The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-10-07
FROM HELENA TO DILLON
That Is the Next Railroad Enterprise
to Engage Local Cap
italistS.
The Castle Project Has About
Reached the Stage Where
It Is q Sure Go.
onlv waiting for tho Expiration OF nj
Agreement to Push the Madison
County Line.

From all that can DO learned 1t would
seem that the negotiations looking 70 'ns
construction of q railroad from Helena W
Castle are about concluded. and mas wnnlh
a week all the p~reliminaries looking 10 i's
building will have been concluded. When
this project Is out of the way, another feii-
road enterprise that means even more 10
this oity than the Castle road, will be taken
mn bv Helena men and be pushed to . COM
plstion. Il has taken three years to get tne
Castle project where it Is to-day. ana IL VIII
probably take a year more to get the other
enterprise under wav. This other raii-
road is a line from Dillon so Helena q
branch of the Union Pacific. Eleven years
aro right of way for such q railroad was
secured. and part of it graded, but a change
took place in the management OF the
Union Pacific and all work was
Suspended. Following this the ofhoers OF
the road made an agreements WITH pur-
chasers of certain securities NOS TO con-
struct any more branche for a stipulated
neriod. This agreement will soon expire,
and then the Union Pacific will be In q po-
sition to entertain the propositions Helena
capitalists are prepared TO make TO sneH'
Though so little has appeared on the
surface in connection with the railroad
from Dillon, a half-dozen prominent men
of this CITY have never failed when the OPP
portunity presented itself of calling the at
tention of Union Pacific officials to the fact
that such a line would be one of the best
having branches in Montana. They have
not only lone this, but they have kept
local interest in the project always alive,
and the Dillon road has received more at
tention from the Helen Board of Trade
than any other local railroad enterprise.
That body has collected exhaustive statlst-
los on the traffic such q line weaia nave:
and there ia no merchant In the city but
stands ready to join in q movement that
looks to the building of the road. They
recognize that it would make tributary TO
Helena one of the richest agricultural and
mining regions in the state; a section that
was first settled, and whose inhabitants are
nearly all well-to-do, and whose trade
wonld add largely to the business of Helena
every year.
According to the survey already made,
and that ia what the Helena people have al
WAYS figured on, the line will be about l4O
miles long, starting at Dillon and following
the Bsaverbead and jefferson val
then down the Missouri 80 Helena.
Another route has been surveyed, which in
stead of going through Jefferson canyon
DIVORCES at its mouth and follows the North
Boulder. coming to Helena via Boulde'
City. 1t will depend largely on the differ
ence in the cost of the two routes which is
selected. A Helena engineer who has estl-
mated the cost says the line from Helena tc
Dillon can be built for $4,000 a mile.
Such q line would tap the promising min
ing districts Of Silver Star, Iron Rod, Wis.
oonsin Greek, RAMS Horn. Mill Creek. anc
Alder Gulch. Many of these mines carry
large per cent of lead, and the Helene
TO this city from those cam ps would be
big thing for them. In addition t.
its rich mineral possibilities thu
section such q road would tap is rich in al
agricultural products. This was proved a
the exhibit made at the Twin Bridges fairs,
q week OF more ago. hon. Sam Word at
tended the fair, and talking yesterday Of
the display made. said it was one tina
would be a credit to any state. In addition
to all sorts of vegetables there were dis
plays of melons. plums, apples and Other
fruits, and he predicts that with a rail- oac
giving them access to the Helena markets
the products of the rich Ruby valley ano
other valleys il would touch would be
peopled in three years.
Helena men realize all these things, anC
the merchants, especially dealers in fruits
and vegetables, nave found there IS more
money in handling Montana fruits anC
melons than those grown in California, fol
the reason that people will pay more fol
the home product and there ls les,
LOST from decay. Next year Custer
county farmers will ship largely to the
Helena market, the trial shipments thii
year having turned out very proftably
But as the county grows the demand foI
such products will increase, and it is fol
this reason that many men who have here
tofore but q slight interest in the Dillor
enterprise are now fully awake to its i'm.
portancs. In addition they know they will
have with such a railroad a good marke
in Madison county for the staple goods
they carry.
The local men interested in the Dillol
road believe they will have the active he'll
of the Madison county people when tn
time is ripe to push the enterprise. Henri
Ellery, of Virginia City, has announce,
that he is ready to contribute $4,000 to
ward the construction of a branch to Vir
ginie City. and there is little doubt blu
others in that section will join in the enter
prise as enthusiastically as Mr.. Ellery.
is proposed to nave all the preliminarie
arranged as far as possible, 80 that whel
the Union Pacific people are ready to nc
on a proposition it will be such shape thH
they can do 30.
Big drive on all kinds Of glassware this wee
at The Lee Hive.
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