The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1953-11-13
North Road to Border to be
Built in Near Future is Plan
BY DON SCHMIDT, Sec'y.

BY DUN SCHMlDI, Sec'y.
Browning Chamber of Commerce
Last Thursday evening large
group of interested men from
Cardston, Browning and vicinity
met with the Glacier county COM
missioners, and the superintend-
ent of the Blackfeet Indian Ag-
ency, Mr.. Robertson, and his en-
cheering staff, to discuss the
possibility of speeding up the
long-delayed construction of the
road leading north from Brown
ing to Cardston, Alberta, through
Immigrant Gap.
To clear up the exact location
of this road for those who are
interested but may not know, the
following description may be in
order: The proposed route goes
north from this city on East Boun-
Diary Street to the Cut Bank
Boarding school, thence on north
past the old Yegen ranch, the for
mer Lewis ranch, and Wright
Haggerty's spread to a point, at
present about three miles or a
little more south of the Canadi-
an line. From this point to the
boundary over the Dresser pro-
perty there is no present road.
However, on the Canadian side
of the line a good road has been
run south from Cardston to the
United States border. New con-
struction, then, would entail only
the above mentioned three or so
miles.
The advantages to this com.
munity and the people along the
road of real improvement are
too obvious to merit more than
casual mention here. 1t may be
correct at this point to make clear
that the construction and i'm
provement of this route is not be-
ing undertaken with the idea of
replacement of the present Hud-
son Bay Divide road in as far as
the summer tourist traffic is con-
cerned. The scenic advantages of
Hudson Bay and Glacier Park
will draw the vacation travel as
in the past. However, winter trav-
ell over Hudson Bay is, at best,
precarious if not impossible, be-
cause of snow conditions. 1t is
for this and for the larger heavy
vehicles that the new route is to
be built.
The improvement of Immigrant
Gap has long been the pet pro-
lect of number of various civic
organizations in Browning. In the
past the Lions Club, Legion and
others have tried to get some ac-
ton in the case, each time bring
ing the matter more forcibly to
the public attention and bringing
realization of the project that
much closer.
The meeting Thursday evening
was called by the Chamber of
Commerce in cooperation with
the county commissioners in or
der to reach plan which would
be agreeable to our Canadian
friends and also in line with the
needs of this area.
After the meeting was called to
order by Chamber of Commerce
Chairman Lewis, excerpts from
the meetings of the Glacier Coun-
ty Board of Commissioners for
Feb. 4, 1858 and Sept. II, 1858
were read. These dealt with the
part which the Indian department
would be able to play in the i'm
provement of this and other
roads in the Browning area. In
brief the Indian department is
to bring reservation roads up to
county specifications and then
the county will accept them for
maintaining.
hAo ID ill pa VI lilC lllSiiali
withdrawal program and is being
done.
Mr.. Robertson advised the
group that the ALLEGATION OF In
dian funds for road building was
made on the basis of Indian need,
which of course, is logical. In
line with that policy his staff has
been doing great deal of work
on the road south of the G. N.
depot in Browning to Heart
Butte. The condition Of this road
was such that heavy snow remov-
al machines could not operate on
it so persons dependent on the
road for winter travel into Brown
ing were snowbound for long in
tervals. AS soon as the work on
the south road is completed to
the requirements improvements
will be undertaken on the road
north of town which we are so
concerned with. Mr.. Robertson al
so pointed out that it was his be-
lief that the new construction of
the three mile stretch to the Ca