The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1915-08-27
WILL BUILD RAILROAD
WHEN TONNAGE WARRANTS

for short time and We're met there by
several business men of St. lgnatius to
whom he had sent the word that a
conference was desired. Similar word
came to Roman, but too late for any
body from here to reach Revalli in
time to meet the party.
The building of branch line across
the valley from Dixon to the lake, was
the principle thing the St. Ignatius
men desired to talk over with Presi-
dent Hannaford, and it is said that he
answered them that "the railroad
would be built just as soon as there
was sufficient tonnage to warrant the
road being built
When word was received in Roman
that the officials would stop in Ravalli
and would like to meet some OF the
business men of Roman and St. Igna-
thus the word was also given out that
it was desired that some data be fur
nished as to the number of acres in
cultivation at the present time between
Dixon and the lake. 1t was also stated
that the officials would like to have an
estimate made as to the probable
bushels of grain which would be har-
vested and marketed this year. This
information has been furnished reguss
larly for the past five years, and it is
very probable that the railroad COM
pany has better data on these subjects
now than any man or set of men on
the reservation would be able to fur
nish, unless house to house canvass
be made to gather the information.
But not withstanding the many times
this information has been gathered and
forwarded to the officials, to be simply
used as an excuse for not building, a
careful estimate was again made and
it revealed wonderful amount of
tonnage which will be given to some
railroad Or railroads during the winter
of 1885,
The figures will show that there are
at least 60, coo acres in grain this year
| between Post Creek and Poison. OF
this acreage there will be about 0,OO0
acres in wheat and 1000 acres in oats
and other cereals. So far the yield
shows that the average yield of wheat
will be about 25 bushels per acre,
more rather than less, and this will
give 1850, O00 bushels of wheat to be
harvested this year. Forty bushels
per acre would be a very conservative
estimate for the yield of oats, which
would make 40O,0O bushels of this
grain. All of this remark able yield of
both wheat and oats will not be shipped
out of the country, but it is fair to say
that at least three-fourths of the
wheat and one-fourth of the oats will
go to foreign markets. In other
words, 1000, 600 BUSHELS Of grain will
be shipped by rail from the Flathead
reservation this year. That should be
some tonnage, In round figures it
would mean 4,0O0,000 pounds of
wheat; 4,O0O, 600 pounds of oats and
other grains total of $4,000, 900
pounds of freight. 1t wonld require
966 cars of 10000 pounds capacity
each, to transport this grain.
With a branch line of the North
ern Pacific running from Dixon to Pol
son all of this amount would go over
that railroad to market. AS things
are at present two thirds of the entire
amount will go via Poison and the
Great Northern, so it can be readily
seen that the N. P. is losing some ton
mage which it should get.
Besides with a railroad built the
country would produce other crops
with more tonnage per acre than under
present conditions.
Potatoes are a good crop and do well
here average years, but under present
them to the railroad and none are
raised except for local consumption.
Sugar beets would pay well, with a
railroad and furnish many tons per
acre to be shipped to market, Other
crops could be mentioned equally as
profitable and which would be grown
with a railroad to transport them
when grown.
The question that naturally arises,
how long will it be before the North
ern Pacific builds into the valley?