Year: 1876

prosperous future the easy payment OF the
paltry Indebtedness which then will require
for its liquidation a tax not to exceed Mret
dollars per capita.


believe public opinion to-day in Montana


is largely in favor Of railroad, come from
what quarter soever it may, and that we have
reached that point where further patience
ceases to be virtue, and when we are justi-
fed in exercising that precaution which rccog-
nzes the principle of self lf-protection for self
preservation. At this time the only question
is, railroad or no railroad. BY agreement,
if the law is voted by the people, the North
ern Pacific Railroad Company will by next
January put in running order fifty miles OF
their road west Of the Missouri river, and in
two years more will have their road three
hundred and fifty miles within Montana.
This point is thirty five miles from Bozeman,
and so far towards the interior of the Terri
tory that it would have all the effect upon
emigration, freights, and passengers for the
time being, as though the cars were whistling
past us, far on their way to the Pacific ocean.
Long before the North Pacific gets beyond
the Yellowstone will another railroad be pro-
iected and carried within our borders. for
the purpose of drawing our trade to the Union
Pacific and Chicago, and by that time it is
not improbable that San Francisco, wishing
those of Nevada, will reach out branch
from the Central Pacific that will strike
through our Territory to the National Park,
as well for share Of the rich ores of that
region as to secure the through travel Of the
world via Wonderland. Then, too, will
St. Louis, not willing to lose the trade which
she has so long held with Montana, step for
ward and put in motion that other valuable
thoroughfare, the Benton Road, which for
cheap transportation for heavy freights will
probably stand first in the rivalry of competi-
ton.


One road will beget another, and if we re-
main idle the first road will not be CON-
menced and we will thereby lose the benefit
which the first move in any direction will
have upon the sectional jealousies which our
prompt action will inspire. Action is the
word. Without it we are lost. In advocat-
ing railroad communication [ am for Helena
first. last, and ali the time, and knowing that
our citizens are SO much better off with any
road into the interior of Montana at any point
than they are without one, l do not hesitate
to point to the immediate benefits to result
from the North Pacific.


Already is the Government moving its
troops to the Yellowstone, where two new
posts have been decided on, which, when
built will forever settle the Indian question in
that direction, and open up that valuable
mineral country Of the Big Horn, Tongue
river, and Clark's fork. With these as pio-
neers the way will be cleared for the North
Pacific, which will soon come along, planting
its emigration at rapid stations and bringing
capital and machinery into our very midst,
to electrify the latent sparks of energy and
enterprise in every camp and hamlet in our
Territory. No one point will receive all the
benefits The whole of Montana will be
startled into active life by the first scream of
the locomotive within our borders With the
North Pacific coming in our direction from
the east, how soon would the citizens of
Helena commence negotiations with the CON-
pany to allow us to spend money at this end
of the line, beginning at one of our principal
streets? This is not improbable, for Helena
is on the direct route which surveys forty
miles nearer than any other. | mean the
route via the Yellowstone, Big Bend of the
Muscleshell, twenty-five Yard Creek, the
Missouri Valley, and Ten Mile


It is conceded by everybody that railroad
will develop our quartz interests to wonder
full degree, and it is not improbable that the
poor and hard-working miner of to-day may
not I've the millionaire Of tomorrow, and
what enriches him will, according to a recog-
nized axiom Of political economy, benefit his
neighbor So, looking at our situation as we
will, we have all to gain or all to lose, and as
there is a choice of evils we can vote 'For |
of Railroad Act, Yes,'' and instead
Of a subsidy ghost TO haunt and vex our de-
clning years we will have our children rise
lp and bless us.


Respectfully, yours,


ROBERT c. WALKER.


><~D\,


In book called "Courtship, Love and
publishsd in 1860, there is this
clause concerning the privileges of women
II leap year: 'Albeit it is nOwe become a ,
part OF the common lave. in regard to social