Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1873-10-24
LIS 4 Nd DOWNS.
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Then the history Of tie Nortl,er
';asi flc r;lils1as s,llles to be written. !
viii be found u have lad its peiiosl
ofA rapid progress, OF hesitation an
temporary pause. Unlike the Cei.trs
and Union which connects tlle ..re:,
mldtIle States Ct the republic, 1b
Nortlern aaifaa d ii amt of tl,e Wild
fof Lake Superior and plan ges into III
i still more Inaccessible wildernassrs D
Il Il the continent, neither beginning with
findlng or reaching communities Of an,
present Importance in point of nun
bers or wealth.
I On the otharhand the Union Pacific
born IN the tilrees Of the rebellion. wa.
the offspring of tho widely separatet
East and West, filled with the might,
L desire to cement their relations b,
|ssome link, which neither domestic com
motion nor foreign war, could disseyer
! The public heart opened without stint
and endowed that tayorite with more
than princely gifts Of land and money
1t was the great and original achieve
ment OF the age to carry this highway
from the levels Of either ocean upoyel
heights which arrest even the clouds
in their fight.
| 1t was sort Of spectacle to the na-
! tons, this prodigy Of human audacity,
and the work went on with all the in
spirations that can animate and sus-
tain an enterprise of such nattlre-the
worlds admiration, and nations am
bition and money.
The idea of the Northern Pacific was
agitated during the same stormy pc
riod, but feebly in comparison with its
more splendid competitor. An obscure
man whose name is seldom or never
mentioned now, in this connection, was
unwearied in his effort to make inter
est in Congress for a landed endow-
ment, in behalf of the attempt to carry
across a second railway north of the
forty fifth parallel. No parsonage was
too high or too humble, that be did not
active influence and aid, ii q cause
which was nsar to the hearts Of Isaac
I. Stevens and Edwin H. .Iohnson--il-
l,lstrious names now passed away.
This man was the first President Of
the road-,Josiah Perham OF Maine.
Upon assuming the Office he said to
the stockholders ssthat years of the
best portion ef lis life and many thous-
ands of dollars had been devoted by
him to the accomplishment Of this en-
terprise. With the footsteps Of time
and the avitlity of death, III summers
heats and winters storms, against op-
position open and covert, jeers and sar-
casms, alone or aided only by those he
employed, he had struggled on until g
point had been reached that defied OPP
position and gave assurance OF final
success"
The first President fell by the way
long since, but the record bears wit
ness to his energy, zeal and perseyer-
ance. Then the project rested for a
few years, and was taken up by a man
who had tasted the fruits of lofty en-
terprise. and sighed for more conquests
nothing less than to subjugate the
bulk of a continent to civilized occu
patton and rule, by means OF the Nor
thern Pacific Railway. Under this
impulse we have seen immense activity,
great progress for the time it continued,
and great errors committed, which a
more sober and prudent management
would have avoided.
While review of Jay Cookies ad-
ministration will deal in unsparlng
criticism of whatever in it was unjust,
extravagant and foolish, and there has
been much, it will accord perhaps due
credit to his energy and general good
intentions in behalf the road. 1t will
show that man to be successful as
financial manager of such an enter
prise, must be governed less by imagi-
nation than by good sense; must be
impartial, prudent, experienced, and
deserving Of public confidence at home
and abroad.
The prologue and first act Of the
Northern Pacific have been given to
the public. The play will not stop un-
til the final consllmmation. Each shift
ing Of the scene shows more able and
careful actors upon the stage. The
dramatic interest will be sustained to
the end. And when the performance
is over, there will be unity of the ac-
ton and a logical connection between
all the parts then manifest to the OBJ
server. however much he may be puz-
zled and discounted IN the Interludes.
An Eastern paper wants to know
why the Tichborne claimant is like q
mermaid, and replies thatit is because
he has nothing to stand on, and has q