The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-09-30
ENGINEERS WORKING FROM EAST
AND WEST MEET ON SUM-
NIT AND TIE LINES.
LAST PARTY WITHDRAWN
Work Of Locating Proposed Road
Through the Bitter Root Mountains
Is Finally Brought to Successful
cIose-A Tunnel Six Miles in Length
Must Be Driven Through Mountains.

Tue beginning Of the end of Il con-
test for supremacy between the Hili
and the Hartman interests, which.
for dramatic features, surpasses even
the great contest in the Deschutes
valley, came yesterday when the last
of the 0. r. & y. surveyors were
withdrawn from the Lolo district. The
survey has been finished at last after
4 rivalry with the Northern Pacific en-
2ineers which lasted for months and
the surveyors are carrying back to
headquarters the line of a new rail-
road through the Lolo country which
will give the Hartman road an equal
standing with Hills interests.
The survey was completed about a
week ago. The parties working from
the east end out OF Missoula met
those from the west right on the sum
mt and the lines were tied there the
latter part of last week. The race
through the Lolo country has been IL
long one. All of the way the Harri-
man people fought every inch of
ground with the Northern Pacific
parties. Strategy and forced marches
gave life to the great struggle and
the Northern Pacific men at last won.
filing their right-of-way just about
two months ago. Since then the Q.
II. & y. parties have been making
steady progress and the return of the
last party from the field yesterday
marked the end OF the preliminary
work.
Here in April.
The Hartman party first appeared
on April 10, of this year Then a small
party of surveyors camped near the
state university. Headquarters were
at once established in the Hammond
block and preparations made for the
real work. On April II the first party
left for the Lolo and the big task was
begun.
The Long Race.
The Northern Pacific already had
big force of surveyors at work there
and the survey rapidly developed into
race. Nip and tuck the two parties
fought up the Lolo To the summit and
over into the Clearwater country. The
eyes OF the railroad world were turned
to this small and undeveloned bit of
country and all waited the outcome.
Then in the early part of August the
Northern Pacific announced the com-
pletion of its survey and filed its
right-of-way. The contract for con-
struction was let little later and the
o. II. e. \. parties were forgotten at
once. They did not let up Il bit in
their work. however. and yesterday
the last crew returned from the field
with the announcement that the east
and west lines had been tied and the
survey completed.
A S,x-MiIe Bore.
Locating Engineer Chase Is not in
town so that official announcement of
the plans of the road could not be
obtained. A member of one of the
parties stated yesterday. however. that
the route practically followed that of
the Northern Pacific. There will be
Il lot of rough work" he said. and
the road will be an expensive one. Ii
Is short however, and the grade Is
easy sa that IL should be paying
proposition in the end. At the sum-
init the new road will go through the
mountains by means of a gigantic
six-mila tunnel which is the most
formidable obstruction which must
be overcome
Mysterious Move.
Just what the plans of the road
are is hard to say. AT present the line |
hits only the west side of Idaho. run
ming from there down through Wash !
ington and Oregon to the coast 1t /
taps rich region on the west of the !
range, however, and a move such as
This towards the eastern side of the
divide is not expected. The Harrf- !
man interests In their fight against
Jim Hill have a powerful weapon i'm !
the Q. II. & y. and Hill's latest move
toward the Lolo country is one which J.
Harriman's successors would natural /
ly be slow TO overlook. Where they
will 60 after they get here Is a mys- !
terry but at any rate they are bound
IN come In Missoula. giving the city
II new connection with Idaho and the /
eaast.