The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-10-24
From the Philadelphia sun.
Railroad 10 Oregon.


plorer of the West and a practical me-
chan'c, well versed in bridging and ex-
cavallng, should appear to you of any
oenehl towards advancing the most bcne-
iic'ai and greatest undertaking of the pre-.
sent century, please TO give his an in
ser'lon in the Sun. offer nv remarks
from having read Mr.. Whi,ney's able
letter of the 2Oh September, published
in the Ledger. Mr.. Whitney, in his lei.
ter, says--"From the lakes TO the Mis-
s'ss'pP'' the lands are good, rout feasible,
ana an abundance of timber, which mus,
be then prepared and taken on, as the
road progresses The whole distance 10
the hockey Mountains, and no streams
d'lhcuit to bridge. MI the Mississippi.
which can be brdgcd in the vicinity Of
Pralne du Chen, and above, bnr, as I'M
ders'and, not below that place" wish
I" correct MIR. Whiiney's nformants in
their mistaken idea, tina, the Mississippi
cannot be bridged below Prairie du
Chien-lhere are several points where
1t can be easily bridged, the mos, feasible
OF which is a, Rock Island, thirty miles
below the Wabisipinica, on the upper
rapids, and two miles above the town of
Davenport. where the river is narrower
man 1t is a, any other point, between its
mouth and the Falls Of 81. Anthony,
with high rock banks, and rock bottom,
the channel of deep water vary inc from
$50 to 800 feet in wid,h-lhe balance
OF the distance across at low water. va
ryng from Is inches to 3 fee. deep, aud
al ordinary high water. from 5 to & fee,
no low or inundated lands in the vici-
nifty to reach this point through Illinois
IN any direction by railroad, will require
less grading for the same distance, than
! any other rout or section of the whole
Union. Two thirds of the distance
across the state. is now ready to receive
rails, without even the scratch of spade.
nature has leveled the surface Of the prai-
RE herself; and it is unnecessary for me
10 boast OF her unsurpassed soil and plea.
SAINT climate. | wish to call the aren-
ton of Mr.. Whitney and others more in
ieresed and of more judgmen, than my
SELF, to some plain remarks in regard to
this great road. Call to your minds the
hundreds of gulleys and sloughs, and the
number OF rivers you crossed on your
late journey from the lakes to Fort Lea
venworth. then cast your eye on the map,
and you will discover that you have
crossed all the arteries Of Wisconsin and
Iowa, when it will be more economical
to follow them, you will discover by the
map, and by inspection, that all the
sloughes and rivers between the noun
salns and the Mississippi, run from north
ives, TO south east. | do not pretend to
dictate, neither do | know where the
starting point OF this great road should
be, or where it is contemplated to be-
bu. ! know that by dropping down the
Mississippi ana crossing i, below the
mouth of the Wabisipinica, and running
between i. and the Cedar River, until,
you reach latitude AZ deg, 80 min.; then
cross the Cedar, and strike your late
trail near the Desmoin River, you will
have The smooth plains of Illinois, instead
Of the rough knobs and sloughs of,Wis-
cons'n wim any quantity Of bridging;
you will avoid the low grounds and nu--
merous branches of the Turkey and Wa
bislplnica Rivers, you save full two
thirds of the bridging, and one half of
the excavating. estimate I2 bridges of
note, in making the first l6O or $50
miles from Prairie du Chen on tie in
spected route, and bu, four on the route
lrecommend-besdes you will run with
the bridges, instead Of across them.
have travelled through this recommended
route. noted its advantages and its ler,li-
ty, (a'very small portion of which is
bought up with abundance Of timber
bordering the Cedar and Wabisipinca
and also plenty Of timber on the ILL
nois side of the Mississippi. Yet there
may be advantages in more northern
route unknown TO me; | only mention
what | do know-the Mississippi is ma
vlgable for large boats to the upper ra-
pids; all the canals and railroads of the
southern and middle states are pointing
in that direction, and eventually will be
extended through Illinois to the Missis-
sippi River. A. CT.
"Pauper Labor."-The success. says
the Morning News, with which the eastern
manufacturers, used to cry of foreign
pauper labor in compelling consumers
10 pay taxes to manufacturers, is already
being turned against themselves. The
Tribune has been the most persevering
n'lerer Of the unme anng cry, and we find
IN tina. paper Of Thursday the following
reasons for supposed distress of shoe ma