The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-03-14
A RAILROAD ROMANCE.
THE EARLY STRUGGLE TO SAVE THE
NORTHERN PACIFIC.

register OF The Tacoma unueT tue uatt
of Sunday. An old gentleman of quiet
demeanor, rather under the medium
size tLan otherwise, sauntered about the
lobby of the hotel esterday afternoon.
Neither lie nor the name upon the regis
ter attracted much attention in the ebb
and hJw OF the crowd; few recognized
either; only an occasional very old timer
grasped the old gentleman's hand as
though honored in being able to Tecog-
nze him. And yet this old gentleman,
Thomas II. Garfield, was the man who
located the townsite of Tacoma: it was
he who made the purchase of $500 acres
of land around the head of Commence
ment Bay in behalf of the railroad com
pauy for it's terminus while yet the end
of the tracks we're more than thousand
miles away; it was he who first recog-
nized IN the west shores Of Commence
ment Bay most excellent place, to in
vest money in real estate-he was her 4;
ahead of any of us and he saw as clefrly
then as we do now, the great destiny OF
the Northwest. And yet in the crowd
Il a. came and went and jos'led about
him yesterday afternoon there were only
few who knew him. That was the
|
his sagacity. He bought a wilderness
IN the faith that it would be needed az
place for a great city. he went away
and returns in few years to be scarce
ly recognized amid the crowds of wit
nesses to his wisdom on the streets.
The story of Mr.. Canield's struggle in
behalf uf the Northern Pacific Railroad
before it was railroad is as interesting
as love story-for probably to him
more than to any one man is due the
success of the greatest of railroad enter
prises. Indeed it lie a love story. Nc
man not thoroughly in love with bi'
purpose would have clung TO it with
such tenacity.
1T seems TO me like dream" he sale
turning a thoughtful face toward the
great range of mountains in the East
when asked to recall the story yesterday
afternoon in his room at the hotel. 81
&c ems like dream 10 me now. Wher
| look back and think how rode horse
back over these mountain trails looking
for a line for this railroad, cannot SCI
how found the nerve to do 1t. Build
ing railroads now and building railroad
20 wears ago are two different things en-
Uirely," he continued after a moment
pause, ut is no great trick 10 raise
few millions now for the purpose. Blu
railroads were practically an expe
riment in those days. And yet I'M
great enterprise WAS conceived In all II
practical workings and effect by som
advanced minds before railroad ha'
reached Chicago from the Eist.
Tell you its story p said Mr.. Can
fl Id, smiling in answer to the question
"Ah, it is too long for single sitting,
fear. would like to bear witness, how
evet. :" he said, in behalf of Edwin John
son, late of Burlington, VT, being tn
man TO whom the first great honor /
due for having conceived the building
of such a road and who based his faitl
ON knowledge of the facts, and who pu
his plans into practical and feasl6l
form, Edwin johnson was the enginee
of the EIie canal. He was one OF bu
two or three railroad engineers then u
the country, but he was OF the creates
that have known. He was never owe
the route, but he became familiar witt
the country, its resources and possiolli
t ca. through interviews with men VIII
+ had been over it. was an active yOun
man. about 80 years of age, the JUNO
member of the firm of Bradley q Gan
field. wholesale nierchants,a and forward
ers at Burlington, VT, and Mr.. Johnso
was in the habit of coming. into ou
store on Water street and talking To m
On the subject. He succeeded in so IN
terestinR me in the enterprise that de
termined to make it the business OF m
life. brought sll my energies TO oea
upon his single purpose. In compan
Wi h Others began the building OF th
Chicago, ST.. Paul and Fond du La
railroad. now known as the Chicago
Northw eslern.
MIR. johnson was made chief engineer
= This was the first step toward the Paclh
coast. The rails and material wer
brought around from Buffalo by tn
lakes through the straits OF Macklna'
to Chicago. Before the road was con
, pleted to Fond du Lac the panic OF D
overlook and stopped the work, leavln
= the contractors embarrassed, The wa
broke ou before they recovered, an
) the Government, seeing the necessity 9
, railroad to the coast, chose the mlidl
route and built the Union Pacific wit
! subsidy and a grant of lands. Assist
: ant Secretary of War Thomas A. Scot
, Of the Pennsy lvania railroad, called N
, TO Washington to take charge OF all tn
J railroads a, out Washington.
r The great Northern Pacific idea wa
revived soon after the war. A MI Pel
ham had franchise from the GoVerr
= ment to build railroad across the cor
r tinent, from Maine to the Pacific coasl
He called it the Peoples railroad. Hl
$ plan was that everybody shou puy
2 share of the stcck-a purely vlslonar
| scheme, Perham had gone INTO d.
and had issued perterred stpcs 10 Tn
, amount of about $50 900. He took sic
: and was about to die. He was anxlou
l hat he should leave no eos, In
= Grand Trunk railroad Of Canada teaFlu
= that a road would be built through IN
i Northwestern country, aud apxl us
do what it could to prevent II, oDere
y 10 buy the franchise. One OF those ~
e lt.rested in the Northern Pacific hear
I of this. We knew the value nj such
t franchise, for we knew that under th
: influence of the growing sentlmel
: against Government fRyors to railroad
: such another would never be issued
: Messrs. Smith of Vermont Rice OF Main
: and Cheney of Boston hattened 10 re
Q hams home and to his sick room. The
found that he had made reservation
his agreement with the Grand Irun
p people that 'unless the American con
pany should take IL before certain Tim
had elapsed 1t should be theirs" IN
I gentleman named closed contract the
i and there to pay him 500, ,OOO-that
{ to pay his debts and give him the bal
ance over that sum.
!, Then began the struggle to save tn
a characterize get an extension ot Tim
= before it elapsed. Altogether | speE
. six winters in Washington in this inter
: est and in the endeavor to secure sui
sidy, All hope of the latter was give
!, I'D upon the refusal OF Congress OF Y
: and '67 to grant aid. Many of the d
rector of the company lost heart an
were willing to give up and lose wht
. money they had put into 1t. Congrei
y had characterized the undertaking as
: Yankee scheme because most OF thos
: interested were from New England.
. saw the necessity OF recognizing u
= board and giving it more OF Natlon'
|. character enlisting the leading rallroa
4 men of the country. went to cover
= or Smith then President Of the compan
:, and told him my plan. He was one
= the broadest minded men | have eve
y known. He concurred but was to
much engrossed with the sffairs of u
!, Vermont Central to give it personal n
tention. Rather respondent. but dete
y y mined TO make last desperate effort
: save the enterprise, took my map
y plans and papers and went to Willia
.e b. Ogden, president Of the Chicago
:, North western. l had been associate
y with him in this enterprise and kne
= him for what he was, sterlin
}" thoroughgoing progressive buslne
man, Mr.. Ogden was eDgrossed in bus