The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-02-03
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Railroad Briefs


"A Northern Pacific circular issued
very recently made the announcement
OF q reduction in the local passenge,
tariff on the Montana Union branch
from 5 to 4 cents, the new tariff taking
effect ID February |.
The Tacoma Ledger says that the
Northern Pacific has not agreed to
build down the Snake river jointly
with the o. r. & n, but has sent out
engineers Of it's own to survey for an
individual line along the river between
Ainsworth and Lewiston. The 0. R.
g N. has an army Of men at work on
its Snake river line. The Northern
Pacific is sending men from Tacoma
to the extension front. Three O. four
surveying crews of the Northern Pa
ciic are reported to have been called to
report at Lewiston and they are expect
| ing to be transferred to other fields.
The gratitude of James J. Hill, the
railroad magnate, towards his old-time
employees has again been shown. 1t is
reported that during the fatal illness
OF the veteran superintendent, Judson
B. Rice, Of St. Cloud, MINI. he ex-
pressed regret that his departure would
leave his family in Strengthened cir
cumstances. He had been ~incapacitat-
ed for some years from active railroad
work, but President Hill had regularly
kept his name on the payrolls Of the
company and he had received each
month a substantial check. Mr.. Rice's
one haunting thought in his last days
was that this would cease with his
death. A mutual friend Of his and
Mi. Hill called to see the sick nan one
day and to him Mr.. Rice told his fears.
This man went straightway to Presi-
dent Hill and told him the situation.
Mi. Hill promptly instructed him to
assure Nj. Rice that his wife would be
cared for and shortly after the sick
man passed away and was buried his
widow received Mr.. Hills personal
check for $40, 900.
The Rocky Mountain division of the
Northern Pacific has been encountering
some pretty heavy SHOWS and the east
bound passenger trains have been de-
layed considerably thereby. Wednes-
days train was nearly four hours late,
while yesterdays was ten hours be-
hind time.
The shovel gang Of Japanese Oh the
Pacific have been engaged
the past two or three days in clearing
away the drifts of snow on the platform
and tracks in this city.
Col. F. M Malone of Miles City, the
Montana representative of the Milwau-
kee, was in the city yesterday relating
pretty cold stories. but on con-
the weather they were permits
The colonel was a soldier in
the civil wal and the stories of his
camp life in the winter were enough to
make cold chills creep DER his listeners.
Mike Gilmore came in from Alliance
Wednesday night and left the next
morning to see about his grading out.
on the Northern Pacific in Carbon
Mr.. Gilmore says. the storm
was really worse in Nebraska than
throughout Wyoming or Montana.
4
Tiled up is the expression the rail
road men give it nowadays when their
strikes a snow drift and there is
an absence Of a pillow. The Burlington
has had much trouble and delay on its
division from Billings to Edgemont.
Tuesday nights train was several hours
late, having struck deep snow, and
Wednesday evenings train did not ar
rive until $3.50 o'clock Thursday morn
ing. This was occasioned by waiting
for the Nebraska train at Edgemont,
which had been delayed nearly ten
hours. Conductor Hammond, who
went out Tuesday morning in the face
OF the blizzard, got stuck with his
train near Parkman. Sheridan was
not reached until 9 O'Clock that night,
and Edgemont the next morning, being :
nearly twelve hours late.
It may not be generally known that
the Northern Pacific a few weeks ago
lost the contract for carrying the mails
from st. Paul to the coast and return.
The Great Northern wrested the con-
from the Northern Pacific, as that
road made better time and connec- !
lions. The Chicago mail, which form /,
srly came by way of st. Paul, comes by I
way of Omaha to Billings and then on s
west. The Northwestern has the con- 1
5ract for carrying the mails from Chi ,
,ago to Omaha and the B. q M. from
Omaha to Billings, while the Northern
Pacific carries it from this city to Hell i
INA. where it is turned over to the 8
Great Northern. The eastern and I
southern mail from the west is trans
'erred from the Great Northern to the
Northern Pacific and then. when the