Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-01-21
The Northern Pacific Railroad.

This second highway across the CONT
men. is now in fall process OF construction.
Last July contracts were let for the build.
ing Of the Eastern division, ching across
the State of Minnesota from Duluth, At
the head of Lake Superior, 240 miles to
the crossing of the Red River of the
North. With several thousand men em.
ployed, the grading on this section is fast
approaching completion, and the iron is
being laid at the rate Of one to two miles o
day. In the meantime engineers are 10.
eating the line westward through central
Dakota preparations are completed for
the commencement Of work at the Pacific
end next spring, and thereafter the work
of construction will be prosecuted from
both extrcmitics toward the centre.
In addition to this, the Northern Pacific
Company have recently purchased and
practically consolidated with their own
line the St Paul and Pacific Railroad,
cnbracin. some 800 miles Of finished road
in Minnesota on which prosperous bust.
ness is already doing. This purchase re-
moves all rivalry between conflicting in
teres;s, and practically makes St. Paul one
terminus of the great Northern road. The
Northern Pacific Railroad system is GER
tainy assuming busincss.like form aud
comprehensive proportions. Obviously its
projectors do no. intend to build a simple
trunk road from East to West aud then
wait for profitable traffic to come to it.
On the contrary. they are at the outset Sc
curing such connections and alliances with
the chief lines of water communication,
and with the railroad systems Of the At
lantc and Pacific States, as cannot fail to
bring to it. in addition to its local business,
large and increasing share of the carry
ing trade between ocean aud 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 Mississippi river and
its tributaries. and with the railroads Of
the Central and Eastern States, conceu.
trating at Chicago. These two arms will
unite in Western Minnesota. From the
point of junction third branch will ex-
tend to Pcn,biua on the British border,
and the trunk line will traverse central
Dakota, and follow the now famous yell
luwstone valley through Montana. Near
the boundary IF Idaho the road will again
branch--one arm tollowin. down the val.
lev of the Columbia to tide water at Port.
land. Oregon the other striking directly
across the Cascade range to the main
terminus ON Pugct Sound \ north and
south branch vii! also connect the Puget
Sound terminus with tina, at Portland.
vt the latter point connection is made
III 81 ln,
southwark through Oregon and California.
Both at Portland and Puget Sound the
road will tap The coas;wi>e and foreign
trade of the Pacific Ocean.
The chief advantages PECULIAR 10 the
Northern rac f. route are believed to be
these: l. |; relnccs The distance between
the lakes AMI the Pacific 0ccas some GOO
miles - 1t lessons The distance between
New York and the Pacific ty water AMI
raj! 20 the same extent. !; |, lessons the
distance between London anil Chinese
ports ~ the trans Continental route at least
| 400 miles ( l. travcr,es bel, Of
States az Tcrri:o-ic, alu ABLY adapted
~ fertility ct SOIL miips,, e 'empera-
ture AMI equal di>,ubu;.1u # moisture,
u pru.,ab'e agriculture. : L. elevation
10 the mountain region i 3 g,'u feet les~
than 'ha; g e'l-r lisc>. resulting in
! II ni.hel N 80 fall mild ci,.a.e. sna
far easier crai5.n's Is A:c.ryenieat IN
teTval> II .nfc--ccfs rgec-. - nasjsable
.-rsaF1,--a- h - The Cal4a.h .. he Cow
lax tie Ne.i ws:1re. the Missouri. the
Re- sul the Niss...'.-;-zh IA dana
va rc-ilr. and 81 serve - feeders -
~. 7
ac;er 3 81 i-;r-n2:. aa' re4;s permanent
ly ra4trs,El- the carry - trade & British
America. sri rsrGerisx the important
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Lac >assri :. c ulrnerr.zl'y tEiSg,ary -
5uf Y 1-ts wes.ern >;n-rs
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urss vhsrA the -prs-nrsus has cumsrr-ei
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AZ Ssh tho Ear-si=k;eS f.al.cy already ia-
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