Year: 1870

T1s Northern Pacific Railroad


The passage of the amended char
ter Of the Northern Pacific Railway,
by the present Congress. in which
new privileges are conceded to the
Company. and very large domain
of land added to their previous grant,
was very properly regarded
as the turning point in the history
of that enterprise From that hour
it became evident that the country
was to have another magnificent
road connecting the Atlantic States
with the new world Of life and ener
gv that is sprinoing up along the
northern shors of the Pacific. The
grant came at time when the great
railway already built had JUS de
mnnstrated its eapasity to be worked
throughout the entire year despite
the encroachments of ice and snow.
and when its rapidly increasing
traffic had set at rest all apprehen-
sions as to its unprofitableness is an
investment. Since the new charter
was secured the most wonderful ac-
tivitv has been displayed by the
managers Of the Northern Pacific
Company, and on Saturday last, we
are informed by the Chicago Tribune
ground was broken ana the great
work put into actual process. The
point of beginning is at the ranids
of the St Louis river. twenty-five
miles west of Duluth. where the
Northern Pacific line intersects the
railway from Duluth to S.. Pani-
the first Twenty-Five miles, therefore
the track Of the St. Paul road will
be used BIZ both companies, the river
also being navigable during the same
distance This will make the "tiailes''
or rapids the real easreport of the
line The first division of the road
which extends to the Red River of
the North, is now under coctract tn
four parties, consisting OF Georgia


Bracket aad ex Mayor Morrison OF
Minneapolis and two CannadiaEs
whose names are not given. Tools
and supplies are being rapidly for
wartled. and it is intended to have
three thousand men promptly as
work on the line. The line of tEis
great work is from the head of Lake
Superior to Puget Sound. ''crossing
Minnesota. Dakota, Montana, idaho,
and Washington For long dis


tance it follows the Upper Missouri
to the Rocky Mountains.and thence
down the valley of the Columbia a
long way. finally bearing little north
and terminating at Puget Sound
There are abundance Of forests Oh
the rout across Northern Minnesota.
and also west Of the mountains
through Idaho and Washington
and plenty Of coal has been discover


ed on the projected line i'll Dakota
and Montana,


Its cost is estimated ut $4,000
per mile, which would make the cost
Of the whole line something over
fifty millions OF doIlars-a very
small sum wlen the enormous length
of the road is considered. To meet
this, the company has 10000, 900
acres Of land, upon which, rs well
as upon the road itself, mortgage
bonds will be issued, British capital
lists being relied upon to take up the
greater part Of the investment


Five millions have already tieeE Sc
cured, and upon this work has been
commenced. We have before spoken
at some length of the vast tract of
rich and valuable country which
this road will open to the advancing
civilization Of the west. By it the
wheat producing area Of the country
will be doubled at single sroke.
Unlike the country through which
the Central and Union Pacific roads
are built, the belt which encloses the
Northern Pacific is neither desert
nor mountainous, hnt, q series OF
rich valleys and arabic plains, lower
in altitude than the country between
Omaha and San Francisco. ana In
es cry way thoroughly adapted TO the
purposes of civilization Its climate
will be about like that of Minnesota;
cold and sharp in winter. but dry,
healthful, and affording long fruit
fGi summer, Remembering the eel
Gritty with which one Pacific railroad
has been built. and the immense
changes which it has wrought, it re-
quires no feyvid imagination to pie
iure within the next seven Years 8
more than equal revolution in the
prospects OF the far northwest
q Leader,