The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-03-24
SOME BIG EXCURSIONS
Northern Pacific and Burlington
Bring Thousands of
People West.
ARE SEEKING HOMES

ARE SEEKING HOMES
And Many Will Locate at Once-An
Exodus to the Land Of the
Setting Sun.
1.-THE homeseekers' rates that went
into effect upon the Northern Pacific
and Burlington roads Tuesday have
proved to be immensely popular, far
exceeding the expectation of the man
agement of those roads. The Northern
Pacific coast bound trains that pulled
out Of st. Paul Tuesday went in three
sections because Of the heavy travel
toward the land of the setting SUM-. On
this same day, over the three western
roads from st. Paul, 5000 homeseekers
took passage for the west. The fare
on the Northern Pacific to Billings is
$16. so, to Helena SIT. 80, and to the
coast $40. The reduced rate seems to
have struck a popular chord. 1t
promises to bring many settlers into
this western country. A very encour
aging feature is that many, in fact
nearly all, of the travellers taking ad.
vantage of the rate, buy one-way
tickets. This is interpreted to mean
that they have serious intentions of To-
eating in either Montana, Idaho,
Washington or Oregon.
AS announced. the rate to all points
west of st. Paul where the single first
class rate is in excess of So is one-half
the firts-class rate for second-class or
homeseekers' tickets. The holder of
one Of the second-class tickets has the
privilege of riding in the uolonist Sleep
ers and eating in the dining car. The
cOlonist sleepers are pronounced very
and cheaper than the regu-
lation Pullman, which, of course, is
available only to holders of irst-class
tickets.
That many benefits will accrue to
the west from these reduced rates goes
without saying. 1t is expected that a
class of settlers in every way desirable
are taking advantage of coming this
way and seeing for themselves the pos
of Montana and neighbUring
states.
The Burlington train, which usually
consists of two coaches besides a
sleeper, was run into Billings in two
sections Wednesday night, with about
or nine cars each, having home
from Iowa, Missouri, Kansas
and Nebraska. The exact number of
passengers who were travelling on the
cheap rates was about 600. They were
in charge Of L. j. Bricker of Kansas
City, Mo-, travelling passenger agent of
Burlington, who accompanied
them to the coast. The last section of
the train arrived here about midnight
and the cars were 'hooked' onto a
Pacific engine and taken on
Last nights Burlington had
nine cars, containing ove 200 more
The cars were set out
here and made into a Northern Pacific
train and sent out as a special.
The Northern Pacific ran two Sec
lions into Billings Thursday morning
and went out in three, counting the one
made up of Burlington cars. Yester-
day forenoon's train was loaded and all
old the number of homeseekers pass
ing through Billings has been about
1, 500. A few stopped off here to look
over the country and a party Of twenty
rom Iowa went up on the Red Lodge
branch this morning with a view of To-
in Carbon county.
I. d. O'Donnell says he has received
Information that a party of fifteen from
Michigan will come to Billings within
The next few days to look around.
The local railroad officials state that
hey have received no notification of
my extra travel on tonight's trains and
here will probably be a lull for a
week or so.
Reports are current that the reduc.
ion in rates on the Great Northern and
Northern Pacific will pfecipitate a re-
of the rate war with the Can
ldian Pacific that created 10 much trou-
lie with the American lines when the
klondike travel was at it's height.
3oth the Northern Pacific and the
treat Northern are said to have deter
mined to maintain the homeseekers'
ate during the spring as long as they
ee fit, regardless of the threats or
ctions of rival roads. They claim and
Justly that they are offering the rate in
he hope of bringing along their lines
ettlers VINO will settle up the country,
nd are not attempting to interfere
With the regular Pacific coast travel.