Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-03-20
WHITE COAL ON ST. PAUL SYSTEM
BIG Experiments in Identification and
Good Results Expected.

From the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
interest in the Chicago. Milwaukee e
st. Paul railroad is perhaps greater in
chicago just now than in any other
foad centralized there. for the posi-
Dlllt1eS OF good or ill are larger than in
the case of any other road. The Puget
sound extension has proved a success,
alter much dOu had been expressed
by observers. but the challenging thing
now is the identification of something
IKE 400 miles of the line in the noun
tam n which is now in progress,
a small part of the electrical service
being actually in operation. The gains
out OF the Puget sound extension and
the application of electricity as motive
are held to be an offset 10 the
reduction in the dividend from . to .
per cent early in 1912.
The estimates Of reduction in cost
through the use Of electricity are al
most startling. For example. on one
portion of the line where ,ha cost ms
been $4,000 per month for coal. it is
inquired that the cost for the same ser
vice by use of electricity will be only
$4,000 per month. Probably this ratio
cannot be maintained throughout the
whole stretch of road to be served by
current.
1T is highly interesting. however. TO
see that the mountains. which have
heretofore been such a tremendous
problem to the railroads. are i'm this
instance to be more than helpful. 1t is
lhe snow in the mountains. plus the
Missouri. Madison and other rivers in
Montana. that afford this opportunity
LOT such a vast c%heapening Of the cost
of operating the roads. The Montana
Power mpan makes the conversion.
n so complete is it's work that it will
lift copper from the mines. place it on
the trains and carry it to it's destina-
tlon. And the company works the same
yU0fnr NC - ~ -,.-o H., --:--- A.
numbe of stations along these streams.
Moreover. provision has been made
Tor any possible Interruptions through
q shortage of snow in the mountains by
the construction OF a reservoir some
thing like so miles long and constitut-
Ing the sixth largest lake in the United
States. 1t would seem. therefore. that
the st. Paul road and all the indus
tries served by the power mpa are
Well protected against any probable In
terruption of the service. The safe
guard of a steam plant. to be used in
case of need. was provided early in the
Initiation of this enterprise. but it has
not turned q wheel for six years.
Fuel and water have been the two
subjects of special solicitude among
the people of the mountain states ever
since the whites lived there in any con-
siderable number In Montana coal is
sl5 per ton. even the inferior article
which is used by most of the railroads
and the manufacturing concerns.
Doubtless a railroad can obtain its
supply at lower figures. and yet the
cost of fuel is a tremendous item. AS to
water. the mountainous and arid coun-
try is gradually solving the problem
by means of various devices. such as
irrigation schemes and electrical power
in accommodating and conserving the
supply. The use of these devices is eX-
tending rapidly all over the region. and
at the same time many of the growths
which have heretofore been considered
useless or worse. are coming to be ar
ticles Of consumption by man and
beast.
All these things are contributing TO
enhance the wealth and the IMPORT
ance of thai portion of our country.
The ST. Paul roa seems likely to Sc
cure the first great advantage among
the railroads of the enterprise of the
great promotion concerns now engaged
in the hydro-electric business.