The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-02-11

F1o9reooof the Work ThoTaerfAorv
Teversed-Partioular Points
Touched BY tho In
toepriso.
San Frsueiseo Bulletin, Feb. l.

- B8A00s
San Frsncjeeo Bulletin. Feb. /.
A gentleman Of this CITY who In.
Just returned from trip through Waeh-
!ngton Territory, the northern mart of
!oahO, and western portion of Nontana
furnishes the following Information con,
corning the progress in the construction
OF the Northern Pacific railway:
IN the western end, the Northern
racine railroad Is making good progress.
Notwithstanding the unfavorable time
OF year, the company are now employ
ing nearly 800 men, white and Chi
nese. constructing the road alOnp the
northern shore Of Pen d'Oreille lake. a
distance of 400 miles from Portland.
This lake IL situated in the nOrthern
portion of Idaho Territory and extends
within few miles of Montana. It is
ABOUT fOrty-five miles in length. The
railroad crosses the lake ut y narrow
point = few miles above the fort. and
skirts along the lake to the mouth Of
CIark's Fork Of the Columbia, . dis
lance Of about thirty miles. From that
point 1t follows Clark's Fork to Mis-
s0ula, $50 miles. The altitude Of Pen
d'Oreillc lake is about 1000 feet above
the sea. The highest altitude obtained
by the road lc:Orc reachin. the lake is
4Ul feet, and the maximum grade thus
TAR does not exceed fifty feet t. the mile.
The western terminus Of the inland
portion of the road is ut Wallula. sit
uated on the Columbia river, twelve
miles below the mouth Of Snake river.
The road here forms connection with
the Oregon Railroad and Navigation
COnpany's line, as yet only extending
to The Dalics. hut soon to le opened
through to Portland. From the latter
point the line Is surveyed down the west
side OF the Columbia river to point OPP
N,site kalana. There is good reason to
believe that within twelve months this
section will be completed, and then the
territories Of Idaho, Montana and
Washington will have uninterrupted
with Tacoma, selected
a. the terminus on Puget Sound.
The rO:.st from Snake river eastward,
follows u line well adaltct for railways.
II nearly divides by = diagonal north
t!.>terly line, Eastern Washington Ter
ritory, ami drains u country more caps,-
ne, 1t Is said, of raising wheat, than
the famous Walla Walla region. Three
towns on the line Of the railway
Sprag''e, Cheney. and Spokane Falls
are struggling for the supremacy. North
and wsst If the railway is virgin
country, Entlulating, dottet! with tim
ler, almost entirely unsettled, and dcs-
tined to M one Of the greatest wheat
producing regions Of the Pacific Coast.
1t Is interesting to watch the energy
with which the prosecution of this great
enterprise is being pushed in the very
n tSsNv NS<sls
one is accustomed to associate with :.
pretty low temperature. situated within
u degree If the nOrtlcrIl,t,st boundary
steadily pushing his way through for
the most energetic and experienced
experimenting the construction, and II
miles during the present year. With Il
Fort keugh, Oh the eastern slope Of the
Rockies, the pre>.ent gap Of S,W mile.
will lie nearly closed ut the expiration,
III the year 1852. The only tunnel ri
any importance il in Mullan's Pass
near Helena, NJ. +. The work Of lx'r
ing is now lning prosecuted with all q
the most modern appliances for tunnel
ing. Its length Is nearly u mile.
The distances Of the completed sec
tons of the Northern Pacific road on
this side are: From Wallula tn Aims
worth (mOuth 1T Snake river, Il miles
to Spraguc, los; to Cheney, 13s miles
tn Spokane Falls, 40 miles, and to Pei
d'Oreille PIG miles, or about M miles
east Of Portland.