The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-13
A SIGN OF PROGRESS.
First Transconiinental Road
Without Subsidy.
BONUSES TO EARLIER ROADS.
Great Northern the Firss Road Built TO
the Pacific without snhssd.-whst
the other Roads cot.

eTnmnrts. with the exception on n ih1U
subsidy of ten sections per mile, or total
total az s,sss,ooo acres, granted % the
original company. the 81 Paul 4 Pacific.
the Great Northern system has received
no government All. for the subsequent
extensions westward through the Dakotas
and Montana wore huilt without any afti-
fetal stimulus in thc way 81 SUBSIDIES *
cert nm occasion donation 81 right f-way
md depot sites from towns and indi-
viausis.
Every transcontinertal railroad built
hitherto has been heavily Subsidized
either in both lands and bonds or IN lands
aione when the first roads az the Kind
were projected cary in the fifttos, the
country west Of the Missouri river was
frackless wilderness with only = few scat
tered settlements between that stream and
The Cascade range, and tho only snsder-
abie settlements west of that range were
IN california due to tho gold discoveries,
and Washington and Oregon each had
oniy few thousand white inhabitants.
The first transcontinentai railroad was
built more nc a political necessity than ~
rasing investment. There was no way
of reaching the Pacific coast possessions
OF the United States from the scat Of gov
eminent except by ship around Cape Horn
or BY ship and rail by the iethmus route,
and thus IL was possible for hostile forces
20 SEIZE and entrench themselves In the
Coast states before re-inforccmcnts could
reach the scene from the East. I; was
necessary 30 have means Of speedy com-
snunfcation and therefore 1t was that ire
government offered inducements to The
building of railroads across the continent
1t is only thirty years since the 1nion
Pacii1c, Kansas Pacific and central PsctAc
were chartered. and in that time four
other roads have been built 10 the Pacific
ocean, each With less government
aid than The last. Stir other
roads have pushed farther ard
farther westward with no other induce
snent than that offered hv the traffic OF the
country they travecsed These roads have
undoubtedly been the chief means OF pro-
noting the settlement and development
of the country west of the Missouri river,
so that II can be truly said that the Great
Northern is nov pushing forward 70 the
Sound 20 share in the transportation hasi-
ness which they have created.
IN order TO induce capital TO hpild q rail-
road from the Missouri river 70 the Pacific
ocean at the close Of the civil war Il was
necessary for the government - bear q
large part Of the cost. Accordingly when
the Union Pacific and Central Pacific com
panies were chartered, the former 10 build
westward from the Missouri and the latter
eastward from the Pacific The two
companies were granted 6 per cent.
gold bonds at the rate 81 ST6o ao a mile for
the SOS miles from tho Missouri river 20
the base OF the Rocky mountains, s4s. 900
a mile for the soa miles through the noun
tains. Sc. eeo mile for the STD miles he
tween the Rockies and the summit OF the
Sferrss, and $4,000 for the fe2 miles thence
10 the Pacific ocean Al oaklaud. In adsi.
ton grant Of .. eeo, con acres 81 land was
made 20 the Union Pacific, and in order
% ensbse Il 20 f1oat bonds FOR the compile
tion Of It's line, the new bonds were unsAe
first mortgage snd the government bonds
q second mortgage. The Central Pacific
received 3 proportionste land grant. snd
It's total subsidy IN bonds was SIS SSS. $50
The total cost of the Union Pacitie. from
onaaha "a Ogden, leo mikes, in bonds,
stock ard land grant, is placed ~ S31, 90. =
$50 ar Sizes rs mile, while in actual cash
the cost was SSS 50, Sa1, or $50 eaa nile
THE cost 81 the Central Pacific sna
Branches. 90 miles in al. IN
bonds, stock ahd land grant WAS SlSa 74s-
STA. or at the rate III Si17.SSS \ mile. The
Nansas Paclgc. $40 miles. from Kansas
Cfty to Denver. VAS chartered st the same
time ana subsidized ST the same rate rs
the linton Pacific sn6 ~ss asterwsrd con
sclSdste3 with IL
The Northern Pacl}c had beeu first pro-
Sectea st tho ssrl}e time rs tlse Union and
Central Pacific lsIt WAS not undertaken
TIL some wears later Il received no ho,,e
Subsidy, hat was siae6 most generously
with grsnzS al fan3 ii rs,etve5 Is Sfs9