Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-12
Northern Pacific to Concentrate
Forces at That Point.
WARElI HOUSES TO CLOSE
Columbus and Merrill Will
Cease to be Shipping Points,
Nine Million Pounds.

The success attending the concentra-
ton of wool at central points in Montana
says the Billings Gazette has been such
as to cause the Northern Pacific railway
to decide on a further extension of the
custom, and with his end in view a COM
modious warehouse will be built on the
location of the present freight warehouse
at Billings, in addition to the wool ware
house now existing, which will afford
storage space considerably over rouble
that which has heretofore been provided.
a sample room will be built, with facili-
ties for examining sample bags of wool,
with ample light and arrangements for
resacking; additional weighing facilities
and wool-pressing facilities will be in
stalled to insure prompt and satisfactory
handling Of the increased volume of re-
ceipts and shipments. The present freight
warehouse viii be removed to a new Local
ton, and the present local freight yard
devoted exclusively to the handling and
storage Of woods shipped in from other
railroad points, thus providing ample IA
ctlities for taking care of such shipments
in e systematic manner.
1t is the intention to abandon the use of
the wool warehouses at Merrill, Columbus
and Townsend, as points where wool will
be held for sale, n to give the growers
at these points, as well as at all points
west OF Billings on the Northern Pacific
In the state of Montana where no ware
houses are operated, the option and priv
liege OF shipping these wools to Billings,
to be stopped in transit, for sale and bal
at a charge of 5 cents per hundred,
with q minimum of $500 per car over and
above the through rate from initial points
to cover the extra switching and handling
and the usual charge of 5 cents
per hundred for baling. The Montana
railroad, heretofore reaching the woods of
the Smith river district, has been EXTEND
ed to Martinsdale, and will be completed
TO Merlno early in the spring. thus giving
ran communication to the woolgrowers
on the Musselshell, and reaching the gate
way OF the Judith basin, bringing 1t by
OF the Wagon-haul distance
nearer than it has even before been to any
railroad, and it is confidently expected as
a result that many of the Judith woods
will seek this outlet.
4 1t is the intention to arrange with the
railroad to handle these. woods.
with a privilege of stopping at Billings,
the same basis as woods from North
ern Pacific railway points west of Billings
In the season of 1899, approximately s.
$1,000 pounds of wool. If growers avail
themselves vi the OptlOn above given,
based on the wool handled from such
points west of Billings in the season OF
1899, the total receipts at this point will
aggregate between 5000, 900 and 5000, 900
pounds, and as the wool clip lasf season
IN montana vas unusually light in weight
and as there is every reason to believe
that the number of clips from the Big
Horn basin, Wyoming, and the Judith
BASIN, in Montana, will be concentrated at
in the coming season, it will he
increased; it is felt that the above
will be considerably exceeded.
success of this plan9will make Bill
lngs the largest market in the state of
and the possibilities of the
amount practicable to concentrate at this
point are greater than at any single point
In the state.
It is certainly to the interest of the
growers and the buyers to cooperate IN
carrying this plan to a successful issue.
creating a market which will insure ac-
tive competition, and which will attract
the greater number of buyers. who in
u will be able, at least expense, to se-
cure the best selection of wool, and to Oh
tain, without the necessity of travelling as
expense and loss of time, such GUAM
tity of Montana wool as may fill their re-
The hotel accommodations at Billing
nave been greatly improved and enlarged
and ample accommodations of a superior |
will be found here for both
woolgroWers and buyers.