Great Falls weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1894-1???, 1894-11-30
A NEW RAILWAY PROPOSITION
The Province Of Alberta, Canada, De-
sires Railway Connection with
the Great Northern.
Address to President Hill, the Mayor
of Great Falls, and Other
Montana Cities.

The TRIBUNE has been handed an
address, signed by the mayor Of Calgary
province of Alberta, Canada, addressed
to President j. j. Hill of the Great
Northern, the mayors Of the cities Of
Great Falls, Benton, Pacific Junction,
Anaconda, Butte and Helena, and the
citizens Of Montana, with a request from
a leading citizen of Great Falls that it
be published. The object of the address
is to stir up public sentiment in favor Of
securing a railroad connection between
Pacific junction on the Great Northern
and the boundary line, where it is proposed
to connect with a projected Canadian
line, known as the Rocky Mountain and
Alberta Southern railway. The address
which explains itself is as follows:
GENTLEMEN: l beg to call your atten-
ton and that of all others interested in
the great mining and smelling district
of Montana to the immense advantage
that must necessarily result to you all
as we'll as to the promoters OF these new
railway schemes to have the province of
Alberta connected with the American
railway system Of the northwestern
states.
From the Canadian standpoint it
would not be wise to attempt to advise
the people of Montana as to how far
they should take an interest in making
the proposed connection by the way Of
constructing a line from Pacific juno
ton northward to meet the Alberta
Southern ut the international boundary
line. l would, however, point out some
OF the characteristics, position and re-
sources of the province, and that through
Alberta is to be found the most direct
and cheapest route from the leading
centers Of wealth aud population in the
United States to Alaska.
The provisional province of Alberta
has an area of over 100000 square miles
in extent. and in some parts limitless
quantities of rich silver, copper, iron,
lead, ETC., exist. But probably the par.
ticular feature of Alberta which will
most directly interest the mining dis
tricts of Montana is it's vast coal fields.
Anthracite coal with a very high per-
centage of carbon exists without limit;
also coal that will produce as large a per-
centage of coke as any in America is
found in large seams in many places.
while strong bituminous domestic and
steam coal in beds of wonderful thick
ness is found in scores of places iE the
banks OF rivers and creeks. At the
starting point of the Rocky Mountain
railway, in the mountains, the project
ors Of that line W such deposits Of an
thracite coal as are nowhere eXcelled in
the United States; while the other Goals
described are located at many points on
railways nov being operated az we'll as
on the proposed lines. A glance at the
map will show that these Goals are nearer
by many hundreds, if not thousands OF
miles, to the Montana smelters than any
other Of the same quality and quantity
that ever can be reached by Montana
consumers
The lands of Alberta are very fertile,
we'll adapted for cultivation, dairying
and stock raising. The climate is tenn
perate and snow fall light. 1t is watered
through it's whole length and breadth by
numerous large rivers Of the purest
water, which, when settled by a thrifty
people and connected by railway with
your railway system, would be tributary
to the large cities of Montana.
The dominion parliament, at its last
session, incorporated the Alberta South
ern railway, which is intended to run
from the city of Calgary, on the Cana
dian Pacific railway, in Il southeasterly
direction, to the international boundary,
about due north OF the Pacific Junction,
on the Great Northern railway; and also
Incorporated the Rocky Mountain rail
way and Coal company to run from Cal
gary in a northwesterly direction to the
anthracite coal bede. The latter COM
pany has also received from the said par.
lament a land subsidy of G,40O acres per
mile, while the promoters OF the Alberta
Southern railway have every reason to
believe that they will also receive a sim
liar subsidy for their road.
The object l have in view by this COM
m%unicatiOn is to induce you to take such
active measures az will ensure railway
connection from Pacific junction or the
Great Northern railway to the interna-
tional boundary, there to connect with
the proposed Alberta Southern railway,
l shall be pleased to communicate with
any gentleman who may desire any fur
ther information on the subjects herein
described.
l remain, Yours very truly,
WESLEY +. ORR,
Mayor OF Calgary.