The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1916-12-28

dAu WeSLWdfu. II IL uuQer operation
as far east as Watford City, McKen-
zie county, North Dakota, and as far
west as Lambert, Richland county,
Montana. The tracks have been laid
as far west, however, as Richey, Daw-
son county, Montana.
Musselshell- Circle Stretch
To Be Built in 1918.
The line into North Dakota was
built south from a junction with the
Great Northern main line at Snow.
den, 1913 miles to Fairview, and
thence east, a total of 500 miles.
From Fairview the line was built west
to Lambert, giving a total east ana
west line of 72.7 miles. To this should
be added rs miles, the distance from
Lambert to Richey. to which point
the line is being operated to a degree
under construction forces. 1t is ex-
pected that the line will be complet-
ed next year to Circle, SO miles far
Their west. AS the line from Winnett
is expected to be completed to the
Musselshell by the end of next year,
this will leave between 10 and 100
miles to be constructed in 1918 for
the linking of the east and west lines
The Great Northern intends ultim-
ately to make additional cut-offs in
the western part of the state between
Great Falls and Libby that will put
Lewistown and other towns on the
New Rockford line on a new trans
continental route. One of these cut
offs would extend from the western
terminus of the Great Falls Gilman
line, northwestward past Swan Lake
to kalispell, shortening considerably
the present roundabout route via
Shelby. Another cutoff would run
little north of west from Kalispell
to jennings, Is miles east of Libby,
shortening by more than half the
present route by way of Columbia
Falls, Eureka and Rexford.
New Agricultural Empire
To Be Opened by Cutoff.
The New Observation-Disclosures cut
off is expected to double, triple and
quadruple within a few years the
population of vast territory once re-
garded as worthless for the growing
of crops, but now recognized as an
agricultural empire that soon will
be among the worlds foremost wheat
producing and flax-growing districts.
The cut-offs west of Great Falls
will make possible greater develop
ment of the lumber industry, the
opening of new mines and the SETTLE
ment of the mountain valleys by or
chardists.
Milwaukee to Shorten Line
From Missoula to Great Falls.
Still another transcontinental road.
the Milwaukee, through it's proposed
Missoula-Great Falls cutoff, vet to
be constructed from Clearwater to
Manchester through Ovando, Glenn
ons and Riebeling, together with the
projected line from Grass Range east
ward and from Weede south, contem-
plates an alternative routing in the
overland journey. With the COM
pletion of these lines the transconti-
mental traveller could pass through
Roundup, Butte and Deer Lodge 60
ing one way, and on his return, by
leaving the present main line at Bon
ner, a few miles east of Missoula, to
rejoin it at Milestone, could visit
Great Falls and Lewistown, travelling
continuously the meanwhile on Mil
waukee lines.
The intention of the road to build
this cutoff became clearly evident
when, in the construction of the Aga
wan line, heavy main line rails were
laid from Great Falls to Manchester.
whence the survey runs Southwestern
~ to Clearwater, to which point con-
struct1on was completed last year
from Blackfoot junction, distance
of rs miles, working northeasterly
from Bonner.
Just at present Boyes and Piniele
in the southern part of Fallon coun-
ty are the center of homestead excite
ment, largely due to rumors in that
section that construction work is
soon to start on the proposed Belle
fourche-Northwestern branch of the
Chicago & Northwestern, which
would bring another big railroad in
to the state. The line would enter
Montana near the southeast corner
and run northwesterly to Miles City,
where is located the worlds greatest
horse market-the center also of the
cattle-raising industry in that part
of the state.
Relations With Alberta
Will Be Made Closer.
Inc proposed railroad construction
will make closer the relations be-
tween Montana and her Canadian
ne1ghbor, Alberta. Besides the ex-
tension of the 500 lines with the
of feeders. the Milwaukee is
considering an extension of it's Cho-
teau-Agawam line, completed few
days ago, northward to the coal fields
that the line possesses in Alberta.
Freight, including coal, is already be-
Ing transported over this line, but
passenger service will not be started
until the spring or early summer aft
or the ballasting has been finished.
The roadbed of this line was COM
pleted last year, but all the rails,
from Great Falls to Agawam, a dis
,ance of 20 miles, were laid this year.
The heavy crops of Montana this
year, when the yield of grains
the middle west was be-
ow normal were the one thing need
I'd to turn construction suggestions or
proposals into actual projects. Be-
ween the Teton and Marias rivers are III