The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-07-30
SIMPLY A STRAW.

While 1t would be obviously wrong
to jump at the conclusion that tho
Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul com
pany has fully decided to extend itt
present western terminus and build
from South Dakota into Montana, the
situation seems to Warrant the be
lief that 1t is perfectly willing to dc
SO at the earliest possible moment
The fact that surveyors OF the com
pany have been operating in the east
ern part Of the state for several
weeks Is evidence that the company
proposes to know all about the coun
try and the best route for an exten.
sion II 1t is decided to build one. While
all surveys are not followed by actual
construction, 1t Is also O fact that no
construction Is undertaken without
surveys, hence the presence Of survey.
ors Of q railroad company in any 10.
cality or country may be accepted as
an indication Of a future possibility.
While the presence Of the surveyors
Of the Milwaukee in these parts is the
source Of some e~ncouragmnt, slight
though 1t may be, 1t shows that Mon
tana finds a place in the geography OF
the company and that 1t is not COM
pletely ignored in It's contemplations
of the future.
On top Of this comes the announce.
ment that agents Of the company have
left st. Paul for Evarts, the western
terminus Of the line, for the purpose
Of obtaining information as to the bust.
ness Of stock shipping and thoroughly
investigate that branch OF traffic. It
Is not proposed to conflne the investi-
cation to tn ecountry Immediately
tributary to the company's pres
ent lines, but to extend it SO as to
take in Montana and ascertain the
conditions now existing here and the
prospect for the future. The present
season is admittedly a poor one SO
far as livestock shipments are concern.
ed. but the causes conspiring to pro-
duce this condition are we'll known
and are accepted as being only tenn
porary. The drought last year caused
an unusual shortage Of grass and the
number Of cattle shipped from the
south to be rounded out was excep.
tionally small. The northern ranges
now, however, are in excellent condf.
ton owing to plenteous rains this sea-
son and have been stocked up more
fully than in several years past, thus
promising much larger eastern ship.
ments next season and for several sea-
sons to come.
Traffic men are conversant with the
conditions on the ranges and the cans
es that have led up to the anticipated
decrease in shipments this fall. It is
upon the future that depends any for
ward movement Of the Milwaukee.
Should the gentlemen sent out to pros
poet become satisfied that something
like the shipments OF former years Is
to he expected within the next faw
seasons their report will probably be
Of q nature so encouraging that the
long discussed extension may be built
SO as to be completed in time to come
in for q share Of the business Of which
the Northern Pacific. Great Northern
and Burlington now have a monopoly.
OF course. 1t would be unreasonable to
suppose that the company would care
to undertake the expense of building
and equipping q new road upon pros
poets for traffic Of an amount no larg-
er than that assured from the ship.
ment Of livestock. but with this branch
holding out some inducements as q
starter, the natural richness Of the
country to be traversed and its posi-
bilities In the way Of agriculture, the
large tracts Of timber and the terri
tory Astounding in coal and other
mineral that must Of necessity be
tapped by the prospective line. viii
all be taken into consideration and
accorded due weight in whatever final
conclusion may be arrived at.
While the prospects for an addition.
al railroad are now seemingly bright
er than they have been for a long time.
still 1t is not advisable to begin to lay
out townsites on the line Of the pro-
posed road and to start a real estate
boom. The western end of the track
at last accounts was still on the east.
ern bank Of the Missouri and work
on q bridge had not yet been begun.
es.4=H
PLEADS NOT GUILTY.
Senator Clark has fled his answer
to the complaint Of the government
- 1900