Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-12-04

f-FOJect OF n sNdtiOnW lldtUOdU from me THdhtC 10
The Pacific Ocean, for the purpose of obtaining a
short route 10 the Oregon and The Indies: by
George Wakes.
We have been not long since, and now are, We
ry much impressed with the impo tancc and mag
nitudc of the Vermont Central Railroad: road
which is to cost some three millions of dollars
which is to become the main highway for a terrific.
ry now embracing more than one million of souls
which is 10 link the East with the West the Can
adas with the mother country-which is, we now
verify believe, we long have believed, to be one
of the most profitable as well as one of the most
important enterprises of this day and generation
On the West is the Ogdensburg road, bridging the
space between Lakes Ontario and Champlain, and
beyond are navlgobe waters extending more than
thousand miles, bearing the products OF terrific
ry nearly one fourth as large as the Union Be-
Sides the people on the North and the South OF
Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are vieing with each
other for railroads ia addition to water navigation,
and already Michigan is nearly bclted by the iron
track which Is to receive tribute from Indiana, Hi
nos and Wisconsin. With such magnificent tail,
our lutte Central Road of right claimed good
ucu vi SlldOC III tIC eye VI Ilt puulC ~ AOOiSu
up large in the sight of capitalists seeking for good
investments and it challenged and received the
good opinion of railroad men. But oh how con-
tracted is that vision which is limited to only doz-
en- or so of states--how short-sighted is the man
who can see a tail to our railroad only thousand
miles long George Wilkes has wiped the dust
from our specs, and now we the rails clearly all
a., a., g, a.
tans Ia twist of the head and a squirt Of the
eyes follows the track to Oregon! and one strain
of vision brings within its reach line Of mammoth
steamers to inda!!
There's project for you: a Railroad three thou
sand miles long, from the southern point of Lake
Michigan to Oregon-thus connecting the Allan
tic, at Boston and New York, with the Pacific; its
cost is only 81 900 600, and Mr.. Wilkes IA goa
head fellow in his way, is for having it all done by
the u. s. Government in GUe years. DO it, says
Mr. Wilkes: it is less in magnitude than the pyra-
mids of Egypt or the Chinese wall it will cost
less than three years. war with England; it will
more than pay its own cost by bringing purchasers
for the public lands it would be grand Negotia-
tor to settle the Oregon questions it would give
us the control of the Pacific Ocean and the India
and China trade; it would be magnificent affair."
bringing more glory, more power and more riches
than thousand victories in thousand battles by
land or sea.
Stupendous and forbiddng as this project seems
it is not beyond the means of the nation. From
'36 to 49, the military and naval expenses of this
government averaged over twenty millions a veal
being more than enough to build this Oregon
railroad In six years. 1t would be better for the ma
ton to build it than go through single war witt
any civilized nation Of the EARTH Whether the ends
which would be accomplished will warrant the un
dcrtaking, is another question. Mr.. Wilkes urge;
that this should be treated as national matter and
that no individual (Mr. Whitney, or corporation
should be authorised to undertake The work. One
would think that this advice was useless: still i
may not be. Mr.. Whitney's plan for getting elf
of Stry miles Of land in width in the path Of this
Oregon road, would secure the cooperation of ma
ny Spectator, and are inclined to believe tina
as far as these Spectators would go, trsy woult
find profit in the speculation. So far as their roat
should be built through saleable land, the strip
sixty miles of land would produce more than the
cost of the road, and at the same time contribute
business to sustain the road.