Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-01-09

ANDRAILWAYS
City Councils Plan Of Calling a
Meeting to Consider the Situa-
tion Meets With Approval.
MAY ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING
Milwaukee Road Not Likely to Give
This City the Go-by- Much
Is At Stake.

Gil for meeting at the council cham
Der next Monday evening for the pur-
pose Of considering the plans of the
Great Northern and the Milwaukee
with reference to lines through Fer
gus county meets with general ap
proval. 1t is realized that the Great
Northerns survey, which would carry
the Great Falls-Billings road across
this county 20 miles from Lewistown
will not be anything like the benefit
to Lewistown that it would if built
directly through the city, and on the
other hand, there is a fear that, with
orly a spur connecting Lewistown with
the main line another important town
may spring up on the line. Those
who have looked into the matter are
not very sanguine as to the result of
any attempt to induce the company
tn make a cnange, yet all agree that
it. is worth trying.
The Milwaukee Road.
The chief hope appears to be the Mil
waukee road, and already deal is on
W WulSii tlidI may StCult
the Montana railroad as part of it's
line. Columns have been published of
late as to the route this line will fol
low. based upon the surveys being
made. but as yet nothing is definite
ly known about the matter. It is stat
ed that the company will have five or
six routes surveyed. and finally the
| most satisfactory one will be select
e6. This leaves the matter in such
| shape that it Is a good one for com
, mittee to work on.
An Open Meeting.
| The meeting next Monday evening
will consider all the plans SO far as
known, and in view Of the impor-
tance of the subject to Lewistown, 1t
Is urged that all who are interested
in the city's welfare attend. The call
invites the business organizations Of
the city, as well as every business
owners generally.
In commenting upon this move, the
Butte Miner says editorially:
"As an indication of how the pro-
gressive spirit is making itself felt in
Montana, the action of the citizens
Of Lewistown and Virginia City is d
good illustration.
"A couple of years ago the county
seat of Fergus thought it was doing
pretty well when it got the Montana
Midland railway to make it the north
eastern terminus of the road, but ac
cording to dispatch published in the
Miner yesterday, it seems that the
Great Northern railroad contemplates
!. building a branch into Fergus coun
ty within twenty miles of Lewistown
and the people of that city have made
up their minds that they want this
additional railroad and they have
started out to get 1t.
This would give them an outle
both to the south and to the north
and would place them in a better posi-
ton than almost any other town II
, eastern Montana with the exception
OF Helena and Billings.
+ virginia City, which has no railroad
+ nearer than twelve miles, has made
! up it's mind that the Milwaukee shoul'
come it's way, and it has delegated on
of its prominent citizens to go to Chi
:, cago and present the advantages tn
, road would derive from passin.
through the old capital Of Montana.
1T is to be sincerely hoped that tn
, Madison county people may have thei
9 wishes gratified in this particular, an
they announce that they have disco,
n cred a very good route for a railroa,
= and the company that strikes tina
= town will certainly get large amour
, of freight and would tap a compar;
- lively new agricultural country
reaching it and building on from ther
n to Butte.
= "If Virginia City succeeds in ge
: ting the Milwaukee, White Suulphu
j, Springs will have to hustle, unless
!, desires to retain the distinction of b.
- ing the only county seat in the stat
that has no direct railway commun
> cation with the outside world.
"The indications on every side poir
= to the present year as being the mos
- progressive one that the state ha
=. ever seen.
. "The construction of one trunk lin
- through Montana and the building {
branch roads will give the industri'
r life of the commonwealth a stimuli
- that it has not known before, unles
- all signs fail"
All Claim the Road.
S. The most complete summary of a
If the stories as to the route to be fC
)f lowed by the Milwaukee is in the for
n OF drawing that appeared in tt
n Butte Inter-Mountain of Friday. tt
work is by I.ovey, and there is plent
m Of humOr in the picture. The dra'
ct ing presents a map of Montana. al
IA gives the course of the road fro
Miles City across the state to MissO
81 la From Miles City. the line double
ct back to Glendive, in Dawson count
lg then on northwest to Glasgow, in w
le ley county, due south to Forsyth,
IS Rosebud county, on southwest to Bi
ings. in Yellowstone county, shootir
We thence northwest to Lewistown, al
's thence southwest to Big Timber,
H. Sweet Grass county, and on southea
It, to Red Lodge, in Carbon count
is jumping thence northwest again
Livingston, in Park county, and ru
mt ming north to White Sulphur Sprins
on in Meagher county, on to Great Fal
s. in Cascade county. thence northea
to Fort Benton, in Chouteau count
lie thence due west to Chouteau, in
nd ton county, thence south to Heller
of in Lewis and Clark county. and
an south to Boulder, in Jefferson cOun
thence east to Townsend, in Bro;