The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-02
RAILROAD RUMORS RIFE
Projects of All Kinds Discussed
in Great Falls.
A LINE TO LEWISTOWN
There Is Talk of Building Along the Bur-
lington Survey to the Fergus
County Capital-It Would Be
Heartily Welcomed.

Great Falls, March 1.-This is the sea-
son of the year for bluebirds, poetry
and seedhouse catalogues Locally, it is
the season for the discussion of railway
projects. About this time one may ex-
pect to hear of the broadening of the
narrow gauge railway and it's absorp-
ton by tile Canadian Pacific; of trouble
between the Great Northern and the
Northern Pacific, which can only result
in the building of the latter into this
city; the extension of the Burlington
from Billings to this town has been dis
cussed so long that it has become
threadbare, yet it is one of those things
like Mrs. Winslow's soothing syrup,
for which there is and 1t seems will
always be, a constant demand In
'troduce the subject of Burlington into a
group of men. 1t is received by an in
credulous smile. Ten minutes later the
entire group is eagerly pulling over
maps and engaged in a warm discussion
OF the probable route. Let this be Tho
apology for the following mention of the
topic:
iHeie 10 Ho" d ScHGIle on IO1t IN THIS
city to build a railway along the line
of the Burlington survey from Great
Falls to Lewistown. Ever since the
completion of the Burlington to Billings
and the making of three surveys up
through the Judith Basin to Lewistown
and thence to Great Falls the people of
Cascade and Fergus counties have been
living in the hope that the road would
continue to Great Falls, tapping the
principal towns of a great agricultural
and mining country and affording an
other outlet to the wool, cattle, ore, coal
and other products of Central and
Northern Montana Up to the present
time nothing has been done to make
the Burlington surveys anything more
than mere Tines on paper map. and
the people are discovering their hopes
to be but dust and ashes to their lips.
Having given up any hope of the Bur-
lington. they are now accepting sub
stitute in the form of a line built by To-
cal capital from this city to Lewis
town, the idea being to connect the two
towns more closely than ever before,
particularly should the Montana Mid
land be extended from Leadboro to
LeWistown. In this same connection it
is said that the projectors of the
new line have tine promise of the Bur
lington road that should their line be
completed the Burlington will make
haste to extend their road TO Lewis
town from Billings, thus affording this
city a complete outlet to the south.
practically through both the Burling-
ton and the Northern Pacific.
This project and its realization is not
assured at the present time; it merely
exists in the minds of several citizens
of Great Falls who are giving the mat
ter careful thought and now believe
that they see the way clear to make
start in it. There is and has been in
this city for several years considera-
BILE amount of idle capital, and it is
constantly increasing. AS conse-
quence the rate of interest paid by local
banks on time deposits has decreased
nearly, if not quite, so per cent in the
past six or seven years. This capital
would naturally seek more remunera-
tive employment provided there was an
equal assurance of safety and the pro-
motors of the railway scheme believe
that they can supply Just that want.
Should they be able to do so there are
several hundred thousands of dollars
lying idle which could be put into the
railway and the ultimate result would
be the enrichment not only of the in
vestors but of every individual in the
counties concerned.
1t may be said that the plan has pro-
ceeded so far that the promoters are
considering the matter of applying for
state charter for their road and that
they have also obtained the informal
permission of the Burlington to use
that roads plated and recorded right
of way and survey. This. of course. re-
duces the expense of building in a mate
rial degree and the company will or
may proceed at once to the grading
along the line and on the estimates fur
nished by the Burlington. Further than
this nothing can be said with any de-
gree of definiteness.
While the plan may never be
communicable is still largely
there can be no doubt of it's
feasibility and of the benefit which
it would confer upon all concerned
Without competitive railway connec-
tons no inland town can ever become
of considerable size, no matter what its
natural advantages may be, and Great
Falls lies in this class and falls under
this rule. No reasonable person can
say that the plan is not possible. Here
is the money with which to build, in
part. if not wholly, through a country
of easy grades; the tributary towns and
their neighbors would from the begin
ming supply enough freight and enough
passenger traffic to guarantee profit
on the Investment; the stimulus afford
ed by railway connection would pro-
duce growth in the country which
would each year augment that profit;
the one thing which has been lacking
through all these years and which now
seems to have been supplied is the en-
terprse to go ahead and reap the re-
ward
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