The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-06
Will SURELY Be BUILT
Work on the Clearwater Short
Line to Be Pushed.
GREAT NORTHERN'S LINE
A Feasible Route West From Anaconda,
The Northern Pacific Is Making
a Big Record for
Business.

news regarding the announced poncy VI
the Great Northern as to the cutoff
route that the Northern Pacific has In
contemplation has aroused renewed In
terest here in this matter, and most or
the talk tina is heard in railway circles
lately has been upon this topic. The
general impression seems TO be here
that the cutoff over the Clearwater
| route To the Columbia by way OF the
Lou Lou pass will certainly be con-
structed. The Northern Pacific will un-
doubtedly make some arrangement
| with the Union Pacific regarding the
! country hi lies west of Lewiston and
i'm this way will be enabled to con-
struct the line and tap this rich country.
The Great Northern's proposed cutoff
by way of the upper Bitter Root valley
from Anaconda Is considered as feast
BILE and there are many who believe
| that this Is the easiest route over the
! Bitter Root range. When the plans OF
the Northern Pacific were first an
nounced. there were many who at that
time stated that IL would be easier FOR
that road to cross through the Lost
Horse pass. Whatever the route select
ed. the impression locally Is that the
contest hat seems inevitable between
the Northern Pacific and Great North
fIh ~ i'eath - sR 80
Of the new line. One man who is In a
position to be well informed I'm this mat
ter said the other day to n Standard
reporter:
You nay depend upon IL that the
road west from Missoula will surely be
built soon. All of the signs point to its
/ speedy construction and i am certain
hat you see II far along within a year.
At first IL looked as IL the construction
might be delayed for a year or two, but
I think that recent events will have a
tendency to hasten its completion"
The amount of business that the
Northern Pacific Is handling at present
Is in line with the work of the road all
summer. IL Is a continuation of the
big record that was made during the
height OF the Klondike rush and Is
keeping the motive power of this part of
the road at work all the time to Its full
limit. The shipments from the coast
have been unusually heavy his fall and
the local business Of the Rocky noun
tain division has been greater than ever
before In it's history. This division Is
rapidly coming to the front as "A business
maker and can no longer be considered
as a mere connecting line the
! eastern and western divisions OF the
road. The policy OF the present adj
ministration has resulted In "A complete
change in the treatment of this part OF
the road and the service that Is being
4 given here at present Is very satisfac-
tory. The Copper City Limited is
completing it's first seasons business
and shows a steadily increasing patron
age. The express business that was done
by the road in handling the fruit and
other summer shipments was large and
the passenger traffic was larger than
was expected. What seems most strange
about this is the fact that the passen-
ger business has been growing heavier
this fall instead OF falling of, as was
expected when the summer travel to the
Bitter Root had ended. Each day the
train Is well loaded n the coaches OF
the copper and green train are still well
filled. Another interesting fact in this
connection Is that the reports show that
this is nearly all new business. The
traffic OF the through trains has shown
no decrease since this local was put on
and the Copper City has been well laden
all summer and fall.
The people of the west end are still
clamoring for some better local freight
service. They think that they should
have at least a local train three times a
week. Their claim Is hat their local
shipments are sufficiently large TO jus
tify a better service and they say that
II they had such "A service they would
be able to do more business. AZ It is,
they cannot tell when they will he able
To send or receive anything that they
want by freight. and they are naturally
dissatisfied. Tn new service on the
Occur d'Alene branch Is evidence OF
what good service will do for the road.
Since the improved service was put on
the Snake branch there has been a
marked improvement in the amount Of
business that Is lone on the branC and
IL is still growing.
The snowfall on the Idaho divide has
not yet been serious enough to inter
fere in any way with traffic. There Is
now a depth of about 10 feet on the
summit and the rotary IL required "a
make frequent trips over the hill from
Saltese. but the daily service Of the
snow gang has not yet been inaugu-
rated. The snow has fallen evenly thus
far and there has been but little drift
ing. The new boarding house at Sal
tese has been opened n the men who
are quartered there appreciate the new
place very much. The winter popula'
ton OF the railway force at Saltese dur
ing the winter Is large and the mer
ave never before had "A place that al
forded them proper accommodation
The new boarding house Is roomy anc
convenient and the men will enjoy D
fully before winter ends.
The building department Is still busy
The new coal docks at this place an'
at Garrison are employing quite a forc'
and the bridge repairs and changes tina
are being mad are keeping the car
penters busy. IL Is reported that tn
work OF this department next season
will be the largest that has been don
in any one year since the road was con
structed.
Larger and Better.
Missoula. Dec. 5.-western Montana
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