Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-12-08
THE NEW NORTHWEST.
ITS RESOURCES. CLIMATE. TOPOGRAPHY
AND PROSPECTIVE GROWTH.
TIE ADVANCE OF TIE "RUsTLERs. "
Editorial Correspondence of THE EVENING STAR.

clte railroad. from st. Paul TO Portland and
over its affiliated rail and steamboat routes in
oregon and Washington Territory, and returned
to this point without getting showed up or
meeting with any of the delays accidents or
d,scomforts, that were predicted for Us in under
taking so late in the season to cross the noun
tains in this northern latitude over the
heavy grades OF the temporary zig-zag
tracks above the tunneny work The return trip
In November has been even smoother than the
pleasant one out in October. The weather this
side OF the Cascade mountains has been perfect
the air Clear and of a sparkling ehampagny
navor. In the Srief time since our passage
westward great deal of work has been done
upon the road There seemed to be no signs OF
that dangerous retrenchment in the eypend-
lures for the improvement and completion OF
the read and for the safety Of the passengers
talked Of in Wall street Some 1890 men were
at work beyond the Mullan pass baasting the
only portion of the road that has not vet been
packed. AT Garrison the junction of the Titan
Northern railroad with the Northern Pacific.
where, when we went out, there WAS ONLY q
shanty or two. and the two railroad Companies
heid their passenger stations aud cket offices
In old railroad cars standing on su itches quite
Ettie town had sprung up. and a laTcre force. Of
men were working day and night in the con-
freight depot
THE MULLAN TUNNEL,
S.SJu feet il length. at the main divide of the
Rockies, had been completed and we came
through 1t November (Ours being the second
TRAIN to make the pas-age) thus avoiding the
tedious and somewhat hazardous though
2randly picturesque zig-zag climb up the steep
grade track Gin some places 240 feet TO the milel
TO the top Oh the pass This tunnel through the
main divide of the Rocky mountains on the
Northern Pacific road. is ) 541 feet above the
sea,-2,5OO feet lower than the highest elevation
OF the Union Pacific railroad and 200 below
the highest elevation on the Central Pacific.
Inc tunnel Is mainly through solid rock but in
some places loose rock was encountered, requir-
!n2 heavy tlmhcr caSings. The work upon
tbs tunnel as elsewhere upon the road has been
done in the most substantial manner; and with
the exception OF the short stretch of unbaastpd
road beyond Mullans pass, already referred to-
and the Temporary tracks over the pass at the
unfinished RoZeman tunnel. there is nothing in
travelling its 1000 miles of rail to suggest to
the passenger that he Is going over new road.
And the equipment of the road and the pro-
vision for the comfort of the passengers is
not only surprisingly complete for
new road through a savage wilderness and over
the great mountain ranges OF the country but
In most respects il surpaSses anything that the
oldest and wealthiest lines can show. One can
sono poSsdSe DIT 81 raul IN q PuIilndn sleeper
having all the latest improvements get his
meals (75 cents EACH leisurely in a first-ciass
dining car, avoiding the usual scramble for a
badly cooked twenty minute dinner at rail
road eating houses. greatly to the advantage OF
Els digestion and travel comfortably all the
200 miles to Portland Oregon without change
OF cars, or delay to re-weigh or transfer bag
gage.
THE SURPRISES OF THE NEW NORTHWEST
But the character OF the construction and
equipment OF this road is only one of the sur
prlses OF this amazing new northwest. In fact.
one has to reconstruct all his precOnceived
notions OF this region If Proctor Knott we're
TO come out here he would find that all the
Wild eXagseration of his burlesQue upon the
pretensions of the new northwest is getting to be
sober fact; only the progressive boom has now
got SO far west of Duluth as to make that
thrifty place figure on the map as an eastern
city so to spea'.. Here are st. Paul and Min
neapohs. with populations already of $4,000 or
10000 each. and which probably in another de-
cade will grow to be ore city with combined
population of hall million. Then going further
west We strike the immense current of ernfurd-
ton pouring into Dakota by every line of rail-
ana winch has Increased the population Of that
territory in twenty years from less than fifteen
hundred to 325 600 in 1888.
AN UNKNOWN COUNTRY.
How little is known east of the character of
this new country. and its marvellous growth is
shown by the fact that ''Harpers School Geogra-
ply (seres of 1892 describes it as follows:
"DAkoTA-Dakota is an organized territory with
small population II Is better adapted to grazing
than agriculture II is crossed by the line OF the
North Pacific railroad The Bad Lands are large
oesoiate tract In the southwest Yankton, a
smau town on the Missouri, Is the capital"
1t Is not much wonder that the Dakotans
are riled over these statistics in standard
text book concerning their booming TERRITORY
In 1882, when Dakota was thus characterized as
country covered largely by bad lands and At
best not ut tor much but grazing il had already
been established that the Territory is the best
and largest natura! wheat-growing region on
the continent. II not in the world Also, that
the quality OF the wheat is OF the best the
Oak ia Hard Wheat. No H. taking the first
ranh witr the exactin" Minneapolis mrrs. And
the whea: district OF Dakota is not confined to
the great eighty-nile wide valler Of the Red
nver OF the North where the bonanza farmers
cultivate their fields OF forty or more square
ml!es. ou. covers large proportion Of the vast
area (,53.OO0 square miles) of the Territory in
cluuiaZ prett! much all OF the lana east of the
MISSOURI river and large amount west of that
river IN the Sioux reservation. as vet undo
Veioped. While the great shOw-farns on the
line OF the Northern Pacific road nave attract ed
the main attention on account of the enormous
scale OF IN farming operations there a swarm
or immigrants have been pouring into central
anu sout ern Dakota along the ricn jim"
Sioux and Missouri Rive valleys and over the
almost equally fertile rolling prairies intervening
ana nave dotted tht cOuJtry already with
iher tiny shanty homes aud oig stacks OF
"hea. HAN a dozen competing railroad systems
are grldlroning the territory with main
INES and laterals with sucf rapiilty that i'm
year or TWO the Dakota farmers cast OF the
Missouri river at least will nowhere be more
tnan ten miles from railroad station and a
market Tor their products. EVERYWHERE along
The ralroa'i Enes speculative 'raiiToad cities
are beng sta-te' aud though MANY of them
Will never get beyond village growth they
are all sure Of q far degree of prosperity as the
Centers o. rich flaming communities The immi-
grafton into Dakota is largely from the parallel
east, and IS made up a good deal of active in.
telligeut soung men. T!;e.resut is population
OF imo.ense pual and energy that will
never be Content until the utmost capa-
o.hties o. the Empire Territory" have
been developed. There is an interest ng comDe-
tition among the myriad new towns springing
ny all over Dakota a, TO which shall have the
finest churches. sCaool houses and dwelling
houses and the best busicess facilities. The
school houses, especially, CONE TO the front In
al these Dakota towns. The pretty little town
OF Clark, in central Dakota. scarcely fifteen
months old. has school building that for
beauty of design and excellence Of Plan. can
hardly be surpassed anywhere in the country.
SOME OF THE BOOMING CITIES OF DAKOTA.