Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-02-23
Railroad Meeting.

bled at the rooms of the Young Mems
Christian Association, last evening, to lis.
ten to remarks from Gov. Ashley of Mon
tana, in reference to the claims Of the
Northern Pacific Railroad. 1t is probable
that there would have been larger num-
Der present, but for a mistake as to the
hour of meeting, it having been at first
announced for two o'clock instead of half
past seven.
Gov. Ashley commenced by saying that
he did not meet the citizens of Rutland
for the purpose of delivering lecture or
making formal remarks, but to present to
them, in conversational way, the advan.
tages of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
He had been for many years connected
with the West; first as representative
in Congress from Ohio for ten years, dur
inc which time he was member of the
Committee on Territories, and for the
greater part thereof chairman of the COM
mittee He also travelled over that part OF
the country in 1852 and in 1865, and had
been a resident of Mont ana for year and
a-half, having been appointed Governor OF
the Territory in 1869, and having been a
resident there since that time.
The Northern Pacific Railroad would
have its eastern terminus at Duluth, in
Minnesota, and would run from thence to
Puget Sound, distance of two thousand
miles, being three hundred miles less to
San Francisco than the distance over the
Central Pacific Railroad. In addition to
this advantage over the Central route it
crosses the mountains at an elevation OF
5000 feet lower than on that road. 1t is
also cheap and easy road to build from
Duluth TO Bozemsn's Pass, at the head OF
the Yellowstone River, there is compare
lively no grade, the road being as easy to
build as over the plains and prairies OF
Illinois. From thence it passes down the
Gallstin Valley, through passes in the
mountain, to the Pacific coast. The
mountains are crossed at so low an eleva.
tion that there is no heavy grades, no ne
Oessity VI tuuhel5 VI VI suoW sneust III
fact, when he first crossed the mountain
the ascent and descent was so light that
he was unaware of the time or fact OF
crossing.
The charter of the road authorizes the
building of branches TO different points,
and they will probably be built. They
can be built proftably both to secure
land and to prevent the building OF
another road further north in the British
Possessions. The land grant to the road
is fifty million of acres, and the company
do not intend to issue any stock but only
bonds secured by the road, franchise and
equipments and also by the land, and at
the same time introduce settlers and fill
up the country with actual settlers as the
road il built.
After speaking of the easy grades,
cheapuess Of building the road, ETC., the
Governor next spoke of the geography
and resources of Montana. He said that
the rivers and streams, mostly, run north
and south and then emptied into the
Poetic, and that a few feet ditohipe
wonld turn them either way. The soil,
timber. minerals, etc, was far superior to
those of the other route. In the article
OF timber alone, there was the heaviest
belt of timber on the continent-being
one thousand miles in extent-beine
mostly of the evergreen variety, and from
two TO ak feet in diameter, and from one
hundred and fifty to two hundred feet
high.
The mineral resources are equally ex-
tensve, the gold fields of Montana being
the largest in the world. Silver, copper
iron, lead, coal and other minerals ALEC
abounded. Helena, small town. alone
produced last year over $16,OOO.OOO in
gold. 1t ia also a great agricultural re.
eion-he thought it one of the best in the
world. They had established State Ag-
ricultnral Society there, and in 1869 the
premium on wheat was awarded to a far
mer who in a twenty acre crop had pro
duoed over SO bushels to an acre, and in
1870 to one who had produced, in a field
of the same extent, 81 bushels to an
acre.
The climate was healthy, there being
but little rain, except near the Cascade
Mountains, which probably caused the
rain to condense and fall. 1t was a eli.
mate peculiarly to those troubled
with lung diseases. being pure and dry
connected with the climate was the
scenery, which was as grand and as pecu
liar as that of Switzerland. In this con-
nection he referred to the mountains,
valleys, geysers throwing up hot water
and steam thousand and sixteen hun.
dred feet.
In referring to the commercial sdvsn-
tages of the road, and the country through
which it passes, and which will DO tribu-
tary to it, in addition to the resources of
the country. and the shortness of the route,
to which he had before alluded, he said
that vessels arriving at the probable West
ern terminus of the road could unload
tnelr CdreOts anu ship tncih ny tnis ioute,
and that they would arrive in Portland,
Maine, az soon as goods from the same
vessels, starting at the same time, could
reach San Francisco, and that this ternii-
nus was the natural pert for vessels from
China and Japan. ......
But for the Franco-Prussian war this
road would have been now completed. ar.
engagements having been perfected in Ger.
many for the sale of the bonds, and the
furnishing of funds sufficient to build the
road, but the breaking out Of the war a
few days after defeated the arrangement.
The charter fixed the price for building
the road at not to exceed $4,000 per mile,
but he thought, for the reasons before
stated as to the grade, etc, that $4,000
per mile would be an ample estimate. The
company would receive the bonds in pay
ment for lands at g10 per cent premium,