The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-05
THE BURLINGTON ROUTE.
Exact Status Of Work on the Line
South Of the Montana
Border.
Various Projections Of tho Road
Into This State Have Been
Surveyed. *.

One Of the Most Promising Wsuld Con-
nsct 1t Castle with = Line
From HsIsna
SHERIDAN, Wyo.. Sept. 4.-[Speoial]-
Burlington trains will bs running into this
city BY the 6rst Of November. OF this fact
thore can be no doubt. But tho extension
Of the line beyond this place in any given
direction is matter for onjscture, both
- TO routs to be followed and when tho
work will bs begun and completed. Sur
vsyinR parties have bssn running lines rad
tatins from Sheridan north, northwest and
west fer year or moro, long before the
graders or track layers reached this city.
Present contracts for construction termi-
nate here, and none are in existence. so far
a. can be learned, for any sort Of work be-
yond Sheridan. There are but few evi-
densss that the road will be built into
Buffalo, although that branch il indicated
as in process of eonst. uetion on all Bur-
linRton folders. The road at present runs
within about seventy five miles of that city.
A large force Of graders 10 hurryinR work
with all possible speed between Powder
river and Sheridan. The track has been
laid to sugQs station. on the west side Of
the river. and great many cattle will be
shipped from that point this fall. Burlina-
ton officials have promised eattlsmen to
have trains running to point
twenty miles west of SuRgs station by the
first Of October. This point is at the juno
tion whore the stage lines from Sheridan
and Buffalo unite.
Ths construction force between SuQRs
station and Sheridan il estimated at 5000
the lack of men to work all their teams 10
tho best advantage. They bring whole
loads of laborers from tho east. and at the
very earliest opportunity these men desert
the railroad camps and CROSS the Crow res
ervation to Northern Pacific points in Mon
tana. A deep cut Of half u mile near this
city il the only difficulty that will be en-
oountsrsd in building tho road from Powder
river to Sheridan. Work on the cut is we'll
under way. and there 10 no apparent reason
why tho track should not he laid and trains
running to Sheridan by Nov. l. Az it is
conceded that this will be a terminus for
the winter. il not longer, besides being ut
the junction whore the Yellowstone park
line. 140 miles long, will leave the main line.
AEd the site Of the western repair shops,
Sheridan 10 taking on a boom.
The intentions of the company officials
as to the extension OF their line into Mon
tana are mot known here. nor elsewhere,
except to few in their confidence. 1t 10 a
safe assertion that even they do not know
just what will be done. great deal Of
preliminary surveying has been done and is
still being done. The surveyors make their
reports and the officials are studying them.
Sheridan is distant from Helena about 800
miles, and large portion of the country
along limo running from Sheridan in the
general direction of Helena or Great Falls,
through or near Billings, would furnish .
good deal Of business from the first. The
line that promises the best results, immed-
late or remote, of course will be the one
chosen. A line has been run from Sheridan
in northwssterly direction to old Fort
@. F. Smith, on the Big Horn in the Grow
reservation, a feasible route being found by
skirting the Big Horn mountains, follow
ing the old stage line pretty closely. From
Fort Smith an easy way is open to Fort
Custer. where heavy business in freight
ing could be secured. 1t 10 an
open secret that the Burlington
people have made svsrtures to the govern
ment for contracts for that business, in
cidentally urging that Fort Custer be not
abandoned nor the force reduced when the
new post at Helena 10 ready for occupancy.
From Fort Custer line was run to Pom
pey's Pillar, on the Northern Pacific,
thence northwest to the foot Of Bull mount
ain, around those mountains to the west
and north to the Mussslshell river. follow
ing that stream well up toward the Little
Belt and snow mountains. thence west to
IN al N
to Townsend or Toston.
From old Fort @. +. Smith line has
bsen run nearly due northwest to Billings
and on to the Musselshell few miles west
of Bull mountain. thence along the limo
indicated above. Also from Fort Smith a
line has been run south along the Big Horn
river and Sinking Water creek, thence
along snake river, over the Teton mount
aims. south of Yellowstone park, toward
Biaokfoot, Idaho. This line has been run
a good part of the distance only on paper.
From Billings line has baen lun nearly
duo south to meet this projected line at Il
point near where the Sinking Water
empties into the Big Horn.
Another line. which has been more or less
surveyed, winds through the mountains
west of Sheridan to Pryor gap, near tho
Montana line, thence in general north
westerly direction to the Bear creek mines,
near Red Lodge, north to Big Timber, par
aiIslinR the Northern Pacific from Big
Timber to Twenty-Five Mile creek, near
Livingston. and thence north over line
once surveyed and croas-sectioned, 30 re-
ported, by the Northern Pacific, to old
Camp Baker. near Nsihsrt, reaching the
latter place ana making friendly arrange
ments with tho Great Northe, IL for the Ok.
change of business at Great Falls.
Some work has been done in the country
north OF the Musselsheli making lines
tending toward Great Falls, leaving the
river probably At Lavina or Coppsropolis.
The business of the road after leaving
will be live stock and mining the
latter as yet almost wholly undsveloped.
Tho live stock business III, of course, al
l sady established, aud looking at that
alone it would seem that the preponderAnos
OF advantages would be in favor of the
line or lines running from Fort
q. L. Smith to Castle and
White Sulphur SptinRs whore connection
could be made with the prof ojscsed line from
Helena to those places. This Is apparently
The way the Burlington can best DO brought
to Helena. such u road would catch the
great stock business of the northern Wvo-
ming and southern Montana ranges and
ind big business ready for its coming at
the mines Of MeaRhsr county, and also Q
share of the heavy freighting Of Helena, at
which point 1t could transfer business for
the coast and California to tho Northern
Pacihc. Union Pacific, or Great Northern.
Considerable mining machinery has been
taken into the mountains west OF
and reports are received OF soms
rloh finds. Should these reports prove true
he line projected via Pryor Gap, the BIZ ar
Greek mines, Big Timber. Twenty, Five