Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1864-11-12
Northern Pacific Railroad.

Northern Pacific Railroad.
Ed. STANDARD: In a recent article show
Ing the merits Of the Northern Railroad route,
over the Central route, l then proposed its
continuance through another article.
While, as l said, the Northern route leads
through a fertile country, six-sevenths Of
which is we'll adapted for cultivation and graz
ing. we'll supplied with excellent timber for
laying tracks, building bridges, and all other
uses to which timber is applicable in the con.
struction of railroads, the route, as l have
shown in my former article, offers superior ad-
vantages for water conveyance ofrailroad ma
terial from one point to another. Thus these
characteristics Of the Northern route offer to
the apitalist-stockholde certainty of
economy, dispatch and convenience in the
construction, while the soil, climate and to-
Biography of the country, is a guarantee that
way-busincss will generate along the road
during its construction, which of itself would
make favorable return OH the investment
made and on the completion of the road, can
not fail to add very largely to its revenue. =
From all the evidence which can be ad-
duced in relation to the Central route, the re-
viewer is necessitated to admit that it fails al
most wholly in furnishing any of those essen
tial advantages so profusely scattered along
the Northern route, and which are bound to
make one of the most important items in the
financial department Of the enterprise. The
western end of the Central road commencing
at Sacrimento, Cal, continues ON eastward in
one section, through and over the Sierra Me-
vada Mountains, extending eastward through
a sterile country, almost destitute Of timber
and but scantily supplied with water, having
no navigable streams to facilitate the trans
portation of materials for preparing the road
much in advance of the track. Indeed the
general sterility Of the country along the Cen
tral route precludcs the hope of obtaining ma
terial of any description (even provision for
man and beast) only at great expense and de-
lay. That being the case, the country along
the route cannot sustain resident population,
consequently the way traffic on that route
must be very limited, while the expenses of
running and keeping in repair are thereby in
creased In taking the aggregate Of these
circumstances into consideration. am led to
the conclusion, (Which ] fully believe the re-
suit will confirm) that fifty per cent, Or one
half of the capital indispensable to the con-
struction of the Central or Union railroad will
be ample to complete the Northern or Peo-
ples railroad. have no doubt there are
those who will pronounce this chimerical
prediction. To such would say, gentlemen.
abide the issue; both railroads will be built
in time. and the result may become known.
SOURCES OF TRAFFIC.
All advocates of trans continental railroad
enterprises have hitherto most enthusiastically
ampli6ed on the important resources, and the
great advantages to be secured to our country
by performing the inter- oceanic transportation
o: China European commerce, and as this is
a rapidly progressive age, and dispatch fast
becoming the alpha and omega" of the COM
mercial world, let US view the relative merits
Of each trans-montanc railroad, by which
either may claim advantages or offor greater
inducemcnte 20 the commercial community for
transporting the EuropeauC China commerce
across this continent. The geometrical axi-
ON that a. latitude increases longitude dimn-
ishes or contracts, is very applicable to this
case. and rs the Central railroad crosses the
ceatinent on oe about tho parallel Of 80, and
the Northern railroad about 47o, it gives the
Northern road the benefit of ten degrees Of
latitude. Canton. in China. is in longitude
1852 East, making ths difference of longitude
froa there to London 2i7o. A degree Of
lc.gitsde on the paralld Of s7o-,he route Of
the Ceniral roads about forty-eight geo
graphical miles. while on the parallel OF AZ
-she Nosthern roate--it is bat forty one
ail-s. uaking s~v~n ulies les 90 d-gc-
sud a. there are ga from I.sadsa to Caaion.
th< dzG-r~nc- in the di<saace is l.72s milrs in
fsvsr Of the Northern roafe. Taking th~
svs-.er sPsed At t~elv- miles an hour. which
Ithiak fair csmguta;isa. ss about fve-sixths
Of The distance i- BY ~x,ef, the passage by
th- Norsh-rn rs9.e isc1 Lonaea to Czn,on. %
r,rr rsrsr. msy BE- made in thirfy-sve days-
vsas BY III. c~ntrAi route !; rrgu'res f's'y one
dsys:s make IN. triP- Orders ts oE from
either end a the route vii y~s r,nEn- frvsa
the a<hss extr~.ne y the Na-shern rou;-
tr,lv. days in alvaSoe 4 the C-stral ro-,e.
Tbs mercsniile eOSEnaai-y AID the irsveliss