The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-26
GALLATIN VALLEY ROAD
Spokane and Bozeman Money
Back of the Enterprise.
TRAVERSE A RICH FIELD
1t VIII Be a Hundred Miles Long and
Work VIII Begin This Fall-To Tap
the National Park at the
Petriied Forest.

The people OF Montana are going to
have another railroad before a great
many months. 1t will probably leave
Bozeman or some point not far from
that city and proceed up the canyo
TO the Yellowstone park. The road will
be about 100 miles long and its terminus
will be in the petrihed forests On the
borders of the park. Surveyors are now
at work and IL cold weather does not
prevent 1t work will be done this fall
on the right-of-way. At any rate work
will begin early In the spring. and the
road pushed rapidly to completion. The
promoters of the enterprise are Senator
George and Col. w. w. d. Turner of
Spokane and Frank Hall of Bozeman
and the money to build the Yellowstone
Park railroad will be furnished by these
men, each of whom owns a third of the
stock. The railroad will tap one of the
richest coal mining districts in the
west, and will have other sources of
traffic. 1t is believed hat the lodges
of asbestos known to exist on the line
of the proposed road can be worked
profitably with the transportation ia
~cilities about 10 be provided. Colonel
Turner gives some interesting facts
in regard to the enterprise, and the
Spokesman-Review quotes the gentle
man:
This is not a new company" said
the colonel. we Incorporated last fall
as the Gallatin Railway be-
our proposed line would be in Gallatin
county. Montana. Later surveys
showed that part OF the line would be
in Park county, and so We thought IL
best to change the name OF the com
pany, which accounts for the articles OF
incorporation being filed again with the
auditor.
We already have 10 miles OF road
about completed. This is a short line
connecting with the Northern Pacific
at Chestnut, east of BoZeman. and run
ming 10 miles into Park county TO some
well developed o mines. The mines
have been shipping probably for many
years, the coal being hauled by wagons
and sleighs to the railroad. We expect
to begin making money on this venture
this fall. for as soon as we have this
10 miles ready for business we shall
have not less than 400 tons Of coal per
day to haul. The coal il Of superior
quality.
1T has not yet beer determined
where we shall leave the Northern Pa
cific with our main line. We may start
from Bozeman and parallel the North
ern Pacific tracks for a distance before
turning south, or we may start from
Manhattan, west of BoZeman, where
the Altenbrand elevators are. This is
a matter which will soon be decided.
The biggest business which this
company is after is the hauling Of bar
ley. The road will wind around among
the famous barley fields of the Gallatin
valley n enable the rme TO get
their grain to market much more prof
itably than they have ever been able
to do II In the past. The barley raised
IN tha4 "a l. ,rA-1I -. -
is said to be u~nequaled in quality. AL
most every bushel of 1t finds its way
to European markets. Henry Alien
brand of New York comes into this dis
trict every rear and contracts for the
entire yield, which is no small AMOUNT.
He has great elevators at Manhattan,
on the Northern Pacific, in GaIlatin
county. Under present conditions the
farmer can not get to market with his
grain except in winter when the roads
are frozen solid and the snow makes
travelling easy.
After traversing the barley belt the
road enters a canyon and proceeds up
It all the way to the Yellowstone Ma
tional park. The grade is not over Q
per cent. In his canyon are great
coal beds, and the has Sc
cured some of them. Tee hills are
also famous for mineral. principally
gold and copper, but the district is
now inaccessible n but little atten-
ton has been paid TO mining. 1t is also
known that great lodges of asbestos OF
excellent grade are to be found in that
region.
THE road will be about 100 miles
long. and it's terminus will be i'm the
petrified forest on the border OF the
national park. We can not enter the
park, but we can carry passengers
close to its borders. We EXPECT TO get
considerable passenger business on
that line, as we calculate that. with
two lines connecting the main line of
the Northern Pacific with the park.
passengers will choose to enter on one
and come out on the other.
1T is not likely that we can get much
done on the long main line Of our road
this fall. though it depends upon the
weather"