The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-08-04
DAILY IN7ELLIGENCER.
DAVID HIGGINS.
THE WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER.
County and City Official Press.
Saturday, August 4, 1877.
SENATOR MITCHELL'S VIEWS


The Portland Bee reproduces an in
teresting letter from Senator Mitchell
III Washington. under date of July
10Th. which gives clear and instruc.
tive review Of the railroad situation as
seen from his position ct Washington.
In speaking Of the Central Pacific
Railroad Company he says: They
are powerful. ambitious, enterprising
corporation; they. like most great pri
vate corporate bodies, consult primarily
their own interests in the construction
and management of their roads, those
of the communities and people gener-
ally being secondary. It is not to their
interest at present. l conceive, nor in
accordance with their well-understood
intentions as to railway extension by
their company, that either the North
crn Pacific or the Portland, Dalles aud
Salt Lake road should be built. The
tide. waters Of the Mississippi in the
South. the City of Mexico in the more
distant south, and the tide waters Of
the Columbia in the far west. are. in
my judgment the three great prospec-
tive terminal points in their contem-
plated system Of railroad extension,
and ultimately the harbors Of New
York and Norfolk. All their vast en-
crgies and resources are now concen-
tratcd in the one great work Of pushing
forward the construction of the South
ern Pacific"
He takes the ground, in which all
true men in Oregon and Washington
will stand by him, that systematic
and unanimous demand should be made
by our entire people for some one
through competing line to counter
balance the monopoly of that great
ovcrshadowing corporation. The in-
terests of the whole nation require it.
He adverts to the fact that the set
tied policy of the government is and
long has been adverse to all national aid
to railroads either by land grants, guar
antee of interest or otherwise, and
thinks it very problematical whether
that policy will be changed under tho
new administration.
Speaking of the Northern Pacific
Railroad he says;
They will unquestionably ask for
an extension Of their Immigrant This,
in my judgment. is = matter which calls
for the most careful consideration. That
this immense grant should not be ex-
tended for another period Of Elk, eight.
or ten years, or even half the minimum
time mentioned. with no other condi-
tions or restrictions than those contain
ed in the bill before Congress ut the
last session. am now fully convinced
Instead OF an extension. however, under
any circumstances. would prefer to
give the lands to the settlers, and the
proceeds TO tho company; but doubt
if Congress would adopt that policy"
To us on Puget Sound, the most sig
niiicant points in the letter are the fol-
lowing. with which we conclude our
extracts:
"In the event of any further extern
sion Of the Northern Pacific, am in
favor of combining the company exclu.
sively to the Columbus river route,
making Portland the terminal point.
The aid for branch to Puget Sound
across the mountains, or its equivalent.
should go in aid Of the road through
Eastern Oregon. aud Idaho to Salt
Lake, which is of infinitely more i'm
portance. MT alone in national point
of view, but locally to both Oregon and
Washington Territory: although the
branch from Walla Walls to Puget
Sound is unques. ionably Of great local
Importance to that Territory. and
doubtless will some day DO built by
private enterprise"
As chairman Of the Senate committee
OH railroads. the declarations Of Sena-
tor Mitchell are entitled to no small
weight.
As to ON eqaisaient to the land grant
10 the Northern Branch Of the North.
ern Pacific road being conferred on the
Salt Lake extension, our own territories
being left free. We can have NO objec.
ton. Tho lands. ON that route arc to .
great extent desert and unpespled. and
il they can be made serviceabls towards
helping to build an important line Of
railroad. we'll and good. For ourselves
oil we ask 10 free field and fair fight