Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-07-23
The Northern Pacific Railroad and
Congress.

C0n&xeSc.
We extract the following from leader
on the above subject in the Chicago
Adramce, of June 18th, in relation to the
purposes desired to be accomplished BY the
passage of the Joint Resolutions which
lately became law. We do not remefn.
Der having seen them SO intclligently stated
in any Of the many articles which have,
from time to time, occupied SO much space
in the columns Of the .presss Whiiss sxs
planning the reasons which induced the
Northern Pacific Company to seek this
necessary legislation, much valuable infor-
nation is also impaired in reference to the
general designs Of the corporation in con-
nection with this great work, as well as Of
the vast undertaking in which they are
engaged:
The Northern Pacific Company, in COM
ing before Congress and asking for the
recent legislation, which has occasioned so
much discussion and misunderstanding,
requested four things; a. That the
original land grant, voluntarily conferred
by Congress six years ago, be made good
by permitting the company to appropriate
other public lands to compensate for those
belonging to the grant, which had been
taken up by settlers and spectators; (2.)
That the short branch road to be con-
structed from Portland, Oregon, to Puget
Sound be entitled to the same land subsidy
as the main line; (3.) That the company
be permitted to make the junction of its
two western branches at point further
East than the original charter specified -
this in order to avoid engineering dfiicul.
ties in the mountain region; and a.
That specific authority be given the COM
pany to make single mortgage covering
all its property and rights Of property.
This last request was made in order to
avoid the necessity of making fresh mort
gage every time new installment of land
came into the hands of the company by
the completion of each 25 mile section of
road. Under the Legislation recently
enacted, the lands of the North Pacific
grant will pass under the general mortgage
to the bondholdcrs just as fast as by the
completion Of successive portions of the
road, they pass into the control and owner.
ship OF the company-and no f;ister. The
current assertion that the bill authorizes
the company to mortgage its lands in ad.
vance OF the construction of the road, is
without foundation and absurd. The
charter provides when, and on what condi-.
tions, the lands of the grant shall become
the property Of the company, and the re-
cent legislation, does not change tho
charter in this regard, nor authorize the
company to mortgage that which is not its
property.
The North Pacific Railroad, controlled
by single corporation, will span the con-
tinent from decp-water navigation ON
Lake Superior to tide-water on the Colum-
bia River and Puget Sound-a distance Of
about 1850 miles; and the branches al
ready projected will increase the total
length Of road d-bed to nearly two thousand
three hundred miles. The cost of con-
struction and rolling stock will not fall far
short of one hundred million dollars.
1t is the comprehensive design of the
projectors of the Northern Pacific, not
simply to build railroad from lake to
ocean, and then wait for results, but to
render results certain by a. securing
favorable connections with the railroad
systems of the Pacific coast and the At
idutiC oeutCS, uuu Win tuc COluueICc Ol
the Pacific Ocean; (2.) by constructing
series of lateral branch roads to the South
and North Of its main line, which will
drain the entire Northwest between lati-
tude AZ and Central British America;
(3) and by organizing such thorough,
wise, and humane system Of emigration
from Northern Europe and the thickly
peopled portions of our own country as
will settle and render speedily productive
the vast belt of fertile lands tributary to
the road and extending across the CONT.
nent. During the years occupied in its
construction, the road will give employ
ment to thousands of men. and create .
large demand for everything that our peo-
pie manufacture or produce. It is impos-
sible that such an enterprise, managed by
the sort of men that control this one,
should not benefit the whole country,
while specially and vastly bencfting the
region known as the Great West. ,b