The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-11
DELAYED TRAINS.
They Make Life UnbearabIs for People
on the Bitter Root Branch of
the Northern Pncific.


the Northern Pacific.
Missoula Dec 10.-Eye hath not seen
nor ear heard, neither hath it entered
into the heart of man to comprehend
half of the mysteries of running the Bit
ter Root branch of the Northern Pacific
railway. For weeks the lateness Of the
main line trains has compelled the
branch train To wait for several hours
each day To make the connection at
Missoula. This has been easily ex
planned and there was no surprise along
the branch when the people did not get
their mail till late at night. But this
week the main line trains have been ON
time two or three times and the
branch train has been nearly as late as
under the former conditions. The first
day that the main line train was on
time, the Bitter Root train was not
made up for an hour after it's time for
leaving Missoula and the passengers
who went down to the station had to
wait all that time for their train to
leave. To the credit Of the crew of the
branch train, however, be 1T said that
they made a good run that night and
the train reached Hamilton earlier than
it had before for two weeks. but there
WAS no reason why it should not have
been on time, as there was nothing in
the main line train service to make it
late.
The Hamilton people received no
week till Tuesday Of this week. On
the night Of The latter day they re-
Ceiyed four days mail at once This
makes life at the head of the branch
line very interesting. On Wednesday,
the first day that the main line train
was on time, most of the Hamilton mail
was lost somewhere and did not appeal
till the next day. The people up the
valley had no papers and no letters that
night, although the mail train had ar
rived at Missoula on time. Thursday
night they received the letters and pa
pers that should have reached them
the night before. All of this makes it
very unpleasant and inconVenient for
the people doing business up the valley,
and il is no wonder that they find fault
with the existing conditions and wonder
why it is that they are not given better
service. The Bitter Root branch has
always been money maker for the
Northern Pacific and never before TINS
year has the volume of its traffic in all
departments reached the figure that it
has this season. There are thriving
towns up the valley Thriving. not be-
cause of the railroad, but in spite of it.
The people up there cannot understand
why it is that they are not granted
better service and why their mail does
not come to them With greater regu-
larity.
The Bitter Root country is in excel
lent condition this fall. The farmers
have all had crops to ship and are
getting good prices for them. There
have been many mortgages lifted this
fan and many more reduced. Hay and
grain are still being shipped in good
quantities and the lumber shipments
that are being made from the valley
mills are the biggest on record. The
scarcity of cars has affected the bust
ness somewhat, but not as much as in
other parts of the Northwest, where no
at oil haN oh n iDa he
cattlemen are buying up all Of the cattle
that they can get and are paying good
prices for them so that they can feed
the surplus Of hay that they have on
their ranches this fan. Some of the
larger ranchmen have this year decided
not to ship any hay at all, but rather
to feed it all and market the cattle in
the spring. This experiment has been
tried by q few for two or three years
and has proved a success all the time.
The number of cattle that will be fed
in the valley this year is much greater
than at any previous time and this
feeding business promises To become a
profitable factor in the prosperity of the
valley. Most Of the ranehmen have eX-
cellent facilities for this feeding bust
ness and the mild winters of the Bitter
Root make il a desirable place for car
rNing on this venture. George Ward
this week drove up to his ranch in the
upper valley nearly 300 head of calves
that Will be fed all winter and market
ed IN the spring. There are other ranch
men who are doing the same thing and
all Of them will find a good market in
the spring for their beef
The bench land of the Bitter Root
valley is becoming the popular location
for ranches. II Is not so very long since
il was thought that successful farming
could be carried on only in the bottom
! lands but recent experiments have
demonstrated that the biggest crops of
the valley are produced on this Won
derful bench land This has aroused
new interest in the irrigation problem
and there is Il general desire for new
bitches, which will cover this land.
Some Of lit is so fortunately situated
near the mountains that irrigation is
not necessary. but most of the bench
land yields well only when il is prop
erly irrigated. The consideration of
this problem reneWs the interest in the
work of the arid land commission, and
the proposed canal through the east
side of the valley. If the state surren-
ders its deeds 10 the portions of this
land that are so situated that their
ownership hy the state will prevent the
construction Of the proposed canal this
will make il possible for the worh to
proceed. The commissioners are con-
fdent that this plan viii be carried out.
and that il will be possible to present
the canal plan in some explicit form in
thought that the support of the Bitter
Root people will be freely forthcoming.
When the fertile bench land ON the east
side of the valley is once under water
there viii be no limit to the crops that
will he produced. The nrOductiyenesS
of the valley viii be increased many
times and the crops that will be 'aised
on this land Will surpass any thai have
ever been grown on the bottom lands,
This may appear like an eNtraVagant
results OF the cultivation OF this land
wherever il has been attempted. and
there is no doubt but that the same re-
suits may be attained elsewhere. This
viii add much 10 the Importance Of the
valley among the agricultural sections
of The state. and the construction of
this canal viii mark the beginning Of
new era in the history of the valley
Mrs. Winslow's Soothing syrup