The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-04-15

this grade will be ultimately used for
an electric line to connect with Mis-
soula from the east.
Much Enthusiasm.
At a meeting of the Stcvensvile
Chamber of Commerce held last Tues
day night much enthusiasm was man
ifested when the subject of an electric
line from the east was mentioned and
unanimous demand was made for
the appointment of a committee to
| confer with the members of the Ana
conda Business Mems association for
the purpose of boosting for the new
departure. 1t is confidently asserted
in StevensVille, Hamilton and Mis-
soula that the irrigation company is
backing the electric line project and
will exert every influence to assist in
it's construction. The building of this
line means much to the promoters of
the irrigation enterprise as it will
open up vast area in which the
water rights people are interested.
The country east of Stevensville is
/, one Of great resources, being a table
land on which most of the timber
stands in virgin state. 1t has never
been opened by a railroad and it's val
leys are known to be of most pro-
ductive and fertile character. Any
sort of line through this territory
| would, naturally, draw the greater
portion of the marketable product of
the country over it's route and would
be the means of settling country
| thus far uneXplored.
The loop now being surveyed by the
| Northern Pacific from the water tank
| south of Florence to Riverside is
| about 25 miles in length and will give
| the broader and more productive por-
| tion of the Bitter Root railroad facil-
| tiles.
| Conclusive Fact.
one of the self f-evident facts which
points to the awakening of the North
| ern Pacific to the necessity of i'm
| proving its Bitter Root road is the
| persistent manner in which the rail-
road company is placing new material
along the branch line. 1t is a we'll
known fact that the Northern Pacific
has made many elaborate preparations
to improve it's roadbed from Missoua
to Hamilton and is now prepared to
|
the picked product of the Paradise
treating plant. All along the branch
new material is strung ready for the
| construction gangs, which will start
the work of rebuilding very soon. 1t
| is officially said that As cars of ties
and track timbers have been distrb-
| uted between Missoula and Victor and
| about six cars more are ordered for
the south end of the branch. This
means that the Northern Pacific is
contemplating the placing of 1880 ties
in the roadbed on the Bitter Root
| branch during the coming spring and
| summer.
| Business conditions on the branch,
however, warrant the expenditure, as
the railroad company is now getting
| a much larger business in both freight
and passenger departments than the
branch has ever before been able to
show at this season of the year. At
the present time the Bitter Root local
! is moving a train of at least 80 loads
| down the branch daily and on the re-
turn trip is picking up train averag-
| ing 25 loads.
Eight Car Loads.
Hamilton furnishes not less than
eight car loads of farm products for
the Missoula run, while MittoWer,
Bass Spur Victor, Florence, Stevens
vile and Hayes spur are each good
for one or two cars daily. At Hayes
siding the local leaves at least three
cars daily to be loaded with ties and
timbers. At the latter place yester-
day morning the freight crew unload
ed over 5000 pounds Of merchandise
| to be delivered at the lumber camps
| Continued on Page F'iVe)