The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-19
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC RAIL
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July contracts were let for the building of
the Eastern division, reaching across the
State of Minnesota from Duluth, at the head
of Lake Superior, 240 miles to the
crossing of the Red river of the North.
With several thousand men employed,
the grading on this section is fast approach
ing completion, and the iron is being laid at
the rate of one or two miles a day In the
meantime engineers are locating the line
westward through Central Dakota; prepara-
tions are completed for the commencement
of work at the Pacific end next spring, and
thereafter the work of construction will be
prosecuted from both extremities toward the
centre.
In addition to this, the Northern Pacific
Company have recently purchased and practi-
cally consolidated with their own line the
st. Paul and Pacific Railroad embracing
some 800 miles of finished road in Min
nesota on which a prosperous business is
already doing. This purchase removes all
rivalry between conflicting interests, and
practically makes st. Paul one terminus
of the great Northern road. The Northern
Pacific Railroad system is certainly assuming
a business-Eke form and comprehensive pro-
portions. Obviously, its projectors do not
intend to build simple trunk road from East
to West, and then wait for profitable traffic
to come to it. On the contrary, they are at
the outset securing such connections and alli-
ances with the chief lines of water commu-
nicatiop, and with the railroad systems
of the Atlantic and Pacific States, as
cannot fail to bring to it, in addition to
To larn nd in i'm cboro
of the carrying trade between ocean and
ocean. At Duluth one arm meets the COM
merce of the Lakes and the st. Lawrence; at
st. Paul the other eastern arm connects with
the commerce of the Mississippi river and its
tributaries, and with the railroads of the Gen.
trail and Eastern States, concentrating at
Chicago. These two arms will unite in West
ern Minnesota. From the point of junction
a third branch will extend to Pembina on the
British border, and the trunk line will tra-
verse Central Dakota, and follow the now
famous Yellowstone valley through Montana.
Near the boundary of Idaho the road viii
again branch-one arm following down the
valley of the Columbia to tide-water at Port
land, Oregon; the other striking directly
across the Cascade range to the main terminus
on Puget Sound. North and South branch
will also connect the Puget Sound terminus
with that at Portland. At the latter point
connection is made with the coast lines of
road now building southwark through Oregon
and California. Both at Portland and Puget
Sound the road will tap the coastwise and
foreign trade of the Pacific Ocean.
The chief advantages peculiar to the
Northern Pacific route are believed to be
these:-1. 1t reduces the distance between
the Lakes and the Pacific Ocean some 600
miles. 2. 1t lessons the distance between
New York and the Pacific by water and rail
to the same extent. 3. 1t lessons the dis
tance between London and Chinese ports by
the transcontinental route at least 400 miles.
4. 1t traverses belt of States and Territories
admirably adapted, by fertility of SOIL mild
ness of temperature, and equal distribution
of moisture, to profitable agriculture. 8. It's
elevation in the mountain region is 5000 feet
less than that of other lines, resulting in q
diminished snowfall, a mild climate, and far
easier gradients. 6. At convenient intervals
ii intersects numerous navigable streams
such as the Columbia, the Cowlitz, the yell
lowstone, the Missouri, the Red, and the
Mississippi-which drain a vast region, and
will serve as feeders to the road. Z. 1t will
partake of the character of an international
route, permanently controlling the carrying
trade of British America, and rendering the
important colonies north of the boundary,
and west of Lake Superior, commercially tri-
butary to our Northwestern States.
Already it is stated that settlers are rapidly
crowding to the line of the Northern Pacific
Road in tha Nav Norfhwaak and iudoino