Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-11-16

barons among them who had been Il.
nanciaIly interested in the railway
project through the efforts Of Mr.. VII.
lard. These guests had been lavish.
entertained during the trip that landeS
them IN the west, and the entertain.
ment was continued after the spiki
had been driven that cOmplesed ths
line Of steel affordiug a northern con-
necti0n between the east and the Pa
cific seaboard
For years the great race for railway
control Of Montana had been in prog
ress. Prom the east and from the
west the army Of laborers Of the North
ern Pacific had been urged on. From
the south the Union Pacific had beer
forcing its line that was to tap this
region, known only at that time by the
fabulous wealth which had been taken
from the golden sands Of its streams
There was, perhaps, not one % the
railroad maguntes who were directing
this magnificent contest who realized
what productive commonwealth Mon
tana was destined TO becOme-the pro-
Queer and the contributor TO railway
freight business that this territory was
eventually TO be.
That they did not possess this real
ization was evidenced by the divertfng
Of the main line Of the Northern Pa
cific from It's natural route TO the
course across the mountains by way Of
the Mullen tunnel-a line that was
located as the result Of q piece of Job
berry familiar to most Montanans, and
which was constructed only by stu
pendous outlay Of money and a great
sacrifice OF time. This great error was
not appreciated by Northern Pacific
officials until long afterward. Then an
attempt was made to rectify the err
ror by the construction of the new
line into Butte by way Of the Pipestone
pass.
Ii was the intention of the Willard
people, so it has been said, to build
line uD the Deer Lodge valley, and Mr.
Willard named the prospective import
ant junction Garrison" In honor of
his wife who was a daughter Of the
famous antislavery orator. When, how
ever, the main line was completed and
the construction Of the line up the
Deer Lodge valley was due to begin,
the Union Pacific had reached Silver
Bow and disputed the prospective
right Of way. The contest was settled
by a compromise which resulted in the
construction of the old Montana
Union, owned jointly by the two COM
panies.
Then came the ENHANCEMENT Of rail-
way affairs and ultimately the failure
of both companies. In the subsequent
adjustment Of matters the Montana
Union passed from the control Of the
Union Pacific which never seemed to
realize the Importance of the line, and
became a part of the Northern Pacific
system, and now is the main line route
Of that road. All these are changes
that time has brought in its adjust
ment of affairs since that day in Sep |
TENDER, 1885, when Gold Greek enter
tanned more famous personages than it |
may ever see at any one time again. |
That day in 1883 was memorable in |
Montana's history. The special train |
which brought out the notables to wit |
ness the great event did not bring a /
larger throng than assembled from |
al parts Of western Montana. From |
A6issoula and the Bitter Root; from /
Butte and Deer Lodge: from mines and |
farms and mills they came. They drove, |
and rode, and walked, and formed as /
enthusiastic an audience as ever greet