Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-09-19


Blow the sky clear for us, - &fs>
Send us the song of the sea to hear
-Sacin5u,ne
THE NEW NoRTHwEsT. = =
A Gzo,cinO Tribute to the Northern Pacific
Country and Extension, Of Land Gran.
Urged. 49, ~'i. 81
lEditoriol in Chicago Times. Sept ~ e..
Everywhere in this NUMBER of the Times
will be found another of the interesting and
instructive letters from Times commits
sloner who has been making an extensive
tour of observation in the country traversed
by the Northern Pacific railway.
The observations and general conclusions
of the writer coincide with the impressions
made upon all intelligent visitors to that re-
ion since the beginning of actual settlement
and cultivation, and furnish additions to the
now entirely satisfying mass of evidence
showing the error of those who, at the out
set of that great enterprise, affirmed that
much of the country through which that
railway must pass was an inhospitable and
uninhabitable desert. There is, in truth, no
section of country, of any considerable ex-
tent, anywhere in that region, to
which such words are applicable-at all
events, there is no such country, north of
the forty-ffth parallel, between tho Missis-
sippi river and the Pacific ocean. The poor
est portion on the whole line lies between
the head of Lake Superior and the Missis
sippi. 1t is lacustrine region containing a
great deal of ''tamarack swamp" and q
great deal of more or less valuable timber,
but only light and scanty soil. Crossing
the Mississippi at Brainerd, the country
begins almost Immediately to improve. and
grows better steadily until its fertility culmi-
mates in the marvellous valley of the Red
River of the North, a vast plain that IS hard
ly surpassed in agricultural capabilities by
any equal area on the globe. From the
western margin of that remarkable ''valley'
to the Missouri river the country is undulat-
ing, treeless, and bears an imperfect resem-
blance to the more southerly region called
''the plains," but possesses much greater ag-
ricultural resources. There are no "desert''
places: no "bad lands;" none of any consid-
cradle extent that do not present rich,
deep soil. Probably not less than 80 per
cent. of all the country bstween Brainerd
and Bismarck is region of good agricul-
tural land.
Soon after leaving the Missouri the to-
biography of the country changes to broad
valleys and intervening watersheds. The
valleys of the Little Missouri, the Yellow
stone, the Poudre and many other large
streams furnish everywhere, in the luxur-
lance of vegetation, evidence of extraordi-
nary fertility and a hospitable climate. Tim
Der begins to be plentiful, and the hills con-
length and breadth, Montana is country of
noh1o riuoro ou1 hroo1 vnooDifoopf x,oIlo1o
separated by hills and mountains clothed
with forests. On account of its general
aspects, as we'll as by reason Of its varied
and vast mineral resources, it has been
styled the Pennsylvania of the Northwest. AL
ready in many of the valleys it's thriving
settlements, where herds of Gait may BE-
counted by thousands and where orchards
of apples and peaches yield unfailing har-
vests in sight of snow-capped mountains.
Perhaps of all the Northwestern territories
Montana is the one which in the variety of
its resources and capabilities, the advan-
tages of it's topography, the beauty of its
scenery, and the hospitality of it's climate,
holds out the highest inducements to rapid
settlement
Such is general glance at the country,
east of Washington Territory, traversed by
the line of the Northern Pacific railway.
Comparing it to the country traversed by
the Union Pacific, the reality is not COM
parison, but contrast. The Northern
region is in every respect vastly the better
region. Between the Mississippi and the
Pacific, along the Northern route, not &c per
cent. of the country is bad, for purpose OF
agriculture, whereas, between the same ex-
tremities along the central route hardly more
than 80 per cent. of the country is good
for any purpose. The local traffic possibili-
ties (nay, certainties) of the northern road
the traffic resources that must appear along
the line of the road by consequence of its
existence-are incomparably greater than il
would be possible to claim for any other con
tinental line constructed or proposed.
Anything like correct ideas of the country
traversed by the Northern Pacific any cor
rect or even approximately correct no
tions of its fertility and wonderful
capabilities, have only been acquired
since the completion of the road to til,
Missouri river, and in fact since settle
ments along the line began to spring up
As actual knowledge of the country and it!
resources increases, it becomes more ant
more apparent that the Northern Pacific is
of all the projected railways to the western
ocean, the one which must be of the creates
value and importance to the American PEG
pie. It is the one which will open to settle
ment by far the most extensive, most fertile
and every way most desirable regions. It is
therefore, the one for tSe construction O.
which it was the wisest policy to give publ,
aid in the way of grant of public land
And it is for the same reasons that 1
will be manifestlv wise policy to extent
the time limited for, the completion of til,
road. The necessity for such an extension
has arisen by no fault or omission of tn
able and energetic gentlemen composing tn
present company. They have fairly for
feited no right; have failed in the fulfilmen
of no undertaking; have done nothing an,
omitted nothing to change any reason tina
ever existed in favor of the carrying forth o
this great enterprise. On the contrary
stronger and more cogent reasons can no,
be urged in favor Of an act extending tn
time for the completion Of the undertakin
than any that could have been given at tn
outset for beginning it. One or two of thes
reasons it may be timely to mention. r
The completion of one railway to the Pa
cifc gave rise to q stronger argument i
in favor of first. A single line of railwa
across the continent is of course monopol,
unchecked by any possible competitor T
power of control, a competing line become
necessity.
The force of this argument is shown b
the recent action of the Union and Ce1ltr,
Pacific companies in doubling their rate
of transportation Last winter, 1T wi
be remembered, Congress passed a
act, (the Thurman act, 50 called) to comp,
those corporations to pay the interes
which they had solennly engaged to pa,
on the bonds issued to them by the govern
ment, but which they had never even pr
tended to pay. What was their response
tho act requiring them to pay what they ha
agreed to pay? AS if to nanifest their CO,
tempt of the Congressional act, and sho
that they would devise way Of evading
in effect, they doubled the rates of transpor
alton. What was It but to say: Congre
has compelled Us to pay the interest on Il
country's bonds, as we agreed 4
therefore we will compel the count
to pay it back by doubling o
freight charges; thus, in spite of Congres
we propose to avoid an honest fulfilment
our obligations. It certainly looks as if Ii
were the real motive Of those companles
doubling their freight charges. Il looks
if their real purpose was to make the cou