The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-29
Done ~ the Rocky Mountain Di-
vision of the Northern Pacific.
1T BEATS THE RECORD
A Goo Train Service to Philipsburg-A
Long List of Accidents at the Iron
Ridge neutrality-suspicious.
in Good Quarters.

present year, the credit will be far and
away ahead of anything hat this part
of the road has shown before, and IL has
The amount of business thai is being
done along this part of the line is inn
mense. The passenger. freight and ex-
press business has also increased, and Is
still growing. The branch lines that
center here have all this year contrib
uted largely to the volume of traffic ON
the main line. and the local business on
the east end, between Missoula and
Garrison, has been far above what has
ever been recorded for the same stretch
Of country before. This has been a fact
all the year, and especially since the
Copper City Limited was put on. This
train, instead of taking from the
through trains any considerable amount
of local business on this division, seems
to have made new business, and IL is
holding its volume Of traffic handsome
ly. on the west end of the division, the
amount of local traffic is much larger
han usual, and the people there are
asking for better local freight facilities.
There is hardly a station on the division
that does not show an increased bust
ness. The showing for the entire divis-
ion is a creditable one, and will make
this one of the most important sections
of the system.
The Philipsburg people are now enjoy
ing an excellent train service and the
Granite county business of the road is
well taken care of. The
is practically a return To the old branch
service that prevailed on the Drummond
a. P~hilipsburg line in the days when the
mountain was in all of its glory. The
branch train is now an Independent ran
IL leaves Philipsburg at s O'Clock in the
morning and arrives at Drummond at
$3.50. making connection there with the
eastbound Copper City Limited, No. o.
Returning. the train leaves Drummond
at | o'clock and arrives at Ph%ilipsburg
at 3. This is a satisfactory arrange
ment all around. and the Granite county
people are well pleased. 1t also enables
the railway company to and the bust
ness of that branch i'm a much more sat
isfactory manner. The string of COM
plants that has been coming down from
the Burg since spring has suddenly
broken off and from all appearances
there is no further kick coming.
The Iron Ridge tunnel has attracted
more than its share of attention this
month, and has caused the track depart
ment no end of trouble. This little tun-
mel has been an unsatisfactory place for
"a long time. The list of accidents that
has been redited to Ii Is "A long one. 1t
is the intention of the to
replace the present timber lining of the
tunnel with "A solid masonry lining, SINH
lar To the one that was put into the
Mullan tunnel a short time ago. This
will prevent a recurrence of the almost
continuous line of accidents that have
taken place there. Since the Mullan tun-
mel was completed. there has been no
trouble at all there.
The dispatchers of the Rocky Noun
tain division are now in comfortable
and well arranged quarters. For the
first time. they have rooms that are con-
venient and they are happy. The old
sweatboX that they formerly occupied
has been transformed by the carpenters
into excellent rooms. The dispatcheTs
are now secluded and have more room
than before. The chief dispatcher has
a good office and the operators are IN
the front of the room where they can
more conveniently attend 10 their busi-
ness. The register desk for the train
men has been placed near the desks of
the operators, and near the entrance to
the room. The arrangement of wires ~
done in "A model manner, and reflects
credit upon the lineman. The compile
ton of this part of the remodeling of the
station building nearly winds up the
work of the builders and makes a much
better building than was expected by
those who were familiar with the struc-
ture in its former condition. New paint
and putty have wrought wonders with
the exterior and the change of parti-
tions that has been made in the inside
has made a new building of IL.
Supervisor Weed has within the past
few days been called upon To answer
]
bridge over the BlackfOot. He is hav-
ing this bridge painted, and the color
that is being put on is a regular Fourth
of July red. Those who have seen il
have been alarmed concerning the san
ity of the man who selected such "A
color, and ave feared that ii would
stop all trains as soon as the entire
bridge Is covered with IL. 1t certainly
is the brightest, most brilliant and
most dazzling thing in red that has ever
been seen here, and this town has see5
considerable red paint in it's day. But
the alarm that has been felt is needless. /
The red that is being spread over the
bridge Is only the first coat. and will
he covered before long with a more sub
due hue. 1t may be that the trains will
be delayed for a while 10y the hriIliancy
Of the first coat, but il Will not be for
long. as it is the intention of Mr.. Weed
10 get IL covered as soon as possible.
This, not only for the good Of the road,
but for his own peace Of min
The tie business is keeping those Con-
neCted with il busy these days. The
10000 that have been loaded at Lou Lou
are being closely followed up by thou
sands Of others. and as fast as ears can
be furnished. the ties are being hurried
10 the track department. All along the
line, especially west Of here. there ale
piles Of ties waiting TO be inspected and
loaded and Inspector White and his as
sistant, MIR. Searles. are on the jump
all Of the time. The experiment of float
ing ties across tho Flathead lake and
then down the river is said 10 be any
Trims but a success. IL is not likely that
il will be tried again.
The track department. despite the