The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1869-07-30
NEW NORTHWEST,
DEER lODEE CITY, FRIDAY, JULY %.
Northern Pacific Railscav.


i In known TO our readers that the Presi.
dent and conc ot the Difect0ssof tho North.
ern Pacific railway arc engaged in making I
personal inspection of thcroutc for that road.
One party started eastward from Pmget'a
SOUND some weeks ago, and Governor Smith,
the President Of the company. and Others,
arc making their way westward from St Paul
and Lake Superior II these parties make
favorable reports, II IL understood that jay
Cooke = Co., will Ut once take the financial
management OF the concern, and work will
be commenced in earnest. Nearly enough
!: already known 10 satisfy capitalists that,
II economically and honestly built. the road
viii: be financially successful. The company
uay rs we'll make up their minds to build
the rOsd on its own Intrinsic merits and the
magnificent land grant made by Con gross, or
allow its charter to lapse; for u subsidy in
hnds, in the present condition of the Gnan-
ccs of the country, Mnst not be expected.
II the company build the road in good
faith they will become Tie largest LANDED
proprtctOrs in the world CMgrtsS Mas
granted them every other section for forty
miles On each side Of it from IT, head Of
Lake Superior to Puge;'s Sound o. the Pa-
ciiic Occan-that is. y belt Of country west
from Lake Superior entirely G.rOss tic con.
tincnt forty miles wide The distance is. in
sNOuN uWUueSCScs osVSUtCCll uuNNSCN uIuDcS, III
oil $4,000 square miles, territory enough to
make three States rs large as IlliI,'us. Massa.
chussetts and Connecticut. Nor is this land,
hkc ninc.tcnths Of that along the Union
and Central Pacific railways. worthless. The
surveys made years ago. and the accounts Of
81 travclcrs, ngvcc that tic country along
nearly the entire line Of this road is capable
not only Of cultivation, but of sustaining u
large and highly prosperous population.
The mineral riches ut Montana ind Idaho
can scarcely be ovcrcsti.uatc.l It should he
remembered, also, that tho climatic lines,
after passing the head Of Lake Superior.
bend far away towards the north, 50 that II
j. ~ warm IN tho Saskatchewan and Assini.
boin valleys % 1t Is many degrees further tn
the s0uthwxrd-say in Middle mud psrIups
Southeastern MinnCsota 1t IL u fact well
established that the SHOWS on tho line Of this
road will probably never form any Obstruc.
ton to railway travel. Captain Mullen
crossed through the pass NAMED for himself,
between tho head wsterE of the Missouri and
tho Columbia, six times during the winter
OF 1876 and never found the snow more
than fifteen inches deep. The entire country
between the head OF Lake Superior and the
north bend Of the Missouri embraces prob.
ably the largest and finest body of timber
lands and the most extensive tract of wheat
lands in the United States. We should not
b. surprised If the company shall rcalize
money enough from this vast tract Of va'ua'
bic country alone to build their whole road.
The yalley of the Missouri. above Ito north.
erly bend, is not wide, hut still much of it,
~ well 40 tho valleys Of its tributaries, is
valuable for farming purposes. The valleys
on both sides of the mountains arc numer
Gus and very productive. Cattle, horses and
sheep, require no care. except that of the
'erdsiNsn, To propagate them In almost end.
less numbers; for 50 mild 10 tho climate and
% rich are the grasses that they can live all
winter without any hay or provcnder Of any
kind, beyond what they find in the valleys
and upon the sides Of the mountains. The
stories NC have heard 40 to the number Of
the locks and hcrds Of iIho old ,l,oun lain ssrs
Columbia appear almost to border on the
fabulous. We have already referred to the
mineral riches Of Montana and Idaho Prob.
ably no section Of tho continent Is richer or
offers more inviting field for permanent
investment Certainly the Northern Pacific
railway have most magnificent inheritance
1t they have the energy and enterprise to
bnild their r0od, and therefore to 60 in and
possess II. Not many years will chpsc be.
tore other men, If they can obtain the same
grant, will build the road, If tho present
company TAIL 10 DO II.
The ease and chcapncss with which, the
road can be built are inn .ortant elements in
it, success. Our readers may not Ike aware
that steam communication Can I've opened
entirely across the continent on the line Of
the Northern Pacific railway. by building
only $50 miles of track. The distance from
81: Cloud on the Mississippi, the present ,er-
minus OF the Minnesota Pacific railway, 10
the north bend Of the Missouri. is ESQ miles
From St. Cloud, ct q distance of nearly 1928
miles, Fort Abcrcron,bic. on the Rcd river
ut the North, il reached, thus opening up
steam communication with Pe,nbins and The
vast territories Of the old Hv,lsttn's Bay
Company. The commerce of this country
by Ok carts has long been most important
item In tho prosperity Of st. Paul Small
steamers run up the Upper Missouri from
Ito most northerly bend some 600 miles or
more, TO point frOm which it is only 800
miles to the navigablc waters Of the Lcwis
Fork of the Columbia There il already 1
good wagon road over this part of the line.
The highest summit is very little more than
500 fcct--3, 200 feet lower than that Of the
Union Pacific on tn: Black Hills; and the
IailrOad can cross it, as we have been told
by well Informed parties, at . maximum
grade of seventy. two feet To the mile. FUm
the point on the Lewis Fork on the COlum.
bia, ct or near tho mouth of the Pen
d Orcille, the river IL navigsblc west some
eighty 70 . hundred miles, and thence BY
aulien's wagon road, slrcsdy built. furnish
Ing, We are assured, good ronte for rail-
way for $50 miles, the Columbia Is reached,
on which steamers have for several years
been running u the Dallcs; and thence 10y
rail and steamer the way u opcn u the Pacf-
DC ocean. This ready communication 70
the different sections Of the road to be built
h most important element In estimating
the cost of its construction, and. Of course,
its future SUCCESS. Knowing. these facts,
parties lave seriously discussed the profess
Of putting on N express )isc from st. Pana
70 Oregon, rs the different sections Of the
land travel, ESQ, 800, and 100 miles, could BE-
crossed Ivy teams and stages, tran smiteine
whatever freight and passenger might Offer.
the thing would probably have been done
before this lad It not bssa feared the rail-
way company might very soon make the
prOJect unpEO6labIc. ,..e
In regard TO the facilities for building and
running the rDsd, II Is well understood that
they arc fur better than those which have
been overcome in constructing the Central
euc. The grades will be very m0chx beetbr,
1os there will be but two summits-0nc oveS
the Rocky Mountains proper, and the othst
where the road will erUss thc highlands he,