The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1869-10-01
Competition a. tie Northern PneiEc
DecoWa0isasce. B..

Cesepieetess a. The Northern Pncit<
Oec0sa0isasce.
| Prom The O. Paul Press, sepe II
Mr.. Thomas II. Garfield. who had charg,
Of the western wing of the Northern Pacific
reconnaissance, and the brilliant Samuel viii
keson, the well.known journalist and 1r''
Dune correspondent, who accompanied il't
expedition a ito listoriographcr, arrived In
this city on Saturday evening, on their re-
turn trip via Omaha, Cedar Rapids and the
Milwaukee and St. Paul road, aud carly yes
tcrday took the cars en- voAse to Duluth, one
of the proposed termini Of the Northern Pa
cific. after inspecting which they propose to
visit Bayfield,, Ashley and Marquette, and
thence proceed to New York. The joyous
snd sMngune enthusiasm of Carleton" over
the eastern end Of the route 10 surpassed by
the wondering delight with which M. VII
kc>on and his comp"gnon de ucy"ge were i'm
pressed with the splcndor, the bene6ceucc,
and the lavish beauty of nature over tho
vast belt Of territory t'sverscd by them in
their journey from Puget's Sound to the
Missouri. 1t was, indeed, = magnificent
journey-magnifccnt in tho mere extent of
space passed over, but still more 8" in the
grand and beautiful panorama 1T plain and
mountain and VOID and prairie and ocean
and bay and lake and river which passed, in
every conceivable shape Of sublinsity and
beauty, before their eyes.
On their return to New York they will
have travelled over 10000 miles in less than
three Notwithstanding crossed the continent
twice from ocean to OCT III through its CEN
trail and northern zones Of this they have
gone by railrosd $40 miles; by Stage 1886;
by steamer 1910; on horseback 500; in Gu
noes -; and after mules 70 miles.
The expedition, including in addition I"
our two vsitors--Gencn.l Roberts, the cngi.
nccr. and two otl.crs-lcft New York about
the 18th Of June and went by rail to 81"
Francisco, Sacramento and Oroviilc. Thence
they Travelled G45 miles BY stage through,
California, Oregon aud Washington to Moi.
ticcllo, on the Columbia river. thence over
land to Olympia on PuScts Sound, whose
iul.ls aud harbon they examined.
There they saw como of tho finest harbors
Of the world, and close beside them the out
groupings Of vast beds Of biiuminous coal,
stretching from Bcllingham By TO Olym-
pia-onc bed ten feet in thickness everything
another sixteen fcrt thick, nearly rs good as
the Pittsburgh cosl--a highly important re.
source Of the great marine aud nava: depot
which, il to terminate the Northern Pacific
Railway on the western ocean. In the huge
trees and luxuriant forest jungle which GOV.
cred the Pacific slope; III the rich verdure
and heavy crops Of wheat and corn; in the
mild aud cquablc climate, similar in many
Of its characteristics, in its absence Of cx'
,rcn,cs, it's annual mean temperature, its
moisture and ycrlure, to that OF England.
they saw abundant evidence Of the opu'encc
Of nature. They gathered as they went
ample statistics of these facts Of climate and
production. Returning to Monticello they
ascended that river Ivy steam AID rail N
Wa:luia, aud thence OH horseback over the
mountains ENTHUSIASTICALLY to Lake Pen
d'Oreille, which they coastel in Il steamer
provided by the Oregon Steam Navigation
Company. OF the Deer Lodge divide and
other passes which they went through We
have already gwen full accounts from the
pen of the chief engineer, Roberts. Though
they rode over ridges 600 fec. high the u.s.
cent was ~ gradual that they. seemed to bc
passing over gently undulating plain-a
plain, too, covered with bunch grass. tim.
othy and oats, on which the cattle feed all
winter. Nature has here levellcd amt
smoothcd away all barriers to the iron
horse. In winter the snow on these sum.
mits rarely exceeds foot in depth and O.
mild was the temperature that the party
slept ~ usual in the open Dir, without tent
| without tho least discomfort. We cannot d.
Justice to the graphic verbal description
which Mr.. Wilkcson gave Us of these !'asset
and divides, or of the journey buck and
forth through the auriferous ranges and
other wonders If Montana, till having com
plcted their observations they took stage fol
Fort Bridgcr on the onion Pacific, and
thence by mil to Omaha, St. Paul and Du
luth. Ills own brilliant pen will soon givt
the detailed results of his observations Il
the country. During their nearly thre.
months journey the explorers slept hui
twenty.nine nights under the roof Of |,
house. And though they Travelled in light
marching order, without tents, and with
only blanket or two for covering, littlt
dour and tea, sleeping in the open cir, *
posed to all inclemencies of the weather
though they scaled precipioes where singI>
mis- step of . horse would have plunged them
into eternity; and were exposed to all TIN
usual misl,aps and casualties Of journey
of extraordinary length over mountains ant
rivers by almost every known mesns Of con
vcysnce, it is . remarkable fact that none d
1 p