The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1865-12-30
From the Dales (Oregon) " "Mountaineer."l
NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD.

Recent advces from the East are the effect that
renewed interest felt in the construction of Northern
Pacific Railroad. The people of New England, and those
of the Northern section of the Northwest derive
benefit from the construction of the great Central line This
built in the interest of California Kansas Missouri
and border States natural Northern
Route should again up for consideration The
cenraed energies ofhe railroad interests of Upper Canada
and those that center at Chicago and at ST. Paul will all
naturally concentrate upon the Northern Line twill also
have prospective the mining trade of Montana Idaho
and Territories and make easier and shorter
connection with the China and East India trade From
St Paul. the line of the road up the Mississippi river in
norhwestery course on the east side oft to Little Falls
a distance of about hundred and thirty miles, At this
point the great river to be crossed by bridge which
is being built. The original project involved the
crossing of the Mississippi at ST. Cloud only fifty miles
above ST. Paul but the topography of the country has
probably induced the engineers to change the location
From Little Falls the road will by Fort Abercrombie
situated the head of the Red River Of the North
and gently DETECTING from westerly course will make
sufficient northng TO avoid the .'mauvas terre below
Fort Uuion The line viii pass short distance north Of
Fort Union and the the north will sweep past the
Great Bend of the Missouri which describes almost semi
circle from its TO the Iowa frontier Throughout
this eastern section of the road it country pecu
arly adapted to pastoral pursuits and from these spring
those productions of wool hides aov beef and the Ike
which capable of paying high freghts and still leay
ing profit to the producer The line will also pass through
the newly discovered mines of Montana and to and from
that section will have immense through and way traffic
We here copy paragraph from Captain Muans report,
which will be found of interest and To which recent events
have given increased signiicancy:
- If the line from ST. Paul, Minnesota, is to be hut
Wnen IL reticneu OF bentonI
hug the Missouri closely by the bluffs to its north and
thence follow the general line of the river to the Three
Forks thence follow up the valley of the Jefferson Fork
and the main of the Rocky Mountains TO the
Deer Lodge Valley; and thence follow Helrs Gate 10 the
Hels Gate Ronde; here to the Clarks Fork
ria Jocko river and follow down on its right bank
10 end of the Pen dOree Lake; thence 10 the
Spokane and thence TO the mouth of Snake river; from
thence down the Columbia to the mouth Of the COwltz
whence branch line easily be adjusted 10 Puge
Sound This line by the direction herein given would b'
94 miles long and say three hundred miles longer than
the route proposed by Governor Stevens but when It y
remembered that the route here propose involves no un
nels that it follows continuous line of water-cOurses
that will be obstTucted by calculated e
lengthen the time of building and TO increase the deul
ties of running when built that it traverses regio
capable of settlements that il taps all the mining regions
where way travel is destined to be built up and mere
over passes along the navgable stretches of the Missouri
Carks Fork and Columbia rivers essential and economical
aids in the first construction Of the road truly it seem
not too much say, that this line may be regarded
subscribing advantages than any yet examined in IN
Rocky Mountains, north of the 40 of northern latitude