The Anaconda standard., 1895-06-10
The Cltaract Road.

This morning committee OF MEM
bers of the Butte chamber of commerce
will start for Basin and Wickes TO.
investigate the advantages which, IL
is reported. will accrue to Butte from
the building of the proposed Cataract
read. The mining section which this
road. If constructed, would reach. is at
present tributary to Wickes and there
fore indirectly to Helena by means of
difficult road over the mountains
The claim is made that a road of easy
grade can be constructed from these
mines to Basin, that the distance TO
Basin by the proposed road is only
seven miles. and that all this section,
which is bound to become n most i'm
portant mining territory, will. by the
building of the road. inevitably be-
come tributary to Basin and indirectly
to Butte. instead of to Wickes and
Helena. The Butte chamber of COM
merce has been appealed to for aid in
the furtherance of the project.
The committee which will leave
Butte this morning Includes some Of
Butte's best business men. They have
been appointed for the purpose of as
certaining the truth of the representa-
tions made regarding the Cataract
country. and the probable advantage
that will come to Butte merchants from
the construction of the proposed road.
Probably two days will be spent by
the committee at this investigation,
and the gentlemen will probably be
ready on their return to make an ex-
tended report to the chamber OF COM
merce as to the feasibility of building
the road and the desirability of Butte's
business men interesting themselves
in the matter.
In very few. If. indeed, in any cities
Of the West have the people as a whole
been so neglectful of their own inter
ests as have the people of Butte. While
other cities have been jealous and
even selfish of their own prosperity.
the tendency I'm Butte has uniformly
been to think little of enhancing the
advantages which are naturally hers.
| Possessed of resources that appear
| boundless. the city has as a general
thing been satisfied to rest content,
| and comparatively little has been done
to add TO the prosperity which comes
to Butte by virtue of natures endow-
ment. Great as is Butte. wonderful
as has been her growth. a growth with
| which no other city in this section can
| compare. Butte might be far greater
and her growth might have been far
more wonderful had her citizens seized
| every opportunity to advance her in
| terests. as have the people Of other
cities. 1t is Butte's fault If the city
is not so great as 1t might be.
The neglect OF the past can be reme-
died to partial extent by radical
change of policy in the future, and that
change the Butte chamber of COM
merce is endeavoring to inaugurate.
| The members Of the chamber of com
merce rightfully propose to watch
! closely Buttes own interests in the
future. and to let no opportunity pass
hereafter that will accrue to the city's
advantage. They think the city has
been generous enough to other cities
and should now consider its own in
terests. The Cataract road is one oi
the enterprises which Butte's business
men have in mind. and If the report o
the committee is favorable II is GER
tainly to be hoped that every loyal citi
I zen will put his shoulder to the whee
and help along this, as well as ever,
other enterprise which may promis
10 be OF benefit.