, 1884-05-24
GIRDLING THE R
A Scheme to Build a Railroad from
Oregon to Alaska.
The Probable Future of nnursad
building In the Western Conti-
nont---From Alaska 10
Buenos Ayres.


Washington Cor. Chicago Herald.l
Ile1t- George P. IhTie, ST Boston, formerly
Of the navy, has recently spent several weeks
here talking to congressman and others of his
scheme to build q railway from Oregon to
Alaska. lhrie's idea is TO work up sentiment
in favor Of such a line on national grounds,
and thus prepare the way for government
assistance, as such a road could hardly be
built at all should tho government refuse its
good offices. As Lieut.. Ihrie presents the
matter a railroad to Alaska would soon be-
come an important and profitable mercantile
line, AZ development of tbs vast resources
Of that territory has scarcely begun. Further,
IL will soon DO = necessity to meet tho lines
reaching through Asia to Behring's strait,
acro@ which this visionary Lieutenant would
connect the railway systems Of tive coItti-
nentE by powerful forry-boats in summer,
and by tracks laid right down on the ice in
winter. But a. yet there 10 no rush of cap
italists to invest in a venture which would
make an alLrail route to Paris, VII
emma, Berlin, St Petersburg. Calcutta
and Pekin. Perhaps it ia tho idea of
building = railroad so closs to tho north
pole that leads to their backwardness, or the
difficulty of successfully and regularly cross
ing tho strait, or che magnificent distances
to DO traversed, which may DO roughly put
down as II, 900 miles to Paris. $500 to St
Petersburg or Calcutta and 5000 to Pekin.
Three weeks Of railway travelling between
Now York and Europe, much OF tho journey
in the climate of Wrangel island and Iona
doltu, would stand poor show to become
popular, even with tho victims of chronic
soasslnees.
Yet Licut Ihrio's scheme, reasonably re-
: Etricted, IL practicable and probable. A
railway to Alask. will certainly soon be
built by the restless, indomitabls people who
have about completed Ave great lines from the
Mississippi to the Pacific coast, and another
reaching down to the ancient capital of
Mexico. Alaska 10 our own territory, with
vast resources of minerals, timber, fish, and
furI 10 il only about 200 miles from Port
land 30 Sitka, and all but 500 OF
tho distance ia on the soil Of the United
States, mud noarly all Of 10 through a pros
pcrons fsst-dovolopinu region. Sitka Is no
fn~thsr north than Edinburgh, Scotland, and
me lower coast of the Alaska mainland is
In no higher latitude than Norway. sweden
and st fssrsburg.
Cur visionary lieutsnsst from Boston will
probably have to live 10 an exceptional age
n he dosirss 30 travel by rail frors Now York
~ Paris Via sitka and siberia; bus no need
ast despair of surviving until the day arrives
whom he may take = ,sae In q Pullman car at
Chicago and not leave II until the soil Of
sttsa, or Of Mexico. or Rio Jans4ro, Quito or
valpsraiso is beneath his foot
A look Into the futurs disolosos a vast rail-
way syssen reaching from Alaska, the sdoros
Of Hudssn bay, aad ths Labrador coast to all
the states and teryitorios in the Union,
through all parts Of Mexico and thu Central
American ststee, branching alsng either
coast of South Ansrios toward the stormy
Cape Horn, erAvorsing the soil Of all the
nations OF the southsrn continent
There ia nothing visionary about this great
Continental railway. It will sson become a
oomneroisl necessity. II II already building
By sections and divisions, some Of them as
grand a. the l 200 miles fron ii Face to the
Gig of MEXICO, just osnplstsd. Ia ne othor
country wsuld uoh an Important railway
line, or suoh . one as the southern Pacific,
be opened ~ nahao With as Httls ado or
attract SO little sttsnaon. Completion OF
sreat railway lines, tr-ansconHnsnsal or inter
national, is 30 common h this eessty that
lipAe comment Is evoked thsroby.
This new Mexican hns has plaesd Chicago
within q few days travel Of ths capital of a
nsiEhboring ration of 10, 900, go Of peoples
country with which the United states already
has 4 scnmsrss amounting 10 nearly $50
600, oos = year. Ths development Of our
trade in that direction has emily bsEu., and
with the Increased facilities nov seord,da
snrprttng growth may BE sxpscssd.
When the Pacific eoss was q pparsely set
tied mining camp ana agricultural region
the people OF the United States, spannod the
2,ooo miles Of unpsopls1 desert with a rail
way. Two more lines Of squal Importance
have since been completed to the same coast
tho Northern Pacific and the Southern
P~acihc-rhils half a dozen more roads
reach far int this heart Of the wild
west, practically forming two more routes to
the seaboard. In q couple OF years the Eng
lish tourists will be nbls to lAnd at the mouth
OF the BIT Lawrence, take one Of half a dozen
routes 10 ths Pacific, extending ais tour from
the Florida peninsula 10 Manitoba, oven to
the shores of the great inland ssa named
aftsr itr discoverer, and the fist navigator
of the noble stream that lows from
Albany 10 New York; and when on
the Pacific coast he may journey by rail
nsrthvard 10 British Columbia or southwark
10 Vera Cruz sr Acapulco. II in ton or
nffeen years he return We can almost promise
him an all-rsil 1ds from Alaska, close up
under the shadow Of tho Arctic circle, to
Santiago err Buenos Ayrss, 5000 miles below
the equator.