, 1869-07-23
NoRrH PACIFrc RAILRoAD MEErIne- [

Jay Cooke L Co.; W. Miner Roberts, Chief En-.
gineer; W. S. johnson, Civil Engineer; aud W,
E. G. Morehead, nephew of Jay Cooke, all con.
stitutiug what is known as the "Railroad Party.
arrived here, and were cordially received By our
citizens. In the course Of the evening, Mavor
McAuliff and the members of the City Council
! called upon the gentlemen at their rooms, and
cordial congratulations were exchanged. By
invitation of the City authorities the three frst
named gentlemen agreed to favor our citizens
with short "Railroad talk" Accordingly on
Saturday, at o'clock, P. NJ, the large hall of
Cosg!ove Bender was filled to hear the distin,
guisbed gentlemen. The meeting was organized
by the election of DR.. She'll as Chairman, who in
a few remarks stated the object of the meeting.
Mr.. Can6eld was introduced and was greeted
with a perfect storm of applause, which fully
demonstrated the interest of our people in the
North Pacific Railroad. Mr.. c. opened his adj
dress by paying to our former delegate, Hon. l.
l. Stevens, a high compliment and deserved eu.
logy for bis eminent services, and conceded to
that gentleman the honor Of early aiding and
eloquently advocating the construction of a rail.
road from Lake Superior to Puget Sound, and
I said that in his death the project received a
shock from which, although several years had
elapsed, 1t had not yet recovered. The speaker
then proceeded to detail the many difficulties
| that had heset the path of those who had charge
of that great work, first, and most formidable of
which, was the universal ignorance of the coun.
try and its resources by the people of the East
Many persons who are possessed of more than
ordinary intelligence upon other topics of gen.
eral interest, believed that this high Northern
| latitude abounded in ice-bergs and perpetual
SHOWS, and was fit only for the habitation of the
polar bear. The object of the expedition was
to collect statistics, and gain from actual obser-
vation information that, when impaired by gen.
tlemen of known integrity, would disabuse the
mind of those people in relation to this country
The speaker alluded to the action of Congress
in denying to the Northern road the subsidies
and lands conceded to the Central and Union
roads, and said that failure made it incumbent
upon the company to raise the necessary capital
to build the road by loans from the capitalists
of the world, upon the secuaity of first mortgage
| bonds; and in order to ascertain whether the
road pass through country that would support
and furnish a reasonable presumption that the
carrying trade of the road would be sufficient to
insure the payment of the interest on those
bonds, some of the leading banking houses of
the Eastern States had sent their agents with the
expedition, and upon their report would depend,
! to certain extent, the commencement o: the
from other sources. But of one thing the peos
pie of the country could rest assured, the road
would be built sooner or later. The speaker es-
timated the cost at from one hundred to one hun.
dred and twenty five million dollars, and said
that so large a sum of money was probably nev.
er raised from private sources to carry forward
any project, and if the present managers of the
road should succeed, they would feel Justly
proud of their labors. Mr.. c. urged the citizens
Of 10 Vail 70 hafr hast
stIuct their local road from here to the Columbia
river, and showed that it wonld greatly enhance
the value of their products and would furnish
| a powerful incentive to the North Pacific road
to connect with the termini Of our road. The
speaker detailed many interesting facts in rela.
ton to the construction and advantage Of rail.
roads, aud assured the people that the manage
meut of the North Pacific Railroad was in the
| hands OF some Of the most able men in the coun-
try, who fully understood the siness of con-
structiug railroads, and if tt Dad could be
! built at ALL of which the spen' had no doubt
I they would construct it-and tha speedily. The
: raraarks of Mr. Garfield were received through.
~. with applause, and have been beneficial in
/ instiling hopes n the minds of our people that
ere long we will have direct communication
with our friends Of the East, and also have
opened up to US the markets OF the world 70.
our surplus products; that our million acres of
now vacant land will TEEN with an industrious
population, which cheap transportation will in,
| vitc.
| Mr.. Roberts was then introduced, and in q
| clear and forcible manner related many facts
| connected with railroad construction, and going
| to show that any community may build railroads
and that there is not particle of danger con.
tracing debt in so doing equal to one~half the
value of all property of the counties through
which the road passes. Railroads always double
the production of any country and enhance the
| population from three to ten fold. The speaker
urged the people to take hold and build a road
to the Columbia river, and then lay the founda>
ton for railroad system that would eventually
| fully develo? the vast Resources of this country
Mr.. Roberts was followed by Rev. Mr. Claxton
who, in few witty remarks, detailed how be,
minister OF the gospel, came to be with the
expedition. He bad been requested by the veal.
thy capitalist and banker, Jay Cooke, to came
out aud see the coast, and report its exact con,
dit!on as TO soil, climate, population, and pro-
ductive capacity. He had started imbued with
the idea that ice>bergs and polar bears abouud>
ed in frequent and dangerous proximity to every
little settlement, and that winter held almost
perpetual sway. He was glad that be had come,
to this country and he should 20 back and tell
those men, on the word of q clergyman, which
ought always to he good, what beautiful couu.
try you here have; what magnificent forests
they have on the Sound, and that the climate
nowhere can be excelled. On the conclusion of
Mr.. ca remarks, which were well received, Hon.
Frank P. Dugan was called upon, and in a few
words assured the gentlemen that the people of
Walla Walla county felt grateful and proud of
the honor conferred by their visit, and felt as
sured that on their return to the East they would
truthfully represent this country as it is, and
that their representation would be beneficial TO
the country-which only required population to
develop its vast resources and an outlet for its
surplus products to make it one OF the most de.
sirable places upon the globe. The speaker as
sured the gentlemen that the people of this
county were fully alive to the Importance of the
North Pacific road and would do all in their
power 10 assist in its construction, and would
hail With joy every effort made towards the ac>
complement Of that object.
Mr. Vansykcle followed in a few remarks on
the effect of railroads upon the prosperity and
unity of every country
The remarks of all the speakers were we'll re-
ceived and the utmost enthusiasm prevailed. Al
the conclusion Of tho speaking, on motion Of Mr.
DugAn, committee was appointed to collect and
forward to the proper officers of the North pa.
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