Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-08-10
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC.
The Recent Visitors to the Country 1t
Traverses Express Their Praise of the
Tarrftnry in OupstiOn.

The Recent Visitors to the Country 1t
Traverses Express Their Praise of the
Territory in Question.
A meeting of gentlemen of the commercial
bodies and press of Chicago, Milwaukee, st.
Paul and Minneapolis, who have just returned
from trip over the Northern Pacific railway
from st. Paul to Bismarck, via Brainerd, was
held at the Metropolitan hotel st. Paul,
August 9, 1878.
Hon. Harrison Ludington, of Milwaukee,
was called to the chair, and Mr.. j. A. Da-
pray, of the Chicago Inter Deem, was elected
secretary. 1t was the unan imous opinion of
the meeting that the Northern Pacific railway
traverses a section of the country susceptible
of general cultivation, and capable of pro-
ducng a variety of crops in unlimited abund-
ance. The agricultural resources OF the coun-
try are but imperfectly known to the
general public and erroneous Impressions pre-
vail in many minds. The country is healthy,
and the land is rich and capable Of supporting
in com fortable independence, millions of har-
dy yeomen. Live stock, vegetables and grain
can be produced as easily and abundantly as in
Iowa and Nebraska, and more than this need
not be SAID Homesteads are being rapidly To-
Gated all along the line. Considerable colonies
have established themselves at various points,
numerous and advanced enough to support
local newspapers we'll as churches and
schools. In the Red river valley, which is of
unsurpassed fertility. immense progress has
been made during the past two years. and in a.
short time that great valley will be swarmlng
with u prosperous population.
All the accounts heard concurred in the
statement that the territory beyond the pres
ent terminus of the road as projected, ie a good
AGRICULTURAL country and especially well adapt
ed to cattle raising. There seems no doubt
that the road will develop large loca. busi-
ness as fast as it is pushed forward. Much
trade, both mineral and agricultural, already
anxiously awaits its coming; and the time has
undoubtedly arrived when the Northern Pacif-
ic railroad ought to be completed to the good
of the country.
For the opportunity of viewing the country
and all that seen the party is indebted tc
the general manager of the Northern Pacific
railroad, Mr.. II. E. Sargent; he has been un
firing in his attention, and has made the trip
one continued pleasure from the beginning to
the end, and the sincere thanks of the party
are hereby ten tered for the same.
HARRISON LUDINGToN, Chairman.
j. A. DApRAY, Secretary.
They also addressed the following letter t,
Dir. Sargent:
Sr. PAUL, Aug. 8, 1878,
II. E. Sargent, ESQ, General Manager NertA
ern Pacific Railroad:
DEAR SIR: Having Just visited. at your in
gitation, the belt of country lying along TIL
line of your road from Drainerd, on the Mis-
sssippi to Bismarck on the Missouri river. VI.
desire to thank you, not only by the pleasur
afforded us by this excursion, made so delight
full by the brilliant weather, the novel scenery
and by the kind attentions of yourself and o
other gentlemen connected with your company
s,ut also to express our obligations to you 70
the opportunities thus given us to enlarge an
correct our con >eptions of this great and pro
ductive territory lying between these rivers an
tributary TO your road.
We know those who have not seen it canno
gealize the magnifcence and pro tuctiveness o
this great region. nor the rapidity with whic
it Is being hrOu ,ht under cultivation, nor tn
boundless extent of it's possible resources.
We have seen and examined great farms q
thousands of acres, each teeming with wealt
of golden grain, where farming is carried o
with asystem and on q scale that car only rt
mind one of the operations Of an army, ant
where. but three four years ago, was
stretch of unbroken prairie.
We have seen the emf grafton pouring in an
the towns springlng up all along the line
and we have found intelligent and energeti
citizens from our own States engaged in cult
waiting many thousands of acres of most fertil
soil in the very midst of what has been cor
sidered barren alkaline desert.
We feel bound to express our conviction
that this region. including the great valley c
the Red river. is. in general, of almost ine5
haustible fertility, and excellently adapted t
the profitable growing of all small grain an
to the raising of cattle, and that it will in th
near future contain within its borders man
hundreds of thousands of people, who will l.
engaged in supplying bread and meat and wo'
for millions elsewhere.
In our judgment here is field where uno
upied labor may find enough to do, and capt.;
may find productive employment. In short,
this and similar half occupied lands of o,
country may be found the radical cure fl
hard times" Very truly yours
Harrison Ludington, r. w. Johnson,
John p. McGregor, hurry Nelson,
J. Medill, I'll. A. Chittenden, Jr.
J. W. Preston, J. A. Dapray,
Andre Matteson, W. D. Washburn,
W. X. Sullivan, u. Blakely,
Henry ID. Sibley, II. B. Langdon.