The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-03
TEN YEARS AFTERWARD.
~
A Trip Over the Northern Pacific
Railroad and the Changes
Noticed.
from Spokane Fells to Missoula
tho Country was A
Wilderness.
An Interesting Ride With President
Oakc and His stan On .
Special Train.

An Interesting Ride With President
Oake and His stan On .
Special Train.
Ten years ago this month I made q trip
across this continent by the present route OF
the Northern Pacific railway, in company
with Thomas F.. Cakes, who WAS thon the
vice president and general manager of the
road. This connection up tho Columbia
was then made partly by rail and partly by
steamboats,, until we reached Spokane
Falls. From that place to Missoula, Mont,
the country was a wilderness, over which
We passed on horse back with a train Of
pack mules to carry our camp outfit, and
with a mountain guide to find the trail,
which, in many respects, was = blind one."
The distance then between the eastern and
western terminus of the railroad was 800
miles. which we Travelled on horseback and
BY ambulapoes, through an almost unset
tied country, q full account OF which / gave
your readers at the time. You will nots that
predicted that the northern was the bost
route across tho continent, and was sus-
ooptible of settlement nearly the entire dis
tance. as there was little or no desert land
on that route. Now let us see how near
this prediction has come true. 1t was my
good fortune on my arrival at Tacoma,
WASH, to meet my old friend Mr.. Cakes,
who is now the president Of the Northern
Pacific railway, who was out over the lines
of that road upon a general inspection tour.
He invited me- to accompany him over the
line We passed ten years ago, 80 that ! have
had a very good opportunity of making a
comparison between a pack train" of
mules travelling twenty miles a day over a
mountain trail, through a wilderness. and
train of palace cars flying over the same
country, now teeming with a thriving pop
u~lation, at the rate of fifty miles an Tour.
The following is a brief description OF the
department. on wheels:
Car No. 1-Contained the president of the
road, L. +. Cakes: General Counsel James
Mcknight, General Land Commissioners G.
B. Lamborn of st. Paul, Assistant to the
President N. {. Thrall and H. +. Irow-
bridge of New York city.
Gar No. 4-General Manager William s.
Mellen and General Superintendent M. q.
Kimberly.
Car No. 8-General Land Agent Paul
osTaaoa. Will, Taa'se NJ 49,
and .Iannes Gamhia of San ranc;sco
Car No. Assistant General Supe.in-
tendent George w. Dickenson.
Car No. 99-Chief Engineer John w.
u r Hawaii Of Snokans md Mostar M nn,
ward KandricI Son If the chiaf ann;u.or
l give the actual number Of tie cars. In
addition. each car contained clerks, type
writer's. cooks and servants. The train
fast or SLOW an occns;on rannirad frsnnsntiv
waiting an hiph ns siytx m;les M ho1r ~
the rear was an observation cmr WIN LARGE
windows, where the president and hin at #
sat and noted the condition of the road "A
VS. passed along. Stations we're examined.
and at several points delegations had $40,
pointments to interview President Cakes
for the PURPOSE of adinstinp frei,ht ratas
etc. All we're oourteously leceived and a.
far 40 | was able to learn all reasonable re-
quests were granted. When stopping at
principal stations packages of teleprans
and letters were delivered on boa. d, Eli of
which were quickly answered. Each davis
business was carried on about An thcnph
zach department were in its Leadouafters
Such is the D oeress OF the age in which W.
Ten wears aco Tacoma Ind bnt about
1000 Inhabitants, and the buildings we're
nearly all of wood. and the a,raets wers
filled with stumps of trees. Here now ia n
ropulation of ri, 900. and the chief bnsi-
ness streets ara lined with sniendid hrick
bulldincs. From Tacoma We paxaed
through the great Puya,lup yaller. The
GREAT hon region. Here the town of Pnv-
alum haR crown mn or, nav M, ..hon.
ped up, to a ponulntIon of 20oO AS III.
principal industry of the farmers is in
cullITsting that vine, on1 they have ai
grown rich at IL. me town hns fon. hotels
and two banks. and about forty general
stores. Leaving Pnvnllun wa mass ont
thtoucb Cracker Sonth Praria Carhonad,
and Wilkinson. which are being hnilt mn
by the deyelopment of the coal rooion
which ia cont;nnaliv incrensinc in the ont
put. Following mn tbe valley n tho f4raen
liver. a beautiful mountain stream wa
pass a number of Villages incl1dina tna,
Hot 81 inys. which are fast hr cominp =
noted health resort. and where if ia nro-
posed to build a mnonificent hotaI
After leaving Green river we strike tb.
great tunnel under Stampede Mas. This
tunnel ia nearly two miles in lanptb and
second in length in the United States. being
oaly exceeded bv the great Hoosnc tnnna1
in Massachusetts. After emsrcinp from
the great tunnel on tho eastern siona If tho
Cascade mountains va have so,na Grand
views.of tbs country beyon1. nh, t;rst
town of note ia Ellensbure. which has a
population of nearly $500" Thirty n,ilea
distant we come to- North Yakima with -
'"f ~ -