New-York tribune., 1872-02-05

TIC average price per acre Of the sJlc3 Of tn above
these sales realizing is $685. q A. the avcrarc
cost OF the construction ana equipment of railroads
will be that the land-gran railroads realizing
return of OF the cost OF hciT roads In some
parts OF the Western country the cost OF building ana
equ!ppng road IA not over $1,000 70 s0 per nllc ~
nd he si0 f.0to exceedn@ he cost Of HE roaS
Few railroads receive their entire grant and mlny
bc ianIs Tbe Mississippi and Missouri Railroad ftar
ward absorbed by the Chicago Rock Island, and Pacific
| and the Minnesota Central Railroad received NOT
half of their original grants MANY Of The roads Given
in the above table have but recently received their lands
consequently the amount Of sales Is small, compared
with the total OF their respective grants only three
four older grants have sold anything Ike u great
proportion Of their lands TIE illinois Central, Jan.
| s25,O0O,C0. Should the remaining ODe-siXth sell
at the same average per acre as during The last two
years, the total Scs interest not lhcIuuet VIII lcanZe
TO the company about SSG0OoCCj, sum equal to the az
1he Hannibal ana 81 Joseph ana BurilnElOA GAd Nils
souri, Railroads have sold the greater proportion
their grants. 1t rule that the selling price
Ike uniformity IN the nature of the grant. Tho reason
to the Government generally settled first thereby
enhan'ing the value of the adjacent lands owned by
With respect TO the grant of the Northern Pacific Rail-
road and its prospective value, Congress granted tD
this Company 12,sO) acres Of land 10 edOh mile road
! commencing Lake superior and extending TO the
boundary line Of Dakota and 2jG0O acres per
aid the construction Of a rlroaG from L1be Superior
10 Puget sounf and the vicinity of Portland, Oregon
and calls for about 5309JO0 5000 square mites
of Land, an extent equal TO Newfork and Indiana to-
getler, eleven and ahaf times Massachusetts,. The
route OF This road commencing in Minnesota, on tho
shores of Lake superior, passes through the timberGd
lakes. and groves in western Minnesota thence it
crosses the wonderful valley OF the Red River ~ tho
North, and strikes out over the gently uululatne
and fertile prarc of Dakota and crossing the Missouri
River at me mouth Of the Heart, ii extends to ne
beautiful valley Of the Yellowstone III nearly straight
ne ascending this valley and passing through bells Of
man Pass OF The Belt Mountains INTO the central basin Of
Montana and crosses the FERTILE valleys OF the Gatn,
Madison. and Jefferson Forks OF tho Upper Missouri
going up the valleys OF the latter and Divide Creek, II
through Deer Lodge Pass at altitude under 5000
the valleys OF Deer Lodge Creek, He'll Cote River and
Clark. Fork TO Lake Pend Orcio where II the
follows The Columbia River through the c. Noun
tans to the Pacific coast The climate OF tis great lnd-
grant belt the coIuon is brarng, aud unusually
hcl'thfu, being free i-om all pcnlar diseases. Ihe
soil as whole, is OF excellent quality produeins large
America ana ali dnds OF small fruits wild ana cI,t
waited. yield the in the New England States The
ern slopes OF the Rocky Mountains and in the valley,
acrd sustcnance for cattle the year round the climate
being mild as not TO necesstate shelter for stock
the Winter large portion OF this grant is covered
cannot be found on this continent Fine building stone
is found in almost every variety and inexhausthlc in
quantity The mineral wealth OF this region as get
10 he hardly explored at the present time portion of
our country promises greater amoGnt OF the precious
metals than that through which tins road Will run
mense coal deposits are fOund underlying great p0g-
ton OF me grant The Committee on The Pacific Rail
road in the United States Senate in their report Feb 49,
1862 say: Every element Of wealth, every condition
OF social growth and prosperity, exist In superabundanc
and beyond exhaustion IN the region lying between Lake
Superior and Puget Sound For this Immense country.
rairOads do than they have done for Illinois"
Now II we compute the ultimate value OF this grant of
the Northern Pacific Railroad at s. per acre. the average
OF the land grant sales in the foregoing table, IL will
amount TO S4oGO0o If at only 5peracre, 1t amounts TO
II at s. 0 per acre. the lowest OF alt the
grants. 1t will amount to sl7sOiOoOo This latter sum Is
more than twice the estimated cost OF The road as set
forth by the most competent engineers. These prUfpec
tive results astounding yet II strikes lis not
TO DeieVe mat the nsnclA results Oi ms
grant shall exceed the highest OF these estmate5
nasmich its resources are 40 Immense and Will be
developed with great facility by the railroad which
will be the shOrter and m0se easily operated OF our
Pacific roads. ,-'-~SsS air.