The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-11-22
Railroad Interests.


the Northern Pacific Railroad, the OBJ
Ject of which was to construct line
OF railroad from Lake Superior to Pu-
get Sound on the northern route. At
that time nobody thought of any plan
in connection with the Northern Pa
cihc, save that of through line on
the shortest practicable route. The
charter and the land grant were given
for the double purpose Of opening up
this vast extent of country to settle
ment and creating national highway
to compete with its Southern rivals
the Union and Central Pacific. With
this idea in view the company has done
a large amount of valuable work on
the road, the charter has been amend
ed from time to time to suit the de-
sires Of the company, the alternate
sections of land have been withdrawn
from the market, and the settlement
of the country and the general prog
ress Of events all along the line of
the projected road have been based
upon the theory or hope that this i'm
portant enterprise would in few
years prove a verify. A large share
of the best lands in Washington Ter
ritory have been locked up from set
Element, reserved for the railroad com
pany according to the terms of their
charter. Something over five hun
dred miles of the road have been COM
pleted, the greater part remaining yet
to be done, and the time of the char
ter almost expired. 1t is now pro-
posed to sacrifice the central idea OF
the original charter and divert the
line of the road into Oregon. The
company has not completed the road
according to the provisions of their
charter, and now asks for an extension
of time. Such conditions are attempt
ed to be imposed upon the company
that unless they shall relinquish the
original plan of the road, they cannot
possibly hope to be granted further
time to comply with the provisions of
the charter. Now the people of
Washington Territory are generally
DESTROYS that the Northern Pacific
Railroad should be pushed on to com
pletion. They want the road built
here in this Territory according to
the original intention. They have
long since become impatient of delay,
but would cheerfully acquiesce in al
most anything the company proposed,
provided they saw that substantial
progress was being made with the
work each year. But why is it pro-
posed after these long years of weary
waiting to rob this Territory of her
road and build it in Oregon? There
are two answers to the question, both
of them good ones. The present
transcontinental road, with western
terminus at San Francisco, is jealous
of the \. z. road and is anxious to
deter the great enterprise as much as
possible. Itwould like to tap this north
ern country with branch road, control
this trade and thus strike blow at the
final completion of a competing through
line This disposition is manifested
through the Oregon Senator who obeys
the behests of the railroad Kings, and who
is just now particularly anxious for a
reelection. The bill which has lately
been introduced in the L. S. Senate for
the purpose of hampering the n. p.
road, has for its object two things;
first, the benefit of the Union Pacific
road, which in this instance means the
defeat of the Northern Pacific, and
second, to foster a scheme OF populari-
ty by which the good people of Oregon