The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1917-01-19
GREAT NORTHERN
CAME WITH RUSH
BUILT INTO MONTANA AT RATE
OF 3 Ia MILES A DAY
IN 1887.
Story of James J.. Hills Invasion of
Treasure State With Engineers and
construction Crews Told in BiOg.
raphy Appearing in Installments in
Worlds Work.

raphy Appearing in Installments in
Worlds Work.
How the Great Northern, then
known as the St. Paul, MINNEAPOLIS
4 Manitoba Railroad company, was
built through Montana at the rate of
8 Ia miles a day is related in the
January Worlds Work in the fourth
article from the yet unpublished
Life of James j. HILL" by Joseph
Gilpin Pyle. This particular article,
entitled James J.. Hills Rules of
Business Success" draws a strong
contrast between the methods en-
ployed in the extension of the Great
Northern and it's rival, the Northern
Pacific. The Northern Pacific, al
though 1t had behind it men of in
ternational reputation and had re-
ceived enormous grants of public
lands, was almost continually in fl
nancial difficulties, whereas the
Great Northern was fortified by a big
treasure chest and never failed to
make a profit although it had re-
ceived no aid whatever from the gov
eminent.
Northern Pacific First to Come.
The Northern Pacific was the first
to enter Montana, but the Great
Northern was not many years in fol-
lowing and when it came, it came
with a rush.
without a moments rcst." writes
Mr.. Pyle, went on the preparations
for the westward march. No matter
how pressing matters were at home
for Mr.. Hill, he was always gathering
and storing in that wonderful mem
DRY of his every fact that could be
of service in the projected extension
of his system to the Pacific. Still
hardly more than warm in his seat of
power, this letter, written November
"a, 1880, to Paris Gibson, years aft
erward to become United States Sena-
tor from Montana, is eloquent of Mr..
Hills plans and methods:
1T will give me great pleasure to
see you during the coming winter and
to hear from you a description of
northern and western Montana. If it
is not too much trouble you can get
me a description of the country lying
at the foot of the mountains between
the Missouri river and latitude 40,
for a distance of one to three hun
dred miles and as far east as you can
get information; also the number of
cattle now in the Sun river. Teton,
and Marias river valleys, and any
other information that you think will
aid me-
Through N. =. Line Completed.
"The through line of the rival
Northern Pacific was completed by
1888, by the driving of the last spike
In western Montana. Here was real
transcontinental operation, while as
yet the Manitoba las Mr.. Hills road
was still called) al but part way
across the country.
"In January, 1885, the Montana
Central Railroad company was or
gal1ized, osttns;bly to connect the
new town of Great Falls, built at a
water power from which big things
we're hoped, with Helena, Butte, and
elsewhere in the territory that it
might elect. The Montana Central
was, to all intents and purposes,
James ]. Hill. 1t was organized to
occupy the Montana field until the
Manitoba should be ready for the
rush westward from Minot which was
to break the worlds record for rail-
road building. When, the mex year,
that rush came, the same contractors
h had made a record in the build
ing of the Canadian Pacific were en-
ployed here. Mr.. Hill knew what
could be done, and exacted it merci-
lessly. Not only grading but bridg-
ing was done ahead of the track lay
ers, so that the rails were shot out
and spiked down with amazing ra-
pidity. Mr.. D. c. SHEPPARD, the chief
contractor, has preserved in a men,
DIR a concise description of this per-
Torrance as an engineering feat: In
the year 1887 our firm constructed
1,175 miles of railroad, of which the
remarkably rapid contraction of the
st. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba
Railway from Minot to Helena
formed a part. The track laying on
this great work was commenced five
miles west of Minot, April LIST, and
a completed to Helena November
10, 1887, a distance of CAB miles and
at an average rate for each working
day of 3 Ia miles,
Building Method First Consideration.
"a year later Mr.. Hill reports upon
the performance of the complet d
work. As always, the method of
building, with relation to operation,
comes first in his thought. Reference
has heretofore been made to the ex-
ceptional character of this line as to
grades and curvature. With the *
ception of eighteen miles of temper
airy line the maximum is 31.7 feet to
the mile, and on about 400 miles of
of the $50 from Minot to Great Falls
the maximum is only Fl feet to
the mile.' In like name he notes
that the line from Helena to Butte lis
laid with steel rails of seventy-five
pounds per yard section, and white
oak ties have been laid on all the
curves He built for permanence.
but he also built to carry business"
Yellowstone Park MonopOlies.
The proposed consolidation of the
various Yellowstone Park t%ranspOr-
tation companies has been effected.