Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-04-13

~ ~ NF -
n AILROADS were none too plentiful
in the east during the early sixties.
~ nd their equipment, even that OF
the best. would look Anticipated now.
The engines were but toys compared to
those now used TO haul long freight
trains over the mountains. The smoke
stack resembled an inverted bell. and in
many ways known only TO q mechanic
the engines and cars were far inferior to
the present day models. On the little
line operating between Akron and Cleve-
LAND then l do not recall ever seeing a
Pullman. and there was no such thing
as a chair car.
The lines operating west or south of
Chicago. that were in the road of the
contending forces-it being war time
were in a bad condition, and not always
safe for travel. Rails and ties were torn
up and hastily replaced without any too
much care being taken in the replacing.
This state Of affairs did not tend to pro-
vide smooth going, as we learned by ex-
perience while travelling over the Han
nibal 81 st. Joe in 1868 when on our way
westward. Fortunately we reached our
destination without accident although
the road was o rough for comfort.
At st. Joe we o a boat for Omaha,
and for two years and q half saw no
more of railroads good, bad or indiffer-
ent. Flooding along day after day and
week after week behind slow-moving OK
en-. we came to envy the comparative
rapidity with which mule trains devoured
the nterminable distance. II only we
could travel as fast.
Ten years later when I revisited Mon
tana, there were no railroads nearer than
Corinne, Utah, through which passed the
Union Pacific. From there to Montana
points the journey was made by stage,
by pack train, or in covered wagons. The
roads were abominable, the advent of
the good roads movement then I'M
dreamed of. 1t awaited the invention
and common use of the automobile.
Not long afterwards / was present at a
meeting of the Montana legislature that
had under consideration. If l am not
mistaken, inducements TO be offered the
Northern Pacific If 1t would build
through a certain portion of Montana.
What most strongly impressed me was
the opposition to having any railroad
built here. Terrible predictions were
voiced Of what would follow the coming
of the railroad. and this by a member OF
the legislature who proudly claimed that
he had never seen q railroad and trustee
he never would see one. However, he was
outvoted in spite of his almost fearful
protest.
The protester was from Missouri and
had not the least desire to be shown that
he was mistaken. We do not need to be
told that the railroad was built, and
helped to bring prosperity to the state
I have often wondered If the man who
or. r4xnrnix DhtaatAL 80 4te 49,, ,r.o,
rode on it. or made use of it to send his
cattle or produce to market.
For some unexplained reason there
were evidently those in Chicago who die
not regard the building of railroads in
Montana with a kindly eye, although ii
was to the interest of Chicago that they
should be built. I came across the fol-
lowing clipping from the Chicago Tri-
bune somewhere back in the seventies
which shows how the northwest was re-
garded by residents of the lake city as q
field for railroad enterprise. 1t was pub
lished in the Helena Weekly Herald OF
April %, 1875.
THE public may dimly remember that
a broken-down corporation called the
Northern Pacific professed, some years
ago, to have discovered a belt of country
from Lake Superior to the Pacific which
was a sort Of garden of Eden with all the
modern improvements. 1t flowed with
milk and honey. Life in it was almost
too pleasant. The only objection to
building a railroad across 1T was that the
luxuriant vegetation might grow over the
rails faster than hourly trains could cut
it down. 1t was well known that stray
buffaloes were often overtaken by sweet
pea vines and fairly ~strangled to death
The fools not being all lead yet and q
great religious newspaper having been
bribed, the bonds of the corporation were
sold, subsidies were voted, and a portion
Of the a constructed. On Monday q
train was passing along his portion
when one of the balmy breezes that blow
softly over the rose bushes and sugar
cane Of that tropical land lifted the rear
car off the track, tipped it over, n tum.
bled 1t into a 40-foot ravine. Two per-
sons were fatally injured. Many Others
were severely hurt. The latter victims
may recover, as the force of their fall
was providentially broken by a large crib
Of bananas plucked on the company's
lands (which may be bought cheap) anc
awaiting transportation to the colder
climate of Chicago and New Orleans"
In commenting on the above the Her.
aid states that it is but one of many sim
liar items published by the Tribune at
lacking the Northern Pacific and con
cludes.
mo such occurrence as the one 1t de
picts ever happened on the Northern
Pacific railroad or within q scope of ZOO
miles of country traversed by it. TIL
accident alluded to did occur, but on thu
South Pacific Coast railroad, located OF
the extreme western slope Of the CONT
nent, In tropical California, where balm,
b~reezes. rose bushes, n sugar cane d.
abound indeed"
From the foregoing 1t will be seen tina
the Northern Pacific had more to con
tend with than the protests Of the NAL
from Missouri. 1t also illustrates the dens
ignorance Of the majority OF easterner
OF everything concerning this region. No
that the Tribune article was Intended t