The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1859-01-05
rasp. and forever regret our procrasti.


try through which this road is proposed
to be run, must forever prevent the &C
complishment of the object. At thi
moment, several thousand men are a
work on the lines Of road within tn,
State of Minnesota. Within the las
six months, two hundred miles hav'
been graded /; and by spring anothe
hundred will be completed and befor'
another year three hundred miles will b,
ready for the iron horse. The incor
rectness of this statement will he bes
shown. and the readiest answer to it vii
be given, by merely stating the fact tha
prospefOus settlements have for year!
existed in. and indeed beyond. the poin
of lowest temperature.
Emigration has pushed itself beyond
the Red River of the North, and every
year demonstrates that there is no por
ton of that country which our citizeus
do not find we'll adapted to the purpose.
Of civilization.
My own State illustrates the energy
and enterprise of the settlers on this
route. Nine years ago Minnesota wa.
organized a. Territory, and contained
about three thousand inhabitants. He,
census will now show two hundred
thousand. Her numerous and prosper.
Gus towns have become centers of &C.
tive and profitable trade. and her in.
crease. both in population and com.
merce, is unprecedented. ~.5
From an official record before me, il
appears that the arrivals of steamboats,
at St. Paul in 1848 were sixty three,
and at the close of the past season, the
number was one thousand and sixty.
eight an increase Of one thousand and
Eve. at the rate of more than one hun.
dred year s..a sa.s
1t is not alone, however, as an en-.
couragement to private enterprises. tha,
this project presents itself to our favor
able consideration. The public service
will secure in this road most impor.
tant aid. - it offers 80 many channels oi
INSTRUMENTATION for the cheap trans.
portation of troops and munitions oil
war, and for the rapid and general dis.
tribution of the mails. The navigable
lakes and rivers everywhere intersecting
or lying along the road would make
every portion Of it easily accessible.
These lakes AMI rivers would also
materially lessen the cost of freight and
travel between the extreme termint be-
cause the road actually to be construc-
ted could not exceed eighteen hundred
miles in length, and the longest sec.
ton on the line, between navigable wa.
ters, would not exceed six hundred
miles. ...u a......-.s. ri ..- ..
Merchandise could be transported to
the middle and northern States, or cas-
tern sea,boad. through the lakes and the
Missouri rivers would furnish furnish abundant 5iad sha
facilities for reaching all the States in
the great western valleys; and the dis
tant regions of California and Oregon
could be promptly supplied by the
crafts that navigate the waite of the
Columbia.
We all know how much greater the
charges are for railroad than for water
transportation and glance at the map
must convince any one that freight or
passengers can be taken on board at any
navigahIe point on the Ohio, Mississippi,
'r Missouri, and transported thence by
water to the point of Intersection with
his road, and thence sent forward to the
Pacific, with only FIVE hundred
niles of railway from the last named
stream. ].
By what other route could more
States be accommodated? Let Lake
superior be thus connected by steam
Nth the Pacific. and the commerce of
'ur inland seas will be speedily doubled.
n 1916 the first effort was made to navi-
ate the lakes. In I84i the trade
cached the aggregate Of 865. 600, 900
nd in 1856 it swelled to the enormous
mount of 86O8, 900, 900. These sta
istics show the wonderful spirit Of en- |
,rpriss which now pervades regions |
nat were long considered an uninhabi-
'ble wilderness. IL not such 4 spirit
'orthy of encouragement Before the
'pss OF another year. steamers will be
use on the Red River OF the North.
his river is navigable four hundred
'iles within the limits of the United
tates and should this road be con-
ructsd, we could not only supply our
Itreme northern settlements. but the
ritlsh provinces would be depend ent
us for their means of transporta-
On. al
Various roads in our State. leading to
q route indicated, and to the Red Riv.
OF the North. are already under con-
ruction, and they will render that riv-
most important channel of interna- i
,nal trade. Direct intercourse will
US be established between the Red
iver and the Mississippi, by which ,
tier stream. and the railroads of the :
untry. there will be ready access to
d from all the great thoroughfarss of :
Q States. =
Great Britain and Russia are strength !.
ing themselves in their respective :
ssessions in our vicinity. At Esqui- :
alt. fine harbor on Vancouyer's "
land, tho former nation has establish !
naval station. where already float
rec ships Of war: while the Emperor
Russia is similarly engaged in the v
Instruction of depot and naval station T
the mouth Of the Amoor. He il al. b
rapidly advancing with his improve d
,nts towards his possessions in Amer G
!: and If We would keep pace with D
ose nations in their onward march ON q
is continent: If We wish to be pre-
red to protect our frontiers without
'intaining . large standing army. We 0
Duid otter every possible facility to a
'se who wish to settle in that coun. u