The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-02-28
NnrihrIn PncIiic RnilrOnd.

Montana, formerly mcmter OF congress
from the Toledo District, in Ohio, who
was announced to speak OF the claims of
the Northern Pacific Railroad upon the
favorable consideration Of the people. The
notice was only given that day, and, OF
course, was not very extensive. But
the house was nearly full, nevertheless.
Governor Ashley was some sixteen years
u representative in Congress, and large
portion of the time on the Committee on
Territories, and Chairman Of that Com
mittcc. In this and other public services,
including year and Il halfas Governor OF
Montana, he had had more than ordinary
facilities for knowing whereof he affirm
ed; when talking of the west, and
especially the region through which
this railroad is to pass, He did not pro-
pose to make formal address, but only
to have familiar talk about the rail-
road and the country through which it
was to pass. lie said the Northern Pa
cifc Railroad would have its eastern ter
minus at Duluth, in Minnesota, and
would run from thence to Puget Sound,
a distance OF two thousand miles, being
three hundred miles less from Lake SUI
perior to the Pacific coast, than the dis
lance over the Central Pacific railroad
from Chicago to San Francisco. In ad-
dition to this advantage over the Central
route, it crosses the mountains at an ele-
walton of 5000 feet lower than on that
road 1t is also a cheap and easy road
to build from Duluth to Bozeman's Pass,
at the head of the Yellowstone River,
there is comparatively no grade, the road
being as easy to build as over the plains
and prairies of Illinois. From thence it
passes in the mountain, to the Pacific
coast. There would be no need of tun-
nels or snow sheds The land grant to
the road is fifty millions of acres, and
the company do not intend to issue any
stock but only bonds secured by the road,
franchises and equipments and also by
the land, at the same time introduce set
tiers and fill up the country with actual
settlers as the road is built.
The Governor gave an interesting des-
cription of the geography Of Montana and
adjacent territories and spoke of their re-
sources. He referred to the position the
principal river branches and their rich
valleys extending either way, north and
south from the line of the proposed road,
and referred to the probability of an ear
ly construction of branch roads up each
of these valleys. Most of the land in
Montana must be irrigated to be certain
for production The soil, timber, miner.
ais, etc, are far superior to those of the
other route. In the article of timber
alone, there is the heaviest belt of timber
on the continent, one thousand miles in
extent, mostly of the evergreen variety,
.,l r.or, two ,n o;v 60. -, l;",,, o,o~ ond
from one hundred and fifty to two hun
dred fecet high. The mineral resources
are equally extensive, the gold fields OIL
Montana being the largest in the world
Silver, copper, iron, lead, coal and Other
minerals also abound. Helena, small
town, alone produced Inst year oyer SIG
100000 in gold
He referred quite graphically to the
beautiful scenery, and the wonderful
phenomena Of nature, which is CRANE
enough to attract tourists from al
parts OF the world. There are geyser
in considerable numbers, some Of then
throwing up at regular intervals, hot wa
ter and steam from one thousand to six
teen hundred feet.
He said vessels coming from Japan o.
the Asiatic coast bound for San Francis
co, always touch at the point which is tt
be the western terminus of this road
and by discharging cargo at this point i
route, In time to sell and }elegrabn In
price obtained back to San Francisco, be
fore vessel crossing the Pacific in com
pany with it, could reach San Francisco
The company expect to complete tn
road within three years. The charte
r fixes the price for building it, not to ex
coed $4,000 per mile, but he though
$4,000 per mile would be an ample est
mate. the company would receive tn
bonds in payment for lands at 10 per cen
premium, that is to say $1,000 in bond
would be received in payment of land
the same as SllOO in "greenbacks.
Various questions were asked as t,
points not clearly understood. From SOM
of his answers it is evident that contac
with the Indian has taken out of his mint
some OF the romance and poetry often in
dulged in when talking Of the Red man
and we are glad to find one public man who
has common sense view of the matter
In answer to inquiries he also said tina
Montana was about $50 miles long b,
about $50 miles wide, being nearly three
times the area Of the State of New York
and that about one quarter of it was tin.
Der land-the population of the whole
territory being only about 10000.