Helena weekly herald. [volume], January 27, 1876, Image 1

About Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900

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Volume io.
Helena, Montana, Thursday, January 27, 1876.
No.
THE WEEKLY HERALD
FUBUHHKD KVYBY THURSDAY MORXIKG.
*. j w >isS*' }FISK BEOS., Publishers
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.
TERMS IX )K THE DA It. Y IIEltALD.
City HabscritxTN (delivered by carrier) ]ier month, f3 00
by MAII_
One copy one month..........................t 3 00
One copy thrw; months ........................ ^6 00
Oho copy nix months........................... 12 00
Oue copy one year..............................22 00
TERMS FOR THE WEEKLY HERALD.
< Hu- year ........................... f6 00
Six months...................................... 4 00
Three months................................... 2 50
THE RAILROAD
Mass Meeting at the County
Court House.
Addresses by W. Mihior Roberts
iuid Gen. Geo. Stark.
The Herald's announcement for a public
meeting to bo addressed by Gen. George Stark,
Vice-President, and W. Milnor Roberts,Chief
Engineer, of the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company, drew to the Court House a very
large and intelligent assemblage, anxious to
see and hear the distinguished visitors. The
bar of the Court room was principally occu
pied by Legislators, most if not all the mem
bers of both houses being present. The seat
ing space of the body of the house, aisles.and
lobby wore solidly packed with the leading
citizens of Helena, and many prominent vis
itors from other parts of the Territory.
lion. W. J. McCormick, of Missoula, cnil
Cii (ho meeting to order, aud on motion. Asso
ciate Justice Knowles, of the Supreme Court,
was chosen to preside.
The Judge said that, in consenting to take
the chair, he desired it to be understood that
his action was not to be construed as an in
dorsement on his part of any particular rail
road scheme. He knew something of the
temper of the people of Montana. They de
sired a railroad. The subject for some years
had largely engaged their attention, and every
day more and more showed their earnest
ness in the matter. He would like to be con
vinced that the present western terminus of
the Northern Pacific was not too remote from
the settled portions of Montana to be soon
available to the already urgent wants of the
people. The Northern Pacific had been our
first love, but hopes doferred had chilled the
hearts of the people, and more than prom
ises were now required to kindle anew' the
earlier affection and re-establish the con
fidence of the past.
On motion, a committee of three, consist
ing of W. J. McCormick, J. G. Spratt, and
Grauville Stuart, was appointed to wait up
on and escort Gen. Stark and Mr. Roberts to
the stand.
The gentlemen soon made their appearance
escorted by the committee, and were received
with applause.
W. MILNOR Ito UK UTS SPEECH.
Mr. Roberts first addressed the meeting,
lie prefaced his remarks with a reference to
statements he had made to the people of Mon
tana some years ago, respecting the feasibil
ity of the general route of the N. P. Railroad
between the east and west along this latitude
and its capabilities of yielding a profitable
business; adding, that the surveys afterward
made by the company had established its
feasibility, and that nothing had occurred to
lessen the intrinsic value of the Territories
through which it is to run. That although
the placer gold mining had decreased—mainly
for want of capital needed to construct more
extensive works for the conveyance of water
—quartz mining was on the increase; and a
new and valuable element, sheep-raising and
wool, had been added to the natural products
of the country and was rapidly becoming a
very important item of Montana commerce.
The claim made by many of your intelligent
citizens, who have resided in the different
Territories, that Montana is by far the best in
natural resources, as far ns I can judge, ap
pears to be well founded. The same, or sim
ilar enterprises, which have developed the
mining and other capacities of Utah, Color
ado and Nevada, will probably lead to even
greater results in Montana. In 1861), the year
of the opening of the only continental line
yet completed, and soon after it commenced
running, I traveled over it under favorable
auspices for observing its location, its then
proposed terminus on the Pacific at Ban
Francisco, and the incipient mining interests
along the route. The conclusion to which I
then arrived was-quite contrary to the gener
al opinion freely expressed by travelers and
others, who were pretty unanimously of the
opinion that it would be a financial failure,
i thought I saw iu it elements of probable
success, and I gave expression at the time to
this belief in articles which were published iu
the newspapers of the East. I had no inter
est iu the road then, or at any time before or
since, and my judgment was not formed
from anything which had occurred in its
financial management; but wholly upon the
fact of its trans-continental character, and as
a means of speedily developing the resources
of the interior Territories through which it
in
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passes. I may say, here, parenthetically,
that I afterward ventured a sort of prophecy
in Helena, which has not been fulfilled; to
the effect that we hoped and expected to take
the citizens of Montana, including the ladies,
to the Centennial in Philadelphia, in 1876, all
the way by rail. So far as the ladies are
concerned, I can only say now, that I am
here, ready to escort them to the nearest sta
tion, and thence by rail to Philadelphia.
The circumstances which stopped the on
ward movement of the Northern Pacific rail
road, and which prostrated many other great
interests and individual fortunes, are well
known to all of you, and need not now be
discussed. Lamantatious are useless. Our
duty as men is to endeavor to recover the lost
ground at the earliest practicable moment;
and the present seems to be a propitious time
to resume active operations. Labor, cross
ties, iron, and all materials and supplies need
ful are lower now than they have been for
years. Contractors of undoubted experience
and ability are ready to take contracts at
moderate prices, and thus the cost of the ex
tension of the railroad west of the Missouri
will be reduced to the lowest rate per mile.
The railroad company now owns on its eastern
end a sufficient number of locomotives and cars
to run the road four or five hundred miles be
yond Uisumrek; and ample for the convey
ance of the material, anpplleo marl men ic
quired for the work. Fort Abraham Lincoln
stands on the west side of tile Missouri, op
posite Bismarck, ready to protect the advance
of the road across western Dakota into Mon
tana, and other forts are promised on the
Yellowstone, as soon as it shall be apparent
that the railroad w ill be in the course of con
struction along that Valley.
The Öioux question, that is, the final set
tlement of the difficulties, dangers, und enor
mous annual expenses to the government,
connected with tne attempted management of
these warlike savages, will, it is perfectly weil
understood, be put at rest at once and forever,
by the construction of the Northern Pacific
railroad through the Ik. ellow'stone \ alle} into
the heart of Montana. In the effort of the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company to prose
cute their work westward from the Missouri,
the hearty co-operatiou of the Government is
therefore assured. T he officers of the Arm}
who are most familiar with this great Indian
question, see in the construction of this rail
road the final solution of the problem of sub
stituting for the useless roving Indian supre
macy thoughout this region, the reign of or
der and progress of white civilization. An
other year should not be lost in seeking this
vital consummation—the final settlement of
the Indian question in connection with the
Territories of Dakota and Montana; and it
need not be, if all parties interested harmon
ize, and apply their united energies to the
task. No parties are more interested in this
matter than the people of Montana.
The characteristics of the route of the
Northern Pacific Railroad, although they
have often been stated, are so peculiarly
favorable as to be at all times worthy of ex
amination and study. At the time the Gov
ernment made the surveys of the three Con
tinental routes, in 1858-54, the Northern,
surveyed by Governor Stevens, was generally
conceded to be, in its topographical features,
by far the most advantageous ; but the cir
cumstances of succeeding years led to the
formation of the two companies, which, pa
tronized by the Government, constructed the
first Continental lino between Omaha and
Sacramento, and to San Francisco. Chicago
is, however, the practical eastern terminus of
one prong of that Continental line, because it
strikes the lake navigation ; while St. Louis
is the terminus of the other prong, because it
there strikes that commanding position on
the Mississippi. Between Chicago, on Lake
Michigan, and San Francisco, the railroad
distance is twenty-four hundred miles. The
Northern Pacific Railroad has its eastern
terminus at the head of Lake Superior, be
cause it there meets the splendid navigation
of the Great Lakes ; and this point is only
two thousand miles by the railroad route,
passing through Montana, to Puget Sound, on
the Pacific, where, owing to its position on
the coast, there is an advantage of about seven
to eight hundred miles between the United
States and Japan, etc., as compared with the
sailing lines from San Francisco. And the
western terminus on Puget Sound, in the
Territory of Washington, has a climate where
severe winters are unknown, and is sur
rounded by primeval forests of timber—the
grandest on the globe—already yielding an
nually over two hundred millions of feet of
lumber for the supply of San Francisco,
China and Japan.
It is substantially a valley route, between
Lake Superior and the Pacific, the only ex
ceptions being the Belt Range east of Boze
man, and the Main Divide of the Rocky
Mountains. These summits are only about
seventeen hundred feet above the valleys of
gradual approach, and about six thousand
feet above the sea; being more than two
thousand feet lower than Sherman summit on
the Union Pacific, and more than one thou
sand feet lower than the summits on the Cen
tral Pacific. In fact, the entire range of
country aloDg the Union Pacific line for more
than four hundred miles, is higher than
the highest summit on the Northern Pacific.
It is well known, also, that the Northern
route runs through regions not subject To
material obstruction from snows.
Montana is the Central Territory, with au
area about throe limes as great as the State
of Pennsylvania. Its interior is five hundred
miles distant from any railroad facilities,
such as are enjoyed by the other Territories.
Helena, the principal commercial emporium, is
within about one hundred and forty miles of
stage and wagon road from Fort Benton, the
head of navigation on the Missouri—four
thousand miles from its mouth, aud about
the same distance by the river from Pitts
burgh. The Missouri is navigable to Fort
Benton for loaded steamers during a few
months of the spring and early summer. To
Cow Island, about two hundred mile# by the
river below Fort Benton, it is navigable for
light draught steamers most of the season.
Within a few years another shipping post for
Montana has been established at Carroll,
about three hundred miles by river below
Fort Benton. This point is about four hun
dred and fifty miles above the mouth of the
Yellowstone, and about eight hundred and
fifty miles above Bismarck, at the present
terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
It is about two hundred and fifty miles by the
new wagon road from Helena to Carroll.
From Bismarck by the railroad route to the
Yellowstone river at the mouth of Glendive
creek, it is two hundred and five miles. From
Glendive creek to Powder river, about fifty
miles. From Powder river to mouth of Big
Horn, about one hundred and sixty miles.
From Big Horn to mouth of Shields' river,
about one hundred and thirty miles. From
Shields' river to the "Three Forks," or head
of Missouri river, about sixty-eight miles.
Making the entire railroad distance from Bis
marck to 'Three Forks," about six hundred
and thirteen miles. On a final location it
may be a few miles more or less. By our
railroad survey it is seventy miles from the
Three Forks to Helena. It will, therefore, be
about one thousand and sixty-three miles from
the "Three Forks" to the eastern terminus at
Lake Superior, and from Helena, about
eleven hundred and thirty-three miles. From
Helena to Kahuna, forty miles below Port
land, on the Columbia river, by our survey,
it is just eight hundred miles, and to Tacoma,
the western terminus on Puget Sound, nine
hundred and five miles. These distances
serve to show where Montana is, with refer
ence to the eastern and western water lines
of the Continent.
Montana is eminently a grazing region,
and there can be no question that it is des
tined, when favored with proper railroad
facilities, to become the leading Territory of
the Union in raising aud shipping, eastward
and westward, cattle, horses, and^wool, and
mutton, not to be surpassed by aDy the world
can produce.
What it needs is a railroad, to place it in
connection with the other parts of the
United States, that these products may be
profitably disposed of. But Montana is also
a great mining region, perhaps the greateet
that has ever yet been known in the world.
Montana is one of the youngest of the Terri
tories—only a child of some ten or twelve
years' growth—yet she has sent out, for the
benetit°of the whole country, during that
brief period, about onu hundred millions of
dollars from her miner Bhe has not only
mines of gold and silver, but rich lodes of
copper, beds of iron ore, and valuable coal
mines, all of which are awaiting the helping
hand of capital for their profitable develop
ment.
Transportation has become oneof the most
important elements of our national existence.
This is largely owing to the immense size of
our country and the remoteness of its various
sections from each other. All the resources
of brains and money have been put in requi
sition to reduce the cost and time of carrying
the almost boundless productions of our peo
ple between distant districts. The proper
arrangement and manipulation of more than
three°miliions of square miles of a national
domain, so as to best accommodate its present
and future busy populations, is a labor of
statesmanship, calling for the highest and
best trained judgments. It has become ob
vious that the country must rely, for its de
velopment and for the efficient transaction of
its already vast and growing business,
mainly upon railroads connecting the distant
interior with its ocean front and its navigable
water courses.
Montana is to be connected by railroads
with the Pacific ocean in the west, and with
the Atlantic slope and its network of rail
roads, and its rivers and lakes, in the east.
If Montana desires to become a branch Ter
ritory—a Cinderella among her sister Terri
tories—she can do so by depending upon a
branch railroad, letting her out by the cir
cuitous route of the Union Pacific and Cen
tral Pacific; but if Montana is the great Ter
ritory it is claimed to be, and which 1 sin
cerely believe it to be, it is certainly worthy
of a main trunk line running east und west
through her territory.
lam not an opponent of narrow-gauge
railroads, for I know that they are advantag
eous iu many places, and 1 am well satisfied
that they will prove to be particularly so us
branches and feeders to main lines in the
Rocky Mountain country. I am not an op
ponent of the proposed narrow-gauge run
ning north and south over the passes inter-,
vening between the Union Pacific and Mon
tana. If constructed, I believe it will become
a useful feeder to tbe main line of the North
ern Pacific. It will be more convenient and
cheaper for those residing along its northern
half, and even for others farther south, to
make their outward connections via the
Northern Pacific, than by ony other line.
The people of Central Montana could not
for a moment hesitate concerning the route
by which they should travel and through
which they would receive and ship their bus
iness. Wbv should they go five hundred
miles south "to Ogden, where they would be
over filteen hundred miles from Chicago,
when in less than eleven hundred miles they
could ship by rail to and from the head of
Lake Superior ? Why should they go by rail
over the mountains to Ogden, five hundred
miles, at considerable cost, on a branch road,
when they could go direct on a main line ail j
the way to Chicago, via the Northern Pacific ;
Railroad, in about the same distance and j
time that it now takes Horn Ogden, aud at i
less cost from Heleua to Chicago, direct, than j
it now costs from Ogden to Chicago ?
Montana wants a main trunk line running
through or near the middle of her magnifi
cent territory, as her railroad backbone ; into
which may afterward be framed a great num
ber of ribs and other articulations, composed
of narrow gauge railroads, including a north
and south railroad, which shall extend to and
far beyond the Union Pacific line, and north
I
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;
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ward far up into the British Dominions and
the valleys of the Saskatchawan.
Four hundred miles westward from Bis
marck, into and along the valley of the Yel
lowstone, which under favorable auspices
might be completed in about two years, will
bring the Northern Pacific within about two
hundred miles of the three forks or head of
the Missouri River. In one year more, under
similar circumstances, it should reach that
point or even beyond.
If the views of the gentlemen who have for
years labored in behalf of the construction of
this railroad, and of those of the officers of
the Government who have, so far as they
could, sustained the enterprise, are sound,
the extension of the line to such a point in
the Yellowstone Valley as will secure to it
the bulk of the trade and travel of Montana,
will ensure its further extension, not merely
into but through the Territory. The tide of
travel, of tourists alone, who will visit this
Territory to soe its Yellowstone wonders, and
its many other charms, will constitute a
material element of profit, not merely to the
railroad company but to the people of Mon
tana; but the great point, for Montana, is that
the completion of a main line railroad to the
Territory, allowing easy access in a few days
to enterprising men and capitalists, will bring
them here, when they can see for themselves.
And this, iu my opinion, will lead to the in
auguration of enterprises which cannot now
be seriously entertained. Buch is the experi
ence elsewhere; why should in not be here?
My remarks, as you perceive, go chiefly to
show the necessity and advisability of an ex
tension of our railroad into your Territory.
They are also intended to show my undimin
ished confidence in the future, both of this
Territory and the railroad. It is for General
Stark, Vice-President of the Northern Pacific
Railroad, to show you how this work may be
speedily accomplished by co-operative efforts
on the part of the people of Montana and the
Railroad Company. Although this is his first
visit to Montana, he has not been slow to
appreciate its commanding position and im
portance.
General Stark is a gentleman who has had
a very large experience in the successful man
agement of eastern railroads, especially
throughout New England, and I commend
him to your most iiionclly consideration.
Gen. Stark followed Mr. Roberts in an
easy, off-hand manner and readiness of
speech. Addressing the Chair, the gentle
men of the Legislature, and the large num
ber of citizens crowding forward to catch his
words, he substantially said:
GEN. STAKE'S ADDRESS.
I have to thank you for the extremely cor
dial reception and the personal kindness we
JLiave experienced at your hands, as well as
for this public opportunity to bring before
the Legislature and the people of this Terri
tory the situation of the reorganized Northern
Pacific Railroad Company, and its plans for
recommencing construction. In this, my
first visit to your Territory, I am impressed
beyond my expectations with the extent and
variety of your resources. One has to see,
in order to believe, that iu this northern re
gion, between the 46th and 47th parallels,
cattle graize upon the hills through the win
ter, attaining excellent beef condition with
out other food, and that dust is a more fre
quent annoyance to the traveler than snow.
But to an eastern man, accustomed to the
modern conveniences of travel, the four hun
dred mile ride from the railroad to this place
in sleigh aud coach, and that variety of
wheeled conveyance denominated a "jerky."
seems so formidable, that he wonders at its
ever being undertaken, except under circuin
atance 3 of emergency, and enable« him to ap
preciate most sensibly your desire for a rail
road of your own.
My colleague, Cul. Roberts, has in preced
ing me gone so fully over the general subject
of the situation of your Territory and its rail
road wants, that it only remains for me to
present the situation of our company, and
such explanations as will make more clearly
understood our plans and proposals already
presented iu the memorial to the Legislature.
Aud as this may be the only opportunity to
appear before what may be denominated a
"Committee of the Whole," 1 will thank any
person present to make inquiries as they may
occur to him, and I shall be pleased to an
swer to the best of my ability.
The unfortunate embarrassments of the
N orthern Pacific- road attending and conse
quent upon the failure of Jay Cooke & Co.,
culminated last summer, in an effort on the
part of the bondholding creditors to fore
close their mortgage upon the franchise and
road aud lands and other property of the
Company. This effort was a success, and by
decrees of court, supplemented by agree
ments between all parties in interest, the fran
chise and property were put up at public sale,
and purchased in the interest of the bond
holders. They thus became themselves the
corporation, and start with fresh life, without
encumbrances. The condition of the re-or
ganized company has been fully stated to you
elsewhere. It has 550 miles of first-class
road in excellent repair and thoroughly
equipped, running at some profit, and paying
all bills. Its men are paid promptly on the
first of every month, and having no interest
to meet, its present is secure, it is the future,
the extension of the road to and from your
Territory, and ultimately through to the Pa
cific, that now engrosses the attention of its
managers.
Tbe question of an early extension from
Bismarck to the Yellowstone river has been
agitated. But of itself it is not enough. The
first point to be gained is to get within con
trolling reach ot the business of Montana.
This business, even in its present undevelop
ed state, is large. According to statistics
prepared by a committee of your citizens,
and published in the local newspaper which
I hold in my hand, you paid last year Biora
than a million and a half of dollars for freight,
of which at least a million went fer teaming.
a
What yon now' pay out would keep a railroad
alive, and your facilities for transportation
are so limited that only the very richest ores
can be worked, and the most necessary busi
ness transacted. If tbe railroad was in your
midst, this business would be increased an
hundred fold, aud make full remuneration re
the road, at cheap rau s to yourselves.
The railroad company now desires Co ex
tend it 9 road from Bismarck to and up the
Yellowstone valley, not less than three hun
dred and sixty miles, at one move. It has
offered in the memorial before you, to build
to your easterly line, one hundred and sixty
miles, and to iron two hundred miles more
in extension of the same into your Territory,
if you will furnish the means to grade,
bridge, and tie this last two hundred miles.
For this purpose we estimate that we shall
have to raise five millions of dollars on our
own account, besides asking you to loan us
two millions of your Territorial bonds, to be
used for the grading, etc., in your own Ter
ritory.
As security for such loan of bonds, to make
them a desirable investment, aud to protect
the people of the Territory against direct
taxation to meet interest or principal, wo
propose to pledge and place in trust semi
annually, the gross amount received by tbe
railroad company for transportation over this
860 miles, ot all business to or from Montana.
The details of this proposal are partially set
lorth in a Uralt of an enactment, which I
have prepared for the consideration ot the
Legislature, and which I will now read for
yoiir general information. As you will ob
serve, it provides tor full and complete de
tails to be arranged in a written agreement
between the Territory end the Railroad Com
pany. You will observe, also, that under it3
provisions, no bonds are to be issued, except
as the work within the Territory progresses,
from time to time, upon the order of the
Governor.
1 commend this plan, gentlemen, to your
candid consideration. lis adoption will, I
believe, enable the work to move on. It will
inspire confidence that the great resources of
this Territory are to be developed, and yield
a harvest to all concerned. In helping us
you will help yourselves to a much greater
extent. 1 implore you not to hesitate be
tween our great trans-continental, first-class
road, running lengthwise in the natural
course of traffic between your extreme east
erly and westerly borders, opening up for
you a domain three times the area of the
great State of Now York, and a north and
south line that in its entire course of 500
miles takes you no nearer to tho East, and
can afford at best but narrow-gauge facilities.
Without greater transportation facilities
you cannot develop a fraction of your re
sources. Y'ouare now at a stand still. You
cannot afford to wait. Do not perish stand
ing between opportunities, but choose that
which Is, in magnitude, in direction, and in
prospective efficiency, the line for Montana.
It you do this, we believe the Northern Pacific
Road will receive your helping hand, and
will, within a brief period, be at your doors.
OTHER SPEECHES.
At the conclusion of General Stark's ad
dress, several persons responded to his invi
tation to question him. Col. Banders, in
response to loud calls, neatly and wittily re
sponded. The respect of himself and the
audience for tbe distinguished gentlemen who
bad addressed the meeting, was heightened
by the pleasant acquaintance of Montanians
with one of them, and the historic associa
tions connected with the name of the other.
He spoke in flattering terms of the clever pre
sentment of the railroad proposition laid be
fore the meeting by General Stark. It was
a forcible reminder, humorously added the
Colonel, that tbe typical Yankee was still
alive in the land, to bo seen, and heard, and
felt by all men. He was disposed to go slow
in advising a trade with Gen. Stark, suspi
cious that the railroad was liable to get the
best of the bargain. A farmer in Western
Pennsylvania had once driven bis hogs to
Philadelphia. Looking over the whole mar
ket, he was obliged to sell for just what they
were worth at home. The farmer, in relat
ing his experience, said that while lie hadn't
made any money in tbe transaction,^be had
had the satisfaction of tho drive out of the
hogs. The Col. hoped the gentlemen, if they
failed to accomplish all they wished or ex
pected in their visit to Montana, would still
find their compensation in the enjoyment of
tho novelty of tho 400 miles of stage ride to
and from civilization.
Major McCormick responded to calls, and
spoke briefly in his usual forcible style. He
concluded by questioning General Stark, in
which he was joined by Messrs. Word, Wat
son, Woolfolk, and others. We would like
to report these gentlemen, but tlie lateness of
tbe hour and pressure on our space forbids.
Tbe meeting, at tbe hour of 10 o'clock,
adjourned.
Governor Potts is now clearly entitled to
be received into full Democratic fellowship.
Tbe Printing Bill—openly and continuously
urged and advocated by the Indcfxmdcnt as a
partisau measure, anil passed by the Legisla
tive Assembl} 1- under the lash of the party
whip, vigorously applied—is signed by a pro
fessedly Republican Governor who thereby
helps to enact an odious law. Make way,
there, Democrats, for Gov. Potts.
The Deer Lodge-Heleoa Independent says
the LaCrosse-New- York-Chicago Democrat
says we once wanted to borrow money of
"Brick" Pomeroy. We guess not. We just
believe that is a little lib. You wouldn't tell
a big one, "Brick"—no more than would the
Bourbon! A nice, clean, truthful pair of
boys, put the two together.