Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-07-14
NORTHERN RAILWAY SYSTEM.

Will tIO "htSiO VI poSO AoN'i's
First comes the Canada Pacific, run
ming almost due west from Thunder
Bay, through Winnipeg and up the
Saskatchewan River, to Burrard In
let, a short distance north Of Victo>
rim. A short line is to connect this
line with Anacortes, in Puget Sound,
some thirty miles south Of British
Columbia. Tho next through route
is the Northern Pacific, beginning
at Duluth, Lake Superior, running
q little south Of due west to Helena,
M. T., thence northwest to Cheney;
thence due south by way of Walla
Walla to Umatilla; thence due
west, down the Columbia, by way
Of the Cascade Falls, to Portland,
on the Willamette; thence due
north to Kalama, and so on to Ia
coma on the Sound: Kalama, where
this route crosses the Columbia, is
about forty miles above Astoria and
the same distance below Portland.
The Northern Pacific contemplates
the construction of q road straight
westward from point on the trunk
line near Walla Walla, through the
Cascade Mountains to Tacoma. The
pass selected does not anywhere
touch an altitude quite as high as
5000 feet, but will have 5000 foot
tunnel TO cut. When this branch is
built it will shorten the distance
from Walla Walla to Tacoma-that
is to the Sound-by one-half, and of
ceersc, take away from Portland
most of the trade she now has with
eastern Oregon and Washington
Territory. The Canada Pacific and
the Northern Pacific also contem-
plato line Of road running the full
lsngth Of Puget Sound, from Tai
coma to the Straits Of Fuca. And
it is among the future possibilities
that the island of Anacortes, di-
rcctly opposite and in the jaws OF
the Straits of Fuca, may become the
final terminus of both the Canada
and Northern Pacific roads-thc
San Francisco of the North, so to
speak. That, at least, is the ambi>
tion of the place, from its other
name of Ship Harbor and its close
proximity to the ocean.
Besides these two great trans
continental roads, with their many
branches already begun and plan.
ming, the Union Pacific has entered
the list for q share of the trade oil
the future. The Union Pacific con-
nection begins ac a town called
Granger, about ten miles west OF
the point where that road crosses
Green River. From there it runs
northwest into Snake River Valley,
passing close to Boise City, thence
to Baker City, thence to the brand
new town of Huntington, in Burnt
River Valley, where il meets the
Northern Pacific, which connects
with the trunk road at Umatilla
This is known as the "Oregon Short
Line" or cut off, and the plan of il
is due to Jay Gould, who foresaw
that, when the Central Pacific shall
become practically abandoned by
its owners in the interest of their
other road, the Southern Pacific, he
will secure better fceder for the
Union Pacific by connection with
tho Oregon system and the rich
local trade Of the Snake River farm>
ing, mining and grazing region.
There is no doubt of the compile
ton of all these through roads and
branches within, at the furthest
two years from this date. The
Northern Pacific is working for it's
immense land grant and will en-
deavor to earn it all within the
present year, and the Canada Pacific
is already more that half way
through, after two years Of work
or less The resources Of the COM
pany are unlimited. They will have
surplus of s20,OO0,00O after com
pleting and equipping their road
and they have every reason to make
all possible haste in the work. The
Oregon cutoff will probably be
finished this year. That all these
roads will ultimately terminate, fol
practical commercial purposes, al
the same point, and that point some
whore on Puget Sound, is extremely
probable. Wherever the point may
be, it will raise up great city, and
very active and ambitious rival Of
San Francisco for the Asiatic trade