Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-02-01
The Northern Pacific Railroad


Is now in full process of construction. Last
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, 24O miles to the crossing
of the Red River of the North With sew
eral thousand men employed, the grading on
this section is fast approaching completion,
and the iron is being laid at the rate of one
TO two miles day. In the meantime engin-
GERS are locating the line westward through
central Dakota preparations 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 center.
In addition 70 this. the Northern Pacific
Company have recently purchased and prac-
tically consolidated with their own line the
St Paul and Pacific Railroad, embracing
some 500 miles of finished road in Minnesota
on which prosperous business is already
doing This purchase removes all rivalry
between conflicting interests, and practically
makes II. Paul enc terminus of the great
Northern road. The Northern Pacific Rail
road system Is certainly assuming business
like form. and comprehensive proportions
obviously Its projectors DO not intend 70
build simple trunk road from East to West
and then wait for a profitable traffic q come
10 it ON the contrary, they are at the
outset securing such connections and ALI
ances with the chief lines OF water c1mmU-
nication, andwith the railroad system of the
Atlantic and Pacific States, rs cannot fail 70
-, Issf-F
a large and Interesting share OF the carrying
+ trade between ocean and ocean. At DUluth
one arm meets the commerce ct the Lakes
and the St Lawrence at 81 Paul the other
eastern arm connects with the commerce
Of the Mississippi river and its tributaries,
and with the railroads of the central and
eastern States, concentrating at Chicago.
These two arms viii unite IN Western In
nesOta. From the point OF junction a third
branch Will extend TO Pcmbina on the British
+ border and the trunk line will traverse cen
7 tral Dakota, and follow the now famous
. Yellowstone valley through Montana. Near
the boundary of Idaho the road will again
branch-one arm following down the valley
of the Columbia - tide-water at Portland,
Oregon the other striking directly across
the cascade range To the main terminus on
Puget Sound. \ North and South branch
T Will also connect the Puget Sound terminus
with that 1t Portland. Vt 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 viii tap the coastwisc and
foreign trade of the Pacific Ocean
The chief advantages peculiar 10 the
Northern Pacific route are believed TO be
these l. 1t reduces the distance between
the Lakes and the Pacific Ocean some coo
miles. >. 1t lessons the distance between
} New York and the Pacific by water and rail
I to the same extent. >. 1t lessons the dis
lance between London and Chinese ports by
the trans-contnental route at least HOO
miles t. 1t traverses belt of States and
/ Territories admirably adapted by fertility of
soil, mildness of temperature, and equal
distribution of moisture, to profitable a. ri-
culture. B. Its elevation in the mountain
region is 5000 feet less than that of other
| lines, resulting in diminished snow fall, a
mild climate, and far easier gradients o.
/ At convenient intervals it intersects numer-
GUS navigable streams-such the COlum-
/ bia, the COwlitz, the Yellowstone, the Mis-
souri,, the Red and the Mississippi
drain vast region, and will serve as feeders
to the road. :. Ii will partake of the char
acter of an international route, permanently
controlling the carrying trade of British
America, and rendering the important col
OnieS north of the boundary, and west of
Lake Superior, commercially tributary to
Northwestern States.
Already it is stated that settlers are rap
idly crowding to the line of the Northern
Pacific Road in the New Northwest, and
judging from what is known of the plans
adopted for promoting the settlement and
development, through emigration and col
onization, of the belt of States and Terri
ritories tributary to the Iine-there would
seem to be no doubt that the corporation
upon which the Government has conferred
this great trust, is determined to make the
enterprise not only financially sound but,
greatly and permanently beneficial to the
whole country. With its munifcent endow-
ment of fertile lands, with the natural adj
vantages this route undoubtedly enjoys, and
with the far-sighted policy already inaugu-
rated, great commercial project could
hardly start under better aus pieces or with
greater assurance of success