5ia PROCEEDINGS of THE 



future. A very great personal and business interest 

 in the subject is my excuse for being here. 



The Northern Pacific Railway Company, of which 

 I have the honor to be the president, traverses states 

 in which there are forest reserves as follows : 



Existing Proposed Total 



State. Acres. Acres. Acres. 



Minnesota 708,840 798,840 



Montana 7,882,400 4,077,700 1 1,960,100 



Idaho 3,955,220 3,501,520 7,456,740 



Washington 7,012,960 2,603,480 9,616,440 



Total 18,850,580 10,891,540 29,742,120 



a total in which the Northern Pacific Railway Com- 

 pany is interested, of nearly 30,000,000 acres. 



Included in this acreage are lands granted to the 

 Northern Pacific Railway Company, amounting to: 



Montana 1,507,130-53 



Idaho 228,208.36 



Washington 1,292,562.93 



Total 3,027,901.82 



These lands were given by the Government in 1864, 

 to induce the building of the road at a time when even 

 the wisest owners of capital hesitated about undertak- 

 ing an enterprise so large, and so doubtful as to the 

 outcome; and the discouragement and losses to those 

 investing in this railroad, until within the last few 

 years, are a matter of common knowledge. 



During the last five years, of the freight handled 

 by the Northern Pacific Railway, forest product ship- 

 ments were : 



