The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-02-05
POOR TRAIN SERVICE.
Railroad Commission Hears Com
plants Against Great Northern.

Railroad Commission Hears Com.
plants Against Great Northern.
Testimony presented at q hearing
by the state railroa I'D commission Wed.
nesd az showed several causes for com.
plant regarding Great Northern train
service between Great Falls and Havre.
and 1t Is believed that the commission
will order that the railroad provide
better facilities in this part Of Mon
tana, In its report OF the proceedings
the Helena Record says In part:
W. r. King, Of Virgelle, represen.
ttttve from Chouteau county, was the
first witness. He testified the train
service was such that residents of
bis neighborhood seldom used the
trains to 60 to Fort Benton, but drove
overland thirty miles; that it took
three days by train, and but two days
by team.
He said there we're a number of sta.
tlons between Virgelle and Big
Sandy, but no agents we're in charge
and there was no way to And out II
trains we're on time. When be settled
at Virgelle three years ago, there we're
only about ten families 10 the local..
~; now there are 400. he believed II
o better service were given, mor than
a hundred families would p~atronize
the railroad, where now they use
teams. Freight trains on which pas.
sengers could ride are go unreliable
as eve to be awaited of, he continu-
ed.
Though not q part OF the hearing,
Mr.. King was allowed to tell of the
freight conditions. He cited instances
showing the service was intolerable;
that goods failed to arrive; and goods
to be shipped out remained for weeks
unless the shipper obtained a bill OF
lading from another station. He said
there was q good deal of grain to be
shipped, but there we're no facilities
at Virgelle for loading it.
T. G. Power, of Helena, testified he
thought business jutiaed an addi-
tional passenger train between Great
Falls and Havre. Business In Fort
Benton last year increased twenty-five
per cent over the business of former
years, and was better than it has been
since the steamboat days.
G. W. Morrison, q Fort Benton
merchant, said that yesterday thirty
passengers got on the train It Fort
Benton. He thought the average
number of passengers for every train
vas twenty. He said the waiting room
at Beuton often was used for storing
perishable freight, leaving scant room
for the passengers.
He testified that the service from
Great Falls to Havre was inadequate.
Five years ago q daylight train was
put on. said the witness, but it was
purposely run ia such q manner that
it could not be patronized, 80 that the
company could make q showing to
the railroad commission that it's op.
Grafton was not justified.
Mr.. Stranahan offered the testimony
that was put in a hearing five years
ago, as a result of which a daylight &C.
commodation train was put N. Mr..
Morrison's testimony, Mr.. Strana-
hans testimony, and that by Repre-
sentative l.. NJ. Fishbaugh, of Carter,
Chouteau county, tended to show that
conditions existing now and so far as
the train service is concerned, are
ideuttcally the same as they were then
and that in addition, the population
has greatly increased, making the
need of improved service more acute.
ly felt.