Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1871-01-20
NO. 48.
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC RAIL-
ROAD

ROAD
This second highway across the CON
tinent IS now in full process of consnuc-
ton. 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 Supe-
rior, 24o miles to the crossing Of the Red
River of the North. With several thous-
and men employed. the grading on this
section is fast approaching completion,
and the iron IS being laid at the rate Of
one or two miles day. In the mean
time engineers are locating the line west
ward through central Dacota; prepara-
tons are completed for the commence
ment of work at the Pacific end next
spring, and thereafter the work Of con-
struction Will be prosecuted from both
extremeties toward the centre.
In addition to this, the Northern Pa
cifc Company have recently purchased
and practically consolidated with their
own line the St. Paul and Pacific Rail
road, embracing some 600 miles of fin
ished road in Minnesota on which a
prosperous business is already doing.
This purchase removes all rivalry be
tween conflicting interests, and practic-
great Northern road. The Northern
Pacific Railroad system is certainly as
suming business-like form, and com
prehensive proportions. Obviously its
projectors do not intend to build a sim
pie trunk road from East to West and
then wait for a profitable traffic to come
to it. On the contrary, they are at the
outset securing such connections and
alliances with the chief lines ofs~water
communications, and with the railroad
system of the Atlantic and Pacific States,
as cannot fail to bring to it, in addition
to its local business, large and increas-
ing share of the carrying trade between
ocean and ocean. At Duluth one arm
meets the commerce of the Lake and
St. Lawrence; at St. Paul the other east
ern 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 will unite in
Western Minnesota. From the point of
junction third branch will extend to
Pembina on the British border, and the
trunk line will traverse central Dacota,
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 to tide-water at
Portland, Oregon; the other striking di-
rectly across the Cascade range to the
main terminus on Puget Sound A
North and South branch will also con-
meet 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 Port
land 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: l. It reduces the distance be-
tween the Lakes and the Pacific Ocean
some 600 miles. 2. It lessons the dis
lance between New York and the Pacific
by water and rail to the same extent.
3. It lessons the distance between Lon
don and Chinese ports by the trans
continental route at least 400 miles.
4. 1t traVerses a belt Of States and Ter
ritories admirably adapted by fertility Of
soil, mildness of temperature, and
equal distribution of moisture, to profita-
BILE agriculture. {. Its elevation in the
|
that of other lines, resulting in a dimin-
ished snowfall, mild climate, and far
easier gradients @ -At-conXenient in
tervals it intersects numerous navigable
streams as the Columbia, the
Cowlitz, the Yellowstone, the Missouri,
the Red and the Mississippi
drain the vast region, and viii serve as
feeders to the road. 7. It will partakc
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 tributary to our Northwest
ern States.
Already it is stated that settlers are
rapidly crowding to the line Of the
Northern Pacific Road in the New
Northwest, and judging from what is
known of the plans adopted for promo
| ting the settlement and development,
| through emigration and colonization, OF
the belt of States and Territories tribu-
| tary to the line-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 munihcent endowment of fertile
lands, with the natural advantage this
route undoubtedly enjoys, and with the
! far-sighted policy already inaugurated
/ a great commercial project could hardly
start under better auspices or with great
/ er assurance of success