New-York daily tribune., 1854-08-31
NORTHERN ROUTE TO THE PAcTIC.

JAMES DorY writes from Fort Benton at the Falls
Of the Missouri. near the RoeN Mountains (ia'. ~
81 2S' long 1893 33-hight ah,ve tue level OF the
oeeru e6}S feet the following in terestng letter
must be borne in mind that the Northern OF Lake
Super,,r and Pugsts Sound route is ~ Tar the saof'
e.t Railroad route from London and Ne,v-iork to the
Pacific .pi TO Chns;
FoHr BENTON, Tuesday, May ,, tSSi.
Since fist wrote, several important di. Tover e:
have been u sde and questions determined in regard
TO the \. p K. r. route, all tendisg to estabs u 'ne
facts that il IL eminently practicable for railr 'ad
ard is good if not the best enigrast road from Se
Mississippi or Missouri to Oregon aIl WasbingtO =
Territories. BY the survey of Lieut. Grover. the
Missouri has been found nayigable to this point for
steamboats,.
Capt McLelland has found two practicable
railroad passes through the Cascade range; aud
ra,tes are now engaged in opening road
from the Sound 10 Wallah Wallah thence
to tie Couer dAlene Mission, and thsrce to
St. Mays Valley, TO which point good wagon road
from he bead Of navigation the Missouri hss beca
found by Lieut. Mullen who left here The lsSh March
with an ordinary emgrant wagon drawn BY four mules,
and crossing the Rocky Mountains reached Cantt Ste
the Soh, having travelled go mics by the odo-
The winter has been very mild, and but little snow in
the mountains on the route Lieut. Grover who le here
the 18th January with dogtrau for Puget Sound foaai
no the entrance OF the psss OF the Rock! Mount
ains and through the mountains to ~. Marys thr
averaged bu; one foot IN depth. Thence to Puget Sound
lie was compelled take horses and passed through in
good tine and will out obstruction from snow. Two msn
whom sent with Lieut. g. returned in February, having
walkee from ST. Marys in fourteen days Ny meeorolog.
records show that the whole amount OF snow that te
at this place snce November was 3oi inches, and the
greatest dFh of al any one t'1e ras l'chcs.
This is an excellent grazing country. There were
large number of brokendown horses and mules and sew.
eral yokes Of oxen which had come through from Sank
Rspids 100 niles 10 hi. point left in charge during
the months OF October and November These pas.
tured on The river bottoms here animal died
during the winter and the 18th March the horses and
mules in efficient working condition. aud at the pres
ent time the cattle fat fine beef The Fur Company
horses and oxen are worked all winter upon such food
thew can pick up; fact, stock in this c)uatry needs
neither shelter nor food from the hand Of maj
The soil in ST. Marys Valley is known to be fertile and
any examinations in this region shos that al the
tain sire ANS their valleys, within sixty miles of the mOuo
tains sford soil Of good quality and abundance of
wood As profusiOn Of excellent water any one who
plances at the numerous and neveriang spuug brooks
aud in the country, will be convinced that man
beast need per rsh from thirst OF nutritious grass
there is everywhere abundance in the river bottoms
where its Growth is rank, and upon the plains hills aud
mountain slopes which are covered with luIuriant
groa tn Of Buffalo grass
Timber-white pine pitch pine and ris abundant and
easily prccurabe. Stone, granite, limestone aud sand
stone i found in the river bluffs and mountains and what
more needed render this country emnently tit for
a railroad em grant route or 10 be settled by farmers
beg to inquire of those who harp upon sterile deserts
and " X. r. routes through New Caledonia r.
IT, IS assumed a communication 10 Inc hdff0HIs
Isf,,geHcer of Sept s. 1853 the occupacy of country
by the bu1io guarantee OF its fertility then does the
Northern Railroad route bear the paGa from all other
routes From the ShayeDne to the AsriiDon camp near
Fort Union from the mouth of Milk River To this
point We were always in buffalo Ind An tradition says
tbey were always here. Ii is here they remlin
and winter; and their old and deepyworn trails twelve
or fifteen which may often be side by side traverse
this country oil directions through mountain aud valley
The various detached parties Of the expedition and those
stationed il the country have crossed and recrOssed the
mountains from November to May with trains OF pack
mules and then with wagons and without hnirance from
the And Lieut. Grover who started with dog train
and snow shoes and had to abandon them for want Of
snow eays accounts of this country heretofore gwen
are complete hum )ug it being in respect what 1t
was and by almost every believed to be-
The Meteorological register shows that in mildness of
winter this country corresponds with the climate OF Oregon
or of Europe the latitude, rather than with North
ern Canada or Nova Scotia. at the present time the
grass tie pons affords good feed in the bottoms the
teed WAS excellent the 18th of April and is luxurlant
The spring like the fall and winter, has been dry and
warm The rs shower Of rain since sept 90, 81 fell
the 2lst Of April since which have had several show
era thunderstorm is nov passing.
On Monday next start for our Northern boundary and
the heEdw acrs Of the Saskatchewan and sha examine
the passes Of the mOuBtanswith little expectation. how
ever OF finding better route than wagouroad % 81.
Mtrys This latter is not on TIE crtfeHc sources oi
the Missouri but is some distance below the Three
Forks and is precisely at the point where thi' mighty
river rushes through the Gate Of the Mountains and
starts on it, long Journey TO the Ocean. Could Sws and
CLARK in ascen log have eft the Missouri at the point
where tho ountsus rst touch the river they would have
found eDt pess to the 81 Mrys River and thence
to the tCllmiHs.
To gve an idea II cur ayrin weather In at inclose
the readings OF the tn 'rmo,neter 90 April Mean tenn
ptratuff II Apid at A. NJ, AZ f2P NJ. 6i' .; at
. L. NJ. g. monthly mean 30