The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1871-03-24
From the New York independently
The Northern Pacific Railroad.
BIZ SCHUYLER OoLFAx, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES.

UNITED STATES.
Midway across the continental the head
of twelve hundred miles OF Lake navigation
= thousand miles IRON Butfaio, the western
terminus OF the Erie Canal, and as near to it by
water as Chicago hundred miles west of the
longitude OF Sc. Louis or Galsna-is the young
city Of Duluth, the mutual point OF the Northern
Pacific Railroad. That great work, so mag
nI6cently endowed by the Government, is al
ready being pushed rapidly westward, under
ats energeuc controllers; and before the snow
dies next Fail, 1t will be completed to the wes-
Red river OF North-Eh1ch runs northRard to
Lake WInnlpeS-and one-eighth of its distance
70 the Paclho Ocean will have been accom-
plished Commencing, too, this season on lts
western line, the WORK wall be prosecuted from
Goth directions, aud long before the nation
celebrates its Centennial Anniversary of In
dependence, the Lakes will be united by iron
pands with that Mediterranean of our North
west, Puget Sound.
OF the ausplclous influence of this enter
prise, which but few years ago would have
peen considered SO daring, the most sanguine
of its friends have scarcely yet full realiza-
uOn. Even taken Chicago az the starting
point, it Will be (viG st. Paul, where an arm
of the Northern Pacific Railroad is rsaehed)
two hundred miles lees distance to Puget
Sound than 70 San Francisco. Besides thus,
vessels from the Golden Gate to China sail on
what Is called the grand circle, instead Of in @
straight line; and any one testing this by q
string on globe will be surprised at the result,
if they have not previously studied the effect
OF the rOtundity of the earth, and its dimin-
lshed prOtuberance as you go northWard to-
ward the Pole. Hence, whom they have sailed
eight hundred miles from San Francisco, they
are only one hundred miles from the entrance
to Puget Sound; and this striking fact shows
the advantages this route will have in COM
manding the through traffic Of Asia with our
Atlantic States, or that portion of it which viii
pass over the soil of this nation on its road 10
Europe.
Nor is this all. Development is tho great
duty of the Republic, after all its recent trials.
Resources are the gift of the Ceator. Devel.
oping them depends on the work Of man.
Along the line of the Northern Pacific Rail-
road, IS it follows up the water-courses, the
Missouri aud the Yellowstone on this side, and
descends by the valley of the Columbia on
on the other, vast body Of agricultural land is
waiting for the plough, with climate almost
exactly the same as that of New York, except
that, with less snow, cattle, in the larger por-
ton of it, can subsist on the open range in
winter. Here, if climate and fertility of soil
produced their natural result, when railroad
facilities open this now isolated region TO set
tlement, will soon be seen waving grain-helds,
and happy homes, and growing towns; while
ultimately Gordon OF prosperous States, teem-
ing with population, and rich in industry and
consequent wealth, will occupy that now un-
developed and almost inaccessible portion of
our continental area.
But this Road is fortunate also in its path.
way across the two ranges of mountains which
tested 50 severely the Pacific Railroad built
on the central line, and the overcoming of
which reflected such well deserved honor on
their energetic builders. At the Deer Lodge
Pass, in Montana, where it crosses the Rocky
Mountains, its altitude above the sea is $500
feet less than the Union Pscihc Railroad at
Sherman, which is said to be the highest point
at which locomotive can be found in the
world. And on the Pacific side of the Con-
tinent it is even more fortunate. From Ari-
zona up to the Arctic Circle the Columbia is
the only river which has torn its way through
that mighty range, the Andes Of North Amer
ica, which in California is known as the
Sisrrss, but which in Oregon changes its name
10 the oDssAdes Nature has thus provided