The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1907-08-29
ON TO THE COAST
North Western Plans Call For
such Extension
MONTANA PEOPLE FEEL CERTAIN
That This Will be Done and Done
Right Away

There has been considerable talk
the last year about the North Western
railroad company extending its line
from Rapid City through to the Coast
The recent improvements all along
this division would indicate something
of this kind, and Brookings may in q
few years be on great transconti.
mental line. The Helena, (Montana)
Independent, a recent copy of which
was received in this city, contains the
following account of the proposed ex-
tension:
The Northwestern railway has de-
termined to race against the Milwau-
kee road i'm the effort to reach the
northwest coast first. For almost two
years the Northwestern has been
piling up rails and ties at Lander,
Wyo.. for the purpose of extending it's
lines across that state. This mighty
pile of steel and timber, five million
dollars worth, is now being removed
to Belle Fourche S. d. preparatory to
the work Of rushing the line across
Montana by the most direct line to
the sound
OF a dozen surveys already made
for the North Western in it's course
across Montana, that which leads di-
rectly from Belle Fourche to Living
ston has been chosen. The Livingston
point means touch with the National
park traffic and leads the line directly
to the entrance to the Shields river
passage, with its rich coal fields and
it's great tributary territory.
1t is now known and agreed by all
experts that the route from Livingston
across Montana lies easily and feas-
IDLY up the valley of Shield river. down
the natural grade of Smith river, cross
ing the Little Belt mountains at
Whites pass and holding to Helena in
the descendant valley of the Missouri
river
"If Butte were the final objective,
the Milwaukee may be right i'm having
chosen the Sixteen-Mile canyon via
reaching the big copper town." said
an engineer. But the North West.
erns objective is Seattle by the short.
est and most feasible route from Bell
Fourche. The North Western will beat
the Milwaukee into the sound towns.
1t will build from Livingston, via the
Shields and Smith rivers, crossing the
| divide at Whites gulch, striking Hell
ena at an easy and favorable grade,
and passing westward over the Nc
Donald pass. After that there is moth
| ing to it from a constructive point
of view
The Northwestern has more ma.
terial on the ground and enroute for
its work than any other railroad" said
the engineer. ITS plans were made
long time ago and it has determined
| to outfoot every competitor. The old
plans contemplated an extension west
ward across Wyoming as the desirable
route and to that end enormous quan-
titles Of steel and timber are assembl'
ed here.
'All of these supplies are being rap
| idly transferred to Belle FOurche and
the newly adopted determination of
| the road is to extend it towards Puget
sound across Montana. The Shields
! Smith river route with cross over
| the Belt range at Whites pass have
| been decided upon. The road will
pass through Helena, and when com
! pleted it will be the most economical
route between the Mississippi valley
and the western tidewater"