, 1882-12-16
Progress Of the North Pacific

Along IN the summer when the Northern
Pacific force was battling with tie huge
mountains about Rock Island, the superin-
teudeut Of construction congratulated him
sell that once he reached the second crossing
OF Clark's Fork, at Shauuouyillr, the heavy
work between Pen d'Oreille and Mssoula
would be lAle, and as the saying goes,
They could walk light along with the affair"
This vas a hopeful and sauguine view, but
too much So. The force has established
headquarters at Thor ps ms river. or Muir,
as 1t was named, point ten miles east OF
SnanuonviIle. That ten miles vas graded |
last ), S,ptember or elrlier, beng a level |
stretch. aud easily worked. But at this |
20 nt the force stand IL front Of some OF the |
mos, difficult work OF the line. betwe IN Mis- |
suula ami Rock Island Fer about five miles |
east OF Muir, the river runs through gorge |
| In the mountains, ami the railway will be !
LAID IN the rock on the side OF the mountain /,
tormlng the north bank of the river. To be |
sure, l. i, side cutting. but 1t is very heavy |
work, and even the strong force OF muscle |
an / money, viii fnd It So. After this there !
IS a level stretch OF bottom land for about !
live miles then another two or three miles !
f the heavy ro:k work. Then another |
clear field 10 WeeksgIile. Just at tins |
town, both east and west of 1t, some OF the !
Il -ayies; r,ck work IN ,uuu tered, will face the |
force; that to the east, wlere the mountain
comes to the river, beng particularly heavy. |
From this point to some ten mlles beyond
Horse Plans the wo-k viii be hight, but |
there ,ain. the mountains come squarely to |
the front. and there will be hard battle to
tish;. Through the reservation the grazing |
IS about c, mpletei ss it is the heavy work |
IN the mountains to the east, lying between
the reservation line and the plaius upon
which Missoula stands.
1t Is Row nearing the middle OF December,
aud the winter has Sc, IN upon the workers
al the front While the company will have
comparatively little trouble in getting sup
pies along the line, from Muir east, stIll
the cold weather, and other untoward CIR
cumStances, viii make the progress slow. La
view OF all these conditions, OF which the
writer has personal knowledge, II the loco
motive Of the Northern Pacific going east,
rea1nes Missoula by the middle of April
next, il will be considered good progress.
| On the eastern end the progress has been
Iravid The track Is laid seventy-fire miles
west from Billings, and will reach Benson's
/ Landing, AS miles west from Billings, by
| the middle OF December. This viii be the
end of the Yellowst ne division, $40 miles
! in length. From Benson's Landing, 10 be
c ,lled hereafter Livingston, after one OF the
I old directors OF the company, the branch to
the Yellowstone park, about sixty miles, will
/ lie built
! Since January lst, 1882, Do miles OF
( Northern Pacific track have been inspected
and received by the government on tae east
ern side Of the Rocky mountains, and 100
miles in addition are now ready for inspec-
t,an. making the c IN pletei lane from Duluth
I westward noH 1901 miles long On the Pa
,if;e coast l25 miles OF read have been IN
srected and accepted. and y miles more are
ready for inspection. By the time the Com
mlss.oners aIe able to inspect the section re-
Gently completed on the Pacific coast. Ii Is
rxueeted that - or 80 miles more will be
re ,iy 10. them 70 lock at making the grand
t.tl of construct on work during the present
c.lerdar year aggregate $50 nsies The otii-
GERS o. the company feel assured lat by the
,,d OF the present year not m )re than 2oo
miles will remain 10 lie constructed 10 COM
ple;e the through conaeetIoa between the
Mississippi valley and Like Superior on the
east aid Puget Sound and the va ~ OF the
Columbia On the Pacsfc coast. No doubt Is
noa felt a. 10 the ability OF the company to
c,rp-.t the astern and western ends ot the
track bv the first a; July next. ALLOWING
two moaths mere Tor putting the ne~ly built
sections IN t..o.ou.h condition for operating
the date OF SEPTEMBER lst is fiyed Tor the
opening o: ihe entire iine to general ousi'
s..