The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-01-26
The Northern Pac,ac K.iIroaJ.


THIS second highway across the continent is
now in full process Of construction. Last July
contracts were let for the building of the East
ern division, reaching across the State OF Min
nesota from Duluth, at the head sof Lake Su-
perior, 240 miles to the crossing of the Bed
River OF the North. With several thousand
men employed, the grading of this section is
fast approaching completion, and the iron is
being laid at the rate of one or two miles day.
In the meantime engineers are locating the
line westward through central Dakota; prepar-
atoms 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
centre.
In addition to this, the Northern Pacific
Company have recently purchased and practi-
cally consolidated with their own line the St.
Paul and Pacific Railroad, embracing some
300 miles Of finished road in Minnesota on
which prosperous business is already doing.
This purchase removes all rivalry between con-
ficting interests. and practically makes st.
Paul one terminus of the great Northern road.
The Northern Pacific Railroad system is GER
tainly assuming business-like form and COM
prehensive prop Obviously its projec-
tors do not intend to build simple trunk road
from East to West and then wait for a profita-
BILE traffic to come to- it. On the contrary, they
are at the outset securing such connections
and alliances with the chief lines of water COM
muncation and with the railroad systems of
the Atlantic and Pacific States, as cannot fail
to bring to it, in addition 70 its local business,
a large and increasing share of the carrying
trade between ocean and ocean. At Duluth
one arm meets the commerce Of the Lakes and
the st. Lawrence; at st Paul the other eastern
arm connects with the commerce of the Mis-
sissippi river and its tributaries, aud with the
railroads of the central and eastern States, con-
centrating at Chicago. These two arms will
unite in Western Minnesota. From the point
ofjunction a third branch will extend to Penn
bina on the British border, and the trunk line
will traverse central Dakota, and follow the
now famous Yellowstone valley through Mon
tana. 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 directly
across the Cascade range to the main term 6us
on Puget Sound. A North and South branch
will also connect 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 Portland and,Puget Sound
the road will tap the coastwse and foreign
trade of the Pacific Ocean.
The chief advantages peculiar to the North.
ern Pacific route are believed to be these: 1.
1t reduces the distance between the Lakes aud
the Pacific ocean some 600 miles. 2. 1t less
ems the distance between New York and the
Pacific by water and rail to the samo extent
8. It lessons the distance between London
and Chinese ports by the trans-continental
route at least 140O miles. 4. 1t traverses
ed by fertility of soil, mildness Of temperature,
and equal distribution of moisture, to profta-
Die agriculture g. Its elevation in the noun
tam region is 5000 feet less than that of othsr
INES, resulting in a diminished snow fall, a
"'io climate, and far easier gradients. 6. At
CONVENIENT Intervals it intersects numerous
nNigape ssreams-sucl as the Columbia, the
Oo""'1, 'ne 1eiiowstone, the Missouri, the
led ana tne M'ssissippi-whch drain a vast
| region, ana VIII serve as feeders to the road 7
| II will partake OF the character of an ;ntarn,.
tional route, permanently controlling the car.
rying trade of British America, and reuder;no
the important colonies north Of the BOUNDARY
and west of Lake Superior, commercially trib.
utary to our Northwestern States.
Already it is stated that settlers are rapidly
crowding to the line of tho Northern Pacific
road in the New Northwest, and judging from
what is known of the plans adopted for pro
noting the settlement and development
through emigration and colonization, of thu
oelt of States and Territories tributary to thu
line-there would seem to be no doubt that tbt
corpof ltion upon which the Governments hs:
conferred this great trust, is determined t.
make the enterprise not only financially SOUND