The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-07-04
FRIDAY, JULY 4, 1902.
NORTHERN PACIFIC ENMiTY.

opinion of the gentlemen who have
charge Of the destinies and direction
Of the Northern Pacific that the peo-
pie. of this city should be grateful
for the fact that they are permitted
to be alive and the mere fact that
their town is located on the line of
the great trans-continental system
should be satisfaction enough for
them and compensate them for the
company's shortcomings in the way
of giving proper recognition to the
city and it's studied neglect of every
thing calculated to add to the city's
welfare n advancement. Only such
a presumption can explain the per-
sistent manner in which Billings has
been ignored by the company ever
since it has had a place on the map.
While other towns and cities have
been treated in a way to assure them
that the great Northern Pacific COM
pany vas interested in their growth
and advancement, Billings has been
the neglected child of it's heartless
parent and yves nothing to the COM
pany, except the fact of it's existence.
In spite of the shabby and heartless
I'M in which it has been treated
it has continued to grow and advance
until today it is one of the really i'm
portant places on the company's sys-
TEN. Advantage of location and SUI
periority of natural environment have
brought this about, not anything the
railroad company has ever done for
it. Billings couldn't help growing and
f1ourishing and the same causes that
have conspired to make it what it is
at the present date will continue their
generous contributions and the city
will maintain its growth, despite the
Northern Pacific.
What the of the apparent en-
nifty of the company toward the town
is cannot be explained, but the fact
is very patent that such enmity ex-
lists and that Billings need never look
to the Northern Pacific for any friend
il consideration or assistance. The
only use the company has for it is
to take the money it annually pours
into its Golfers. AS for anything else
the town and everybody in it may go
to some other place. just so long it
continues it's monetary contributions.
Billings is all right for the business
it gives the company. That is why
it condescends to keep it's ramshackle
old shacks here, which by courtesy
are called passenger station and ware
houses. The money received here
goes toward the construction of mag
nificent shops, depots and other struc-
lures at way stations and towns
where trains merely slow up or stop
on signals.
Notwithstanding that more pas
sengers are transferred here than at
any other station between the two
termini. possibly Butte alone except
ed, the passenger depot maintained
here is no better or more comfortable
than the n at Dogtown or Clancy's
water tank. The baggage room, so.
called. is hardly large enough to con-
tain the sample trunks carried by
the agent for a paper color factory
and baggage must be stored on the
platform. where it is exposed to the
weather and danger from thieves.
It is true that occasionally a man
with a trowel of mortar and a pot of
paint is sent here and immense i'm
provements" are heralded. Living
ston, doing only an i~nfnitesemal por-
tion of the business done by Billings
is honored by having the most costly
and elaborate passenger station on the
entire route.
Then there is the matter Of the wool
warehouse. When the representa-
tives Of the company cajoled the city
council into closing one of the three
streets remaining open between the
north and south sides it was with the
promise that the warehouse would be
enlarged. The enlargement has
been completed. It consists of an ex-
tension of the eastern end of the plat
form and the Introduction of a few
windows in the building itself. The
lumber for the platform and the win
dOws were probably some that were
taken from the old depot at Living
ston and not being needed elsewhere
were brought on and another 'im-
provement" by the Northern Pacific
nj made at Billings.
These are only q few Of the many