Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-12-27
Letter from DR.. Thayer.


He Is on HIS WAY ROUND THE WORLD.
The following portion OF u private letter
from DR.. S W. Thayer to the Editor of the
FREE Pass contains so much that will be
of interest to the Doctors numerous friends
and to the public. that We shall be pardon
ed for printing it. Ell. F. P
San Francisco, Cal, Dec. IL. 1878.
DEAR SIR When left Burlington l
little thought should prolong my absence
from home for 50 long time, but as have
not derived tho benefit to my health an
tlcipated, and as favorable opportunity
has presented itself for me to extend my
Journey into countries | have never visited.
shall accept it.
shall leave here January ith, on board
the ma 1 steamship City Of Peking, for io-
kohsma, Japan, with the expectation OF
reaching there January 25th. After
week or two spent in Japan, ! shall
proceed TO Shanghai by way of the In
lsni sea from thence TO Hong Kong
from Hong Kong by the Oriental ship line
teen hundred miles through India to IN
bay; from Bombay VIA Sue Canal to
Alexandra, Egypt; from there 10 Paris VIA
Venice, with the expectation ui reaching
London sometime in May.
For nearly two months | have been trayell-
inc 10 Iowa, W isconsin and Minnesota, and
through Dakota a. far as Bismarck the
terminu. OF the Northern Pacif, r. k west
1t seems a. if by magic the vast unsettled
and unimproved plains of the grand prairie.
for four hundred miles, nearly, bet seen the
waters of the Mississippi a1i Missouri
rivers have become sprinklei With villages
and farm HOUSES; and millions Of
bus.es Of wheat have been gathered
into the storehous,s Of our land
this Autumn. where not a CABIN, esen. or
titled acre Of land was seen eight years ago.
This great change is to b. attributed solely
to the construction Of railroads, and it is
the Northern Pacific which has been chiefly
influential in developing and settling the
section of country to which ! refer In
sheltering, feeding and clothing more than
ten thousand people along its line. with
surplus t. send the needy elsewhere. The
railroad has dJne a good Business /; Will
do more when extended into Mjntana-a
distance of txo huadrei mills, which will
be accomplished next ssason. prJTid,d CJn-
gree gives an extension of tina to the
"iand grant," Congress should, for by d.
ing so the value of Government lands will
be increased, the expenses to G0vernmeht
for the transportation Of soldiers and army
and Indian supplies will be reduced.
still mora important consideration is the
subduing of hostile Indians by securing to
them, at proper times and in suitable guam
titles, such food. cl1,hng and other supplies
as have been promised to them.
The Iudisa has superstirlous dread OF
the Fire Horse and the Talking Wire. D"
The extension of railways is the great
pioneer to the civilization of the red man
and the cultivation and settlement OF the
boundless rich and fertile plains of the
Northwest. Ii by an act OF Congress the
tended and if subsidy of from fSs to ten
thoussnd dollars per mile for the construc-
ton Of each and every mile beyond the
Missouri River should be voted. it would
prove profitable investment to the Govern-
ment beyond question. The president and
directors of thu Northern Pacific Railroad
are men of means. of good judgment and
energy. gentlemen whose experience in rail-
road matters renders them fully qualified
to continue the enterprise to its compile
ton If the Government maintains in good
faith all previous giants and encourage
mcnts.
There are other railroads extending from
Minneapolis and St. Paul in every direc-
ton. north, west and south, like the ratu OF
halt circle, making their way across the
Grand Prairie to penetrate M1ntsna Oregon,
Washington Territory to tie Pacific Ocean,
and British Columbia soTards ludson's
Bay. opening vast Countries rich IN minerals,
and soil Tor growing bread stufs. Parallel
lines Of railway over the great whest-grow-
ing fields Of the northwest, if thirty or forty
miles apart, are not necessarily competing
routes. and will bs solt-supporting from
local traffic as soon as the lands bordering
them are brought under cultivation. From
thirty five to forty million bushels OF wheat
have been raised in the State of Minnesota the
past year from which more than Two millions
barrels of -four have been mlll,d within
the State for expectation beyond its borders.
Large quantities have been sent to Europe
in quarter sacks" each containing 400
pounds at the price for transportation from
Minnesota to London or Liverpool of 81 Is
per barrel.
The steamer CITY Of Peking," on which
We leave on the 4ih Of January, arrived in
port yesterday. We went aboard her to-day
to see where our quarters were to bs during
the month Of January. She Is splendid
ship, over four hundred feet in length and |
is1 feet in width. She was discharging
her cargo, which in part consisted Of fifty |
TONS Of silk worm eggs in transit from India |
to Italy. sent this way so as not to be eI-
posed to the degree of warmth to hatch |
them. They will be sent from here to New
York in seven freight cars, which will be |
attached to a passenger train, to secure |
speedy transit, and from New York will be
shipped to Italy. =.
Yours, s. W. THAYER.