The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-28
TALK OF RAILROAD MEN
They Expect a Great Klondyke
Business in the Spring.
CHICAGO TO PORTLAND
A Through vestibuled Train May Be
Put On-Oregon Short Line Hasn't
Renewed Its Lease With the
Western Union.

The announcement that the Postal
Telegraph company is to extend its
line into Montana may be considered
an explanation of the fact that the Or
egon Short Line has not yet renewed
its contract with the Western Union,
and is said to be holding off on the
matter. The Short Line is operating
on an old contract with the Western
Union. The railroad, however, owns
the greater part of the telegraph sys-
TEN on its line and the belief is gain
ing ground that the road contemplates
entering into an arrangement with the
Postal, which would not have to do
any extensive building to make a con-
nection with the Short Lines telegraph.
AT present the Postal runs from Los
Angeles north to Puget Sound, and east
over the Canadian Pacific. 1t gets into
Butte, Helena and Anaconda over the
lines of the Rocky Mountain Telegraph
company. The Postal is also operated
from the East into Colorado as far
west as Aspen and Leadville. 1t is sur
missed that it contemplates extending
its line from Aspen over the same
general route as the one adopted by
the Denver & Rio Grande. and Rio
Grande Western roads, and come north
along the Short Line.
According to the statement of s. w.
Short Line, the Eastern roads are pre-
pairing for an immense travel to the
klondyke this spring, says the Salt
Lake Herald. Mr.. Eceles says there is
nothing else talked of in the East: that
the papers are full of 1t ana that rail-
road advertising is replete with the de-
scriptions of the place, written with d
view to getting plenty of people To try
their hands at washing gold from the
interior of Alaska.
In connection with the statement of
the general traffic manager comes the
Information that preparations are now
being made for handling all this traf-
fic.
AT this moment the Chicago az North
western. the Union Pacific, the Oregon
Short Line and the Oregon hallway *
Navigation company are discussing the
advisability of putting on a through
yestibuled train which will make the
Journey from Chicago to Portland.
The matter was preached some time
ago, and during the visit of c. A.
Cairns, the assistant general passen-
ger and ticket agent of the line, the
matter was discussed by him and Or
egon Short Line officials. When he
reached Omaha he took the matter up
with MIR. Lomax and from what can be
learned it was decided that during the
rush which will begin shortly after the
first of the year. this train would be q
paying experiment.
If this service is inaugurated II will
be the saving of about "a hours on the
trip. as compared with time made on
other lines. The connection will he
made at Granger with Shirt fine train
No /, which reaches Green River at
r:55 a. m, and which arrives at Poca-
teilo at 3 y. m.
The Herald is informed that in all
probability the matter will be arranged.
It's informant stated that he was cog
infant of the preparing of advertising
matter for this train. That each line
was preparing to make a specially of
placing the advantages OF the through
service before the public and IL would
be winner from the start. That when
the travelling public notes that serv
ice liz to be obtained which will take
people from Chicago clear through to
Portland without a change of cars, that
line will get all the business.
The fact Of rival roads putting on
similar trains will cut no figure, so il
is said. with this arrangement. as the
shorter time will be the attraction. II
is stated that If necessary TO avoid
competition this new train will be given
a faster schedule than is now contem-
plated in order to make better time
than is possible by other lines.
Small as has been the work Of the
past four or five years, the 10 years fol-
lowing the boom year 1887 have
nevertheless added over 81. 200 miles to
the railway mileage of the country, an
average of $3.50 a year. Looking back
by decades. il is interesting to see the
rate at which railway building has gone
on, through good times and bad.
through peace and war as the follow
ing figures indicate.
Average
Yearly
Miles. Increase.
Mileage at end of 1897 1S4. 464