The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-07
The Great Benefit a Railroad to the
Prairie Country Would Be
to This Section.
The Nebraska People Anxious for
Closer Relations With Mon
tana's Capital City.
A Telegram From the Mayor and the Com
mercial Club, Indicating That the
Desire Is Iteciprocated.

Several weeks since HE d EVIDENT
noticed the departure of Gen. w. A. Haven,
the well-known engineer, his objective
point being Galveston, Texas. 1t was
stated that his visit had to do with looking
over a route in the interest of a New York
syndicate for a railroad from Helena to the
gulf. TIL idea of the projectors is to build
certain connections with lines now exist
ing, so that Texas cattle can be shipped to
Montana, the corn of the middle west
brought to the northern ranges and used to
fattsn the imported and home stock. Then
the animals are to be shipped east over this
line, which is intended to tap that portioniof
eastern and northern Montana now without
railroad facilities, cross Wyoming, Ne
braska, Kansas, Indian Territory and Texas
to the guilt. Gen. Haven has already gone
over a large portion of the route and will
make his report to the New York syndicate
within two weeks.
The majority of the Texas cattle shipped
to Montana ranges are two-year-old steers.
With railroad facilities they could be
brought rapidly from the south to the north,
allowed to run the ranges for a year or
eighteen months, then taken up and fat
tened with the corn shipped by the same
lines which brought them to the state, and
when four years old, sent back, ready for
the slaughter house, by the same route.
Many Helena people nave regarded the
scheme as a visionary one, but it is not so
regarded either in New York or Texas, or in
Nebraska. The leading paper OF the latter
state, the Omaha Bee, recognizes the great
possibilities of sYch a line, so far as it af-
fects that city and state, and this is what it
says about it:
''Ihe new state of Montana is isolated
from the great corn growing region of
which Omaha is the center. Montana grows
immense herds of cattle, horses and sheep.
Her entire area of 100000 square miles is
either pastutage for the herds or mineral
producing mountains. There are arabic
valleys and great forests of timber, bat
these bear to the mountains and grass
grown plateaus and foot hills a very small
relative proportion, as compared with the
total area.
ION the ranges of CHS great state are
100000 head of cattle, 100000 horses and
2,5oO,OW sheep. From her rich mining
camps go out gold, silver and copper in
great and profitable quantities. Her 2oO,-
600 people boast of a surplus product from
the mines and ranches valued at 1867, 900, 900
annually. Montana is a great and wealthy
commonwealth. Her stock goes over two
lines Of railway to Chicago. Her mineral
product is divided between those two lines
and the Union Pacific. She is without dl-
from which she should draw her food and
to which her cattle should be shipped for
feeding prior to marketing.
This great state will some day be bound
to Omaha by a direct line of railway. It
should now be connected with this region
by rY1nt n lI,o Hl~, --~-l NJ -tI
western have lines within 400 miles of
Helena, the beautiful and wealthy capital of
Montana. It is fondly hoped that one or
both OF these progressive corporations will
push on through the valleys of Wyoming
to the rich regions beyond. inc that the
Union Pacific will extend it's Cheyenne d
Northern division to the mines and stock
ranges of Montana. 1t will not only be
profitable to Omaha and Nebraska to open
up communication with the new state. 1t
Will afford a means of exchanging products
between Nebraska and Montana of immonse
profit to the transportation lines. The coal
Of Wyoming is needed in Montana, as are
the hog product, the corn, poultry, eggs,
flour and sugar of Nebraska. No line of
railway can be extended to the northwest
which would open to this city a finer field
for interchange of traffic. 1t would stimu-
late the jobbing trade and bring to this
stock market a most desirable class of
stock. We must have a line of railroad to
Montana. Which of the three lines will be
first to seize upon this new teld?"
That the business men of Helena also
realize the full benefits which will accrue
from closer relations with the great agricul-
tural state, Nebraska, is endorsed by the
following telegram, sent in reply to the
editorial in the Bee:
"HELENA, Montana, July 6. 1~891.-Editor
Omaha Bee, Neb.: The citizens of Helena
reciprocate vour expressions favorable to
better railroad communication, which
means an exchange of Montana gold and
cattle for Nebraska corn and pork. It's
mayor and Commercial club cordially in
wife a visit from your representative bust
ness men to the richest city in the world.
L. H. kLE1NsCHM1Dr, Mayor.
DONALD BRADFORD, President Commercial
club"