The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-09
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 1901.
why NOT A MONTANA SUMMER RATE?

Montana would suggest humbly, but |
none the less urgently. that one of the !
railroads traversing the state initiate |
the enterprsng example of the Rock !
Island in Colorado. The Rock Island,
which initiated the cheap summer rate |
from the east to the Rockies, has done
more to advertize and promote the
growth of the Centennial state than. q
decade of labor on the part Of the
chamber Of commerce and immigration
bureaus could have accomplished.
These cheap excursions. tried expert
mentally by General Passenger Agent
Sebastian, became so popular that COM
peting lines We're forced to offer similar
rates. The Rock Island, as the pioneer
of the service, soon obtained such pres
tige that it's rivals found themselves, in
spite Of all competitive devices, in the
undesirable position Of profitless tall
enders. Now they are in revolt, and
threaten to discontinue the rates next
season, with the hope that the business
will swamp the Rock Island and so en-
barrass it's higher price traffic as to
force an abandonment of the excursions,
or compel such an advancement of the
rate as will make it profitable to handle
the relatively small lots of excursonists
who patronize the less popular carriers.
The threat makes Mr.. Sebastian
SMILE and he replies that nothing would
please him better than to be thus
swamped. The fact is the Colorado
summer rate has come to stay. and no
fewer than $4,000 tourists and home
seekers will take advantage of it the
present year.
Why cannot at least one of the trans.
continental lines entering Montana give
the Rock Island a race for this growing
traffic? AS competitor scenically we
ask no adds OF the rock-ribbed state. In
truth, we have an idea that in vistas Of
mountains, lakes, forests, parks, rivers
and plains we can offer greater satisfac-
ton to the tourist. To the sportsman,
the hunter and angler. we pledge the de-
lights, not of one Elysian field. but of
many not equaled for primitive allure
ments elsewhere in the United States.
Here the waters of the Missouri, Column
pia and Colorado take their source, and
carve their way toward the Atlantic and
Pacific through scenes the majesty and
variety of which challenge description.
The Yellowstone park, the like Of which
exists nowhere else on earth, is only one
of the many picturesque Fairgrounds Of
the state.
In mineral resources Colorado is a
respected rival, but merely second at
that. We can show the visitors the most
wonderful mines and the greatest re-
duction works in the world, The grazing
and agricultural resources are match
less. Texas cattle are driven here for
fattening. The high-class farms and
stock ranches of the state, young as it
is, would be revelation to the stranger.
But why continue? The tourist, the
health-seeker, the investor, the indus
trialist, the agriculturalist and stock
raiser could find no more interesting o,
profitable spot in the Union than Mon
tana; and the railroads could make ne
better investment than to let such fo!}
come here in the summer time at such
rate as would cause them to fee
ashamed of themselves if they stat.
away.
BY all means let us have a summe
to it's own credit and the lmmeasurabl,
benefit of Colorado, has given tina
State.