The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-04-18
WILL RESUME
next MONTH
PREPARING TO RUN NORTH
COAST, LIMITED AGAIN.
RUMOR THAT LACKS BASIS
Man With Hammer Causes senseless
Talk Concerning Projected
Billings & Northern.

From Tuesdays Daily Gazette.
1t is now announced that the North
Coast Limited" trains of the North
ern Pacific are again to be put into
service May 4. Arrangements for the
summer service are now making, but
have not yet been completed. AS last
season, 1t is said, the limited trains
will run via Butte, while the locals
will follow the main line, by way Of
Helena. Whether correct or not, it
is further reported that the Burling-
tons train to Helena will be con-
tinued the same IS at present.
Much new equipment has been
bought by the Northern Pacific and
some of the trains the company will
put. or with the opening Of the sum
mer seaso will be new throughout.
"knocker" at Work.
The man who knows it all may al
ways be relied upon to be heard from
whenever any new or important pro-
ject is under way, consequently it is
not surprising that he has made his
existence known in connection with
the recently organized Billings &
Northern project. This time he has
his whereabouts somewhere up in the
northern part of the state, and, as
usual, he "speaks by the card" From
the "best authority" whose complete
confidence he always has, he is now
giving it out that the road will never
be built and has found a correspond
ent silly enough to listen to him and
telegraph his foolishness to newspa-
pers willing to receive such stuff.
While The Gazette does not pre-
tend to be as close to the source of
authoritative information as the
northern Montana gentleman pro-
fesses to We, still it has it from a toll
erably reliable quarter that the road
will be constructed and operated, and
that before SO very, very long. I'm
til the first meeting of the new COM
ipany is held matters, Of course, will
nave to remain quiescent, as nothing
can be done before then. After that
event, however, it is safe to venture
the assertion that something will be
doing of the solid, tangible order. In
timation has been made that but lit
tie time would be required for the
letting Of contracts and the Inaugural
ton Of actual work on the roadbed.
The Surveys have been completed, 'ex-
cept the little detail Of cross section
ing, a part Of the work that can be
done quickly and easily, after which
the rest will follow rapidly.
Will Not Down.
Despite repeated and energetic de-
malls. the rumor that G. s. Mellen is
to shortly leave the service Of the
Northern Pacific as Its president will
not stay quieted. First it was that he
would be succeeded by G.. w. Bum,
attorney general Of the company, and
now J.. D. Farrell is the fortunate
man whom has slated for the
position. The latter gentleman re-
sides at Seattle and is president of
the Pacific Coast Steamship company.
Before going to the steamship COM
pany he al assistant general superin-
tendent of the Great Northern and is
said to be a close, personal friend of
James j. Hill. The eason given in.
the rumor for his selection as the sue
cessor of Mellen is that he would be
representative in every way Of the
Hill policy, a policy, the same source
declares, has not always been to the
liking Of Mellen and consequently has
not been carried out with the com
pleteness wished by Hill. Whether
right or wrong, the same has it
that a change Of management of the
Northern Pacific is desired by Hill for
the purpose of getting a more progress
sive staff, il not a more aggressive
one.
The latest candidate for Northern
-
Pacific honors that the gossips have
selected is q thorough railroad man
and one of those who have worked
their way up from the ranks. His
first work railroading al in the ca
pacity of a trackman for the; Chicago
& Northwestern, in 1877. He rose
rapidly and between the time when
he welded a shovel and his present
position with the Pacific Coast Steam
ship company he has been timekeeper,
foreman Of bridges and buildings.
chief clerk, freight brakeman, station
agent, freight and passenger con
-ductor, trainmaster and superintend-
emit. In addition to this he has also
been a mining and steamboat broker.
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