The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1865-11-04
From the Buffalo Express
Sor.hern Pacific Railroad.

The New York Tribune, in recent artl-
cle on the visit of English capitalists to this
country. remarked:
.s Our Pacific Railroads are peculiarly inviting to
n,oneyed men. 1t is the purpose OF the 6ri1ish
Government to open path TO the racine OceaN
They must see that their Atlantic Urea1 eSttLh'
| rirb os il is now will become faT more valuable
whom lis freight trains are burdened with teas OF
| China and the spices of the occidental naIiohS;
England has long desired road to the racine, anu
her engineers have, time ana again. ~
pfnd a way through British America. Inc Ia'orite
.cbop,o has been to continue the Grand Trunk hal-
vay to Lake Superior, and thence oy way Oh Ilnets
and lakes and branch roads to Puget eound: Inc
difficulty with this plan lies In the climate. For SIX
months in the YEAR the route would not be uSetul.
A~congIv British enterprise Will probably be com
npled reluctantly to abandon the PROJECT OF brtsh
railroad If Sir Morton Peto and his trlends nave
much money to spend, let them go to Worh ana uo
. for British America and indeed for the BRUSH
Fn,nire what its own engineers have failed to do.
The Tribune then points out to the atten-
+;op of these gentlemen the line proposed
. from Lake Superior to the Pacific. not
Y through British territory, but sklrtlng the
British line, through Minnesota, Montana:
Idaho and Washington Territories. we
Idesire to add something to the Tribune!
> suggestions, with view to directing genera
: attention to this Northern Pacific Railroad
:. route. Its superior advantages over the
Central route are made strikingly appacen
:. hv a few facts and calculations.
Il Making Chicago, at the head OF Lake
Michigan. and Du Luth, at the western
extremity of Lake Superior, the startin
noints at the east of the respective rail-
roads. each place being about the same mum
her of davs' sail from Buffalo, the followln
rs results are arrived at. They prove the north
ern route, beyond dispute, to be the on
over which the teas, silks, gums and spice
of the East will find their way to the Atlant
a States and Western Europe.
l. Du Luth, at the mouth OF the.ot. Lou
ck, river. which empties into the Fond du Ii
of Lake Superior, is nearly in latitude
NJ and in longitude Is deg. 80 min. west tro
- Washington. degree Of longitude in tn
fC latitude is AT I0-100ths statute miles Ion
Chicago, at the head of Lake Michigan,
in latitude ~ deg. and Longitude ~ Ut
md and 40 min. west of Washington. oegt
of longitude in that latitude is ol oz-loo' =.
statute miles long. The western termll
ions of both the railroads, at San Francis
ON and an Puget's Sound, are in longitude
deg. 80 min. west. =:
This makes the distance, in direct IL
=. ., From Chicago to San Francisco, miles :,..I
posed From Fond Du Lac to Pugets souno' miies :
Difference in favor Of the Northern route.
~ ship sailing from Puset's Sound, IN
itude As deg. west, moves on degrees OF
r;tude 46 2l-lOOths miles long, while
Sailing from San francisco, in latitude
dec. moves on those of "a 52-lOOths m
PODS. in length. The number of degrees OF
50 oi pitude from either Of those points on
- Pacific coast. to given point in Japans
,. to Yeddo, in N. latitude 80 deg, longi'
above l4S west, is 81 deg. 80 min. here asan
mined ro,,,.d az, advanta ce for the Northern 20
spose iouhe ~ &c -. - . ~ osi ,,ova that n Nort]
de has Sclentlnc resefiroucS PA.o'S IL -
eneral route will not be more lmpedeo py 81
me for :, - .-o Soutbarn one Blodgett's g
5-2m tndn Hoio