The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-03-09
THE NORTH, RN PACIFIC LAND
GRANT.

A Montana paper of March, 1880,
published the following letter, which
is as important and timely now as
when written. 1t presents important
interests in the Northern Pacific road
which are little considered or known
, Mt this end of the line:
DISTRICT OF THE YELLOWSTONE, /
FORT KEoGH, Mon, Mar: 6 1880. !
To the chirman of the committee on
railroads in the United States senate
and house of representatives:-C
men-The extension of time of the land
grant for the Northern Pacific railway
by congress, to enable it to complete
the line, Is II matter of so much i'm
portance, not only to the welfare Of
this section of the country, but TO the
interest of the general government,
that / beg to submit the following on
that subject:
The building of a railroad along the
forty-seventh parallel, which should
connect the Mississippi valley and
great lakes with the Pacific coast, was
inaugurated in 1871. The work was
carried forward successfully until the
great panic i'm 1873, which to some eX-
tent paralyzed all our industries. In
that brief time the Northern Pacific
had crossed the state Of Minnesota,
developed the great Territory of Da-
kota, so than in less than decade 1t
has Increased its population from 26O0
to 10000, and its area OF cultivated
land from almost nothing to 100000
acres. This road has made productive
vast area of country that was re-
garded as worthless and uninhabitable
for white people. During the last
year it has extended its track nearly
100 miles westward.
In its course lie obstacles almost in
surmountable; 1t must bridge one of
the most treacherous and formidable
rivers on the continent; II must pass
through what Is known "a the "bad
lands," west Of the Missouri, where
the country Is cut in every conceiva-
| ble form by deep ravines, mountain
b,ttes and bluffs; it must cross and re-
cross the Yellowstone, or pass over a
country almost impossible for road
way; 1t must then by ciruitous wind
ings and most expensive grading cross
| the main range of the Rocky mount
aims, traversing country very SINH
lar on the other side of those mount
aims before reaching the Pacific coast.
The difficulty of operating such a
road will be readily understood when
II Is stated that 1t passes through
Northern Dakota, and for nearly a
month the road between Fargo and
Bismarck has been blOckaded with
snow, with no immediate prospect of
| Improvement, while the cold remains
intensely severe.
have mentioned some of the diff
culties in constructing and operating
this road. Some of the advantages Of
this enterprise are these: 1t brings
railroad communication near the gold
fields of the Black Hills, the mines Of
which are producing better than any
gold mines in the world; it opens the
finest wheat producing country on the
continent, more extensive than eight
states the size of New York or six
states the size of Virginia; it develops
u pastoral country that Is unsurpassed
while the great mineral deposits Of
Western Montana and Idaho, that for
ever must remain dormant without
| railroad communication, are equal In
| extent aud riches to those Of New
Mexico and Arizona. The difficulties
tn be overcome are too great for private
enterprise, while the advantages to be
realized are not individual or Sec
| tional, but national. This IL u sub
ject upon which statesmen can take
very high ground, as il benefits our
| common country, aud Is one In which
all sections aud elements Of society
can feel u just pride and interest. 1t
takes rank with such works az our
great canals, our harb0r improve
nients, the Union and Southern Pa
citic railroads, the Mississippi jetties,
aud the opening and improvement Of
that great river, which shall bring the
interior Of our country into direct
communication with the commerce Of
the world.
On the subject Of land grant sub
sidies, the government is doing what
any good business man would do,
namely: 1t is giving one-haif its
land along this line, to enable II tn
sell the other half at double the for
mer price; In other words, IL disposes
Of one-llalf its land for the full price
and value Of the whole. BY having
the country developed, the govern
ment is selling its land, or every al
ternatc section, for every dollar II
could realize for the Whole. The set
er,can far better. ford torsy $50 per
acre within the railroad ii,nlis than
ST. ~ per acre without the ra,lriad.
The Northern Pacific has put the
prices of ali is lands between the
Missouri river and Puget Sound at the
government price uf S2.5U per acre I"
actual settlers, which Is lower than
any other railroad land In the United
States. Tie government Is very much