Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-11-25
NEW RATES
ARE IN EFFECT
An Enormous Saving Will be Made
by the People of lewistown in
Freight and Express Charges.
COMMON POINT FOR EXPRESS
Example Of Reduetion-Head Offices
May be Moved to This city-New
Passenger Schedule Soon.

Some OF the benefits of the railroad
are already being felt by those who
have any freight or express matter
coming into Lewistown. The new
rates from initial points went into eff
feet the 18th of the present month
and the reductions on these two items
alone will mean a saving of thous-
ands of dollars to local business men.
On car load lots the freight rate is
now only Is cents higher than the old
rate to Harlowton. BY figuring the
difference between 10 cents a hun
dred and the rate which has been paid
to the freighters one can readily see
the immense saving to all of the
larger firms OF the city, each of whom
ship in annually hundreds of thous-
ands of pounds of freight. The rate
on freight in less than car load lots
is % cents higher than the old rate
to Harlowton. The following rates
now prevail on the different classes
of local freight; st. Paul to Lewis.
town; First-class, $2.75 per hundred;
se~cond-class, $40 per hundred; third.
class, 81 per hundred; fourth-elass,
$l.75 per hundred; fifth-class, sl.45
per hundred.
The new express rates into Lewis
town are the same ds the old
rate to Harlowton. the saving thus be-
ing the amount charged by the
stage from Harlowton to this city.
The basis rate from st. Paul Is now
81 and from Chicago 50. AS an ex-
ample of the reduction, where a three
pound express package from New
York was formerly 70 cents it is now
40 cents, a reduction of almost one
half. To show that Lewistownians
have no kick coming il is said that
the rate to this city is less that il is
to Livingston and the same as il Is
to Butte. This is because Lewistown
has been a common point and is m
tered on the same list with cities in
which there are offices OF two express
companies.
Lewistown is not yet a railroad
center" but 1t is speedily assuming
some Importance in railroad circles.
When the road was first projected in.
to this city, there were some who
sarcastically said that two or three
cars would be ample for the bust
ness OF the Lewistown end of the line.
Yesterday morning there were As
freight cars on the track near the
grounds of the proposed depot. The
Importance of Lewistown TO the Mon
tana railroad company is still more
apparent from the fact of the prob
able removal of all of the offices of
the company from Helena to this
place. The Argus is officially inform
ed that this change is being seriously
contemplated by the officers of the
road. This would be an important
move from a Lewistown standpoint.
II would e that the banking bust
ness OF the road would be transacted
here and it would also bring the head
officials of the road into closer touch
with the business interests of Fergus
county.
Work on the new warehouse will
probably begin next week. The dimen.
sions of the warehouse have not been
learned. but the local agent, Fred
Sheldon. assures the Argus that it will
be OF ample proportions.
The plans for the new depot are
now being drawn up and will be Civ
en- to the readers of the Argus with
in a short time. One Improvement
which the road is making, and which
will be appreciated by the public, is
the building of a good gravel road
from the depot along First avenue to
Main street. A force of several men
and teams is now at work with plows
and scrapers.
Vice President Harlow. who was in
the city yesterday and left this morn.
ing for Helena. said that 1t had been
determined, as a result OF a confer.
ence between himself and Mr.. Rob-
ertson, chief engineer, to do consider
able more grading in the yards than
was at first planned. First avenue,
within the railroad land, will be dug
out and grayeled to ID depth of IL
inches on the sides and 10 inches in
the center the entire length. making
an excellent road. All tracks in the
yards will be fully surfaced with
gravel. a commercial track laid and
the building of private warehouses en-
couraged. and the ground on either
side and adjacent 10 this commercial
track given a good layer OF gravel.
For this purpose the steam shovel.
now on the Dorsey division, will be
brought TO the gravel bed beyond the
cemetery and put to work loading the
material on cars.
What is, perhaps. Of more interest
than anything else to the people in
general, is the establishing OF the
regular passenger schedule. This was
to have gone into effect the 18th. but
the storm and the incident injury to
several OF the engines belonging 10
the company. caused a pOstponement.
Most of the engines are again in com.
mission and the schedule will be es.
tabllshed within the next week.