The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-01-02

III ~ sb
Observation-Disclosures.
E>o~ tie New York Tribune Of Dec. %.
While the Central Paci6e n Union
Pacific Railroad Companies dS pushing
on their roads, both from the Slststa Il
western points Of departure, Nth ias-
ing energy and success, tho Nort3 4rA
Company has Is yet done little Mpr]
than enlighten the coul1iy u theN el1
parative advantages of ii route over
any other. The reason is plain. The
former has large Government subsidy,
q loan Of United States credit, while
the latter has only a simple landgrant.
These roads lie At all points nearly nix
hundred ~niles~spart,;sssndd;;s i6r.-loesl
trade, could, never. he eivalA 'Ifethses,
be any jealousy bet1esn them, Il is b.:
cause the Northern road, on account Of
its shorter distances and easier grades,
must eventually be the great highway
Of international commerce -bstween
Europe and Asia, aud between Asia and
our Atlantic seaboard. - But We do not
propose to discuss tho relative prospeets;
Of the roads from. any point Of view.
Tho vast Importance. Of either to the
solid and permanent growth Of the
Union, to its commercial prosperity and
it's defensive strength; Is beyond any
possible estimate. In the midst Of the
general Satisfaction, which, ha,lS atAs
rapid, construction Of the one, No, aim:
ply desire to call attention to the; grand.
resources which tho other j. likely to-
command-tq, tie stupendous empire id
extent aud in natural wealth which il il
destined to develop. In; the success of
the latter enterprise: New York aud
New England have, ar.dcep interest,
worthy, Of their most practical eonaid.
Grafton. The commercial supremacy Of
the City Of. New York can never; Of
course, be disturbed, but it. may be en-
HANGED ). and it seems perfectly evi-
dent that, should the trade & sAsis
and the great North West be poured
into the lakes which wash the northern
boundary OF the State, whatever il
broken in bulk, or distributed to the
,Atlant.c' States, will be drawn of to
the advantage Of thus metropolis. asa
The Company is, authorized to build
a rad from the head Of Lake Superior,
on = line north Of tho 'forty!ARh de
gree of north latitude, to ,Puget's
Sound, throwing off a branch down the
Columbia Valley, TO- Portland, Oregon,
from point on. the main line less than
300 miles from its western terminus.
This is not only tho shortest routs aeeoes
the continent, connecting, lines Of va
ter communication, but it, termini ase
nearer, the one to Europe, and the 9TH
er to Asia, than those of.apy other.
Seattle, at the head Of Puget's. Sound,
is one Of the finest and safest .harbors
on the globe, with = broad and" deep
channel to the oeean., In tho distances
to AMOR, Shanghai, Canton, and CAL
cutta, Seattle has? an :average advan-
tage Of 260 miles. Beside, the pre-
vailing winds of tho Pacific compel al
sailing vessels to enter the Straits Of
Fuca and thus, for them, Seattle has
practically an advantage of 700 miles.
Seattle is three hundred miles nearer to
Chicago BY the Northern route than
San Francisco by the Central !; or, II
We compare distances to the commence.
ment Of lake navigation, At the heads
Of Lakes Michigan aud Superior re-
spectively, the difference Is more than
700 miles in favor OF the Northern
But is this route between terminii 20
much nearer to each other, aud SO much
better situated with regard to the great
commercial points of both hemispheres
than those Of any other, entirely prac.
ticable We no longer PROFOUND the
question in doubt, nor attempt to solve
it upon imperfect data. United States
surveyors, explorers, travellers, and
scientific men, unite. so far a. We ore
able to learn, in declaring it not only
practicable, but comparatively easy and
1ooir ah1n .. 7 oav:nn. ~ j. 49,. ~ -