Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1864-07-23
SATURDAY MORNING, JULY %, 1861.
The Northern Pacific Railroad.

A bill has passed Congress chartering
Northern Pacific Railroad. The capital stock
is to be one hundred millions of dollars. No
money is donated by Government to aid in its
construction, but twenty sections of land per
mile are set apart for that purpose. The
whole road is to be completed before 1876.
1t is to start from some point on Lake Supe-
rior, in Wisconsin or Minnesota, north Of
the 45th degree Of latitude, thence to some
point on Puget Sound, with branch to
the Columbia river to point at or near
Portland, Oregon. There are one hundred
and thirty. five incorporators named in the bill,
from all parts of the country. Among them
are X. F. Perkins Geo. Rowland, Richard
Cheenery, Samuel Brannan, and Henry Pratt,
of California; John Mullan, Arson G. Henry.
s. D. Smith, Charles Ferry and H. E. N.Y.
rick Of Washington Territory.
This is said to be bona fde affair, and that
the company will be organized withou: delay.
1t is, in our opinion, a far preferable route for
a railroad to the Southern, is some six
hundred miles shorter, and We believe the
probabilities are that it will be the first road
completed. The munifcent donation of 49,
800 acres of land to every mile of road, will
pay the whole expense Of building, if it is re-
tanned until the road is finished and then sold
to actual settlers on accommodating terms.
The land upon the Northern route is much
more desirable for settlement than on the
Southern, and besides will render available
tracts of the best timber in the world, which
will be worth from fifty to one hundred dol
lars per acre in very few years after the
road is completed.
The growing Importance of our northern
mines will hasten the construction of the road.
1t is well known that capital amounting to
hundreds of millions of dollars is already in
vested in railroads which have their termini
in the northern cities of New York and Bos-
ton. The construction of a road to this coast
would enhance the value of the stock fully
one hundred per cent, and the Pacific road
would be the best paying railroad stock in the
world. These are our reasons for believing
that the road will be constructed in advance Of
the Southern road. Northern capitalists have
been disinclned to subscribe to stock in the
Southern road believing that the tendency Of
its construction would be to divert travel from
the roads passing through Chicago, Detroit.
Buffalo, Albany, and thus on to New York
and Boston. The two latter cities will be the
great tcrmini of the Northern road on the At
lantic, while Philadelphia and Baltimore will
be the natural termini of the Southern route.
The California gold mines have made San
Francisco what she is. Our northern gold
fields, which are proving as rich as those Of
California in former years, and extending over
five times the amount Of Territory. cannot fail
in their turn to build up large and populous
cities. While Chicago, ILL.,, is destined to be-
come the great central city Of North America.
and New York and Boston remain the great
commercial depots upon the Atlantic sea-
board. the commercial emporium of the Paci-
fc is to be built at some point on Puget Sound.
We have the faith to believe that this now APP
parently visionary speculation will be in fair
way of realization within the next five or six
years.
1t is more than probable that the Columbia
branch will be completed and extended to
Olympia. on the Sound. before the main trunk
will be built over the mountains to terminate
at some other point but that both will be
built within the time limited in the charter.
cannot b. reasonably doubted. The Colum.
bia river branch will be Of easy construction,
and not very likely to terminate at Portland.
This would seem to have been the understand
ing of Congress, as tho charter provides that
it may terminate in the ricinay of Portland.
which no doubt means Vancouver 1t may be
taken for granted thai, the road must come
down upon the North side OF the Columbia,
rendering necessary a portage from Vaucou-
yer to Portland. In a few general onS the