Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-05-11
RENEWING THE
OLD ROADBED
Extensive Improvements Being Made
on the Montana Railroad-New
Ties and Bridges.
PASSENGER TRAFFIC is HEAVY
Vice President Harlow Says That His
Road is Doing a Most Gratifying
Business in All Lines.

The work of renewing the track and
roadbed of the Montana railroad from
Lombard to Lewistown is now going
on and will be continued until the
road is put in tirst-class shape, says
the Helena Record. Vice President
Richard A. Harlow has spent consid-
cradle time at Lombard during the
past month personally supervising op-
erations.
I'VE have begun the work of renew
al on a large scale" said Mr.. Har-
low. Fifty per cen of the ties on
the first fifty miles of track from
Lombard out are being laid now. This
takes the road almost to Dorsey. Ev-
erything possible is being done at
present to make the road smoother.
The bridges are being rebuilt and we
are going to use a steam shovel to
raise the track all along the line. We
are also graveling our yards in Lew
istown.
Our passenger traffic is increasing
rapidly and is getting to be about all
we can handle with our present facil-
tiles. We have been compelled to OBJ.
tain new power to handle our freight.
If the passenger traffic keeps up the
way it has we will have to put on a
passenger train every day instead OF
running three times a week as at
present. Our business has increased
wonderfully during the past year.
Conditions Were Disastrous.
Last winter conditions were disas
trous for us and 1t cost nearly S70C
a day to keep the road going and ther
we did little more than shovel snow
The winter caught us before we had
the track laid and it vas impossible
for us to get in shape to meet the
weather conditions. We do not antic
ipate any difficulty from this source
in the future and expect to have nc
trouble to keep the road open in the
future. Brief delays, at times. are
unavoidable. but lengthy ones can be
avoided. and we propose to avoid
them.
I'VE will make a special effort to
keep the passenger train right on
time, but it will be impossible with
the heavy freights, so we earnestly re
quest patrons of the road to arrange
if possible, to travel on the passenger
which leaves Lombard Tuesday
Thursday and Friday of each week
In doing SO they will have more com
fort and avoid delays.
I'VE are now building our railroad
warehouse in Lewistown and will be
gin work on our other buildings and
a depot as soon as possible. We are
hauling many cars of potatoes and
oats from the new town OF Moore
eighteen miles southwest Of Lewis
town. Car after car of potatoes Is be
ing sent to Iowa and other eastern
points.
Outlet for Produce.
Moore is a town on Rock creek
bench in the center of an immense
district where produce is raised with.
out irrigation. There was no outlet
for the produce previously and nc
more was raised than could be con
sumed or sold around home. Now
that potatoes and other things can
be marketed on the outside, much
more will be raised. We have en-
deavored to make the freight rates sc
that people can lay their crops down
in other parts with profit. A large
amount of land is being plowed
up in the vicinity of Moore this year
and with ~seasonable weather, good
crops should be raised. 1t is expect
ed that in a short time We will be
hauling quantities Of low grade ore
out of Fergus county"