The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1871-04-08
From the New York Independent.
The Northern Pacific RaiIroad.
, BY SCHUYLER coEFAx,
won PsfslDE1r OF THEW. STATES.


; .BrscnUxLER coEFAx,
won rlfsrDx1r OF rHEU. STATS.
q = e
Midway acfofs tie continens-
at tbs head Of twelve hundred miles
of Lake navigation-a thousand
miles from Buffalo, the western
terminus of the Esie Canal, and AZ
near to it by water as Chicago
hundred miles west Of the longi-
tude of St. Louis Or Geaena-is the
young city Of Duluth, the initial
point Of the Northern Pacific Rail-
road. That great work, SO mag
nifcently endowed BY the Govern
ment, is already being pushed rap
idly westward. under the energetic
controllers; and before the snow
flies next fall, it will be completed
to the western line Of Minnesota,
where it crosses the Red River OF
the North-which runs northward
to Lake Winnepeg- and one eighth |
of its distance 10 the Pacific Ocean
viii have been accomplished Com
mencing. too, this season on its |
western line. the work will be pros
ecuted from both directions, and
long before the nation celebrates
its Centennial Anniversary Of In
dependence, the Lakes will be uni
ted by iron bands with that Medi-
terranean Of our northwest, Puget
Sound. 49, 80
or the suspicious influence Of
this enterprise, which but a few
years ago would have been censid-
cred SO daring, the most sanguine
Of it's friends have scarcely yet
full realization. Even taking Chi
cage as the starting point, is will
be (via St. Paul, where an arm Of
the Northern, Pacific Railroad is
cached two hundred miles less
distance to Puget Sound than to
San Francisco. Besides this, yes
se, from the Golden Gate TO China
sail. on what is called the grand
circle, instead of in straight line;
and any one testing this by string
on a globe will be surprised a. the
result, if they have not previously
studied the effect OF. the rotundity
fof the earth, and its diminished
protuberance as you go northxard
towards the pole. Hence, when
they have sailed eight hundred
miles from San Francisco, they are
only one hundred miles from the
entrance to Puget Sound; and this
striking fact shows the advantages
this route will have in command.
! ing the through traffic of Asia with
our Atlantic States, or that portion
Z of it which will pass over the soil
Of this nation on its road to Eu-
!, rope.
: Nor is this all! Development il
the great duly Of the Republic, AZ
! tcr all its recenttrials. Resource,
are the gift of the Creator. Devel
oping them depends on the worl
of man o4Alonga the line of tn,
I Northern Pacific Railroad, as i
:, follows up the water-courses, tn
J missouri and the Yellowstone OF
this side, and sdescends by the val
!, ley OF the Columbia on the Other
= a vast body of agricultural land i
= waiting for the plough, with eli
= mate almost exactly the same q
;, that of New York. except that, wit
!" less snow, cattle, in the larger POI
. ton of it, can subsist on the opel
range in winter. Here, il CLIMATE
. . and fertility Of soil produce thei
!" natural result, when railroad Is
: cilities open this now isolated re
: gion to settlement. will soon b
seen waving grain-delds. and bar
|. py homes,a and growing town,
- while ultimately Gordon of pros
y porous States, teeming with pop,
a latien, and rich in industry an
- consequent wealth, will occup
- that now undeveloped and almo!
:, inaccessible portion of our cont
:" mental area. sss
~ But this road is fortunate also
|. its pathway across the two rang,
of mountains which tested SO 81
:. verely the Pacific Railroads bui
80 on the central line, and the owe
:, coming of which reflected sue
= we'll deserved honor on their enc
~ getic builders. At the Deer Lods
= Pass, in Montana, where it cross
the Rocky Mountains, its al,itut
above the sea is $500 feet less tbs
:, the Union Pacific Railroad at She
a man, which is said to be the hie
"A est point at wich locomotive G.
- he found in the world. j And 4
y the Pacific side of the continent
on is even more fortunate From A
= izona ap to, the Arctic Circle Il
=, Columbia is the only river viii,
-. has, torn its way through til
~ mighty range. the Andes Of Nor
10 America which in California
to known As the, Sierras, but whi
ed in Oregon changes it's name to t
IN Cascades. ylspga9s Fl esl35nlmc
:. Nature has thus provided a pa,
~ way for. the Northern Pacific Ro
- through these mountains, the 8,
a. ling Of which, on the other line,
an elevation of over. seven thot
and feet { q most wonderful 4
IA umph Of engineering), cost
Central Pacific company millio
- Of dollars, and compelled them,
- seventy miles. 10 maintain a gra
Of over one hundred feet to 4
- mile-twice the maximum Of !,
az Northern Pacific, at tho most q
~ ficult point on its entire route. 4