Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-09-03


plored By two parties, under the general
direction of Gov. Isaac 1. Stevens, of
Washington territory, killed in battle dur
| ing the civil warl. who accompanied
! the eastern party, while BIT. Capt. Geo. B.
| Mcclellan, United States corps of en-
gineers, conducted the principal explora-
tions west OF the mountains. Among
Others who were prominently connected
with the expedition were: John
Evans, geologist F. W. Lander,
civil engineer; A. W. Tinkham, civil engi
neer; Lieut.. G. Grover, fourth artillery
Lieut. J. Mullan. first artillery; Capt. Jo-
seph Roberts, fourth artillery; Lieut.. Rufus
Saxon, fourth artillery; James Doty, me-
neurological observer; Lieut.. J. Z. Duncan,
third artillery; George W. Stevens and
Capt. A. Remenyi, astronomical and mag
netic observers; DR.. George Suckley, natu-
ralist; and Lieut.. R. Arnold, fourth artil-
lery.
Governor Stevens was instructed to
operate from st. Paul or some eligible
poipt on the upper Mississippi towards
the great bend of the Missouri river and
thence ON the table land between the trib-
utaries of the Missouri and those of the
Saskatchewan TO some eligible pass in the
Rocky mountains" The second party was
to move from Puget Sound, explore the
passes Of the Cascade range ard meet the
eastern party between that range and the
Rocky mountains. The route reported
upon began at st. Paul, assembled the left
bank of the Mississippi to Little Falls;
thence, crossing the Mississippi river was
directed to the Bots de Sioux prairie or
PLAIN; thence south of the Sheyenne
river, along the base of the
coteau and to the bottom lands of the
Missouri, near the mouth of the Big Mud
dy river, about thirty miles west of Fort
Union. Thence along the valley of the
Missouri to the mouth of Milk river, up
the latter river 1877 miles and then south
easterly towards the mountain passes near
the forty seventh parallel. Several noun
tain passes were in part explored but the
reports do not give actual measurements.
The lines of exploration were connected,
however, by Lewis and Cadotte passes and
Ciark's Fork From the Occur d'Alene
mountains it was proposed to cross the
Spokane plain to the Columbia, and down
that river to the timbered table land west
of the Cascade mountains, across which
the line was projected to Seattle, on Puget
miles, which distance was to be re-
duced if the Bitter Root river could
be followed instead of the Jocko river, and
if the Takama pass over the Cascade range
should be found practicable. It will be
observed that Governor Stevens line OF
exploration left the Mississippi south
of the present Northern Pacific cross
ing of that river, and was laid in a south
westerly direction to the Bots de Sioux,
whence the course was northwesterly, to
and up the Milk river, and that it was from
thirty to three hundred miles north of the
finally located line until it approached the
Columbia river. 1t was longer line and
it passed over country less favorable for
CONSTRUCTION and less inviting to emigr6-
ton than the finally located line. Gov
ernor Stevens report, however. showed the
route to be practicable and preferable to
any other route then proposed for trans
continental railway. The secretary of war
did not agree with him.
CONCLUSIONS OF SECRETARY DAVIS.
In the light of subsequent events we
may understand that Jefferson Davis
should have preferred and recommended q
southern route. His preference was the
southermost route, along the thirty second
parallel. This was explored from the Red
River of the South 283 miles from the Mis-
sissippi, but was considered as from
point $50 miles from the Mississippi. It
was thus made the shortest route and the
great difficulty, not yet overcome, of con-
Meeting the right bank OF the Red River of
the South by rail with the left bank OF the
Mississippi, was avoided. This line was
located through barren country for 1910
miles. Mr.. Davis did not dwell upon this,
but in discussing the northern route he re-
marked that the characteristic of the
country from the ninety seventh parallel
to the Cascade mountains was one OF gen
eral sterility. He dwelt upon the difficult
ties of construction, the severely cold char
acter of the climate throughout the whole
route, and the dangerous proximity to the
dominions of powerful foreign soy
ereignty. He also increased Gov. Stevens
estimate from $117, 100000 to $150,000,000.
Settlement and cultivation have since
proved that the sterile lands are but very
small part of the country traversed by the
Northern Pacific; that the arid region
from the ninety seventh parallel to the
mountains was myth; that the climate is
favorable to northern agriculture, and that
the prevalent winds of winter with the
light snowfall make the northern route
best of all for railway operation; while also
the construction of the road has shown
that its line is the shortest and its cost the
least.
Go7ernor Stevens exploration, with his
report and those of the officers, surveyors
and scientists of the party, have since
served as authorities for the friends of
the northern route, who have
drawn from all abundant statements of
fact encouraging to settlement of the
Northwest and favorable to the construc-
tion of the northern railway.
Memoranda.
In the United States senate in 1858
Hon. Henry M Rice speaking to q resO