Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-03-30
Purchase Of the Montana,

The Helena Independent, which ap-
pears to be exceedingly we'll inform.
ed as to the plans of the railroads,
and especially of the Chicago, Mil
waukee & st. Paul, discusses the sit
uation editorially in the following in
teresting manner:
Some call it "The Milwaukee" and
some call it the "St. Paul." but ev-
erybody knows that the Chicago, Mil.
waukee & st. Paul railroad has de-
termined to build to the Pacific north
west coast and is to pass through
Montana.
The Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul
has, practically, determined upon it's
route through this state from Miles
City to the vicinity of Harlowton on
the Montana railroad, the road that
every Montanian calls the Harlow
road" The Chicago, Milwaukee &
st. Paul has bought the Harlow road
outright and, in doing so, has tapped
Lewistown and the central riches of
Fergus county.
Butte being naturally the principal
objective of the new road, the build
ers have a choice of routes, as over
the acquired Harlow road to Lombard
and thence over barren and unpro
ductive region to the big copper camp,
or via White Sulphur Springs from
Harlowton, and by a broad and estab-
ished grade into Helena, the second
city in freight originating scope in
Montana.
The engineering staff Of the Chicago,
Milwaukee & st. Paul is now "igur-
ing" on the problem of widening and
raising the roadway Of the Harlow
road from Harlowton to Lombard. The
roadbed will have to be raised 80 feet
and the stone wall canyon blasted out
for every mile in which the old road
passes through Sixteen Mile canyon.
A mile-long tunnel is part of the pros
pective plan of making the Harlow
read adequate for the business of the
Chicago. Milwaukee & st. Paul be.
tween Harlowton and Lombard.
Assuming that the road utilizes this
expensive westward egress, we find
the Chicago. Milwaukee & st. Paul at
Lombard, fifty-six miles from Helena
and twenty miles from Logan. which
must be it's point of entrance towards
Fipestone pass on the way to Butte.
Was a Wise Move.
The acquisition of the Harlow road
was a wise and foresighted move
on the part of the Chicago. Milwau-
kee & St. Paul. It puts that system
into touch with the central richness of
Fergus county and Lewistown and it
provides a feeder from Lombard for
that connection with the Hill road. But
if the possession of the Harlow road is
to be taken as an excuse for evading
Helena as point on the main line in
its march to Butte, then it becomes ap-
parent that somebody has blundered.
Assuming that the widening, raising
and tunneling of the Harlow route be-
tween Harlowton and Lombard is not
beyond reason as to cost, yet the fact
remains that the new road must build
56 miles of new road from Lombard
in order to reach Helena with branch
lire. The route is difficult and costly.
Furthermore. in order to get in line
for the Pipestone pass, the new road
must build southwark 20 miles to Lo-
gan. Here now are rs miles of diff
ficult and expensive road building,
leading finally into a passage to Butte
which may be easy. but which in its
tributary territory is absolutely bar
rem of productive regions of freight
producing towns.
To White Sulphur Springs.
Having arrived at HarlOwton on the