Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-09-24
Prospects of the Northern Pacific r.. r..

CARLETON" the special correspon-
dent of the Boston Journal, closes one
of his interesting letters with the follow
ing graphic sketch of the immense region
which this road will develop, and place
on the grand highway of improvement
and civilization. One cannot refrain from
feeling thrill Of Joy at the brilliant flu
ture in store for this grand free land of
ours:
1.-THE Northern Pacific will be built; ;
will have its own field, and will serve
the country as no other line ever CAN
1t Will be the short line between the
lakes and the Pacific; will traverse a
country capable of sustaining dense
population. predict that the people of
the country will look upon the enter
prise with favor. The men who are en-
gagged in it asked Congress to guaranty
the interest on its bonds; the request
was refused. 1t was disheartening. But
they had faith in their enterprise. They
had studied the question; they saw that
there was an empire ia the Northwest,
awaiting only the construction Of a raj!
way to insure its speedy deyelopment.-
They have come out here to behold it
with their own eyes, and have seen it,
they can with emphasis use the same Ian
guage that the Queen of the South en-
ployed when she beheld the ivory throne
and the golden furniture accumulated
riches of Solomon: "The half has Iot
been told me-"
The Northern Pacific Railroad will be
built, and in the time will become the
great trunk road of the continent, for the
following reasons: 1t will be the shortest
line between the millions that are to oc-
cupy the country north of the Ohio river
and the Middle States on the one hand,
and the Pacific on the other; it will be
the shortest line for passenger travel Ee-
tween England and China; it lies through
the great wheat field Of the continent: it
will have its western terminus in the flu
ture New England of the Pacific coast
region yet to be dotted all over with
manufacturing towns; it lies through a
region where the climate is nilder in
winter than along the central belt Of the
continent, and which for the entire dis
lance is capable of sustaining an agricul-
tural or industrial community.
did not intend that my pen should
run on this theme when l commenced
writing, but the thought that this was
the old portage of the Indians and French
Canadian traders and voyagers set me
to thinking of what there is to be in the
future.
Spread out once more the map before
we dismiss the subject, and see how the
river runs; see how the Sc. Lawrenea
and the lakes furnish water half way
across the Continent. Look at the
wheat field, bounded north by the Arctic
Circle, east by Lake Winnipeg. south
by the plains Of Nebraska, west by the
Rocky Mountains. Consider that out
here we are only in the latitude of Paris,
that the latitude of the northern limit of
this wheat field is not so near the North
Pole as the settled coast of Norway or
St. Petersburg; think of tho capabilities
of Oregon; of the Columbia, pouring its
mighty flood to the Pacific, yet to be put
to work in turning mill wheels; of the
forests of the Pacific coast-the coal of
Puget sound; the bays, harbors, and riv-
ers swarming with fish; of climate as
mild, and in many parts milder, than
that of Maine or Vermont-take in all
that Nature has done, and then reflect
what man eau Go with such means and
appliances.
1t is only by some such process that
we can arrive at an estimate of the future
greatness of this section of our country.