, 1872-10-10
The Outlook.

The recent visit of the President of
the \. p Il. II. accompanied by ma
iarity of The Directors and the Chief
Engineer, was no doubt made to ena
bic them more intelligently to decide
upon the future plan Of operations at
This end Of the road. The plan, how
ever, EIust absolutely be contolled by
the solution of the financial problem. :
1.-THE Company succeed during the con-
ing winter in placing loan iii Europe
.f s7,fE,cian. magnitude TO warrant active
oDerations along the whole line, with
view Of completion at the earliest prac-
,;raI,e period. then the selection OF the
Western terminus Will of neceF sty he
made T.. once, and the construction OF
tho BraneIl road across the Cascades be
commenced. If the European ioan fails
anl the Company be compelled to rely
wholly upou the sale Of bonds III this
country, We must not look for anything
more than the construction of the forty
miles each year between the city OF
Portland and Western terminus Thus
In 1873 the forty miles Of that year may,
and probably will. be built on north
froin Hodsdeu's 5, 10 point some fifteen
miles southeast Of Tacoma. Then III
1871. the forty miles belonging to that
wear may be either up the Columbia
from k;.lama to Vancouver and thence
across to Portland in order to make Il
rail connection viii, Holidays road, or
may be placed Oh North to Seattle
This viii leave only two years and
half in which to complete the whole
line, branch included, as required by
The terms Of the charter. During this
time the principal effort will be directed
TO pushing the rod westword toward
The Rocky Mountains; as the road at
That end viii be more remuneratlve the
further west it progresses, While the
construction eastward up to and over
the Cascades would be in the air ami
wholly unproluciive.
The purchase Of the franchise and
boats Of the o. s. n. Company, plainly
indicates that the track between Wallu-
la, on.tlr7 upper Columbia and Faneou-
YER, will not be built for man, years, Ii
II can possibly be avoided by the Com
pany, either under the present charter
or through additional legislation lhe
line down either bank Of the Columbia
below Wa!luIa is an exceedingly dlf1cult
and expensive one, and when we bear
III Daind that freights can be carried by
steam en- INLAND waters at one-tceattet"
the cost Of carriage by rail, 1t Will be
scen that it is economy to utilize the
river route The same argument wonid
apply to carrying the road on north OF
Tacoma. BIT for the fact that the char
ter co-apels the construction OF the
n,,,in road via. the Columbia to con-
uection with the western terminus.
This terminus will probably not be
indicated for some time 10 come, unless
the European loan is prompt success.
The selection, however, We now, as here
tufore, regard as confined to two points
Holmes Harbor and Seattle, with the
odds much in favor of the latter. Ii 1t
Is trua rs we have no reason to doubt,
that Ward has discovered a pass south
of the .skagit which can be crossed at
an elevation OF J, eco feet, this Will lead
the tract, to a point on the Snohomish
not oTter % miles from Seattle, with
line Of easy grades, and not expensive
in construction. This would also per-
nit the connection Of the main line from
the Columbia river, with a saving OF
some sixty miles OF track. 1t would al
so give the Terminal city the advantage
Of fresh-water harbor, which is great
necs1s.ty to commerce; harbor which
the Government would, no doubt, cen
etruct. On the other hand, the carry
ing tte line TO either Beillnsham bay
or Holmes Halbor, would add from 90
to 100 miles of additional and unneces-
sarv tack, and would accomplish no
particular good result.