Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1909-08-13
ELECTRlclTY'S PROGRESS.

The announcement tnat Hartman
will spend sl3,OOO, 600 in electrifying
the 14O miles of the Sacramento divi-
sion of the Southern Pacific means
that a long step forward will be taken
in the war that is now being waged
between steam and electrical propul-
sion for railways. Up to the present
time Canada has led the United States
in the application of electricity to
railways. and the experimental work
in the Rocky Mountains has been de-
clared a success. The Great Northern
and the Chicago, Milwaukee and Pug
ct Sound railways are utilizing cleo
tricity instead of steam in their
grades over the continental divide.
In suburban traffic in the vicinity of
large cities elecriticit, is rapidly TAX
ing the place Of steam. 1t has re-
manned. however, for Hartman. after
long and patient investigation, to at
tempt the project Of electrifying an
an enormous expense.
The work of changing the power
upon the Sacramento division, which
extends over the Sierra Nevada noun
tains from Reno to Sacramento, is the
most ambitious ever undertaken in
the way of electrical Quitting. 1t is
necessary for the road to increase its
carrying capacity for freight. The
continued use Of steam as propulsivp
power would mean that more tunnels
would have to be bored. This would
take eight years, and cost about $50
OO0,mO. The electriicatiOn of the di-
vision, experts estimate, will take two
years, and result in an increase OF
seventy-tive per cent in the speed OF
moving trains, while reducing the
nonprotitable tonnage by twenty per
cent. This means many more trains
over the division, the prevention of
congestion. and bigger dividends.
When the work is completed and
has been in operation long enough for
practical conclusions to be drawn by
engineers and railway experts, the
data will be Of invaluable service in
the perfection of plans for the extern
sion Of electrical propulsion to the
other railroads Of the country. While
many intricate traffic problems are
yet to be solved before steam will be
entirely displaced, yet it is evident
that the steam locomotive has begun
its journey toward the junk pile.
The finances of Meagher county are
in excellent shape. With II bonded
Indebtedness of about SAL 900, the
county has enough money in the
treasury to pay this off and nearly
enough cash left to pay running eN-
penses for Il year. The tax levy last
year WAS l7l-2 mills. The commits
sioners have fixed the rate for this
year, Il mills. There are very few,
if any counties in Montana with so
low tax rate, and this fact ought to
appeal strongly to investors. The as
sessable property in the county has
nearly doubled in the past year, and
it is expected that next year it will
again be doubled, ut which time, with
even a lower tax rate, the county will
pay off it's bonded Indebtedness, and
after paying running expenses, which
amounts to about s:'i,OtN year. will
have considerable money to the good
1t ought to he the ambition Of every
tax payer to frown upon any move
ment to divide the county or remove
the county seat. What we all want is
a lower rate OF taxation, and that can
only be brought about by Il wise and
economical administration of count v
atfairs-such as we now have. Let
MS keep old Meagher county intact
and the county seat where ii is.