be Reached BY the Rail-
roads.
. Rumor That the Great Falls &
Canada Will Build to Helena
Immediately.
ton Boycott-Duluth, Pierre s
Black HillA

SVM -
Black HillA
A correspondent of The INDEPENDENT, re-
ferring to the bonding of the Dandy mine
in the Kootenay district. mention of which
was made in yesterdays issue and to the ia
cilities for shipping ore, has this to say:
"Before many months the country will be
connected with three transcontinental rail-
roads, as follows:
''The G. P. r. short line is now completed
from the Columbia river to Nelson, twenty
eight miles in length, connecting navigable
water on the upper Columbia with naviga-
BILE water on the lower K%ootenay. From
the point where this line touches the
Columbia it is $50 miles to the Canadian
Pacific, via the Arrow lakes at Revelstoke,
b. G. From this same point it
is only tifty-four miles by steamer
to the present northern terminus
of the Spokane Il Northern railway which
connects with the Northern and Union Pa
cihc, land possibly soon with the Great
Northern) in this city. Steamers navigate
the lower Kootenay, the lake and upper
Kootenay to Bonner's Ferry, in Idaho, 100
miles from INelSOUs AT GQlS pOlNb GUey WILL
connect with the Great Northern and a
spur of the Northern Pacific thirty-two
miles in length from kootenay station on
the main line. Therefore quite soon the
kootenay lake region will have ample facili-
ties for receiving supplies and shipping out
the vast quantities of minerals that have
for years remained locked in her eternal
hills. There is still another important rail-
way line in contemplation that should not
be overlooked. A company has been formed
in British Columbia to build a line
from Nelson up Cottonwood-Smith
creek to the little Salmon river
thence down this stream in a soatherly di-
rection to the Beaver creek divide; that
stream will be followed to the Columbia,
and on the left bank of that majestic body
of water the rails will be laid four miles to
the boundary line, connecting with D.. {.
Corbin's Spokane g. Northern road. The
divides between Cottonwood-Smith creek
ana Beaver creek and the little Salmon be-
ing very low. there is 10 difficulty in cross
ing them. From the head of Cottonwood
Smith creek q spur from this line but a few
miles III length can be run around Toad
mountain on an even grade to the Helena
company's mine and concentration"
The Great Falls & Canada
The Great Falls & Canada railway has
severed it's connection with the Great
Northern line, owing to unsatisfactory ar
rangements with the latter road. says the
Great Falls Industrial. The Great Falls 4
Canada, b acked by the Northern Pacific,
no doubt, has decided to extend It's line OF
to Helena. where it will make direct con-
nection with the Northern Pacific, and no
doubt become a part of that line. Officials
OF the Great Falls & Canada are now in
New York in conference with the Northern
Pacific n%agnates. Fol a long time past,
-, 1.,nr cs,oo %ka rool r-n ~ ~a r., -, {G m
from Canada to this city, the Great North
ern has dons as much as it could to injure
the traffic of the Greut Falls u Canada
railroad. The Great Northern did much
to injure the coal trade, as is
owned mines at Sand Coulee the
product of which was brought into compe-
tition with the Canada coal by the opening
OF the road into Alberta. Under these dis
advantages the Great Falls & Canada is
compelled to do something to better its
condition and enlarge the volume of it's
business by an extension of the road.
Ftom semi-oficial sources it is learned
that the work will be begun almost i'm
mediately and that trains will be run be-
tween this city and Helena by the first of
September.
By tapping Helena and the Northern Pa
cific the Lethbridge coal mines will have a
much larger market for their product,
which means increased traffic for the Great
: ~ LAC
The Atoms Fight.
The question now in railroad circles 10
whether the western roads will assist or
work against the Chicago & Alton in it's
fight with the trunk lines and central traffic
association on the commission question.
Since they have all agreed to discontinue
the payment OF commissions in eastern ter
rltory. they will no doub make a pretense
OF occupying neutral ground in the Atoms
slngle-handed contest with its eastern con-
nections. but that they will actually do SO
nobody believes. All the lines int tho West
ern Passenger association are committed
to the policy OF paying reasonable commits
sions by the terms of their agreement. 1t
is not because they are opposed to the sys-
tenn that they complied with the request of
the eastern board of rulings, but because
they dreaded the probable expense of n
hight in case a boycott should be declared
against them.
The first move on the part of the Alton
Will be to station it's own agents in all the
principal eastern cities. These agents will
be instructed to sell tickets to Chicago and
st. Louis over the leading lines to those
points with orders on the Chicago & Alton
for transportation to point of destination.
1t 1t becomes necessary to reduce the rates
in order to get the business, the rates will
not unlikely be reduced. aud should de-
moralizatitn ensue the western roads will,
it is said, probably join in putting the
blame for a disastrous rate war on the
trunk lines, and will placate the Alton by
withdrawing from the agreement with the
western roads.
Raised the Funds.
Negotiations have been completed by the
directors of the Duluth, Pierre d Black
Hills, by which funds were raised thai will
complete the grading from Faulkton to
Pierre, the distance remaining to be graded
on this road from Aberdeen, s. d., to
Pierre. This road is to be ironed by the
Northern Pacific, and with recent traffic ar
Engagements made by the Northern Pacific
and the Burlington & Missouri, by which
the gap will be filled between Pierre and
Rapid City by the Burlington d Missouri,