The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-04-01
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC RAIL-
@tgk3 5ssS ROAD. =

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From tie Detron Adue,aser.
The directors of this road, as we
have already stated, despairing Of gov
ernmcnt aid, hare asked tor tie power
Of mortgasing their lands, and the re-
quest has been granted. These lands
are estimated to be worth not less than
$780, 100000. The company propose
ID 60 70 work at once and construct
oheiE line as rapidly as their means will
permit, commencing at the head of
Lake Superior .and proceeding west.
The first section OF tie road vii cx-
tend to the Red River, and strike it at
the head Of it's navigation, distance Of
a little oyer two hundred miles from
Lake Superior. The western portion
of tsis section, which will be about 125
miles long, will pass through the best
part of Minnesota, having soil Of great
fertility, specially, adapted to whe.t
growing. The next section will extend
from the Red RiEer to Fort Clarke, on
the Missouri, about $50 miles. Fort
Clarke is about 500 niles oy the course
Of the river above Sioux City, which is
the highest point nov reached by
railreatl from the East. The surveyed
distance tron Lake Superior to the
Missouri is 4S5 miles.
The Missouri is na7igabie from Fort
Clarke to Fort Benton, near its falls, so
that, @hcn the road is finished to the
former poiat il will take most Of the
travel and traffic to and from Montreal
and Idaho, and large share of the Or
eson and Washington territory. Here
tofore all the machinery and other sup
plies for the gold regions Of Idaho, Mon
tana, and Western Oregon have been
taken there overland at enormous ex-
pense, or BY the long course Of the Mis-
souri, from its mouth. This business
OF itself will furnish profitable employ
nent for railroad extending from
Lake Superior to the Upper Missouri,
reducing SO greatly as i: will the length
of the voyage. These supplies will te
furnished from the Lake region kereaf-
ter, and will make most important adj
dition to its business-one which will
increase from year to year.
The opening which the first section
of this road will make for the rising
settlements In the Saskatchewan coun-
try, By means Of the navigation of the
Red River, is one of great importance.
This coustry is attracting the attention
Of en'igrants from the Canadas and
England, and will very soon have con-
siderable proportion and producers who
will have to pass through our territory
IN communicating with the East. No
other avenue which they can establish
VII SO well ACCOMMODATE them, or do
it SO cleaply. Their prod actions for a
long time will be pure agricultural and
mus: be sent 10 market b. the cheapest
route.
an illustration Of the Importance to
the lake commerce OF the opening of a
Fart on J Of the Northern Pacific Rsil-
soad is found in the fact that an emf
neut English engineer who vas sent to
Minnesota from London t~o years ago,
10 examine and report en- the St. Paul
and Lake Superior Railroad. gave it as
his opiuion t!::=s thirty propelIers
would be required to cary Of: the grain
Immediately en- the completion CT that
road. It would not be lorg before this
first section Of the Northern Pacific
Railroad would bring as much grain to
the lake as the ST. Paul road would.
At first sight the estimate Of the eaei-
necr may appear wild, but slight cal
cu'at:cn viii make it plain, that thirty
propellcrs, averaging fourteen trips a
season, aud carrying cargo Of about
thirty thousand bushels Of wheat,
would not |yc allie to transport in a sea-
son MORO t'l3n twelve to fourteen mil
hons Of bushels. In view Of these
facts aud prospects should there be any
delay in enl1rgius cur canal, SO as to
lower its charges fer freighting, and
quicken the TIME Of transit through it,
thus securing this great Northwestern
trade forever