, 1867-08-02
The North Pacllo RaIlroad.

The people Of Oregon and the north westerI
territories will be much gratifed to learn tha
the project for the speedy Construction Of a.
long talked Of North Pacific Railroad is assnm,nI
tangible form. few days ago we alIudet
briefly to the subject, mentioning the fact tbaI
new company representing great wealth. bad
been organized at Boston to take immediate te rnea
ures for the preliminary survey. This intelIi.
gence Is fully confirmed by the arrival Of az
James Tilton, engineer of the company. and
formerly Surveyor General Of Washinpton Ter.
ritory, who has instructions to make an examin.
alton Of the passes through the Cascade Noun.
tains during the present summer, and to repori
to the company BY December next Gen, Tilton
has gone to olympia TO organize force to com.
mence the work at once. His instructions when
he left New York were to make an examination
Of the route through the Cascade Mountains bv
the Columbia river FIRST, and then to examine
the more northern passes. But on arriving Al
San Francisco be received letter from the Pres.
ident OF the company, directing him to Commence
operations at the passes east of Puget Sound. as
the summer was too far advanced to admit of
his doing this year the whole work that had been
assigned to him. He will therefore examine tba
country with a view to ascertaining the grades
etc., through Packvood's Pass, south of Monnt
Rainier, aud also through the Snoqualmie Pass
north Of that peak. Two parties will be oresa,-
lied for the purpose, and the preliminary survey
viii With P9s aee6ffacy that is to be attained.
intention is to make such a survey as will enable
the company to decide as to the best routs for
the main line, and at a subsequent time the route
will be examined for the branch which is intend
ed to have its terminus at Portland. The com
pany have ordered similar survey, commencing
at the western shore of Lake Superior and ex-
tending as far west as the. party may be able to
penetrate this year. This portion of the work
is under the direction of General Spaulding, of
New York, late an engineer in the army of the
Potomac. Members of the company have donas
ted $780, 900 for these surveys, and the object is
to bury them forward as rapidly as possible, so
that the company may be able TO Law their re.
ports before Congress at i.s meetisgin December.
Ihe same aid viii be applied for on the next
mestlng Of Congress for this road which has
been granted by the Government to the Central
Pacific. This, with the land subsidy already
obtained, will place the Northern Pacific on the
same footing with the Central Pacific The people
of New England, of Northern New York and
the whole tier of the great Northern States are
deeply interested in the Northern Pacific road,
and men representing the various railroad lines
of these States are heartily urging on the work
With the influence that may be thus brought to
bear, there can be but little doubt that Congress
will grant the aid that will be required. There
seems to be strong probability that this great
enterprise will soon be actually under way,
Ihe men VINO nave 1t IN hand, some of whose
names we published in a recent article on this
subject are widely known as men of energy,
wealth and business capacity, and there cau be
no doubt that they mean to use every exertion
to put the work through. The time allowed
General Titon fer making the preliminary sur
yey is quite Short but he believes that he will
be able to make such an examination of the
country during the summer and fall as will en-
able the company to select its route. When the
building of the road begins, it is the intention
to work on both ends at once. The rivalry of
the Central Pacific will stimulate competition,
and IT the Government aid asked for can be
secured, there is every reason to believe that
within very few years the Northern Pacific
viii emerge from possibility into a reality.
Certainly the prospect appears better than it has
ever looked before OregoniaR.