The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-08-31
The Northern Pacific.

The formal celebration of the com.
pletion and opening of the Northern
Pacific railroad at the point where
the east and west end of the track
so long building have finally connect
ed on Independence Creek. SIS miles
west of Helena, Montana, marks one
of the most important events in the
history of the commercial world and
Of the development Of the great EN-
pire of the Northwest.
President Willard. accompanied by
many of the most distinguished men
of the old world and of our own coun.
try will make grand excursion trip
in Il special train, or rather two trains
of twelve cars each, from New York
through Chicago, st. Paul, Minneap.
oils, Bismarck, Helena. Portland and
New Tacoma, to the city of Seattle
Oh Puget Sound. Comparatively few
of our own people appreciate the i'm
pOrtance of the great work now being
completed. by it that vast region of
country embraced IL the territories
OF Montana, Idaho, Washington and
the State of Oregon with their rich
mining, agricultural and numbering
resources, hitherto inaccessible to us
for commercial purposes, are brought
into quick and easy communication
with our own locality and the great
markets of the Atlantic seabOard.
Already we hear Of trains loaded
with the rich products OF those favor
ed regions passing east. These are
but single pulsatiOns of the mighty
circulation which i'm Il few years must
continuously thrOb through this
great artery between the Pacific and
Atlantic coast. We cannot even
conjecture what mighty results must
in the nature of things soon he real.
lied from this great system of inter-
communication. Instead of looking
to the East for Il ma rket for our
varied products we are soon to learn
that West and North we must for
many years find All almost unlimited
demand.
West of Minnesota and from mid
way of our State north, we find very
little of the products of the dairy.
These we ought to and will supply.
We have every advantage Ill our
favor for so doing.
From Duluth and Superior. the
points where the Northern Pacific
has its eastern terminus on Lake
Superior and where another Chicago
must be built, clear through west and
north wherever civilization extends
the demand is reaching us.
With the completion of the Cascade
division of the North Pacific road
from the vicinity of Ainsworth to
Seattle, the shortest practicable route
from the navigable waters of Lake
Superior to Puget Sound and the vast
commerce Of the Pacific,yet in its in
fancy,is secured. Another San Fran
cisco must there spring into being, and
all along this great route the country
will fill up with people, busy and
prosperous, developing and utilizing
its varied resources.
Instead of the desert wastes trav.
ersed for hundreds of miles by the
Union Pacific, there is scarcely any
part of the North Pacific country,
which does not offer inducements to
the farmer. the stock raiser, the
mil er OF the lumberman, and much
of it is capable of supporting rs great
population as that of the middle
States. The development of that
great country means our own quick
and steady growth. We can hardly
name product of our own locality
for which there is not steady de-
mand along the Northern Pacific
Our position is most fortunate. We
have railroads connecting us,and more
are being built and will connect us hy
shorter routes with Bismarck. AL
ready we salute our ncighbOrs at
Portland, Seattle and the other nu.
mcrOus important points with the
favOrite western salutatiOn "shake.'
The future is indeed bright and even
our chronic grumblers who the Lord
i'm His infinite goodness permits to
live among us, must and do acknOwl.
edge the fact.