The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-01-09
Will STOP At MERINO
Robert Rantoul, General Manager,
Talks Freely About the
Montana Railroad.
WILL HELP BILLINGS
BY Bringing Several Million Pounds
More Wool Here--The Judith
Basin Trade.

Robert Rantoul Of st. Paul, division
freight agent Of the Northern Pacific,
who, on the first Of February will take
the position Of general munnger Of the
Montana railroud. spent Sunday in Bill
ings Introducing his successor on the
Northern Pacific, Heury Blakely. Ap-
preached by a Gazette representative
for news CONCERNING tbs destination of
the Montana railydad, Mr.. Rdntoul
laughingly shil/that the newspapers
seemed to have all the news now, but
in the course Of the conversation that
followed talked freely about the line
that is now being built from Martins
dale to Merino.
The substance Of his remarks was
that the Montana railroad Ia indepen-
dent of any railroad corporation; that
it is not the intention Of it's projectors
at present to extend the road beyond
Merino; that it is being buif with Il
view to securing the trade<of the Jud
ith basin and, il thnt object is not at
tained by building the road to .Merino
then it will be extehded northward to
the Judith gap. /All the wool business
of that AectiopE Mr.. Rantoul says, ia to
be brought TO Billings via Lombard aud
the Northern Pacific, which will give
this city fully two million pounds Of
wool that now goes to Big Timber by
freight teams, as we'll as large quan.
tity that now goes to Great Falls and
Is shipped over the Great Northern.
"Great Falls" continued Mr.. Ran
tout, "has never handled more than six
aud half million pounds Of wool, but
Billings will handle much more than
that the coming season. The Montana
railroad will be completed to Merino in
time to handle this seasons clip from
that section, which, added to the five
million pounds that Billings handled
last year, will make your city the larg.
est wool market in the state, or in the
entire northwest, for that matter.
Your people need have no fear Of
the Montana railroad being extended to
connect with the North Pacific at
point east Of Billings" he said, when
told that some folks hero thought such a
move was probable. 1.-The men behind
the Montana have no such Intention. at
present, as have said before, and as
manager Of the road would advise
against it If it was contemplated. It
would involve the building Of many
miles of road, through practically
barren country east Of Billings, and is
only possibility Of the distant fu.
ture.
When asked if it was probable that
the Montana road would be extended
to Billings and then purchased by the
Northern Pacific or Burlington, Mr..
Rantoul said positively that the Mon.
tana railroad was not tor sale, reitera-
ting that it was not the present purpose
of the projectors Of the line to build
east Of Merino. When reminded Of the
fact that the new road was equipped
with Northern Pacific iron and rolling
stock, he said the former was paid tor
and that the latter is being rented.
The Gazette is satisfied, from what
Mr.. Rantoul said, that the Montana
railroad is going TO be q great benefit
to Billings by reason Of the new wool
it will bring to this city and other
northern freight that now goes to Great
Falls. And, il the new road ia extend.
ed eastward from Merino. it will come
to Billings, which this newspaper still
regards as probability. Not that we
doubt Mr.. Rantoul's word, but railroad
managers do not always tell newspaper
reporters ALL they know, and we be-
lieve the projectors of the Montana rail.
road will shortly see that 1t Is to their
advantage to extend their line to this
city.