The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1916-12-29

there connecting with the proposed
Great Northern branch from Big San
dy to Joplin, which is expected to be
routed through Nenilworth and
Brinkman. Another proposal a for
a line to follow the Marias valley
southeastward and connect with the
Havre line in the vicinity of Iona.
Another line suggested was to
from Chester south to Fort Benton
or Great Falls. 1t is generally un-
derstoon that all these proposed lines,
except the Big Sandy-Joplin project,
have been superseded by the line now
being surveyed from Conrad.
Construction of "North Country"
Line to Opheim Assured.
The opening up of another rich ag-
ricultural section is assured by the
construction of the north country"
railroad, a branch of the Great North
ern from Poplar through Glentana
to Opheim, for which rights of way
already have been secured. The rail-
road company through agents who
represented themselves to be home
seekers, recently completed the pur-
chase of a right of way from the main
line through to Opheim and bought
$50 acres for a toWnsite within a half
mile of where Opheim now stands.
The route was surveyed this year and
it is probable hat construction will
begin in the spring.
Yet another line assured that will
serve a rich farming district is the
Lake Basin railway, the construction
of which from Hesper. in Yellowstone
county, to Gibson, in saltwater coun-
ty, a distance OF 3S miles, has already
been authorized. This is regarded as
a branch of the Northern Pacific, or
at least the property of the Northern
Pacific. 1t does not connect up with
the Northern Pacific, however, as
Hesper is on the line Of the
Billings and Northern, a Great
Northern %offshoot. The general
direction of the line as far as
Gibson, to which point it is to be
completed next year, is northwestern
ly. One of the important stations
alone the route will be the town OF
Stickley.
From Gibson the line will be con.
tinued ultimately in the same general
direction to Melville and thence north
to Harlowton. BY a line from Big
Timber to Melville the Northern Pa.
cific will thus be able to connect Har-
loWton with it's main line.
Contract Let for Construction
OF DiNon-Polson Line.
The contract already has been let
for a branch line of the Northern Pa
cific north of Dixon. This will run
through st. Ignatius and Roman to
Poison OF the Flathead lake, a dis
lance Of about 40 miles. 1t is likely
that the construction will be complet.
ed sometime ext year.
Rumors are again abroad that the
Gilmore and Pittsburg, the ''road OF
mystery" is about to be extended
northeastward through Dillon to con
meet with the Northern Pacific
branch at Twin Bridges, simultane-
ously with the extension of the Gil
more and Pittsburg west from Sal
mon City, Idaho, to Pasco, Washing.
ton. The Gilmore and Pittsburg is
a subsidiary of the Northern Pacific
which purchased it two years ago
The two cut-offs proposed would pro-
vide a new transcontinental line
which would be used extensively fol
freighting as this southern route fur.
nishes the only continuous water
grade from western Montana to the
coast.
A railroad 6S miles long from
Custer to Hardin and thence up the
Big Horn river to the foot of the
canyon near the southern boundary
of the state is planned in connection
with the proposed construction of 8
dam $50 feet high by the Big Horn
Canyon Irrigation & Power company
of Hardin. Spur lines would be rur
from the canyon terminus of the line
to the base and top of the dam. The
surveys for this railroad were made
=. aOro Tho h~i1dir0 ~ tho 1nE