The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-04-01
WORK WILL BE STARTED ON THE
STREET RAILWAY IN LESS
THAN A MONTH.
Mr.. WETHEYS GOOD NEWS
Not Only Will the Missoua Line Be
Built Immediately, but the Construc.
ton of a Road Up the Valley to
Hamilton Is Probable in the Near
Future.

soula electric railway will begin within
30 days and that it will be extended
up the Bitter Root valley to Hami-
ilton if the people of the valley win
offer reasonable cooperation in the
matter of right of way and other as
sistance, was the spendidly encourag-
ing news which A. H. Wethey brought
from Butte yesterday.
Mr.. Wethey arrived from Butte yes
terday afternoon and during the day
and evening was busy with affairs
connected with the Clark interests
here. For few minutes he talked
with Missoulian reporter regarding
matters which are of local interest
and, in the course of his interview,
gave the pleasant assurance cited
above.
The completion of the repairs and
improvements at the dam will come
in about 80 days" said Mr.. Wethey.
The Importance of getting this work
done before the high water has seemed
to us to be the chief consideration
and all of our energies here have
been directed to that end. Now the
end of the work is in sight 1t has
been expensive and when it is done
the total cost of the plant will be
about three times the original esti-
mate.
Well Done.
But the work has been we'll done.
When it is completed we shall have
a better structure than ever before.
am much pleased with the work,
which reflects great credit upon the
ability of Mr.. Inch. He has given the
work close attention and the results
are such that there can be no ques-
ton as to the efficacy of his efforts.
Mr.. Bickenbach, who has been the
engineer at the dam, will be retained
as assistant to Mr.. Inch. He has had
considerable experience in the con-
struction of electric railway work
under Mr.. Wharton in Butte and be-
fore he came there he had been in
the engineering departments of two
of the great roads of the central west.
He is therefore well qualified to take
up the work of locating the new line
here and of supervising it's construction
under the direction of Mr.. Inch.
No Delay.
Just as soon as the work at the
dam is finished, Mr.. Bickenbach will
turn his attention to the railway line.
AS L have said, we have considered
the repair of the dam as the essential
item in the work and that is to be
attended to before we undertake any
thing else. But you may give the
positive assurance that the railway
work will be started just as
soon as it is possible, and there
will be no delay when it is once
ready as soon as the bridge is fin
ished. The terms of our agreement
with the city are such that we are
not obliged to start the work until
the bridge is finished, but we wish
to have it under way just as soon as
we can.
We have made no contracts for the
machinery for the new road, but we
have the estimates ready and the
contracts can be awarded in a short
time. We are figuring on all the
supplies now and will have the con-
tracts as soon as we are ready for
them.
"There is another matter of which
it may be well enough to speak at
this time. We have been considering
the question of a line up the Bitter
Root to Hamilton and l am able to
say at this time that if the farmers
of the valley will give us the right-of-
way up the river and will make some
other concessions in regard to the
grading, the road to Hamilton will
be built in a short time.
Expensive Work.
"A road up the valley to Hamilton
cannot be built for less than $4,000
a mile; that would make the cost of
the line-if it is a good line, and we
would build nothing ese--not far
from million dollars. You can see
that the business of the road would
not, for some time, pay even the in
terest on the investment. For a long
time it would be the valley which
would receive the benefit. On that
account, it would be we'll for the farm
ers and others up the valley to con-
slider what they would be willing to
do for us. You may say positively
that we are prepared to build the road
within reasonable time If the valley
people will be reasonable in the con-
cession which they will make.
Local Changes.
Here in Missoula we are looking
over the plans for doubling the capa-
city of our substation; this work will
be done at once and the steam plant
will be made of sufficient capacity to
thoroughly take care of the business
in case of any accident at the dam.
This work, in itself, will be of no
small Importance.
There are some extensions of the
water works which we have contract
ed to make this spring which will
be undertaken at once. Mr.. Brown
has been seriously i'll and was not
able to come over with me. but he
will be here next week and will take
personal charge of the construction
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