Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1869-09-18
The NOrthern Pacific Railrnad

We hal intending the publication Of the
report ii the Cooke Exploring Party. but
it. extreme length has prevented Us from
undertaking the tax. It is interesting
only as giving general view Of the pro-
posed route and the effect it may have
upon tn" capital necessary to inaugurate
the enterprise. That portion of the report
devoted to Urrgn. the Sound, and rival
settlements on the Sound, is but the on;n-
ions Of one who passed over the country
without taking time To consider the pcru-
liar advantages of each section. and there
fore unable TO make a just discrimination
between them, The great fact our rco-
pie wish to receive assurance of is. that
the Northern route presents such induce
ments and advantages as that the road
will be soon built, and this is embodied in
the following conclusions:
Fuw-Thcre seems to me no doubt that
there should be and will be another large
city on the Pacific Coast Take, lust this
fact. that from the southernmost boundary
Of California to the line Of British Column
hia IS a coast reaching through II! de~rers
Of latitude not less, | supposc-if we col
low the inIcntaiions Of the land-than TT.
term hundred miles This line Of Calitor-
MIA. Of Oregon and Of Washington Territory
-euuals that Of all the Atlantic States,
from Maine to Georgia inclusive. /. e., all
excepting Florida The commerce between
Asia and the United States will not tend
rs far south as San Francisco. That by
sailing vessels must under the currents Of
wind and water. seek Puget Sound or the
Columbia river, in preference to any har-
Dor south Of the latter. The timber and
the fisheries on the Sound will of them
selves. attract a large population, where
some one port on those waters is almost
sure to become the mart.
Sccondly-There can be no reas 1nable
doubt in my mind, that Montana and Up
per Idaho will be rapidly settled and that
mining. agriculture and stock raising will
combine in employing aad supporting hun
lral- Of thousands whose traffic viii find
an outlet towards the Pacific almost. it not
quite as largely as towards the Ailn'ic.
70 bring in tens Of thousands Of lahorers
from Asia and ike or greater numbers
from the Atlantic States will rive larger
employment To a North Pacific Railroad
The faculties for transporting for machin-
cry and supplies Of every kind will rapid
" develop the mining regions in these
territories. Now, the mpossibiIity Of
BRINGING in the ponderous enginery need
Ell for certain operations in the mines. acts
as almost an embargo on the profitable
prosecution Of the business.
TTua-Thc climate of these remions
will. Of itself, be largely attractive to con-
siderable class ofsettlcrs. From all that
T can learn, it is, for the most part re-
markahly healthy, There are, as records
show no such extremes Of temperature as
arc common in the New En- gland and Md
die States When farmers are satisfied
that instead Of feeding cattle for six months
on stores which it has cost the labor of the
other six months To procure, they can use,
in ordinary seasons. the bounties which
the God Of Nature has made ready for use
without labor; when they find that some
Of the land in the Mon can be obtained
at a merely nominal cost; when they are
assured that they can reach these lands
with their households and their furniture
at moderate expense; when facilities are
afforded them for the interchange Of their
own productions with those Of regions east
and west; i. e.. when they can reach mar
kctS, either To buy or sell quickly easily
AMI cheapiy, then they will certainly, in
great numbers, seek homes in this genial
attractive, beautiful Northwest.