The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1919-10-31


buying state lands and securing every
possible tract now, looking to the nea
future when the railroads go back to
their owners, when conditions right
themselves and lone bumper crop" to
which the state is looking forward for
next year, land values jump again and
the railroad start on their long de-
layed building programs. Millions
will be spent in Montana in the next
five years on railroad work. Hundreds
of towns which are now far from rail-
roads will be put on the map, thou
sands of producing acres will be af-
forded market, sheep and cattle will
be moved about with greater facility
and Montana's ultimate development
be advanced as it has not in the last
ten years, great as those strides were.
The $780," Great Northern, North
ern Pacific and the Milwaukee are
among the roads which will do the
greatest work. Two of them will di-
rectly benifit Helena and if the plans
of engineers which have been promul-
gated for years are brought to reality,
Helena will be one of the most import
ant hubs of transcontintntal traffic in
the northwest, chiefly because of the
low grades over the Rockies which are
afforded in the low passes west of the
capital.
The Helena Cut.Off
Railroad men say the Glendive cut
off to Helena is bound to come, tap
ipng a rich agricultural and stock
raising district and entering an al
most virgin territory as far as rail-
road business is concerned, which is
teeming with fertility and original
freight business through the heart of
the central part of the state and
swinging the main line Of the North
ern Pacific farther north to Helena,
cutting OF much mileage from coast
to coast and making an ideal double
track system through most of the
state.
This cutoff is part of a great opera
tion aimed to straighten the kinks
which early day builders put in the
original main line. From Glendive the
line swings almost due west
through Dawson, Garfield, Fergus
counties tapping rich and rapidly
developing territory which is in need
OF transportation, to White Sulphur
s Sp"ipgs in Meagher county, through |
the Smith river country through the
BIg EeIts and following the line of |
the famous proposed 'jawbone" road |
into Helena from the east. IT addi- |
ton there are many feeder lines that |
have long been discussed by engineers
and with the greater development |
their needs are felt more each year.
The Shields river branch, leaving the
main line at Mission and has been
to Wilsall, has been design
I'd to tap in addition the stockgrowing
and mining territory along the Smith
liver valley and in the Neihart dis
.rict. The feeder from Dixon to Poi
Jon in the Flathead is also to be ex-
ended eventually to strike one of the
asst great quartz mine fields of Can
ida, as we'll as to open up further,
,reat playground.
Through Wheat Belt.
Still another line of a great trans
continental road has been surveyed
hrougt the wheat belt of Montana.
t was done several years ago and
uns through Sidney in Richland coun-
y, over a meandering rout via Lam
'ert and Richey, the railhead, to Cir
lie, McCone county; Jordan Garfield
ounty; and the eastern part of Fer
JUS to Chippawa, the railhead of the
eeder east out of Lewistown, going
O Great Falls and the Burlington
vest
The 800" which has only a few
niles of track in the northeastern
orner Of the state, has already sur
eyed an extension due west, paral-
cling the northern boundary line for
everal hundred miles.
Another rich feeder which has long
cen contemplated will run north
rom the Burlington in Wyoming thro
gh Powder River, Custer Prairie and
lawson iounties, tapping the Great
and giving a shorter route
Or freight from Canada to the gulf,
nd also opening up rich stock coun-
~ in the southwestern part of the
tate, known as the last stand of
sal cowmen" of Montana, where they
Till have range, distance, freedom
nd no railroads for hundreds Of miles
, many instances. Helena Independ-
nt
q. N. viii Duitd Says Hin r
r. - ~ l.