The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1871-03-17

80
honest man to support a political
party that be comedies to be VICE.
fully corrupt.
The Northern Pacific Rail-
road.
This second highway across the
continent Is now IN full process Of
construction. last July contracts
were let for the building Of the Ea-
stern division, reaching across the
State of Minnesota from Duluth, at
the head of Lake Superior, 240
miles to the crossing of The Red Ri
yer of the North. With several
thousand men employed, the grad>
ing on the section is fast approach
ing completion, aud the iron is be.
ing laid at the rate of one or two
miles a day. In the meantime en-
gineers are locating the line west
ward through central Dakota ; pre-
parations r completed for the
commencement of work at the Pa
ciio end next spring, and thereaf>
ter the work of construction will
be prosecuted from both extremI-
ties.
In addition to this, the Northern
Pacific Company have recently pur-
chased and practically consolldat-
ed with their own line the st. Paul
and Pacific Railroad. embracing
some 800 miles Of finished road in
Minnesota on which a prosperous
business Is already doing. This
purchase removes all rivalry be-
tween conflicting interests, and
practically makes St Paul one ter
minus of the great Northern road.
The Northern Pacific Railroad sys-
tenn IS certainly assuming a bust
ness like form, and comprehensive
proportions. Obviously Its projec>
tors do not intend to build a simple
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 con-
nectioEs and alliances with The
chief lines of water communication,
and with the railroad system of the
Atlantic and Pacific States, as can
not fail to bring TO it, in addition to
Its local business, a large and in
creasIng share ofthe carrying trade
between ocean and ocean. At Du-
luth ono arm meets the commerce
of the uaket and the st. Lawrence;
a! st. Paul the other eastern arm
connects with the commerce of the
Mississippi and Its tributaries, and
with the railroads of the central
and eastern States, concentrating at
Chicago. These Two arms will un-
tie in Western Minnesota. From
the point ofjunetlon a third branch
W II extend TO Pembina on the Bril-
tlsh border, and the trunk line will
traverse central Dakota, and follow
the now famous Yellowstone valley
through Montana. Near the boun.
dry of Idaho the road will branch
-one arm following down the val
ley of the Columbia 20 tide water
at Portland, Oregon ; the other
striking directly across the Cascade
range TO the main terminus on Pu-
get Sound. A North and South
branch viii also connect the Puget
Sound terminus with that at Port
land. At the latter point courec
ton Is made with the coast lines o
road now bui.drng southwark thro
Oregon and California. Both a.
Portland and Puget Sound the road
will tap the coastwiss and foreign
trade of the Pacific Ocean.
The chief advantages peculiar Il
the Northern Pacific route are be
lieved to be these /. It reduce.
the distance between the Lake.
and the Pacific Ocean some 6O(
m:les. 2. 1t lessons the distanci
between New York and the Paclf,
by water and rail to the same ex
tent. 3. II lessons the distance be
tween London and Chinese port
by the trans-eontinental route q
least 400 miles. 4. It traverses
belt of States and Territories admi
rably adapted by fertility Of soil
mildrsss of temperature, and equa
distribution of moisture, 10 profita-
BILE agriculture. 5. Its elevation II
the mountain region is 5000 fee
less than that of other hines, result
ing IN q diminished snowfall,
mild climate, and far easier grad
tents. 6. At the convenient inter.
walls 1t ~intersecIs numerous navapa
BILE streams-such as the Columbis
the Cowlitz, the Yellowstone, tn
Missouri, the Red, and the MissIs
sippi-which drain a vast region
and viii serve as feeders to thr
road. z. II will partake Of the char
acter of an international route, per
manently controlling the earryin,
trade of Brlti-h America, and rend
ering the important colonoies nortl
of the boundary, and west of LAX
Superior, commercially tributary '
our Northwestern States.
Already it is stated sR@t settler
are rapidly crowding to the line q
the Northern Pacific Road in Ii
New Northwest, and judging ffor
what Is known Of the plans adopte
for promoting the settlement an
development, through emigration
and colonization, of the belt @
States and Territories tributary t
the lins-there would seem to be n
doubt that the corporation upor
which the Government has corferr
ed this great trust, is determine
TO make the enterprise not onl,
financially SQUAD, be. greatly an
permanently beneficial to the Who'll
country. With Its munificent en-
dowment of fertile lands, with III
natural advantages this route I'M
doubtedly enjoys, and with the far