The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-04-15
No Accidents on the Northern Pacific
Rocky MOun'a Division.
PREPARING FOR SUMMER
Tie Loading Finished-The Price of
Engines-Snow Plows RELOCATED
For the Summer-Unprofit
Move of the Express Office.


ment. The nearest approach to blot
on the reputation of this division occurred
this morning when the west bound ex-
press, entering the Helena yards, collided
Z with a switch engine, which delayed the
train for an hour. The accident occurred
within few yards of the Rocky Mountain
division line, but was just far enough
east to bring IL upon the Montana
division, so the weeks record is clean
one. Freight and passenger business
continue good and the crews are all busy
handling the traffic as it presents itself.
The road has been injured less this spring
than ut any previous season for several
years and the trackmen are happy. The
weather has been just what they would
have asked for IL they could have had the
making OF it. The snow has gone off
slowly enough to avoid all danger from
freshets and there has not been enough of
IL to cause any slides, so the roadmasters'
departments have had comparatively
easy time. But they deserve lay-off
this year. They had enough to do last
summer to last for four seasons.
Last week ended the loading of ties at
Clark's Fork and the crew that has been
engaged there for several weeks has been
laid of and the machinery with which the
year. The suspension of the tie ship
ments has restored a big lot of emptylbox
cars to the operating department and
these are being sent away as fast as there
il any demand for them. At present there
are scores of them stored on sidings along
the West End, but another week will find
them all in service again. Nearly all the
ties that were loaded this year were sent
to the western divisions and but few came
this way.
The roadmasters and the bridgemen are
active now, getting the line into good
shape for the summer rush of business.
Roadmaster Burdette has another work
train and crew engaged in rip-rapping
along the ST. Regis and the Snake line will
be in good condition again before the sea-
son is over. j. A. Weed, superintendent of
bridges and buildings, made an official
trip over the Marysville branch Thursday
and his men are at work all along the di-
vision making repairs wherever they are
necessary. Roadmaster Hartman on the
west end is working big gang of men
along the weak points in his district and
has one work train engaged. On the east
end only the ordinary work is being done
at present.
Just how little the average man knows
a
conversation in which a group of men en-
gagged the other day in downtown store.
They were talking about the cost of an or
binary standard engine and each one of
the six men had a different opinion. One
of them thought that 1000 would buy a
good engine and the other guesses ranged
all the way from that figure to 500 900.
The man who guessed 5000 was a proud
fellow when the actual figures were
learned from q railroad man who was
hunted up and asked for information.
The rotary snow plows have been called
In for the summer and engine Gag. which
has been stationed at Hope all winter
with the big wedge pillow, is now on the
way to the shops to be relieved of the
snow bucking machine which has been at
tached to her for several months. The
snow fighting machines are all in much
better shape this spring than they were a
year ago when they were strained and
battered after one of the hardest cam
paigns that they have ever been through
on this division. Their work during the
season just closed has been much lighter
and the necessary repairs will be insig-
nificant.
1t does not look as If the express COM
pany would gain much by the removal of
its offic to the depot from its former con-
venient quarters down town. The only
patronage the company now receives is
what cannot 60 elsewhere. Its freight
business, except in case of small pack
ages, remains about the same, but there
has been a big falling off in the amount
of the money order business. The report
of the agent for the week shows that only
IL money orders were issued during the
week. While the Office was down town
the average was more than that each day,
and not infrequently 40 orders were issued
in o single day. The general public does
not approve OF the change and does not
propose to make IL a profitable one IL ii
can be avoided. Thero is some little con-
ISOLATION in the fact that Gus Nelson still
makes the delivery of parcels. Without
him the city would be in sad straits.
Tho stock shipments that have helped
TO make business good for a month have
continued during the past week and sew
eral have passed through here for the
eastern market. The last trainload of
Con Kohrs' Bitter Root shipment went
through hero Tuesday afternoon and
there have been others from the west
The lumber business has got into full
swing once moro and there has been a
rush OF Hat cars up the Bitter Root branch
and out on the Snake for a week. The
returning trains have brought down loads
OF lumber that have gone on to Butte and
Anaconda. All these things help to make
business good and contribute TO the inn
portancc of the Rocky nsuntain, division.
There have been positive assurances
during the week that the new depot will
be built. The original plans are now
being modified as to the interior arrange
ment. SO as TO make it more satisfactory
to those who will occupy the new building.
II is stated. also, that the specifications
viii be ready in few days for the con-