Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-04-25
The Montana Railroad Will Surely
Reach Merino by
June l.
WILL DIVERT WOOL BUSINESS
Merino Will Quickly Become the
Great Shipping Point Of the
Judith Basin.
Helena independently

-'NN
T~raCklaying will he commenced this week
on the extension OF the Montana railroad
from MartiRsdale to Merino, a distance Of
"a miles. The grade has been practically
completed, and a crew OF men will begin
laying steel in two or three days. The
track will be completed in 80 days, when
Robert Rantoul, general manager OF the
Montana road, said yesterday that the ex.
tension would give the road much the
larger part OF the business OF the Judith
Basin.
when we run TO Merino," he said yes
terday, 1--WE will be much the nearest rail
point from Lewistown and Utica. II is
about 30 miles from Merino to Lewistown
and 46 to Utica, while Great Falls is 100
miles from Lswistown and it is 100 miles
from Fort Benton TO Lewistown. Already
Lewistown merchants are beginning to mp.
preciRte the advantage OF a shorter rail
route, for the Montana road is getting its
share OF business through Martinsdale.
Helena merchants are improving their op.
portunities in that field also. and while
their business is by no means what il should
be or what it eventually will be. it has been
growing ever since we made rates to Mar.
tinsdale."
Manager Rantoul said that the company
expected to complete it's line to Merino in
time to take care Of the wool clip OF Fer,
gus county and the Musselshell country.
The Northern Pacific proposes to increase
the Importance OF Billings as a wool mar.
ket, and the Montana road will lend its as
s~istance toward that end. Practically all
wool shipped over the Montana road this
season will be FIRST sent to Billings under a
through rate agreement, and after being
warehoused there and sold will be sent
east.
Mr.. Rantoul said yesterday that there
was every indication Of a larger wool clip
this season than the state has ever had.
There is every reason to expect that the
total clip will be heavier this year than
last" said Mr.. Rantoul. There are more
sheep in the state than last year, and
think that the average OF fleeces will be
heavier. The wool was unusually Ii h,
last season. Fergus county is the heaviest
wool.producing county in the state, and
our road expect. to handle a large part o.
the clip this season.
Il think that Billings will be the bigges,
wool market in the state this year. The
Northern Pacific will concentrate all th,
wool from the territory it reaches in thi'
state at that point, and there will be tn,
the territory reached by the Montana rail
road. The Northern Pacific warehouses a
Townsend, Columbus and Merrill will mo-
~recaive wool as formerly, but all clips 60
ing to those points will be loaded on car,
and shipped to Billings, where the com
pany has built an enormous warehous
capable OF taking care Of all that will b
received. II is expected the amount o
wool that will go through Billings this yea
will exceed 5000 900 pounds, and ma,
equal 10, 900, 900.
An the buyers in the country have beef
notified OF this arrangement. and thei
agents will be governed accordingly. Buy
ers naturally favor a concentration @
wool at a central point, as it facilitate
matters for them and is an advantage t,
the owners as well.
The buying season will open at Billing
about June 10. 1t is the earliest marke
in the state. The Great Falls market,
understand, opens two weeks later"
Mr.. Rantoul said yesterday that Merlin
promised to be a thriving place in the nsa
future. town is being laid out on tn
ranch OF Two Dot" Wilson. a well.knowI
cattleman. The place will be called Tw,
Dot. 1t already boasts OF several house
and before the year ends will be q preten
tious trading point.