Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-12-31
ensuring large traffic from all along it.
line will require il to construct
NUMEROUS BRANCH RoADs.

NUMEROUS BRANCH ROADS.
A branch to the Yellowstone Park is
already projected and several others will
be required in Montana and some in
Western Dakota. just now, however,
branch lines in Eastern Dakota, if not in
Minnesota, are pressing necessity and it
may be assumed that the company will
not neglect or delay them. 1t cannot be
said by authority just where these branch
lines of the eastern divisions will be loca-
ted, but it is known from surveys
and explorations which have been made
on behalf of the company, that the Cas-
selton branch will be extended and that
other branches are contemplated, from
Fargo and jamestown southwesteriy and
from jamestown northwesterly. A line
is also projected from Wadena southwest
erly and another from Little Falls south
westerly, but whether or not they are
projected in the interest of this company
does not appear. All that can. be posi-
lively said is that the company some time
ago, before negotiating the $40. 0OO, 900
loan,) contracted, for its track. laying
of this year, for Al, 600 tons of steel rails
and 5000 tons of iron rails, for extension
of its main line in Montana and Washing
ton, and for branch lines in Dakota.
FUTURE PROGRESS.
In view of the energy manifested in all
the late operations of the Northern Pa
cific and the progress it has made in the
past three years, it may be predicted that
now that funds are obtainable as fast as
they can be used for construction, the
future progress of the road toward com
pletion will be as rapid as the nature of
the country to be traversed and fair con-
sideration Of economy in construction
will permit. The promise TO open the
whole line in less than four years is not
rash one. There is little to be gained by de-
lay and much to be made sure by pushing
the work, and although the central
divisions to be constructed pass mostly
through mountainous country, there is
no cause for expecting extraordinary diff
Guilty in location or construction. The
same rate of progress made in 1880 will
complete all the main line and its
terminal branches inside of four years.
In recently published statement Presi-
dent Billings says every preparation is
being made for the work of this year.
The engineering and other official force is
to be increased. The plan Of the bridge
OF p;o,,,arci- hoe hocY, ado,,t o,I ,oJ l;ro..t
tions issued to proceed with it at once.
Ties and timber have been ordered for
two hundred miles of the Yellowstone
division and Gen. Anderson, the engineer
in charge, is instructed within the year to
build as many miles of road as possible up
the Yellowstone II is expected to open
the road tc Miles City IN Jul.-neyt and to
carry passengers to the Yellowstone Park
during tie summer of 1882 The Pend
d'Orcillc division will be completed early
in the coming spring. 1t is nearly all
graded, the materials are all provided and
on the spot, and the track is now going
down. When this division is COM
plcted, work will be Immediately
begun on the Clark's Fork division, from
Lake Pend d d'Orcille cast. Steel rails for
this latter named division will be for
warded, beginning this month, at the
rate of 2,000 tons q month, until 10000
tons have been delivered. The company
confidently expects, Mr.. Billings says, to
close the central gap between the Missouri
and Pend d'Oreillc divisions in 1888.
And, while thus active in the heart of the
continent, it proposes also to push the
construction of its terminal divisions.
Work is to be begun this winter on the
Wisconsin division, which is to form a
part of the Lake Superior South Shore
line, running to Sault Ste. Marie, and
connecting with the Detroit. Mackinaw
& Marquette, Marquette, Houghton s.
Ontonagan and Wisconsin Central rail-
roads, and at the Sault with the New
York Central and Pennsylvania systems
During the year it is intended also to be-
gin the connection of the Pend d'Orcille
division with Pacific tide water The
charter authorizes the company to build
d line GOWN the COIumD1a river
and also one over the Cas-
cade range. 1t is. probable the
latter will first be built. Besides
the 81 900 tons of rails and fastenings
provided for this year, Mr.. Billings men
tions contracts for early delivery of 80
new locomotives, 1,750 new freight cars
and other running equipments.
LOCAL INTEREST IN THE LINE.
There is little need to explain the i'm
portance to ST. Paul and Minnesota of
the operations of this company, or the
great benefits the city and State will derive
from the completion of the road and
branches. 1t is enough to suggest that
wherever great streams of commerce flow
there will all industries most flourish be-
cause there will be the widest and readi-
est sale and exchange of all products.
Inevitably this Northern Pacific line will
have an immense traffic, not alone be-
cause it will afford the cheapest and
shortest route from ocean to ocean, but
because it will for full fifteen hundred
miles traverse the most productive re-
gions of the northern temper
ate zone-the greatest wheat
belt, the most perfect grazing
regions, the great wonderland of North