Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-04-16
OLYMPIA, SATURDAY MORNING, APRIL 16, 1870.
The Northern Pacific Railroad.

turc Of North Idaho," which sets forth
very scnsibly many arguments which will
serve to dispel the fears of our people that
the treachcry Of Garielde will have last
ing disastcrous effect upon the interests OF
the Sound country. The writer of the ar
ticle is willing that the Oregon members OF
Congress should make all the capital they
can out of the reported change Of route,
for facts and figures afford the assurance
that their glory will be short.livcd. He
assumes that the incorporators of the rail-
road company are ncn Of at least ordinary
sagacity, and are able to appreciate the
rights granted them in the original charter
Of incorporation, and to properly deter
mine the line of route which will best SUBJ
serve commercial interests.
He continues: {. 1t is proper to inquire
whether, by the changes suggested by the
kilograms, the western terminus Of the
Northern road is to be at a point cast Of
the shores of the Pacific OCEAN, Ii not,
will their western terminus be at the mouth
Of the Columbia river instead Of Puget
Sound: If so, we ask what advantage
will the Northern road have, as a trans
continental line, over the Union Pacific, if
the latter build the Salt Lake and Column
bia Branch, as cur Oregon friends assume
they will do forthwith? Certainly, the
Northern read, by this movement, will
only be bidding for competition, from the
Union Pacific, in the carrying trade from
China to New York.
But do these changes simply mean that
the main trunk Of the Northern road is to
follow down the Columbia river, through
the Cascade range, and then divergc to
Puget Sound If SO, what need of other
legislation by Congress, than the plain
provision Of their original charter? Wise
provision allows them to down the Co.
lumbia with their main trdlk to within ten
miles Of Portland, Gregg, if they desire;
provided, the diverging point of their
branch to Portland be not more than three
hundred miles from their western terminus.
ave cannot readily believe that this
Northern company are going to substitute
the mouth of the Columbia in place of the
waters Of Puget Sound, the best harbor
in the known world, as western terminus.
Nor can We readily believe that the COM
pany are going to abridge their line to a
point for terminus cast of the Pacific
tide waters.
Now, what objections exist to the
main trunk ofthis road following down the
Columbia river, through the Cascades ?
In the first place, the distance from the
mouth of Snake river down the Columbia
through the Cascades, thence to the
Sound, is l65 miles further than via
Matches pass of the Cascades to the
Sound second, the cost per mile for build
ing the road will be equal to, if not greater,
via the Columbia pass than via the Matches
pass third, the value of the unoccupied
lands, via the Matches pass, is the larger;
fourth, the construction of the main trunk
down the Columbia would furnish a DOW
erful inducement for the Union Pacific to
tap the Columbia bya branch, measure
which must initiate greatly against the
business of the Northern road when both
arc in operation !; fifth, the road via the
Columbia pass would have less influence
in checking the construction of the Eng.
lish road, north Of the forty-ninth parallel ;
sixth, it has been the announced policy of
this company, from its organization, to
construct a road across the continent three
husdred miles shorter than any other rail-
road 70 the Pacific, SO as to have the ad-
vantage Of the Asiatic trade, but the Co.
lumbia route will nearly defeat this policy
without gaining an equivalent of trade
1tVm any Otner source.
These are the main reasons given by the
writer for doubling the inclination of the
company to follow in the groove marked
out for them by the Oregon interest. The
change cannot but prove injurious to the
company, and will detract from the char
aeter Of the road as a great national thor
suehfare across the continent. The wri.
serSery piausibly, We think, concludes
that tho inception of the proposed change
u dse to those in the employ of the Cen.
trsI Pacific, to check the immediate con.
stfuction Of the Northern road west of the
Rocky Mountains, rather than matters
sought for and contemplated by the North.