Year: 1871

Mr.. Tupper, during tie recent debate
on the Union of British Columbia, in the |
Canadian Parliament, argued that the SUI
periority of the Canadian route for Paclt-
ic Railway was indisputable and that the
alternate blocks of land which would be
tie property of the Government would
realize enough to discharge its pecuuiary
obligations respecting railways. He ex-
messed the belief that the Northern Pa
ci6c Company, who would have nearly
1000 miles of desert to run through,
would never-seeing Canada was deter
mined to push her road to the Pacific
go on with their work beyond Pembina.
They would extend their line from George
town to Pembina and thence to the Red
River. but it could never he thought, be
carried further west 10 viSw of the far su,
perior advantages of our route.-CGnGdian
Paper.


we have no doubt that the Hon. DR..
Tupper supposed be was telling the truth
when he made the statement above quoted;
and there is a question in our mind
whether the colonial organs which circu-
lated it do not accept it as truth also, so
anxious are they, seemingly, to reflect
discreditabIy upon anything that relates to
tile Northern Railroad. If DR.. Tupper
had taken tho trouble to post himself
about the country through which the
Northern Pacific Railroad passes, he never
would have allowed himself to utter a
statement so erroneous aud wide from
truth.


The whole course Of the Northern Pa
cifc Railroad is through territory which
offers unrivalled advantages TO the agricul-
turalst, the stock raiser, the miner, and
the lumberman. The road spans the center
of the coniinpnt-its most favored portion
and when once in operation will be the
best paying institution in existence. The
rich wheat lands of the Red river
valley, the fertile valley of the Missouri,
and the valley of the yellow Stone, through
which the road runs FOR distance of near
y four hundred miles, and which is said
to be one of the richest valleys in the
world for agriculture, minerals, etc. and
the rich tract Of land westward to the Pa
ei6e are all upon the route to enrich, and
be enriched BY, the Northern Pacific Rail-
road. At the junction of the Yellow
Stone with the Missouri river, where the
railroad will cross, will, in a very few
ye:-rs, spring up city that in Importance
win rival St. Louis, now the metropolis
of the West. This new city will not only
be general commercial center, but also
of manufacturing and mining as coal and
iron are said to abound in the immediate
vicinity.


A minimum estimate of The way bust
ness of the road, when completed, not
counting the through trade, has been made
at twenty millions annually-the' interest
on the bonds and other expenses at ten
millions-leaving clear gain in favor of
the road of ten millions per annuI1, with
which to pay of its Indebtedness. When
we add to this immense domestic trade
the foreign trade that will be developed,
and go on increasing from year to year
after the road is completed, it becomes all
most impossible 10 comprehend its vast
ness-it is something like figuring up the
entire traffic of the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans and endeavoring to make a mental
estimate on it. Taking all these thinga
into consideration there can BIZ little won9
der that the bonds of this enterprise ar
being so rapidly taken Up. 1t is surs
investment-as firm as Mount Baker
and something that viii last as long-or
at last until something better than steam
and rails are devised for land trans
portation.


The Chicago Tribune in speaking of the
country along The route of the Northern
Pacific Railroad. after noting its marvel.
ous richness and immense extent, winds
up as follows:


And thess territories are soon to be
settled up. If one will but look at our
rates Of increase he will be satisfied of the
fact. If our growth should continue in the
proportion that it has hitherto held, in the
year 1900 we shall have one hundred and
five millions of people. and two.fhrds IF
I'll m IOiH be IN til Mississippi Valley and in
This Nortkrest. railroads make settles
ments speedy nova. days. And there are
those among US who shall yet live to see
this whole tier of territories noisy with the
hum of thousand industries.


In this, then lies the interest of the
public in this road-that it will
make avai'abla the millions of acres
of arabic land that are now practically in
accessible; that it will develop the occa-
sion for the establishment of numberless |
manufactures that it will increase the
Weld of mines which already from Mon
taua sends us alone S5.OOO,OOO of gold