The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-30
BUTTE News.
AMONG RAILROAD men
Another Change in the Northern
Pacific Service.
CARS WITH BLIND ENDS
"A New Plan Put in Execution by the Or
egon Short Line - Work on the
Provo Canyon Extension OF
the Rio Grande Western.

The change in the through train SER
citic few days ago will go into effect
to-day, but further change in the
local service is contemplated. Under
the change announced a few days ago,
by which through trains Nos l and
will run by Butte and Nos. and by
Helena, and swing train is to run be-
tween Logan and Garrison by the way
of Butte, it was not intended that any
train should run into Anaconda. A new
plan is now under consideration which
provides for running one stub be-
tween Logan and Anaconda and an
other between Butte and Garrison but
no decision has yet been reached on it.
1t is said that the change in running
the through trains was made for the
benefit of the Burlington sleeper from
st. Louis.
An interesting bit of work is now
going on in the local car shops of the
Oregon Short Line, says the Salt Lake
Tribune. All the baggage and mail
cars are being put through and when
they emerge they are minus hoods and
platforms. The hood is that part of
the sloping roof extending over the
platforms. Hereafter all cars with
blind ends will have no platform or
hood. The 50-foot cars are being es-
pecially arranged for the swell trains
on the northern division and some
of them will be put in service with the
Chicago Portland special until the new
blind cars for that run are completed.
The innovation will greatly add to the
beauty of train. and in connection
with the full wide vestibuled cars of the
new train will give those trains an ap-
pearance of solidity from the engine
to the rear.
The improvement to the ordinary car
will be great, as it reduces the length
and weight of the car and does away
with a space which has never been of
use except for Indians to ride upon.
s And speaking of Indians riding free
on the blind baggage, that custom has
q been done away with to a great eX-
tent notably on the Pacific roads,
which are no longer wards of Uncle
Sam.
The Southern Pacific which was anx
ious that Western lines should meet
the competition of the Great Northern
and Northern Pacific, and reduce sec
ond class rates from the Missouri river
to California points, has now taken a
e position which causes it's connections
to wish they had not done so. 1t is
probable, too that the low rates will
be taken out. The Southern Pacific has
= informed its connections that it would
rate traffic just what it would receive
if no reductions had been made. The
fare from the Missouri river is but
6 $32 so, and of this the Southern Pacific
wants $1S.40 for the haul from Ogden.
The DenverO Ogden lines get $3.50. leav-
81 ing the roads between the river and
Denver just $500. This is considered
altogether too little and several of the
lines, it is claimed, are about ready
to go out of the business.
Within two weeks time Chief Engi-
-neer Yard announces tracklaying will
commence on the Provo canyon extern
sion of the Rio Grande Western, pro-
viding no further trouble is encounter
ed from the weather standpoint, says
the Salt Lake Herald. The first rails
to be laid will be on II street, beginning
where the company left off last year.
During the past few days the contract
ors have had some trouble, owing to the
muddy condition of the proposed road
bed, and while work, under the pre-
vailing conditions, has been quite diff
ficult, it has not been materially retard-
ed. The first gang, under Deal Bros.
& Mendenhall, is keeping up with it's
average, and has reached point near
the mouth of the canyon. The second
gang, supervised by the above named
firm, in conjunction with the Roylances,
has started it's work eight miles out
from Provo, as per contract. They have
over 100 teams and more than double
that number of laborers at work. The
Western shows a determination to COM
plete the extension as soon as possible,
and the people of the south are glad
to see the good work go on.
No further contracts have as yet