Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-10-19

The Northern Pacific Division In Per.
feet Operation.

San Francisco Chronicle.1
Superintendent III. j. McKusick, of
the United States Railway Mail Ser
vice, returned TO this c.ty on Tuesday
from tour of inspection of his divis-
ION OF the Northern Pacific route. ex-
tenoIng from Helena, III. r., TO Port
land. Or.
As to my particular business north,-
said ne to reporter yesterday, 1t W 8
TO arrange the mail service between
Helena and Portland on the Northern
racine, and the object of my visit has
been fully accomplished. We decided
70 make one run between the two places.
the distance being about zoo miles. The
Eastern Oregon and Washington Terri
tory mail is very heavy for a new coun-
try; 1t averages 100 sacks daily. Twelve
men are now employed on the division,
but the force will be increased one half
when the route is in more perfect order.
lnere Is not as heavy . mail for the
East, but it Is no inconsideraDie Quan-
tity. The service is already fairly or
ganized, except at the stations, where
they are slow in changing express, bag
gage and mali. Trains run at the rate
OF about thirty-five miles an hour. with
a prospect of improvement. All East
ern mail for Oregon, Washington Ter
rltory, British Columbia and Alaska
comes now by way of Omaha and Og-
den, thence over the Utah Northern to
the junction with the Northern Pacific
at Blackfoot, and thence west over the
Northern Pacific. This mail formerly
came on the Central Pacific to this city
or to Sacramento, and went north over
land by way of Redding and Roseburg,
or by steamer up the coast to Portland.
1he road Is new, but some Important
improvements are being made which
will make 1t a fast line. There is now
a ferry over Snake River in Washington
Territory at tewn called AinswOrth,
which causes considerable delay, but a
bridge is being constructed, and is now
nearly completed. Another source of
annoyance and great impsdiment to
fast time IS grade about thirty miles
west OF Helena as heavy as 226 feet to
the mile. 1t takes two engines to move
three cars up this grade, but here a
tunnel has already been completed. and
1t will lesson materially the time of the
trip. Another tunnel is being run at
Bozeman, but il will be some time be-
fore it is finished.
1.-The Oregon Short Line is now ex-
tended thirty miles west of Boise City,
but it will not be completed for year.
1t will run from Granger, w. r., to
SbOshone, |. L. Mails are taken over it
to HALEY and the Wood river country
by a branch road. and almost to Boise.
1t will connect with the road from Uma-
tlllas which runs down and across the
Blue range, past Baker City and PEN
dletOn, in East Oregon.
"fhe Portland and Roseburg road will
be completed into Rogue river valley in
January, and shorten stage travel lao
miles. This department of the service
embraces all mail routes east to Helena,
south to Deming, and AS far east as Og-
den on the Central Pacific. The North
ern is by far the grandest route of the
three transcontineutal lines. Clerks
are now on the road frsm st. Paul to
Portland. The first run was made ON
September 1st. Mail from Washington
now reaches Portland in seven days,
and froa Chicago in six days, and there
is good prospect of even better time"