The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-07

rect line of it's own eastward from
Butte.
Back in 1879. Sidney Dillon proposed
to extend the Utah and Northern road
well into Montana il the legislature
would vote certain exemptions from
taxation. These were not voted: the
Northern Pacific was then pushing
across Dakota, and the fact that it
was sure to extend into Montana be-
fore long was felt by the Montana leg
islature to be all the inducement Mr..
Dillon's road needed: That proved to
be the right view-Mr. Dillon built un-
til his road reached Silver Bow Mean
while, the Northern Pacific was
stretching across Montana. The road,
after advancing westward from Boze-
man, ought to have made direct for
Butte over one of two or three pro-
posed routes. Instead. as the result of
what the public has always recognized
az the outright dishonesty of men in
the roads engineering department. the
line was turned away from Butte, to
the city of Helena. and then across the
main range of the Rockies at one of
the worst possible points, through the
mile-long Mulian tunnel and among al
most inaccessible peaks.
Paying the Penalty.
When it reached Garrison. after
crossing the main range, the Northern
Pacific found itself at it's nearest ap-
proach to Butte. 1t was proposed to
u hran mol lira aln ho I al.
valley, but the result of long dicker
was an agreement for the joint owner
ship with the Union Pacific. of the
Montana Union, then narrow gauge,
this to be the Northern Pacific's con-
nection with Butte. For this blunder-
ing and dishonest policy the Northern
Pacific paid heavy penalties. The
Union Pacific was practically Butte's
only railroad. A few years later,
crossing the Northern Pacific at
right angle, at Helena, the Great
Northern's Montana Central division
reached Butte. Still later, the North
ern Pacific found itself forced to start
a little west of Bozeman and build into
Butte over one of the routes that ought
originally to have been preferred.
But even then the original mistake
was only half made good; the Northern
Pacific could arrive in Butte from the
east all right. but once in Butte it was
80 odd miles from its own line west
bound-it was obliged to run it's trains
over the Montana Union from Butte to
Garrison. After all these years and
after all it's experiences in bankruptcy,
the Northern Pacific, as recited in this
mornings news, completes. by its pur-
chase. the repair of the costly rascality
of Is years ago-the famous golden
spike was driven at a point a little
west of Garrison, Sept. s, 1888.
Butte and Anaconda the Gamers.
Owning the Montana Union, the
Northern Pacific now has its own con-
tinuous route from Bozeman to Butte
and thence westward via Garrison.
This is a consummation of highest i'm
portance to Butte and to Anaconda. 1t
means that henceforth the route via
Butte will be the main through route
for the Northern Pacific railroad. That
always was the natural route. 1t is
the route which, had honesty con-
trolled, would have been the original
route. 1t is the route that brings the
main line of the road to the points
where traffic is. A very small amount
of work on a few miles of the Montana
Union, will bring the Northern Pacific's
main line from Butte direct to the city
of Anaconda and thence westward.
There is no shadow of doubt that the
early future will see this change
wrought. For an average construc-
tion party, il will not mean thirty days
of work as far as the line through the
Deer Lodge valley is concerned. to
bring all the through Northern Pacific
trains. via Butte. to the passenger sta
tion in Anaconda. thus abandoning the
spur from Stuart to this city.
A Railroads Ups and Downs.
When 1t was built, In the early
eighties. the Montana Union was
narrow gauge road that sought the
cheapest route through the Silver Bow
canyon and then took the easy grade of
the Deer Lodge valley to Garrison.
When the city of Anaconda was start
ed a nine -mile-long spur was built TO
this place and very large contribu-
tion TO the roads business was fur
nished. The road was widened to
standard gauge and money was spent
in giving it better route through the
canyon. Anacondas traffic increased
beyond the most sanguine expectation.
The Montana Union was as busy road
as there was I'm the country. IL did
not keep up with the procession. 1t
was an exemplar of bad management:
superintendents came and went in pro-
cession. IL lacked cars for the freight
the supplies of ore and coal and wood
required for the smelters in Anaconda
Its physical condition became abomin-
able. its ore ears and engines cultivat-
ed the habit of leaving the track and