Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1906-02-06
CONTRACT Is LET.

Late advices are to the effect that
the contract for building practically
the entire extension Of the Milwaukee
road to the coast has been let to Nc
lntosh Brothers, of Milwaukee, among
the best known and most successful
railroad contractors Of the country.
Plans have already been formulated
1t is said TO push the work with the
greatest rapidty. As soon as practi-
cable, men, trains and supplies will be
assembled at Evarts, S. D., the pres
ent terminus of the Milwaukee. and
the actual work of construction begun.
Hundreds of men will be employed in
grading the new road bed, ana the
greatest activity Will be evidenced all
along the line. 1t Is distance of about
200 miles from Evarts to Miles City,
and it Is expected that the grading
crews will have reached the Montana
town by July J. Ties and rails will be
placed as rapidly as possible so that
little time will be lost.
From Miles City westward to Butte,
it Is stated, the exact route has not
yet been determined upon, although u
general plan has been outlined, but
which must be sustained by subsequent
surveys. Butte is the objective point
from Miles city west, coming to Hell
ena on n branch line In some such
manner as the Northern Pacific Is now
operated.
Preparations are now being made TO
begin active construction work as soon
as the snow leaves and the ground Is
sufficiently thaWed out to permit grad
ing to any advantage. 1t Is expected
that work will be begun just as soon
as possible after March /. In the mean
time, sub-contracts are being let and
preparations made to break ground at
Evarts at the earliest moment. Work
will be bugun ii Is said, simultaneous
ly at various points along the route
between Miles City and Evarts, so that
no time will be lost.
While in Spokane a day or two ago.
President Earring Of the Chicago, Mil
waukee q st. Paul road, Is quoted as
follows:
eve have not yet reached that point
where we know just where we can go,
as we did not start the work of locat-
ing the line until late last fall. We
have now made more definite surveys
and located our line as far west as
Butte and our route is located west
from here to the coast. From Butte
through to the Washington Idaho line
we are still undecided. We know that
We can go from the Lo LO pass to Lew
istown, Idaho, and we now have sur
veying parties in the field whs se
reports will determine whether we can
come by the way of Spokane or the Pa
louise country.
I'VE have surveying parties in the
Bitter Root country. Some of them
have been there since last November,
but we have not heard from there this
winter. We will know in the next two
months just where our line is to be To-
Gated as we are anxious to push con-
struction from both ends and from the
middle. We are building now from the
coast eastward and have our line def-
nitely surveyed 12O miles east from Sc
attic, which puts us through Snow
qualmie pass. Our grade through the
Cascades will be only one-half of one
per cent, this being the best grade OF
any transcontinental road. We also
have a good grade through the Rocky
mountains.
Our line will be completed to the
coast in about three years