The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1905-10-06

topics followed. Mr.. ODonnell, in
speaking of the supporting influence
that the valley was to the city. said
that the people here had been afraid
that the cutting off of the Judith ba.
sin by the Montana railroad was 90.
ing to ruin the town, but when it was
lost they had awakened to the fact
that the Yellowstone valley was the
clty's main support. Mr. Hills answer
was the only thing he said during the
entire evening that implied prom
1se OF further railroad building in
Montana. He said: 1T is possible
sometime-that we may bring the Ju-
dith basin back to you. Some day we
may build line to run off up there
from your CITY," A man sitting near
him suggested that the people of the
/ country would like to see it done at
once, whereupon Mr.. Hill quickly re-
joined: eve are not going to be in
any great hurry about building
more railroads in Montana. When we
built the Great Northern through this
state we were compelled to buy the
rlght-of-way of the Indians, and to-
day we are paying as high taxes on
our railroad through this state as the
pennsylvania is paying on it's line be-
tween Philadelphia and Pittsburg. We
feel about our railroads as if we were
working for the state and paying our
own board" Referring once to the
Montana Central, which runs from
Butte to Havre, Mr.. Hill said that it
had been in operation sixteen years
and had paid but six dividends.
Mr.. Hill's Speech.
After the party of visitors had be-
come fairly settled at the club rooms.
Mr.. Hill was requested to make an
address. He was introduced by Mr..
Moss, who said:.s
Il now take the pleasure of intro
ducing to you Mr.. J. ]. Hill, whom
you all doubtless know by reputa-
ton. Mr.. Hill has been studying the
advancement of the western country,
and we would be glad to have some
of his ideas as to what we can do
here.'
Mr.. Hill responded as follows:
Gentlemen: l feel very much at |
home here tonight; in fact, L am back
to what call my old stamping ground.
This is nearly my f1ftieth year in the
and I never have seen a
more remarkable growth than that in
and around Billings. The permanent
growth of town is made from the
growth of the surrounding country,
with its soil and water, and you have
both here. never expected to see any.
thing o. the kind grow out of this
valley, in which I am interested. and
am also interested in the railroads
out in a different way. You have got
o earn the money the railroad gets,
md before the railroad can get it YOU
must make it from the products of the
soil.
Fisk's Expedition.
Il remember when Captain Fisk or
sanized his first expedition and start
I'd west from st. Paul. After this they
organized second expedition, and
his was through Montana. The OBJ
ect of this trip to Montana was to
ig gold, of which this country has
urned out an enormous amount. In
many places it has been mined out
tut you have here mines that will
ot run out; land that will be peren-
ial mines, not only for one year or
wo, but for years and years to come.
What saw today gave me more con-
dence in the development and {
rowth of this western country than
nything have ever seen or expected
} see between the Missouri river and
ne Crazy Woman range of noun
ains west of here. On my first trip to
[ontana, in '84, did not expect to
yer see what have seen today-farms a
n both sides of the road for miles C
nd miles west of here, and under q
and that you are going to, with the
rigatior schemes under way, put wa
IT on the arid lands for many miles
ast, which will help to build a city
nd make wealthy men out of the
Wners of the land. Anything that is "
any value on earth comes from the y
'ound in one way or another, either "
the shape of minerals or vegeta- 81
on. From vegetation we produce p'
eat quantities of sheep and cattle b.
at are yearly grown and from which 81
counted a vast amount of wealth. g
"You have here a start for great S
ty. Around you, in this fertile coun- IL
I'll