The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-04-01
RAILROAD AND FREIGHT
Biz Increase Of Traffic Along ths
Northern Pacific.
LUMBER AND POTATOES
Annual Weighing of Mail Begins
To-Morrow-Flats In Demand
Recedes From Their Eco
nomIoaI Position.

the Northern Pacific Express company |
and the changes which this now freak Will |
involve have furnished an abundant !
theme for discussion among business men !
who will be directly affected by the !
change. Fortunately, the express COM |
pany receded somewhat from It's original
position and yesterday, upon Superin- |
tendent Halls representation of the con-
ditions here, consented to allow the de-
livery system to remain in force IN Mis-
soula. This concession is favorably re-
cciyed by local patrons of the company, |
as it will prove of great convenience to |
them and. moro than that, will retain In
Missoufa Gus Nelson, the veteran express
messenger, who has made the delivery of
packaaes ever since the first train came
into MissouIa over the Northern Pacific.
He has been as faithful servant as any
company ever had. In the decade that
has elapsed since that time he has never
missed day and, rain or SHINE, has al
ways been at his post. One train he
mssed-through the error of a train dis
patcher-but that is all and IT is no won
der that the thought of his removal caused
CONSERVATION and dismay among BUSH
ness men whom he has served so ELL
ciently for so many years. l.. ID. Ludlum,
who has been agent for the company
here, will still handle the business at the
depot, where additional storage room has
been provided.
II has been an unusually busy week
among railroad men and the amount OF
business that has been done has been
great. The starting of the sawmills at
Hamilton and Bonner has added mater
tally to the freight traffic and has caused
a scurrying for fiat cars, while the loading
of ties, which Is going on at Clark's Fork
at the rate of 20 to 90 cars day, has Gre
ated big demand for cars at that point.
The ties this year are nearly all being sent
west TO the Idaho division. few Will be
brought this way later. The tie loading is
now about half completed.
There have been some heavy shipments
of stock from the western division during
the week and one train OF 16 cars reached
Hope to-day and will pass through here
tomorrow forenoon. This week there
will be some live stock shipments from
the Bitter Root valley, L. III. Brewster,
prominent cattle man from WIbaux, hav-
ing made some extensive purchases in the
neighborhood of Stevensville. 1t is said
that there will be other cattle sales made
in the valley this spring and that consid-
cradle stock will be sent out of the valley
before June.
Refrigerator and beer cars are in big
demand just now for the shipments of po-
tatoes that are being made from this Sec
ton to the Mississippi valley. a solid
train load of spuds will be sent from the
Bitter Root valley as soon as the cars can
be collected. 1t is the intention OF the
purchaser of these potatoes to have the
lot GO through to Minneapolis, properly
placarded. This will be the biggest adj
yertiscment that the agricultural interests
of the valley ever had. Orders have been
placed for 100 refrigerator cars for the
Idaho division, also for potatoes and IT
begins to look as if the Northwest would
supply the potato market of the eastern
states this spring. We have the potatoes
if they have the appetite-and the price.
Tho shipments of silks and oriental
goods continue to be heavy and indicate
that the Northern Paciflc's steamship line
is doing a good business with China and
Japan. DIR. j. j. Buckley, who recently
returned from Portland. told n STANDARD
reporter yesterday that the volume OF
business between Tacoma and Portland
and Asiatic points is many times greater
this year than il has ever been before and
every vessel that has sailed this spring
has been obliged to leave behind consider
able freight, the quantity offered being
greater than can be carried.
business on the Occur d'Alcne branch
is getting better all the while. Last
nights train from Wallace brought in Is
cars of ore and concentrates and to-mor-
rows will have 10. The mills along tn S
branch are making heavier lumber ship.
ments than for some time and every
train that comes in from the Snake is a
heavy one. The outgoing freight traffic
over this line has increased considerably
this spring and local merchants are max
ing large shipments of merchandise 10
Wallace and intermediate points. As tho
price of silver advances the Occur d'AlenC
mines are extending their operations and
there are indications of n general revival
of business on the branch.
Work on the roadbed is beginning in
earnest and two.work trains have beer
sent out during the week, one on the
Snake branch and the other on the West
End. They are now loading rock and tn,
damage done to the track 10y the flood,
last year will, il is expected, be thorough,
renaired this season. The work was no
completed on the branch last fall but The
early beginning of work this season iudi
Gates that the track will be in iirst-clas,
shane before snow illes again.
The rumors of a local train over tn,
main line, 10 run as far east as Billings
have been revived again but there seems
TO be no foundation for them, as the raj
road people say they know nothing abou
such a plan. some of the reports hay
the train running from Tacoma to 81
Iincs and others start it from this point
Tho through trains are able TO handle IA
business of the road at present and, un
less there is a decided increase IN traffic
is not likely that there will be loca
tram put on.
The Burlington line from Billings, ac
cording to the reports OF travellers an
railroad men Is getting big share Of Oh
business which the Northern paciii