Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-03-18
Chicago and the Northern Pacific
Railroad.

Railroad.
A correspondent of the advance, of Chi.
cago, says:
In the opinion of your correspondent
and many of the most sagacious nsa.of.
affairs hereabouts, commercial euterprise
which has been recently and successfully
launched, promises greater advantages ia
Chicago and the great northwest, Of which
she is the capital, than all other move.
meuts Of the day combined. 1 refer to
the construction Of the Northern Pacific
Railroad, which il nov pea9ssanQanqus,
tentiously but steadily westward, through
Minnesota and Dakota, on its way to the
Pacific and Puget Sound. With map
in hand, glance moment at the railroad
system, projected and now being developed
by the powerful corporation which has this
great work in hand
At Duluth the main arm Of the North
ern Pacific road connects with the COM
merce of the lakes, having water line to
Buffalo, via Lake Superior, practically as
short as that from Chicago to the same
point. At St. Paul the southeastern arm
Of the Northern Pacific taps the commerce
of the Mississippi river at the head of nav
igation, and unites with the system of roads
centering at Chicago and communicating
with the Atlantic States.
These two arms, starting from the great
lake and the great river, unite in trunk
line in Western Minnesota. This crosses
the Red river near Georgetown, where it
gathers to itself the trade Of the entire
Winnepeg region and the Hudson's Bay
Company, now carried on the steamers Of
this navigable northern stream. Near
the Red river crossing branch road
leaves the main line and reaches out to
Pcmbina, on the British border, thus per-
manently rendering tributary to itself the
trade of her Majesty's fertile provinces
west of Lake Superior.
In central Dakota the Northern Pacific
road will cross the Missouri, where it will
again receive the concentrated traffic of
], 800 miles of river avigation-the up
per Missouri, the Yellowstone, and the
lower Missouri. Following up the alluvial
valley of the Yellowstone through Mon
tana, and piercing the rocky range at Deer
Lodge Pass, the road will again divide, one
branch crossing the Cascades through cen.
trail Washington, to terminus on Puget
Sound, the other western arm descending
the rich basin of the Columbia river to
Portland, Oregon, where tide water will
also be reached, and where connection
will be with the railroads of the Pacific
States. Then short line, connecting the
two western termini, will complete the
Northern Pacific Railroad system.
This is certainly comprehensive. It
also seems to have the merit Of perfect
practicability. The recent purchase of
the St. Paul and Pacific roads by the North
ern Pacific, shows the Importance the lat
ter attaches to a southeastern outlet, via
Chicago by rail, in addition to its confessed
ly advantageous water communications at
Duluth and St. Paul. 1t needs both, and
has very wisely and promptly secured
both. -.. .....
Now, this great northern road is devel-
oping a region of country simply imperial
in extent, and hardly surpassed for fertility
of soil and salubrity Of climate by any
equal area on the continent. Unlike large
portions of the belt traversed by the Union
and Central Pacific line has, almost with
out exception between Lake Superior and
the Pacific ocean, happy combination of
the three elements essential to profitable
agriculture, viz: a natural rich soil,
mild climate, and sufficient rainfall. Pros
porous agricultural States will speedily
rise along our northern belt, as they can
not do 10 the more southern and arid lati.
tudes, and the influence these communal
ties, with their great thoroughfare, will
have on the adjacent and tributary British
provinces may be summed up in the one
word, annexation. ..- ....
1t is 100 miles less distance from Chica.
70 to the Pacific ocean, at Puget Sound,
via the Northern Pacific route, than it is
from Chicago to. San Francisco BY the
present line of road. Add to this fact
that the sailing distance between Puget
Sound and Shanghai is 800 miles less than
between San Francisco and Shanghai, aud
it is easy to see how vital an interest Chi
cago has in the new trans continental high
way now building.
That the Northern Pacific road, with
its advantage of 600 miles in distance be-
tween the lakes and the commerce Of the
Pacific ocean, with its advantage Of 1,4OO
miles, by water and rail, between New
York or Liverpool and the ports Of Asia,
will have its full share Of the through
traffic between east and west, none need
doubt. But there is room for both the
Northern and Central, and both will speedi-
ly have enough to do. From the outset,
much of the Summer and more of the
through Winter business Of the Northern
Pacific line must center at aud pass through
Chicago. Duluth and St. Paul will be
greatly benefited, and each in its field will
reach handsome growth but as the old
Northwest already is, so the new North
west may, by judicious course, be rem
dersd practically tributary to this city.
p6r The amount of Internal revenue COL
lacted IN Tan. I. 1871. has been 81 .4S2,.