The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-08-05
EXPERTS AND MACHINERY
Will Make Trip to Coast in Septem.
Der Returning by Billings and
Burlington Route.

by experts equipped with the latest
improved machinery. The principal
towns in Montana are to be visited in
September by a "good roads" train
in charge of Colonel R. w. Richard.
son, government good roads expert.
An invitation for the train to visit
the west during the present season
was extended to Colonel Richardson
by Samuel Hill some months ago
while Mr.. Hill was in the east, and it
is said Colonel Richardson assured
Mr.. Hill that despite the great demand
for the trains in all parts of the coun.
try he should be glad to bring one
to- the coast in the case sufficient
encouragement for the undertaking
could be secured from the trancon-
%tinental railroads.
Mr.. Hill undertook to enlist the as
sistance of the railroads in the mat
ter. and through President Hill of the
Great Northern has secured the offer
of the three roads included in the
Northern Securities company's sys-
tenn, the Great Northern, the Burling-
ton and the Northern Pacific, to haul
the train to the coast and back free
Of any charge for the service.
This offer on the part of the rail
road companies insures the coming
IF tho froip on1 tho nno,,ooovoa ont
has been given out from Colonel
Richardson that it will be ready to
start west from st. Paul some time
early in. September. While the plans
for the campaign in the west have
not been fully matured it is contem-
plated that the trip shall last 100
days. The train will consist of 10 or
IL fiat cars for the purpose of carry
ing the machinery necessary to make
the demonstrations, and two passen-
ger cars for the accommodation of
the expert and his assistants and the
engineers in charge of the road ma
chimes.
The expense to the railroad com.
panies for the operation of this train,
it is said, will be approximately $500
a day, and the 100 days campaign
will therefore, represent an outlay on
the part of the roads of approximately
100000, donated to the country tribu-
tary to the roads for the purpose of
demonstrating to the residents along
the route the value Of good roads and
the ease and economy with which
they can be constructed.
The train which will come west will
reach St. Paul in August and the ma
chinery will be on exhibition at the
Minnesota state fair at Hamline dur
ing the latter part of that month.
These demonstrations will be conduct
ed by the gentlemen in charge of the
equipment. and after the fair is over
the machinery will be loaded on the
train and brought west. 1t will come
west via the Great Northern, stops
being made at the principal agricul-
tural centers.
It is expected that the train will go
as far west as Seattle, and possibly
will go to Tacoma, and Portland. Stops
will be made at a number of the prin-
cipal agricultural centers on the way
west and returning. Probably Spo-
kane, Harrington, Wenatchee and Ey-
erett will be On the list. Returning,
the train will likely go via the North
ern Pacific to Billings, thence via the
Burlington to Kansas City.
The engineers accompanying the
party will make a study of the char
acter Of the materials at hand for
road making and will in each place the
train stops construct a piece of first
class road. The farmers at each
place will be asked to- contribute the
horses necessary for handling the ma
chimes and the labor of a sufficient
number of men to handle the horses.
The engineers will make a study of
the character of the soil or other ma
terials at hand, will decide upon the
of the work to be done, will
explain why the class Of operations de-
cided upon is preferable under the
circumstances and will handle the ma
chimes for the work.
In making up the train the ma
chimes for the campaign and the men
to handle them are supplied by the
manufacturers who make them, a S an
advertising feature.
Samuel Hill, to whose efforts in a
large measure the visit of the train
to the northwest is largely due, is
an enthusiast on the subject OF good
roads.
"It is an intensely practical inno-
vation," he said. "The construction