Year: 1879

The Helena Inaspeasnt has been ia
vored with the reading Of private letter
from Mr.. C. B. Wright, late president OF
the Northern Pacific railroad to the Hon
Martin Maginnis, Montanas energetic
delegate, 1t says:


"You have doubtless noticed in the papers
the success of our little financIa! scheme Tor
providing ways and means to the elbow,
stone. You may chalk it down IN black ana
white that the road will go forward unless
prevented by congress. | have been Pur-
chasing rails for the Pacific division III Wash
ington Territory, and the rails are no" De
ing shipped by sea to the mouth OF ths - opl-
umbia river | think we shall put under
contract from $50 10 2U0 miles from the
mouth Of Snake river east.


The people of the whole territory
through which the Northern Paclhc Is
destined in the very near future to run,
have in the past been very much depressed
by the hardness of the company hereto
fore in commencing operdtions. Ii Is
very evident from the tenor OF the above
extract that they are now forced to go to
work or congress will interfere IN favor of
some other company who can build the
road. This enterprise has always been
looked upon with a favorable eye by the
people of Washington Territory when
first preached some few years since II was
the sole cause of the immigration that
poured into the northeastern portion OF
Washington and settled up the country at
an unprecedented rate For while We
doubted whether the energy lately dis
PLAYED had not for its object the attempt
to again mislead the people and congress
in order to gain an extension OF time on
their kingly land grant. We are pleased
to find that it is not so and that work Is
being commenced i'll real earnest and will
be prosecuted without intermisslon until
the North Pacific railroad Is an accom-
pIished fact From other sources than
the above letter We are convinced that
earnest work will henceforih be the order
of the day Mir. C. b. Wright has re-
signed the pr, sidency on account of his
health, but another man no less energetic
and enterprisins has taxed his place this
is Mr.. F. X. Billings, who has gwen or
ders for still mora work to he performed
on this end; but for all that, the great
rush toward full completion cannot begin
until the road crosses the mountains from
Montana This will be due to great ex
tent to the enormous expense attendant
nn shipping the iron rails around the
Horn. In former issues the STATESMAN
has done full justice to the many and
great advantages which will accrue to our
prosperous territory by the completion OF
this road to and across our borders Ii Is
to be hoped now as the company have
shown their earRestness III commencing
operations that no untoward legislation by
congress will prevent them from pushing
on their great undertaking toward COM
pletion and although We cannot expect
our republican delegate in a democratic
congress to be possessed Of much mfiu
ence, for all that, We hope he viii do what
he can in the interests OF our territory to
prevent any legislation looking to that
end, always providing, however, that the
company Will continue to advance the
road as the late president in his letter says
they mean to do With this road from
the east and the Utah Northern from the
south before many years our territory will
be one of the most prosperous and intlu-
cntial states in the Union.