Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-24
LOOKING FOR
NEW GRADE
Great Northern May Change
Route to WickeS Tunnel.
WILL CUT BOULDER OUT
Rapid Progress on TT. Benton Line
New o. S. L. Shops at
P~OcatellO.
WILL CUT BOULDER OUT

| The Great Northern Is said to cOntem-
plate a change of it's railroad route be-
tween his city and the Wickes tunnel,
which, If made, will remove the Boulder
station several miles away from that
town. Surveys have been mad that
show a bettre grade obtainable between
the Wickes tunnel and some point about
Is miles this side of Wickes. The present
| grade on the Boulder hill Is what Is
known among railroad operators as a
2 2-10 per cent grade. The new survey
shows a grade of 6-10 per cent, besides a
minimum curvature. If this line is con-
structed 1t will enable the company to
handle larger trains out of Butte.
The Great Northern may propose to op-
! crate the eastbound traffic over the new
line and westbound traffic over the old
roadbed, but If this is not the intention
of the company the present station at
builder will be abandoned, as the new line
will not touch the town.
Passengers between Helena and Butte
have noticed, during the past two or
three days, several cars containing a.
grading outfit on the siding at Boulder.
This would Indicate the seriousness of
the Great Northern's intention in this
matter.
Rapid progress is being made on the
work of building the new Great Northern
line INTO Fort Benton, the weather being
favorable to railroad grading. AS many
men and teams as can be secured are en-
ployed In the work. A.. Guthrie & Co.
have the contract and expect to complete
the line in three or four months. This
change will bring the Fort Benton sta
ton practically into town. Heretofore
the depot was located two miles from the
city.
On the Verona cutoff, below Great
Falls, contractors are at work on rip
rapping along the river, to prevent the
washing away of the river bank. It will
be necessary to continue this work for
about IL miles down the river from a
point just below Benton.
The Verona line will bring to the view
Of passengers on the Great Northern
some historic points famous in the old
lays of river navigation and Indian war
fare.
1t is sale that the present trip to New
York of Vice President and General |
Manager Bancroft of the Short Lin is
to be erected at Pocatello, and to secure
from the board the necessary appropria-
ton for their construction and equip
ment. There appears to be every assur-
ance that the appropriation will be forth |
coming. The past season demonstrated |
fully to the stockholders and directors +!
that the Short Line is not an infant, but
one of the giants in transcontinental
traffic, as well as being the Only avenue
for a vast territory hat is just begin |
ming it's development. And the INSULT
cheney of the present cramped quarters
for locomotive and car repairs is well |
known, as is also the fact that their
maintenance and insurance is too expen-
sive on account of the present buildings |
being non-freprOof. AS previously an !
nounced. all the plans have been drawn |
and the place of every machine has been
designated. the list Of new machinery
having been approved by Mechanical Su.
perintendent unn who, on his recent trim |!
east. called on a number of the largest :
machinery manufacturers, preliminary
TO giving the contracts. A feature of the
new shops is likely to be the substitution
or electrical for steam power. The power
is to be transmitted from American Fails
on the snake river, some % miles from
Pocatello, and it is believed a saving per
annum of 5000 per horsepower will he
effected.-Salt Lake Herald.
Ofticfals about the general offices ~
the Great Northern in st. Paul who have
felt free to discuss quietly the differences
tive the management of the road
ana the employees. were %sanguine yester-
DAY regarding a peaceful outcome of the
They have commended all along that The
management knew the temper of the
levan committees and that all its
actlons were based on this knowJadro
me cnange OF view shown is believed to
resulted from reports on the ballot
ing or employees. One railroad official of
81. Paul, who is in close touch with tho
conductors organization of that c;tv
he a been told that ha %lIotinr ~