Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1864-08-20

- 1OoIooO 8a1lIoo4
Ed. SrAHDAnD: Il aPPesrs that both
braoehss of CoesFsss have passed bin IN.
thosising the eoastruet;os Of ra;lroad under
the above dsaig.aiisa. I commend and ap.
Pseeiate The foresight of The gsnslsma., Who
ever be 10, Who ehrisasoed Tie bill BY The
above title. and ePins that time and circsn-
stances will prove Tie title we'll applied.
The special corrsspoadsot Of the Sacrameu.
to Usiss writes from Wsshinston, usder dass
Juae 9Th, that the House bill to ineorpo.
rate The PaeiAe Railroad Company. from Lake
Superior to Puget Ssss@, has parsed the
Senate aud has without doubt ers this become
law"
The initial and terminal poinss-to wit,
Lake Superior and Puget Sound-are doubt
less the best selected points on the continent
for transmontane railroad. The intermedi-
ate distance between those points is $50 miles,
less than corresponding points on the Central
route, which, at $4,000 per mile. the aver
age cost Of railroads throughout the Union,
makes $50, 100000 less capital required for
the completion Of the Peoples road than will
be necessary for the construction Of the road
on the Central route; and in the race for
competition. allowing the roads to be built
at an average rate Of $50 miles per year, the
Peoples railroad would have an advantage of
five years over the Central road. 1t is there
fore evident chat in distance, time aud capital,
the Peoples road, from Lake Superior to Pu-
get Sound, has an advantage of at least forty
over cent. over the Central road. The dis
tance from San Francisco to St. Louis is
$500 miles, while from Puget Sound to St.
Paul is but 1850 miles. Another considera.
ton, in view of the natural advantages which
the Northern road possesses in the facility 70,
construction, the Columbia river runs contigu.
Gus to where the road must necessarily be
located-its Northern bank--for five or six
hundred miles, and with the exception of two
or three short portsges. is free from interrupt
zion to steamboat navigation the whole Of that
distance, 20 that material for its construction,
rolling-stock, ETC.. may be brought by water
conveyance almost to the very spot where it
is to be used, for the whole of that distance,
thereby avoiding the vast expanse and delay
attendant ON team transportation of heavy
materials over long distances, such as is to BE-
uniformly encountered on the Central road
The advantages Of water Communication to
the Northern railroad. may be seen in the fact
that its construction may be commenced at
several points at once. The section from Pu-
got Sound to the Columbia may be commenced
at both ends, then eastward along North bank
of the Columbia to where the railroad would
cross it on the western slope Of the Rocky
Mountains, may be worked at As many points.
for FIVE or six hundred miles a. the directors
may choose to do. Then from where the line
crosses the Columbia to the head Of naviga-
tion At Fort Benton, from Fort Benton to Fort
Union. and from the latter place to St. Paul,
or soms other point ON the western end Of
Lake Superior. Thus the Northern railroad
may and should bs divided into Eve different
sections. on each Of which operations might
commence at both ends. 90 that ten different
poiuts arc accessible to navigable water COM
munieation and the construction Of the road
might 60 On advantageously at those ten diff:
isrent points at once. ., .......t.-..t.
From Fort Benton on The Missouri. to tue
mouth Of the Palouss. tributary Of the Co.
lu,abia, tho distance i $50 miles. Steamboats,
have navigatsd to both Of those points on the
Northern route. The surveys, and especially
the line Of spirit lsvels tun By Lieut.. Mullan
ION the Last named dis,anes) oyer the Ccur
d'Alsne o. Stevens Pass, has verified the
previous report Of Gov. Stevens; confirming
thr eatire praetieability of Of that section for
railroad purposes. All previous explorations
seem to concur in the report that there is NO
place on the route that need be considered
even difficult. while most Of the route is over
country comparatively level. abounding in ex.
eellent timb~r and abundance Of good water.
QUALITY or sorL on THE norrE.
An previes reports hitherto obtained. de-
seribs The northern iuterir ~ q country well
adapted fos srtslement. Tor grasins and ssri-
eslsusal Purpssrs. 0sv. Ssrssos aye: The
vhsls iaAssosaisss essntzy betwsea ths bead
vsAsss 4 Missah - ths great Plain Il she
CdunAia. s1aits 4 oaatisusss ssst2rasst.
exes1a ahssa lssty .iIss - ~ highsaa psss
u u RscAy Nssstaias. Ths ssils6aa 'ihs
es.ia b. Ail sssr shs great plaia Il IL Ce'um.
BIZ. - - 70 pas esss sostinuoss esltivab'e
esustry b u Colombia. except foe fsv