The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-01-12
that CUT Off
VIA BROWNING
May and May Not be Con-
structed There.
ARE OTHER ROUTES,
By Which the Desired End May be At
tanned The Views Of
Railroad Man.

That there will be extensive rail
road construction in this part of
Montana during the coming year
there is not possible doubt, and men
ali over the state are wiseing them
selves and city newspaper men with
glowing stories Of cut offs, which will
penetrate the mountains and cross the
plains in every direction, without
pausing to look at a map Or give the
mountain ranges or natural resources
OF a district even the slightest con
sideration.
The latest story to be thrown out
is to the effect that cu5 off would
be run south $50 miles from Brown
ing, through Dupuyer and Choteau 10
Great Falls. The man who made the
statement went on in glowing man
ner to state that the road would open
up a new mining country, (Which he,
of course is interested in,. and short
en- the distance between this city ana
Helena. Butte and Anaconda, for the
transportation of timber from the out
put of the saw, mills being construct
ed on Flathead lake by the O'Brien
Lumber company
The contractors, sub-contractors
and construction men who are now To-
Gated in this city. when they saw the
CT II,
looked wise, but as the days passed
they commenced to talk more.
Yesterday, a gentleman. who is IN
position to know as much as any
one as to the intentions of J. !.
HILL said:
There will be plenty OF work for
contractors right in this county next
summer, and the gentlemen who are
known as sub-contractors on railroad
construction know this and had not
they been assured that they would
be needed here not a single man
would be wintering, and keeping his
outfit in the Flathead valley.
OF course it is possible that the
Great Northern will construct the cut
off from Browning to Great Falls, but
hardly probable, as the object aimed
at would not be gained, although the
distance would be shortened consider
ably. However, no one knows just
what Mr.. Hills plans are The
Browning cut off would necessitate
the construction of almost IT'S miles
of track, through decidedly unprom-
Using country, so that no really good
reason is apparent why such line
should be constructed, other than to
benefit a mining man who is anxious
to see it, and. well. has perhaps had a
dream.
1T is a well known and undenied
fact that the Great Northern will con-
struct a line north into the Tobacco
Plains country, where the coal fields
will be tapped, and the road supplied
with coal that at present must come
in from the west at a cost of almost
S. per ton, not taking into considera-
tion the handling and waste. Besides
getting into the coal field the road can
be constructed easily as there is very
little of what can be considered diff
cult railroad construction. Then that
district is rich in mineral, timber and
is an agricultural country, all of which
would make the road profitable
one, were there no coal to be had
"As to the Browning route to short
en- the distance to the Helena, Butte
and Anaconda markets, just take your
map and draw line south from Kal-
ispell, cross the Flathead river near
Holt, then turn east until you reach Il
point near the foot of Swan lake
where your line will cross the river
of the same name. Now follow the east
side of the lake south on up through
the Swan river valley, let us say to
Clearwater, Sunset, COloma, Garnet,
Bearmouth, Drummond, New Chicago
on into Anaconda, and you have line
direct to the market and but little
longer than the length of the Brown
ing cut off, which can be constructed
as cheaply, and which not only passes
through rich mineral district, but 4
fruit and grain country second to
none in the northwest.
"The Flathead lumber may, by this
route, be transported direct to Ana
conda, and Butte, and travel not to