Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-04-13
TRAIN FINALLY
GETS TO TOWN
The Second Freight Train in Two
Months Pulled Into Lewistown
With a Big Load Yesterday.
WAsHoUTs NOW THE TROUBLE
Track Down in the Canyon Carried
Out Sunday-No More Through
Trains for a Week.

The first train which came into
Lewistown last November created
very little more excitement than did
the second one in two months which
arrived at noon Monday. A large
crowd went to the head of Main
street, where the train stopped to
take water, for the purpose of re-
newing their acquaintance with the
"toot-toot' and painted cars. The
engine looked somewhat the worse
for wear and bore many evidences of
the %unceasing fight against the ele-
ments.
About forty car loads OF freight
were brought in and there are twice
that many more which will be in
within a few days. Every merchant
in the city had goods which were
badly needed On the road, and to
them, more than any other class of
people. the sight of the train was
most welcome.
NhN DtOPlN VI LNN iolONu
have been greatly irritated by the
lack of train service during the win
ter, it must be admitted that the
Montana railroad company has been
the greatest sufferer. A small rail
road company was never confronted
by greater railroading difficulties
than the Montana people have had to
contend with during the last three
months. There has been an unusual
amount of snow during the winter
and there is no worse place in Mon
tana for now to drift than the gap"
in which, unfortunately, is found
some of the deepest cuts on the en-
tire line of railroad. Drifts from ten
feet to twenty-five feet deep filled the
cuts on an average of twice a week
up to two weeks ago. In some In
stances they became solid bodies Of
ice five or ten feet deep before the
train crew could reach them. II cost
the company a thousand dollars a
day for extra work on the snow
drifts for over a month. Steady pro-
gress has been made since the re-
turn of Vice President Harlow from
the east about three weeks ago. The
greater part of the freight is up as
far as Harlowton, and 1t is well that
II is so, as traffic Is now tied up or
account of the washout which &C.
Cured last Sunday night in Sixteen
Mile. Exactly the extent of the dam
age done by the waters has not been
learned by the railroad men here,
| but il is thought that there will be
no more through trains for a week.
And 1t is said that the worst Is yet
to come, as the snow has just fairly
begun to thaw.
e. w. Ray, engineer In charge of
the local yard work, started in this
morning to laying track up First ave-
nue. for the purpose of graveling that
thoroughfare. 1t is the intention Of
the railroad company to put on the
| street a layer of gravel Is inches
deep in the middle of the road and
IL inches deep on the sides. The
yards will also be graveled. A steam
| shovel will begin work taking out
the gravel for this work on the Won
Tobel place, about a quarter of a
mile this side of the Great Falls road
crossing. In addition to g~raveling
the avenue from the depot to Main
street. the railroad company will al
so build a 16-foot plank sidewalk up
to main street.
Ray will have from thirty to thirty
five men under him. Dick Lausch
| will be one of his chief assistants in
the work.