The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-06-11
WELCOME

WELCOME INFORMATION
Probably no man in Montana en-
joys the confidence of James j. Hill
to the same degree that Senator Paris
Gibson does and probably no man il
the state stands quite so closely tt
the great railroad magnate as does the
senator, hence when the latter makes
an assertion concerning the plans Of
the former as they appertain to this
that he knows whereof he speaks
In a letter dated May 81, written al
Boston, MI. Gibson writes to the Great
Falls Tribune that ''the long wished
for railroad from Great Falls to Bill.
ings, l am aut%horitatively advised,
will now be built The statement
may be accepted as correct, for had
MI. Gibson not received it from a
source which he considered reliable,
or, as he puts it, Authoritative" he
would not have made it.
While he naturally regards the in
formation as being of exceptional
Importance to his home town, Great
Falls, it is probably Of even greater
Importance to Billings, as this city
stands a fair chance to receive the
greatest benefits from such a line Of
road. The road will tap and pass
. flyn,1o6 a 1orpo oroo of ,o;r;-- o1,,:
cultural and grazing country, which
by reason of it's geographical location
is naturally tributary to this city and
no articficial conditions that might
be created could divert the trade If
that territory elsewhere. AS the road
will be built with a view to it's earn
ing capacity, it will follow precedent
and tap the most productive and
promising territory embraced in the
area, separating the two termini. This
will bring it through the rich mining
regions of Fergus county and i'm
mense tracts of grazing land and the
fertile farming sections of the same
country, not to mention the splendid
portions of Yellowstone county which
it must traverse. It's effect will be
to open n of the richest and most
productive portions of the state at
present without railroad facilities and
practically isolated from the rest of
the world. Even as matters now ex-
list this city receives a large share |
of the business originating in much of
that territory and with a railroad and
the branches which it is reasonable
to suppose will extend from it that
trade is bound to increase to an enor-
extent and as a factor ~calculat-
ed to advance the business and other
interests of the city will be one of
the most important ever projected.
Viewed from any standpoint that
may be taken the information which
Mr.. Gibson briefly imparts is the most
welcome the people of this city have
received in a long time and it's i'm
mediate effects will probably not be
long in manifesting themselves in in
creased commercial activity and pre-
paration for the time when the pro-
ject shall be carried to an ~actuality.
Mr.. Gibson makes clear the reason
for the resurrection of the much
talked of railroad connecting the
Great Northern and Burlington and
Northern Pacific systems at this point
by saying that by the acquisition of
the Burlington by the Hill interests
the question of invasion of Great
Northern territory by the Burlington
and Great Northern invasion of Bur-
lington territory is settled and new
lines will be built in many parts of
Montana which would probably never
have advanced beyond the stage of
mere contemplation. In his opinion,
whatever the results may be as to
others, Montana will be greatly bene-
hted by the changes which have
brought the three great railroads of
the state practically under one man
agement.