The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-09-20
History Of the Road, from It's Inception
to Its Completion.

and was followed by Dr. kness, Of Berlin
University, and DR.. Hoffman. tho grcate>t
sas taaes Of tSe sstrs asseb
immediately before the final ceremonies
took place. so men stepped up and laid the
connecting rails on the ,.tU feet left un-
completed, spiking them firmly, leaving the
last spike Tor the railroad king himself TO
the crowd shouting, through all oil which
noise was heard the clanking OF the bars OF
iron and the beating Of the sledges When
nearly completed q salute was fired,
and the golden spike was tapped by
President of the road with n silver sledgo.
Assistant General Passenger Agent of tho
road. who drove the first spike on the OPEN
Ing OF the road. The last spike was con-
nected by telegraph with New York, and
the blows were thus heard throughout the
length OF the land /.
History OF the Road, from Its Inception
to It's Completion.
Although tho Northern Pacific railroad
was the first projected across the continent,
1t has proved the last TO be completed In the
United States In lS5a. almost fifty years
ago, the newspapers OF tho country dis
cnsscd n proposition to build railway from
New York city to the mouth Of the Colum.
b:a river While the papers presented IN
-
the belief that, although tho task then
seemed to be herculean In its nature, it
would eventually be accomplished. Many
of the papers that then took part in the dis
cussion have survived the storm and blasts
that crowd upon the newspaper world, aud
will chronicle the completion OF the great
railway which they then ADVOCATED
Ten years after the question was first pre-
sentcd by the newspapers of the country, In
lsia. Mr. Asa Whitney, merchant Of
New York, submitted n proposition to
Congress for the construction OF railroad
from the head of Lake Michigan to The mouth
OF the Columbia river. on the Pacific
coast Ills plan embraced a provision for a
grant OF land sixty miles in width-thiriy
miles on either side of tho line-for the
whole length of tho road After the matu.
rity OF his plan, it was embodied In a bill
which was presented to Congress, where 1t
hung for many years, and in Isl, camo
very near passing. Mr. Whitney trayersed
tho country from Maine to Louisiana In sup
port of the bill, addressing pubic meetings
Mt various points. for the purpose of Great
ing public opinion In lis favor, and lcgis-
lative bodies, in order to have them pass
resolutions recommending Congress to take
favorable action i'll reference To his bill In
his efforts to accomplish his purpose he OK
pended his entire fortune and was forced to
retire from the scene, acknowlei ing, 10,
tho time being, that his project was a
failure,
For his propositions and his advocacy oi
them, Mr. Whitney is entitled to he recog.
nized as ths father OF the enterprise,
which is now an accomplished fact, after Il
period Of nearly forty years has elapsed,
under tho title Of the Northern Pacific rail.
road.
In 1864. 1861 and ls.s, an expedition OF Of
ficcrs and men under the leadership of Isaac
l. Stevens, Governor of Washington Terri
tory, who was commissioned by the United
States Government, made an exploration al
the country lying between the forty seventh
and forty ninth parallels Of latitude, to dc,
. termino the prac,icablity of route for =
railroad from the great lakes and tho Upper
Mississippi To the waters Of Fugets sound
The scope OF the exploration included
among other data. the characteristics of the
intermediate regions, then very indefinitely
known, OF wholly unknown, as to then
adaptability to agricultural pursuits, then
water supplies, their mineral, timber ant
other resources. and their conditions in gen
eral for the maintenance OF u civilized and
progressive population, The official rel ori
OF the expedition confirmed the truly-aa
tional character of such an enterprise n
tho Northern Paeitic, brought prominently
into view its advantages In respect To als
tances as n route Of travel aud commerce
| its greater proximity To Asia, its shorter dis
tanee between greas water lines, il
| greater proximity TO Europe, and tn,
fact that 1t was much the shorsest an,
most direct route between Asa
| and Europe. II also established ths
fact that by the Northern route were III,
easiest gradients, the lcas; and fewest cngi
neering difficulties. aud that there eNtstes
| an abundance of wood, water and materials
| of construction With respect to the gen
eral resources of the countries To he tray
| ersed by the proposed line Tor the surpar
of a compact population, the elaborate IL
| ports OF the expedition presented I'll,
strongest cantrmatory roots Except a
| the crossings OF tho mountain ranges til,
| entire route was found 10 rass through ,
| succession of fine. arabic laads--eountrle
| extraordinarily well wa.ered by large rivers
many inn lortant continents ana numerous
tributary streams-aIa COY cred with veg
tation which plainly Indicated the richly
| productive capacity OF their soils, IEc eli
mate was shown ta he universally superior
| in the qualities which assure Icaithful an,
| pleasant living, generally favorable Tor tn,
| production OF crops, and often more pro,
| pitious than elsewhere found tor the groMtl
| OF wheat, oats, rye, barley and the Negeta
| blea
In 1872 when the Union and Central ia
cific Hallway Conn anics We're chartered
| very strong effort was made To obtain
charter for the Northern Pacific line Fo
the time being it failed, nut IL was a.aii
revived In ISL, ut the time the Union an,
| Central Pacific Companies were askin,
/ Congress tor legislation suhordinating tn,
Government to the inst mortgages OF tn
| two lines
| Supported by tho well ascertained fact
| embraced in the report OF Gov, Stevens M,
| his corps of engineers. the enthusiast,
| friends of the North .rn route again conf
| IDENTITY sought the aid and encouragement .
| the Government, and, hy act of Congress
| approved July !. In6l. large body OF cor
| pufators were created Il body corporate ans
polite, under the style of the Northern In
| cite Railroad Company with power to bulk
| n railroad from l AXE Superior to Puge
| sound, on the line ot the forty-tifth parallel
| The man who succeeded in getting III,
| charter was Josiah reraan, who had organ
lied Il company, under the sanction OF tn,
Legislature of Maine, called the People
| Pacific Railroad Company, and lad at
| tempted, III is0iI. to obtaia the Union pasif,
| charter for his corporatitn. Failing in this
he turned his att Antion To the. Nor herr
| route. and, by promising 10 nsk Tor no snh
| sids III bonds or mon Y from the Govern
mcnt, he obtained, IL ls,1, Ii sharte
| 60 pied with IA lanl Grant Just doaiAe /,
| area that given IL ih Union and tantra
| Pacific Companies lbA Northern Paclh,
| grant stnlrac u the alternate sections q
land for twenty miles an eaeh side of tn
| road in the states and for forty miles in I'll,
| Territories. vi h IN additional ten miles 81
| each side ~ an indemnity limit, wiihil
| which lands max b. selected ta compensate
for those taken hs ~ttiers insid
| OF the original grant f.IhaM In,
| been a merchant In Maine and ais
| in Boston, anu MAS principally known fl
| his success IN ura aniklng raltfN All nACnfslnl
| parties in Tact lie was the inventor Of iii
| cheap excursion system. lie tfiei in sai
for nearly two years To obtain capital IL
the Northern pac!iic Company, Of which h
had ben elected = siaent The phStacl
| ia the way BESIDE the tendency in the publ