Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-12-24
Present and Prospective.
By JOE LANE MDONALp.

equi-distant from Point Barrow on
tho northwest and Cape Florida on
tie southeast, from Alton, the west
ern isle of the Aleution chain, and
Quodv Head, the eastern angle of
Maine, PUGET Sound, constitutes the
Middle Sea IN our Great Republic.
Mighty physical elements h,eni
i'll rendering our climate genial.
Lofty mountains shelter Us from the
fr!gid north and east winds. The
h"rD Sitrd, warin stream, from ia
pan impingeI on our shores; ar!d
mousOons from the Orient, tempered
by thermal waters, from our Coast ;
warm winds from The vast INTERRUPTS
cal wastes strike against our SHOW
clad mountains, condcnsing into
rains, which stimulate rank vegeta
ton and stately trees.
The gifts of God are slrewn among
us i'll plofusion. Our mountains
contain iron, lead, marble, limestone
and precious metals, and our vale
of paradize rests uu ihoAlaustablc
fields of cogj , ,o urrhives Of hu-
manitv lie -. uu ten day. steaming
Of our shores. The rich commerce
OF Cathry, for which armies fought
and persisted, is open to us, Routes
operated aud protiel, ria Puget
Sound, shorten the distance from
New York to Shanghai fifteen hun-
drcd miles; one hundred hours,
s;eaming are thereby saved.
Westward the course of empire
takes its way Tho wealth latent
in our section attracts solid men OF
brain and cash. railroad naShatcs
lay out and build highways over our
Territory. \ few years will witness
thi" region checkercd with railroads.
Recent developcmcnts i'll our east
ern section. by the Willard company,
afford cheering encouragement, while
the triumph of the Northern Pacific
combination justities the hope OF q
speedy completion of that grand
enterprise. In Il recent report,
President Billings locates Ainsworth,
the Objective point from which
radiatinS lines will divorse. The
road in process Of construction, ria
the DllleS to Portland, will retain
the lions share. The road over the
Cascade mountains to Tacoma is Il
mere question of time. In place of
a narrow-guage road to WallA Wala,
the solid men of Seattle will connect
with the Northern Pacific Railroad
at tide water. 4 chronic prejudice
against our mountain passcrs prevails
among Eastern railroad magnatec
which requires an effort to remove.
The construction of u road over the
Sheets pass will pave the way for
greater works in coming years, in
the eternal fitness of things we wish
the Northern Pacific Company
eminent success.
"Look on that picture then ON
this" Green river station forms the
northwestern angle Of tho Union
Pacific Railroad in the Territory
of Wyoming, twelve hundred miles
from Oakland on the southwest and
within one thousand miles from
Puget Sound in the northwest.
Traversng Blacks fork, to Bear
river, Soda Springs, Fort Hall over
Camas prairie, Grand Rondc valley,
over the Blue mountains, Columbia
basin, mp Yakima valley, over the
Cowlit@ pass to Puget Sound, the
Orintal and Occidental RAILROAD is
proiiied along this level plateau, af-
forliuG facilities for huabandry,
with tho exception Of the mountain
section. \ standard gauge road
may be constructed a; moderate
rates and economically operated.
Tue low depression III til" Cascade
mountains, under the genera! name
OF Cowi.z pass. affords an available
avenue for railroad purposes.
| From reliable sources, we learn that
incXhaustablc beds OF valuable min
erals are laten: in that section. The
early construction Of a trunk line to
, the Sound with branches radiating
As demanded by future progress, will
stimulate, material Development over
these upper countries. We are con
A.