Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1846-10-21
RAILWAY TO THE PACIFlC.--MR.
WHITNEY S PROHIBIT

The attention Of The American nublic i
more and more directed to the weste n
coast oil North America; and the rev rela.
lions which are Swinging up between i,
ana lie states Oh this side Of the Rocky
-"ooh'a'ns' gives more and mo re lmpor.
,"hce 10 any reasonable scheme for render
ing he communication between tho m ,,ora
easy. Mr.. Whilney's proiec, a railway
from lsconslnto The valley Of the Column
oIa' S the only scheme of the kind before
me public. and we believe we are no, mis-
''heh IN saying that The more II is examin
ed the more is the public inclined 10 favor
IT, II Is, however Sovast scheme reouir
Tag So immense all outlay, and con,e mpa.
: ing such large results. that it is natural
mat men should be slow 10 give il their en-
are assent. Some compare il with works
undertaken by individuals or stale govern.
menls, IN which The questions asked are.
"who VIII subscribe to the stock, or what
VIII support the ruade" Others who have
looked somewhat more deeply into the sub
Ject inquire, "can the road be bull! are The
means proposed adequate? and will the peo.
pie be benefited to such an exten, ms IN
justly The immediate action Of Congressw
lst The comparison Of this project with
other works is no, fair, because here is no
stock, and as the land furnish The means:
there will be no interest on capital 10 be
paid. and no dividend required. If the
roao IS 10 be built. II must be by the sale
and settlement o The lands. and The natural
progress oil settlement along The line Of the
ra lway 'wIlI greatly cont butte 10 the ex-
penSe OF keeping the road in order, if it
should not defray it altogether.
2nd. That a railway can be made uloug
the route proposed is satisfactorily shown
by the report OF Mr.. Breese to the United
States Senate. For eieh, hundred miles II
has been explored and examined bv Mr..
Whitney in person. Further on, from the
month OF the Platte River 10 the waters of
the Columbia navigabe by ships, it has
ben explored and surveyed by Captain
Fremont, who ascerlained the degree of
ascenI and descent by daily elevations,
which ale recorded in his able ard valuable
report. We have also accounts by travel.
lerS confirming this view of the question.
Sd As to The question whether the
means proposed are adequate 10 the con-
strucHon OF the road-this is point on
which the Committee Of the Senate seem
TO have been fully satisfied. Their report
eSumates the cost of the railway al $780,
S92 500, but without actual surveys OF the
whole distance, no estimate can be correct,
though tins may approach 10 accuracy....
Unlike other ,alIway enterprises, it is not
necessary that this large sum should be
subscribed or secured before the work is
commenced On The contrary, the work
may be commenced as soon as the grant is
made. without the formaitv OF obtaining
single subscription, provided that Mr..
Whitney has the means Of building the
first ten miles; and if he has not, We SUD-
pose he would find no difficulty in procu-
ring them. After the work is set a going
in this way, it will take care of Itself, and
furnish lis own means.
From The report and from Mr.. Whi'Ley's
explanation, II appears that the first eight
hundred miles west iiom The lake is all land
OF the best quality for the cultivation of
wheat AMI Tor plsIurage. A railway pass
ing through this fine region will give
ITS settlers an immediate access to market.
with soil Of tie highest 'erilty, the sur.
face covered with Il rich grass, ready 10 be
QaZed or mOWn, so that The settler really
wants nothing bat the plough, HE seed, the
scythe and The sickle, and with climate
the most heaIhluI, there can be no doubt
that so favored a county would constant
~ aiuact from our increasing population
such multitude Of settlers as 10 insure the
ready sale Of the lands adjacent to the rail-
way. II has been esilmltel by some who
have gwen their attention to this subject,
TX ng The experience ofthe past as guide
that with all tie advantages which the open
mg OF his road would present, the sales of
lands Tor the first two wears would not a.
mount 10 less thin Two millions of dollars
yearly: and afterwards, with the increase
OF o0i population and It's natural overflow
towards he wes', 10 three million and up.
wards. Tais would furnish the means 10
finish the work in abou, twenty years, when
our population will he twice what il now u.s.
The emigration from Europe 10 this coun-
ty VIII uuquesl!onlbly receive a new inn
pulse i'om The failure Of the potato crop,
which seems likely 10 be IA permanent ca
iamny. Europe is crowded with human
beings, even 70 famine, and the excess Of
population must come hther.
We my hereafter discuss the advanta ges
by this railway, both immediate
and direct, and future and collateral.