New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-28

TRICKY MISSOURI RIVER.
MONTANA SOON TO LOSE HER ONLY
PORT-EFFECT OF RAILROADS ON
RIVER NAvIGATION-THE
MANY SNAGS

Benton. Mont, Sept = SpeciaD.-Montaha led
that she is soon to be deprived OF her only Por' anu
the town OF Benton Of its chief glory "heIi t'ie
government gives up work the Missouri fdfei'
and that is predicted by many TO be as soon do ",
present appropriation is exhausted, the blow VIII
fall. ,,ob lv
The average Fastener has never hearu ,an
that Montana has port, and glance a. ,na
will not confirm the statement Yet III, sa;i
Missouri River and its big sister the go oS
the State has an outlet to the sea Inc N- 49,
navigation on the Missouri is FoTt bei''o "1
distance to salt alter is more imam TN go :.
-,,Ies If is a VOYAGE that is seldom made' anu
is possible that a short time IL VIII De I'M ;
-rho Government has been fighting the Mlssouii
for scores of years. and the government mas 8
nra.ty tired Of it. The swirling "lhdlhs' uea'''
erous stream of muddy water refuses 10 SOY -
the government says it shall stay. 1t insists on
sttckIne snags in the channel which the govern
mont dredGers dig for the little stern "heel
boats which ply upon ii, and IN other ways II mas
nroved most troublesome It has contested every
effort 10 tame it. and it has practically Won
its fight. 1t become a wild thlnS again do
soon as II likes. so they say.
If the railroads had not made the steamboat pus-
ness an unproitab biz one the United States "ou'u
have never let up the Missouri! Nlthlh 'he
last fifteen twenty years, however the country
which used TO depend the river has been crisis
crossed with railroads They have grabbed all
the freight and the passengers come or thelr own
accord so there little for the steamers TO 90
There are d few short runs between railroad points
10 be sure which still show margin of proht but
there is not enough them, it is claimed to JUSTIFY
the government in spending $4,000 year In Keep
ing the river open.
1t is surprising the extent to which the railroads
have built up the Missouri country. From Great
Falls TO ST Louis there railroads everywhere.
In Montana the record for fast railroad building
was broken in 1884, when $50 miles of Great North
ern track were laid and ballasted into substantial
shape in six months. 1t matter OF vital i'm
portance that Great Falls he reached by certain
date. - 49,. t,do,,r,a,t
of the river as q means of Transportation Is foIt-
Swallowed in the annual report of captain IL M
C'hittenden. chief of United States Engineers Tor
the Missouri River who succeeded the MISSOURI
River Commission. He says in part:
Tho disCoutfnlIanCe of the Missouri River com
mission and the greatly reduced appropriations as
compareI with former years. for both upper ana
lower rivers indicate intention on the part or
Congress to abandon the river altogether IN the
rear Before the rendition OF the annual
renorr for 1903 officer In charge VIII he pre-
nared 70 submit a comprehensive statement OF the
conditions Of the entire river and the adVisabllity
or 0r-afiyisahiiity Of further work upon u
The government has spent millions OF dollars try
ting 10 keen the river clear Of snags and sand bars,
and all the effort counted for nauEht In 1880 an
estimate of $4,000 year was made TOR keeping
the river free from snags. Since that time the