The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-01
A COLOSSAL ENTERPRISE.
The Great Northern Traverses Rich
Country With Many Branches.

Before proceeding further, it is necessary
10 explain the extent and Importance of
the Great Northern railroad and what its
extension to Puget Sound means for WASH
ington in general and Seattle in particular.
The Great Northern is the most marvellous
railroad creation of the age. 1t is the con-
ception of the brain of one man-James J..
Hill, of st. Paul. Years ago, before rail-
roads had gridironed the great Northwest,
Mr.. Hill was in the warehouse and freight
ing business in ST. Paul. His attention be-
came directed particularly to the Red river
trade, then enjoyed almost exclusively by
English and Canadian traders, or their
agents in st. Paul. Mr.. Hill formu-
lated a shrewd plan for securing
the bulk of the carrying trade on the Red
river by quietly constructing steamboat
and arranging with the custom officials
that no bonded goods could pass from
American to British territory except in
regularly authorized vessels. The Canadian
traders had no inkling of Hills plan until
his boat was in operation, and they found
themselves confronted by law which de-
prived them OF all their through traffic
and gave it to Hills boat, which was
loaded down at every trip. 1t took them
sion, and then they started in to conduct
a general carrying trade In opposition TO
Hill. The American trader soon had
very little TO do: but he was not to be de-
feated, and he formed an alliance with
Commodore Kittson, the representative OF
his rivals. and they operated together the
steamboats, on Red river.
About this time the affairs of the
St. Paul & Pacific railroad, running
from st. Paul to Sank Center, in
the Red river country, got into
bad shape, and Hill conceived the notion
of securing control. The interest of Sir
Donald A. Smith and Sir George Steven
was enlisted through Commodore Kilt
son, and means were devised of securing
control of the road. This was the nucleus
of the great system of railroads which cul-
minated in the Great Northern, and the
beginning of that compact with the Cana
dian Pacilc which was so advantageous
to both and which lasts 10 this day, though,
perhaps, in modined form.
The work of extending the st. Paul &
Pacific TO the boundary was Immediately
begun. The country began to I'LL up with
settlers and the production of wheat be-
came enormous. From local line with q
single track, the st. Paul, Minneapolis &
Manitoba merged into a gigantic system.
Parallel lines, spurs, cross roads were
built, and the great Red river wheat belt
was spread over with a vast network of
steel rails. Winnipeg was reached over
the lines of the Canadian Pacific. One
road down the Red river was not enough
and two were built, one on each side. Du-
luth was reached on Lake Superior and
Sioux Falls in Dakota. Every section of
country that gave assuring prospect OF
traffic was tapped by the Great Northern.
The development of the country was phe-
nomenal and the consequent carrying trade
of the railroad was prodigious.
From Grand Forks, on Red river. a road
TO the West was begun. The ultimate
object Of construction west was an outlet
on the Pacinc coast, but the local trade
secured was very heavy. In construction
of this line. in 1ss7, the unparalleled record
OF 90 miles IN seven months was made.
The line took its course in as straight a
line west as possible about lfty miles south
ofthe international boundary line, between
the Canadian and Northern PaeiAc,
paraileIing both for its whole distance.
Fort Assinsboine, in Northern Montana,
was reached and thence the course was