The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-12-17
THE MINI ESOTIAN /.
xaint yeul, saturhau, Rttrmhrr II, 1853.
Northern Pacific Railroad---Triumphant Sue
cess Of Gov. Stevens.

Northern Pacific Observation-Disclosures Sue
cess of Gov. Stevens.
We give to-day glorious news for the people
of Minnesota and the friends of the Northern
route, wherever they may be found. So i'm
portant are the details of this information, that
we have felt it our duty to give up large
space of our columns to its dissemination.
Gov. Stevens has had remarkably good fortune,
not only in reaching the Mountains before the
commencement of winter. but in there meeting
Lieut.. Saxton from the Pacific end of the route,
who had discovered pass through the princi-
pal range. more than tro thousand feet less in
altitude than the famous South Pass We find
all the particulars, which we publish. in the
New York Daily Tribune of the oath ult The
distinguished editor Of that paper regards the
question as settled in favor of the entire prac-
ticabilty of great national railway from the
head of Lake Superior to Pugets Sound. We
copy his article entire -
"a QUESTION SErTLED.-It has long been I'M
derstood that the northernmost route to the
Pacific must have great advantage over the
Central or Southern one, from the fact that it is
very much shorter. By that way we shall not
only reach the great Western ocean sooner than
by any other, but. when there. we are much
nearer to the Oriental World, whose COM
merce is thought by some to be a very ex-
tensive and profitable affair. 1t is not only o
much briefer journey from Lake Superior to
Puget's Sound than from ST. Louis or Memphis
to San Francisco, but from there we can reach
IedO or Canton with two days less steaninp.
This fact has caused the Northern route to be
regarded with respect even by those who are
most anxious that some other line should be
fixed on. But still a very serious doubt has
rendered its advocates somewhat uncertain and
backward. 1t has been surmised that possibly
no good pass could be found to conduct the road
through the barrier of the Rocky Mountains.
and it has been feared that however excellent or
favorable the country ON both sides of that great
ridge, it might be necessary after all to renounce
this line and to settle either on that advocated
by Col. Benton. or that of Texas.
| This doubt has now been eXtingushed. Gov
ernor Stevens. at the head of the Northern ex-
| plOring Expedition reports that there are seve-
raj good passes, one of them combining eyery
desideratum, and that there is no hindrauce to
the construction of the road over the line he
has traversed. Ills letter which appears in the
Tribune this morning, is highly explicit on this
question. The entire line has been investigated
by his own party going west, and by Lieuten-
ant SaXton. who started from the Pacific and
came eastward; and though it cannot be said
that the whole country has been explored on
both sides, and every mountain pass examined
that the best possible line can be exactly laid
down for all the distance, not doubt remains
that the Northern Route is perfectly feasible,
and indeed singularly favorable for the execu-
ton of this great highway.
And not only do the mountains intcrpose no
obstacle, but the country from Lake Superior
to the Pacific is described as exceedingly fertile
| and adapted for settlement. The case is not so
encouraging for either of the other lines The
Central line runs zig-zag. and traverses barren
districts where fuel and water do not abound, the
Texan route lies along the ella. whose craggy
gorge cannot be used for railroad bed; or else
it crosses the border of Mexico and makes a
long stretch through region not our own.
None of these Inconvenience attach to the Pu-
gets Sound line. That runs with great direct
ness through a highly productive territory,
we'll wooded and we'll watered. and has at its
western terminus one of the nOblest harbors in
the world The sole objection that can lie rails
cd against it is the accumulation of snow usual
! in northern lntitudcs in winter. On this head
| important facts will no doubt be given in Gov.
Stevens official report, which will be in Wash
ton in season for the opening Of Congress. But
certain it Is that on the greater portion of this
route there are no such SHOWS as fall on the
railroads in the central part of New-Y ork, and
, that at the worst there is nothing more trouble
some than is constantly experienced on the rail-
roads of Maine. We all know how much these
roads are obstructed in winter; when the snow
drifts upon them appliances always of hand soon
clear the track; and the circulation is never de-
layed beyond a day. On the Puget's Sound
road it would not be more serious; and at any
rate there would be no such terrible depths Of
snow there as Col. Fremont had to encounter
in New Mexico in 1850.
The clearing up of all doubts relative to this
line is not the only good done by the Expedi-
ton. 1t has settled many other questions with
regard to the natural features of that vast and
hitherto unknown region, and has opened to
our knowledge and our interestsa splendid por-
ton of the national dominion to which We have
been strangers"
This is not only the tone of Mr.. Greeley's CO.
lumns, but of all the leading presses of Boston,
New York, Chicago aud in fact the whole coun-
try north of the fortietb parallel. Now that our
route is asccrtained to be feasible and thor
oughly practicable, it is time to commence
thinking and talking of it in real carnest-as q
great measure to be consummated, without q
doubt, if its friends but concentrate their ener-
gies and work together with united front
We look upon all Of New England New York,
aportion of New Jersey. the northern sections
of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana Illinois, and
Iowa, and the whole of Michigan, Wisconsin and
Minnesota, as being the natural advocates of
this route. The geographical position of these
portions of the Union makes it essential to their
interests to favor the northern line in preference
to all Others We should start out in the pre-
sent Congress, and it is hoped We may, with
thus much Of numerical and commercial
strength. Could We but do this, an influence
would be gathered at the start not easily over
come. Nine-tenths ofthe commercial and man.
ufacturing capital Of the country would be en-
listed with us at the outset. And in addition
to these resources and influences, We ought to
be certain ofsecuring the sympathy, if not the
aid, of all the British Colonial possessions in
/ North America.
But we fear there are Drejudices AGAINST onr