, 1872-01-01

ton. .Ia
Col. LOOMS AND THE NORTHERN Pa
cIFIc LAND EPARTMENT.-Colonel John
S. Loomis, the able and live Land
Commissioner of the Northern Pacific
Railroad, has reached st. Paul, after a
protracted sojourn in the region Of the
Red d-River-of-the-North, personally su-
perintending for several months past
the operations for systematizing the
Land business of tina. great road and
getting its real estate ready for market
next spring. The following is an extract
from a letter from Colonel L. to the edi-
tor of the lMnnesotian, dated
ST. PAUL, Nov. IS, 1871.
| Our twelve parties CT Land Examin-
CTS have, in four months, surveyed and
infinitely examined one million five hun
dred and ninety-two thousand acres of
Railway and alternate sections of gov
ernment lards. We shall have on our
Main Line, $50, 0,000 acres ready for mar
ket in january, and the Department in
every way organized for land sales and
the thorough working of our Emigra-
ton System the ensuing season. We
have now on file bona fde applications
by actual settlers for the purchase of
| 1000 acres of Railway land.
I shall have the pleasure of visiting
Duluth next week-Tuesday-and hope
to find you at home.
Very Truly Yours,
JOHN S. LOOMS
The Round House for the Northern
Pacific II. r. at Brainerd, contracted for
with the Duluth Manufacturing Com
pany ON Monday last, was, we under
stand, ready for raising yesterday-Capt.
McQuade and Dan. Childs having
"pushed things"
EXPLORING SUEvEYs.-It is reported
as coming direct from Gen. Tilton., that
Col. Maxwell and his party of surveyors
are ordered, after the completion of the
present survey to the Columbia river, to
proceed at once to Lake Chelan, for the
purpose Of determining the practieability
of establishing route from there
through to the Sound by way of the
SkaSit Pass. Supplies have already
been ordered at Walla-Walla to be de-
livered at the lake for their use. Lake
Chelan is on the 4Sth parallel of lati-
tude, and about one hundred miles east
ward of Seattle. In addition to this,
another exploring company, under Mr..
Roberts, who has had charge of survey
ing operations between the Sound and
Kalama, will be sent to Pen d'Oreille
Lake, from whence they will examine
the country westward to Lake Chelan,
distance of about two hundred miles.
These examinations, if made, will de-
termine the question as to whether a
more northern route than the one here
tofore contemplated will be found feast
ble.--Seattle Mteligencar, Washington
Territory.
The N. P. Engineers on the Pacific
slope are on the right track now. We
knew it would come to that bye-and-b bye.
Now, ho for grand and beautiful Bel
lingham Bay to find the site for the great
terminal city of the Northern Pacific =
Duluth MinnesotiGn.
1t is news that Capt. Maxwell is sur
yeying the Skagit Pass. No one in this
country, with half an idea, but knows
that a winter Survey of that Pass is alb
solutely impracticable, and would be
only equaled by the achievement of the
men who put "cauc" +" through the
mountains large enough for four horse
team to drive through. Capt. Maxwell
is surveying eastward from Lake Chelan
to the Pass of the Cour de Alene, and
Lake Chelan is in the direct line to the
Snoqualmie Pass. AS to the "grand
and beautiful Bellingham Bay " a better
typographical knowledge on the part of
our Duluth friend would convince him
that it is a very treacherous sheet of
water, and very difficult of approach.
LAND Policy OF NORTHERN PACIFIC.
The Northern Pacific Railroad has
made this sensible and excellent provis-
ion for and proffer to those who may
see fit to settle upon its lands before
they are surveyed and brought into
market:
& Resolred, That any person may set
tie upon and improve lands of the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company be-
fore they are brought into market; and,
as soon as they are appraised and ready
for sale, may have the first privilege of
purchasing them upon the regular terms
of sale and at the regular prices of such
lands in such localities; which prices
will be fixed without reference to the
improvements"
This is simple matter; but there are
thousands who choose to go ahead of
the surveyor and select choice locations
which combine timber, grass, water
power, &C., with rich soil; and they
naturally want to know that their own
investments are not to be paid for by