The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-04
THE GREAT 20" ROAD.
Will Be Running Trains Into
Helena, Mont, Next Year.
HILLS TRACK NEAR sWlTCnBAcN
The Zambesi tho First OF the Seattle
Hawaii Steamers-spokane =
Northern Construction.

HELENA, Mont, Nov. 3o.-The Burlington
road was completed into Sheridan, Wyo., about
November i, at which place, according to ths
best information obtaiuable here. operations
were almost entirely suspended for the winter.
Construction 20 that point rushed In order
tn secure s share OF the fall shipments of ca,tio
from Northeastern Wyoming and the Grow
reservation in Montana. This object wss
achieved, and many thousand head of cattle
tina. would otherwise have been shipped
from Mingusville, Miles City. Custer station.
Billings, and other Montana points
went over the new line There ara
annually shipped from Montana an average OF
10000 head OF cattle, and, the freight on
steer OF average weight to Chicago Is almost s.,
the total freight paid by Montana cattle ship
pers amounts TO $4,000. fully 75 per cent. q
which has been paid to the Northern Pacific. Il
Is primarily to get share of this great business
that the Burlington planned its northwest ex.
tension through this state, although 1t will run
through fine agricultural country, irrigation
alone being required to make the eastern part OF
the state productive. There is water In abun.
dauce.though OF bitches there yet very few.
For the past two years Burlington surveyors
have been running lines through Montana,
starting from Sheridan and working in a gem
erai way toward Billings. thence toward Great
Fails, either by way of White Sulphur Springs
and Castle, in Meagher county, or going In a
northerly direction from Billings to the Mussel-
its tributaries BY the best passes obtainable to
the branch of the Great Northern already in
operation to Neihart, running down from Great
Falls The surveyors have observed the strictsss
secrecy as to what engineering difficulties
they found along this projected route,
though there are generally supposed to
be some that are almost insurmount-
able. Still another projected route runs
north from Billings, keeping clear OF the noun
tains and running along the bench lands OK
Fergus county, bearing to the northwest and
striking the Great Northern at Benton. This
latter route would have only the stock business
to draw upon, and the opinion of the best in
formed is that when the Burlington leaves the
Yellowstone river, at point near Billings, 10
viii make for the mines of Meagher county and
the sEielters at Great Falls. Should il be bulls
70 White sulphur Springs and Castle, there 10
no doubt but that il would meet at these points
the new projected Helena. White Sulphur
Springs & Castle road, which is reasonably GER
tain to be built next year. This would bring
the Burlington practically into Helena. The
great difficulty lies in the fact that there Is
big range of mountains between White Sulphur
Springs and Neihart. at which place 1t would
meet the branch of the Great Northern. No one
here can say whether or not the surveyors
found a way around, over or through these
mountains. As the crow would fly from Bill
Hngs to Great Falls, there Is much broken, billy
and mountainous country and only careful
survey would disclose its opportunities for q
line of railroad.
Between Sheridan, wyo, and Billings. Mont,
Mr. Gillette. the chief engineer for the Burling-
ton, found a comparatively easy route. The
line will run from Sheridan west to Pass creek,
along that stream to its mouth, along the Little
Big Horn to Fort Custer, from Fort Custer
nearly due west to Fly creek, along Fly creek to
the Yellowstone river, at Pompey's Pillar; west
along the Yellowstone to desirable point for
branching to the northwest, probably at Alkau
creek, fifteen miles east of Billings Besides
being very feasible route, Mr.. Gillette has re-
ported that the road can be built for 81 $4,000
less than over any Of the other proposed routes.
1t would thus secure an immense cattle ship
ping business, the heavy freighting for Fort
Custer, the mining business at White Sulphur
Springs ana the sTnelter business at Great Falls.
Some surveying has been done northwest of
Great Falls, and as there is almost an empire
there not traversed by railroad it is thought
the Burlington may take q northwest direction
from Great Falls and meet the Pacific extension
of the Great Northern at the eastern side OF the
main range of the Rockies.
1t 10 confidently believed that as soon as con.
strucion work is possible in the spring the Bur-
hngton viii be laying track across the Crow
reservation. and that within one year it will
have trains running into Helena and Great Falls.