The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-10-20

Railroad News


This handsome exhibition car of the
Northern Pacific, known the country
over an the "World's Fair Product
Oar" was totally destroyed by fire
about ten days ago at Neillsville, Wis.
How the fire started is not known.
The handsome car, with its valuable
contents, was in charge Of D.. M. Stu
art, The car was filled to the roof
with an exhibit Of the products of the
Northwest, including samples of every
kind Of fruit, grain, floral, mineral,
with many stuffed animals, curiosities,
petriRoations, etc. In fact, it was al
extensive museum Oh wheels. The car
and contents were insured fer about
$75, 900. .
Shippers over the Northern Pacific
will hereafter be obliged to use dis
patch in unloading oars. Notice has
been served that hereafter $3. 90 per
day demurrage will be charged on all
cars not unloaded within forty eight
hours.
It has been announced that the Bur.
lington will shortly put in service the
Fleming mail catcher on the Billings
line. Some Of these mail cranes have
been up for some time, but have been
used only to deliver mail 10 the trains
from the mail crane. The mail crane
ia made to take on and deliver mail
from the postal cars, and 1t is said that
the device has recently been perfected
80 that it will do excellent work. 1t
has been in use for some time on the
main line Of the Union Pacific, and
when first put into servioe OH that line
did not do good work. The Fleming
catcher IL u device consisting Of a ring
attached to the mail sack which is
caught on a rod on the crane which
swings the sack clear Of the train as it
falls. The catcher invented by DR..
Patton Of Omaha delivers the mail sack
in a long trough attached to the mail
crane.
President Hill Of the Great Northern,
through one of his superintendent's,
told the people Of Havre that he would
make a permanency Of the location of
WIG Wv jskuH Iplup oN tAAu lhttSC III viz
condition, it being that the citizens Of
Havre must see to it that q good hotel
should be built there and soon. This
being done, the company would, in the
spring, erect q large building for their
machine shops and would add a dozen
or more new stalls to the round house.
In addition to this, the company would
this fall build several cottages, to rent
to their dispatchers there, whom they
found 1t difficult to keep there from
lack Of dwellings for their families.
The yards would be enlarged also to
twice their present size and the work
done which would make that town one
Of the most important railway points in
Montana. Action must necessarily be
prompt and the citizens have taken
steps to either get eastern capitalists IN.
terested in building Il seventy. five room
hotel or will organize a local stock
company.
Western railroad managers say that
never before have 10 few men been idle
on their lines, and wages are now even
better than in the boom times that pre-.
ceded the collapse of 1893. Trainmen
are kept on the jump all the time, and
by making extra runs are able to show
big monthly earnings. Engineers are
now getting $lS5 to $3.50 per month,
aud fremen $l35 to $146 a month.
Conductors aud brakemen participate in
the increase. Train crews are now
paid on q mileage basis, and the more
miles they run the more pay they get.
The freight movement Oh MI the trunk
lines ID enormous, exceeding oonsidera.
bly, that Of 1898, which was regarded
as a phenomenal year; and 10 many
people are travelling that the roads find
great difficulty in getting enough pas.
senger coaches to hold them all. These
are plain indications Of prosperity, and
Of the good times which were predicted
In 1896 IL the country determined to re.
tain the gold standard and remain upon
a sound money basis
The railroads in Billings have been
exceedingly busy the past few weeks
with stock shipments. In several in.
stances there have been delays OF from
two to five days in getting out ship.
ments owing to the inability Of the
roads TO procure the necessary stock
cars. The demand for all kinds of
cars is unprecedented.
oar~r <->------
You Try 1t.
IL Shiloh's Co.gh and Consumption
Cure, which is sold for the small price of
25 cts, 50 cts. and Sl.OO, does not cure
take the bottle back and we will refund
your money. Sold for over fifty years