St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-06-08

l
| goods down at in that city. The adyan-
| tage which is thus secured to the job
Ders of st. Paul should not be under
| estimated.
| While, in my opinion. this is the
| most important thing that has been ac-
| compIIshed in behalf of the jobbing
| interests of st. Paul. fully appreciate
| the immense terri tory which the Great
| Northern, now completed to the coast,
has opened up to the merchants of this
city. The territory between the North
ern Pacific and the Canadian Pacific is
| practically 250 miles wide. The Great
| midway for nearly 1000 miles. Pre-
sumably it is in position to draw the
| traffic of strip of the country 100 miles
| or more wide, and for the full distance
of this line. This means that it will
| stimulate the growth and carry the
| business of district comprising $4,000
| square miles of territory. In this terri
| tory exists, and will be developed, al
most every important industry known
| to the country. On the eastern extrem-
| ity lies the finest agricultural country
| on the face of the globe. Beyond are
| the choicest ranges for stockraising;
district rich with minerals, and lying on
| the Pacific coast magnificent timber
furnish cheaply superior quality of
lumber to the settlers living on the
border of Minnesota in the two Da
kOtas.
Others may give more in detail statis-
teal matter concerning the country
traversed. The statistics OF the wheat
producing ability of Minnesota and the
Dakotas are familiar. Less than one
fourth of the land in the Dakotas is
under cultivation. In Montana there is
100000 acres of land suited for cultI-
walton, and only about 100000 acres
are as yet returned for taxation. At
Butte, Mont, alone, the annual output
of copper and silver exceeds $25, 1000, 600.
Montana now leads all the other states
III the total product of gold, silver and
copper, and pays more dividends on
mining stocks than all the other states
of the Union combined. There were in
1890. the latest period for which there
are any statistics at hand. over 100000
sheep'on the ranges of Montana, and
the cattle of the Northwestern ranges
number fully 100000 head. Washing
ton produces over 100000 pounds of
wool annually, over 100000 pounds of
hops, 100000 tons OF coal, and over
100000 bushels of wheat. In Idaho in
1890 there were 740,350 acres under cul-
tivation, and the live stock exceeded
21S,276 head.
The mineral reso urces Of that region
are but in the infancy of their develop
ment. The Kootenai districts. one in
British Columbia and the other in Mon
tana and Idaho, are rich beyond imagin-
alton in precious metals. Quartz and
placar mining has already commenced
in that region The Kootenai river,
rising in British Columbia. is 600 miles
long. This artery is calculated to de-
liver the wealth of that great region to
the Great Northern for transportation
East The requisite supplies for the
necessary population will naturally also
be drawn from this center. These are
only suggestive facts and figures. They
promise the production of vast guam
titles of metal, wool. hides. cereal prod
ucts and other raw materials to feed our
manufactures and stimulate our manu-
featuring development. This means
large additions to our own population.
Settlement will naturally follow the
construction of the road. New cities
and villages will spring up, farms and
ranches will be established, new mining
properties developed, and the Dopula-
ton of the whole vast area very largely
increased. This population will seek,
naturally, st. Paul as its legitimate
market for the sale of its products and
purchase of its necessary supplies. So
much of the territory as Is more directly
tributary to the cities of the Pacific
coast will seek those cities, and in turn
Seattle, Tacoma and Portland will look
eastward for such goods as they may
desire to purchase. In this trade ST. |
Paul will undoubtedly share literally.
The development Of the country will |
also make demand upon the lumber
interest. now the most considerable in |
terest OF the Pacific coast, and give to it
needed prosperity and large develop |
ment. This means greater prosperity
for Washington and Oregon, Increase of |
population in those states, and cOnSe- |
quently an increase in the trade of this |
city. which now is, and is likely ever to |
be, the terminus of the Great Northern
system.
The opening of the Great Northern is
also OF importance to the trade OF st. |
Paul, because it affords another trans |
continental line, over which will be |
brought importations of teas and like
goods from the Orient When the |
Northern Pacific and Canadian Pacific |
were first opened comparatively few |
goods came to the merchants OF st. |
Paul direct from China. Now whole |
train loads of tea, coffee, spices and |
silks are not infrequent. The Great |
Northern affords another competing |
line. and presumably will force, because |
of its low grades and shorter mileage,
lower rates. This will induce even |
larger shipments of goods from China |
by the rail and water routes which |
these transcontinental lines afford.
While it is hardly reasonable to ex- |
pect that the same sudden impetus will /
be given to the trade of this city which |
followed the opening to the Pacific |
coast of the Northern Pacific, believe |
that in steady growth and permanent |
prosperity the jobbing trade of st. Paul
Is to enjoy quite as much as the result |
OF. the completion of this great enter
prise as followed the opening OF the |
first. of the northern transcontinental |
lines between st. Paul and Puget |
sound.