The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-02-08
TO DEVELOP cH0TEAU..
"A Section Of Northern Montana That
Has Been Neglected by
Railway Builders.
Rich In Traffic OF All Kinds With
Great Resources
Untouched.
The Road to Castle via Townsand-Ths
Burlington Has Money for
Extensions.

THE INDEPENDENT yesterday gave the
views OF Assessor Hamilton as to the ques-
ton of building . railroad from Helena to
the northern part of Chotsau county The
Fort Benton River Press backs Mr.. Hamll-
TOMS opinion up in the following way:
In these days Of railroad building, one OF
the railroad ventures which would prove
eventually as among the most remunerativs
seems to be entirely overlooked. We mean
a railroad for tho development OF tho Cho-
teau end of Choteau county. To one who
has travelled over and studied the country
living between the towns of Chotean, Du-
puver and Robare. on the east. and the
main range Of the Rockies on the west, the
query at once presents itself. Why has TINS
section been so long overlooked? A line
from Great Falls via Sun River, thence
northward a few degrees west. to Fort Mac
leod OF Iethbridge or even to the Paclho
extension of the Great Northern, would not
only at once be a paying affair,
hut would assist in developing a
great section which for grazing
and farming can noNhere be surpassed.
or, again, line from Helena or Carters-
Vile past Augusta, and through the terri
tory referred to. would gain tor the former
city the traffic of the wealthy Choteau
country, which traffic would increase IN
volume as the section would rapidly dave
LOB. True, there is already a line running
almost parallel with the proposed one. but
it is thirty miles too far east to be of any
benefit to the prosperous upper country"
If ever supreme ignorance was Responsible
for a criminal blunder, it WAS whom it in
.a8, 49, --.l 0arnao a r 1T IF
land where, for the most part, nobody lives
and which gives no hope for it's future
development, when the same line could have
been run through a rich and prosperous
section, which is rapidly growing in popu-
lation and wealth. The objective point
the LethbridSe coal mines, was reached;
but the great traffic Of the country lying
westward Of the road, toward the noun
tsins, which must eventually have an out
let. and which Of itself would have been a
source of profit. was untouched.
Tho great part of this county, which OF,
fers suoh an inducing field for railroad
north, ths towns Of Choteau. Bynum, Du-
payer and Robare. Every little stream IN
this section ID taken up by sheep and cat-
tie ranchers. all of whom are prosperous,
whose shipment of stock and farm pro-
duet. and the passenger trat1c OF whom
WCulQ Dc - kIGAU At0A's 1AoAt 49, - 800
vicinity Of Robare, along Birch creek, are
inexhaustibls beds OF coal Of the very
same formation as the celebrated Lsth-
bridge article. Hero is the only thing on
which the misft narrow gauge can hope to
live, but it would be an item for a Choteau
line. All the coal of the sterling quality
which the Birch creek proves to be, could
find a market as fast rs it could be mined,
and at prices equal to that now paid for
Lsthbridge coal. Az the develop
ment goes on. the time must come
when the west will no longer
be dependent upon the east for her articles
of iron wanufaosure; and as the industries
of manufacture come westward Montana
will have an opportunity to furnish the
baser metals. Here the vast quantities OF
iron and limestone of the district referred
to will find a market, and all the elements
Of prosperity with which the Choteau
country is blessed will in time tend to make
it the most populous and wealthy section
of the state. Thus, in the very nature OF
things, it will be seen that the denand for
a railroad on the line described is lnpera-
tive; the large population and great nat
ural wealth of that section, together will
the necessity of an outlet for the vast
stores of wool and large numbers of cattle
and farm products require IT'D construction,
and the projectors who first place a rail-
road through the favored country will soon
realize that their venture WAS one OF Wis
dom and increasing value.