Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-03-22
GOSSIP OF THE
RAILROADS
oregon Short Line Has Cut to
cents per Mile.
HELENA REGISTERS A KICK
D S Not Appreciate the New Schedule
N OF the Northern Pacific
q Railroad.

o~Ss
A special committee appointed to con-
fer with the Great Northern leaves for
st. Paul tomorrow. The result. it is said,
will largely determine the question of
peace or war in trans-continental and
western passenger rates.
President w. d. Cornish of the Oregon
Short Line completed his business in this
city yesterday and left for New York
last night, accompanied by j. f. Dunn,
superintendent of motive power ana ma
chinery, says the Salt Lake Herald. Pres
ident Cornish returns to the east mighty
well satisfied with Oregon Short Line az
fairs. The road is just now enjoying a
season of prosperity such as it has prob
ably never before experienced, and its
continual increase in earnings, according
to an official interview yesterday, JuStl-
fies every important move in the way OF
Improvement entertained by the mpa
and it's management. President Cornish
was alive to this fact, and the heads of
the several departments will get about
all they made requisition for.
The passenger department comes in for
a gOodly share of the Improvement, all
the orders contemplated and those al
ready placed having met with the appro-
baton of the visiting official. Some time
during May the following will make their
debut on this end of the run between
Chicago and Portland: Three of the most
& diners ever seen in the west; five
standard, u~p-to-date full-end vestibule
Aleepers; three handsome buffet and Ii
bray cars, containing barber shop, read
ing md smoking compartment etc; three
full-el.G veStlbule coaches. Besides these
there will be new baggage cars, and all
will be of high standard type, making the
train positively the finest ever put into
service between Chicago and Portland.
Some of the new equipment will be de-
ivered. 1t is believed, during April, but
the great train complete will not make it's
first run until the month following.
The grade on Apex hill is to be mod
Grated, and other work on the Idaho di-
vision is to be accomplished. Altogether,
the Short Line will eXpend a mint of
money this year in the way of permanent
Improvement.
The people of Helena do not appreciate
the recent change in the schedule of the
Northern Pacific, which practically puts
Butte on the main line and Helena on
the branch, a condition that the metropo-
lis of the state suffered for a long time
without complaint. The Independent
yesterday contained the following editor
Ia oll III SiDJtCl.
Helena siding-That is nearly what it
amounts to under the present train ar
Management Of the Northern Pacific. A
Late teiephCEla message from the sixth
ward onVey the glad news that the de-
pct is still there, and the train that went
through last week stopped without being
tagged. How long the capital city of the
state, the second in Importance between
the east and west ends of the line, will be
v7ouchsafed thisa accommodation is uncer-
tain. Wi.bauX, Grey Cliff, Frenchtown,
ana Eivulet get twice as many trains as
the stGte capital, While Garrison and Lo-
gan get three times as many.
Until the Northern Pacific built it's line
into Butte, about four years ago, Helena
was the most important city on its line,
betWeen st. Paul and the sound. The
business OF Spokane has always been
thrown to the Great Northern, as the
business of Helsna has always been
thrown to the Northern Pacific. What
return Is Helena getting for her loyalty
during all these years? She is getting
shut out from har field Of trade; her job
beIs and Wholesalers are losing business
daily, her hotels are experiencing a lack
OF patronage because travelling men ard
people of nearby cities can't come to Hell
eha and get out or nome again with the
same facility they have in going to Butte.
the result is they stay at homn or ga to
Butte rather than suffer the incon-
Venicnce and delay met with in a trim to
Helena.
Lawyers with matters before the SUI
preme court, people with business to be
transacted with any of the state officers
or state boards, are put to DELAYS and
expense in a trip to the capital city that
would not be involved in a trip to any
water tank along the line.
Nv hat chance does Helena stand of
getting the annua! meetings or encamp-
ments of societies and organizations
which meet yearly for the transaction of
business, and which are attended by hun
dredS of members? None whatever.
IF the present discrimination against
Helena continues through the summer
the loss in trade to merchants and hotel
men viii foot up an immense sum in
cash. Clerks will have to be discharged,
help of all kinds will find less employ
ment, and consequently nave to go to
other more favored cities. and nus
population will be lost. Most important.
people who have been coming to Helena
for the purpose of trading or enjoying
a vacation, will get into the habit of go
ing to other cities, and even should the
railroad make a favorable time card
later. these people will keep on going to
the other W for some time.
Mail clerks and trainmen living here
will move to other cities along the line
of their runs: in short, more people
will leave the city and fewer will come
to it than formerly.
."The outlook IS not only discouraging,
but it is a serious cause for alarm. The
situation demands attention and action.
Let the Business Mems association take
the initiative, and take it at once"
Chicago. March 21.-Round trip excur-
sion rates have been granted by the