Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1877-12-01
NORTHERN TRIBUNE.
SATURDAY. DECEMBER /, 1877.



cial pressure which has burdened this
country for the last lew years is being
gradually removed than the fact that
railroad enterprises are looking up again.
Among those, the completion of which
is being agitated.is the Northern Pacific.
No state in the Union has greater in
terest in this great project Of a railway
across the continent than Michigan, and
no place in Michigan would sooner feel
the beneficial effects of the successful
termination OF this great enterprise than
ChcbOygan, for the completion of this
road, Ora certainty of if, will render the
completion OF the Marquette & Macki-
nav road certainty i'm the near future.
for this is a most impol tant link i'm this
great national thoroughfare. That the
construction of the Northern Pacific road
will be pushed energeticallY forward, we
have not the least doubt. That portion
of the road completed has been doing a
satisfactory and paying business the past
year.
The line operated for The year ending
September first was 554 miles of road
449 miles from Duluth west 10 BiSmark,
Dakota territory, OH the upper Missouri
river. anu los miles from New Tacoma,
OH Puget Sonnd, Washington territory,
eastward TO Kalama, OH the Columbia
river. OH this The roatl paid nearly half
a million dollars clear of all expenses.
Besides this, the company have nearly
completed a branch line, from Brainerd
TO Sank Rapids, Ga miles, and have just
opentd an extension on the Puget Sound
division of 81 miles to the Puyallup coal
mines. The company sold. during the
year, 23o, ,967 acres of land. for about a
million and a quarter of dollars. Much
of this was pail for in preferred stock,
which was retired, thus paying off so
much Indebtedness. These land sales
added ten thousand settlers to the i'll
habitants along the line. This during
the hard year, when the crops failed
along the line, and business generally
was almost dead. Few roads c1n show a
clear profit of half a million dollars for
theye ear ending OH the first of September:
hence the fact is very encouraging to the
| Northern Pacific. Beside the lands sold
by the company, about ten thousand ad-
dltional settlers took up government
lands along the line, thus showing a
rapid growth of the country. Thus en-
couraged, the company proposes to inn
mcdiately construct 205 miles additional
from Bismarck westward to the Lake
Pend D'Oreille, in Idaho, o,passing through
and opening extensive coal fields, almost
to the Yellowstone river, and also to
begin the construction of 200 miles adj
ditiOnal trcm Lake Pend D'Oreille to
the Columbia river in Washington terri
tory, at the junction of Snake river
This will practically open the line clear
across the continent, as the remaining
25O miles will be supplied by steamboat
navigation OF Columbia river. 1'
Thus it can be readily seen that Mich
igan can, if she will, secure the running
of this important railroad line through
her borders. With the Marquette &
Mackinaw railroad completed, the thing
would be assured, for this line is the
most direct. We wonder at the lack OF
interest in this enterprise which is shown
by the metropolis of Michigan, Detroit
Chicago will fight for this trade, the i'm
mensity of which can scarcely be real
lied, but with this connecting link com
pleted, it would be bound to come this
way. g g A. W II
If capitalists could be made to under
stand the value of the farmin. lands in.
rluded in the land grant for the Mar
quette s. NJ ickinaw railroad, there would
be no doubt about its early completion
and indeed we have hopes that it will bt
commenced this winter. With such al
interest in the success of this grea
northern route as Michigan has, it doe.
not seem possible that she will, for tn,
lack OF enterprise, permit some other stat,
to secure the benefits which the early
construction OF this link would bring
Therefore, with al these elements a
work in It's favor, we cannot but believe
the Marquette g. Mackinaw road is
thing OF the near future.
The meetings of the Young People,