, 1867-05-31
The Norm Peoifio RaIlrnnd.


the great railroad routes, and at the earnest re-
Guest Of Ex-Governor Smith, of Mass, who Is
President of the North Pacific Railroad Co., and
Of some members Of Congress, compiled,
while in Washington, the following statistics, on
the practicability of the Northern route;
FIRST DIVISION.
On the first section of the country from Puget
Sound, there are two routes, both practicable;
one via. the Columbia river, to the mouth Of
Snake river; the other via Snoqualmie Pass
and Yakima river, to the same point. On either
route there will not be much heavy grading.
There is on this section an abundance of the
finest timber, excepting on that part ofthe Co.
Iumbia from the Dalles to Snake river, and short
distance of the route from Yakima to the mouth
of Snake river.
SECOND DIVISION.
The second section lying between the Colum-
bia river and the Bitter Root mountains, diss
tance of about 22O miles, is rolling prairie
country, with splendid grazing, and fine timber
on the Spokane river, distance OF about 100
miles.
THIRD DIVISION.
OQ tue LllEQ WHICH Iu0
tainous part, distance of $50 miles, and lying
between the ll6th and ll2th degrees of longi-
tude; the grading will, in places, be heavy, and
will require three or four short tunnels This
will include the entire Rocky Mountain district,
the work on which will be heavy, but not more
difficult than on the Baltimore and Ohio road,
between the Ohio river and Harper's Ferry. On
this entire section there is an abundance of the
finest timber. On this section there is considera-
BILE good wheat land, as has been proven by the
fine crops raised in He'll Gate valley last season.
FOURTH DIVISION.
This extends from the eastern slope of the
Rocky Mountains to Lake Superior, distance
a rolling prairie, susceptible of settlement the
entire distance.
1t will be seen that the entire distance on this
route, between the head of Lake Superior and
Puget Sound, is about 1910 miles, and that there
is scarcely mile of the entire country but will
eventually be settled. 1t is much shorter than
any other route across the continent, connecting
navigable waters. The mountains are much
lower and the country much more fertile. 1t is
really the only easy pass across the American
Continent, for it is the only part of the conti-
nent where two large rivers rise Immediately to-
gether and flow in opposite directions-the
Columbia cutting its way entirely through the
mountsins on a water level to the Pacific; and
the Missouri connecting with the great plains
bordering on the Lakes The Rocky Mountains
-. 81, IL
last summer actually took large streams in
bitches from the waters Of the Missouri, over
the divide to the Pacific side for mining purpo-
ses. In consequence OF the low passes through
to the Pacific, the climate is warmer than it is
in the mountains in the latitude of Salt Lake
City, 400 miles due south. l crossed the sum
nit of the Rocky Mountains near Deer Lodge
valley in Montana, or the 18th of Dec. There
was snow the roads dry and dusty, and the
weather mild and pleasant, aud none of the
streams frozen over When reached Salt Lake
| City, the snow on the Wasatch and Rocky Noun
tain ranges, was 26 inches deep, and the night
we crossed the Wasatch range, the thermometer
stood at loo below zero, and Green river and
all those streams in the mountains had been
frozen over six weeks, SO that the stage rolled
over on the ice. Such was the difference in the
climate on the two routes. The differences in
the real wealth and resources of the two routes
is perhaps even greater than that of climate
The central route, after it leaves the mining
country of Nevada, around Virginia City, passes
up the Humbolt country towards Salt Lake, fol
a distance Of 500 or 600 miles over the mos
desolate and barren country on the American
continent. The country has neither mines, tim
Der nor any other redeemabe quality about it
Salt Lake valley is small and rather fertil,
valley the only fertile spot for hundreds o
miles. From Salt Lake City to Denver, dis
tance cf six hundred and fifty miles, the rout
lies over alkali and sage plain. On tn
other hand, there is not one mile on the north
ern route that does not either furnish timber
grazing, agricultural lands or minerals, and il
some instances all together. Montana is just il
its infancy its mines scarcely prOspected, auC
yet last season, according to the report of th
Treasury Department, Montana stood second OIL
the list in the amount of gold produced; Cali
fOrnia producing S25,OOOOOO; Montana, SIS,
OOO,oOOi Idaho and Colorado, Sl7, 900, 900 each
and Nevada Sic, 200, 900.
The mountains of Montana are a perfect ne
work of quartz ledges, immensely rich in golt
aud silver. Five years from this time, bsliev
there will be as much as $40, ,OOO, 900 of gold AMI
silver taken from the mines of Montana per year
! more than One-fourth enough to build aud equiI
: the Northern Pacific Road, ready for use Their
B are also immense mines of coal, iron, copper
= and lead in the country. The northern rout
| crosses but one range of mountains, and that a
point which, so far as the experience Of whit
men have gone, is known to be as passable il
l winter as the Michigan Central Railroad. Ii
D deciding the question of relative distance, W
must consider the entire distance between Liver
pool and Canton. Say the mean latitude of th
North Pacific route is 4e0 and of the central 37'
difference Of nine degrees exists Now Dc
| nf a.. H.