The Yazoo Democrat. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1847-01-26
RAIL ROAD TO THE PACIFIC.

This great enterprise, proposed q year
or mora ago by Mr.. WHITNEY, in proper
ton as it has grown in public favor. The
plan is simply to construct rnilrOad from
Lake Michigan to the Pacific Ocean, the
means of construction to be furnished by
the sales of the public lands along the route
Of the road. A grant Of thirty miles on
each side Of the road, making altogether .
breadth Of sixty miles for the whole length
Of the road, is asked for by the protector,
with the condition that the lands shall be
disposed of only in proportion as the rOsd
advances. 1t is believed that the cOnstTuc-
ton Of such work will give immediate
value to the lands through which the route
is 10 pass--sO that upon an average one
mile Of territory, with tho depth Of thirty
mills on each side, will be sufficient to con
s,ruct one mile Of railway. Thus by 3
reciprocity Of action the road will sell sAe
lands and the lands will build the road
The magnitude Of this undertaking vas
calculated 1t first to slartle and the I'M
pulse Of most minds Was TO class the prop
ositiOn among those speculative Prolects
which advenlurers or chermerical enthusl-
asts are prone to engeHdvI. B"e "GAn
viewed in its elements the whole enterprise
assumes the utmost simplicity itS great
ness, it 10 true, remains.
Ifone looks forward in imagination 70
the time when the Valley Of the Columbia
shall TEEN with population, aud when the
intermediate regions between our prese"'
frontier and the Rocky Mountains shall DC
settled. While at all commanding points
along The whole distance towns and Giles
shall be in vigorous and fourishlng exls'
tence. the mind connects with such s'a!e
of things a continuous series OF raj ROADS
as a natural, necessary part Of the gen.
eral progress. Made gradually - settle
ments and civilization 60 ON towards me
west. a rail road connection with the Pa
ci6c would not be a surprising thlng q
would be, on the contrary, thing u course.
AS chain Of many links its Length wcuIC
not strike the mind SO strangely; Du1 whea
DroDosed now and at once, as q single an
IderakiDg, ii seems to be cham W''nOu
links or with but one. :,
Nevertheless a single consideration n
.,GSc;ent to reconcile ell apparent lncon
orui,ies Of this sort. The road !: nCt 70 q
6n;I, n accommodate trade SPFinglng VI
oIoDo its route, but to connect two immense
volumes Of trade already existing yet Tor
ced into circuitOus currents for the want 0
The nroDosed connection. The elements o
Ithe vast commerce which is to roll along
: This iron avenue are the surplus products o
two hemispheres-the Atlantic on 'he oil'
side. and the Pacific on the ether are to b
The importance, then, Of such a high
J NAV az traffic is not thing dependent d
future conlingencies-nol thing ~nic1 IN %
:. iocaI wants Of the Mississippi and the Orc
u 0on vallies may hereafter require Tor the'
own particular and special convenience
: S,,ch = work would not have been PreH'9
,nTs n point of time IL it had been mao
nrou the first discovery Ofthe Norm A isl
ican cOutineut-prOvided the use o. S'eal
~ o,bsr facilities Of communication no'
e oT;.,ino had been then in familiar use'
IS Tc he road IS constructed IS proposed
NJ WHITNEY il will be, when complete,
IS the property Of the Government :, 20 SOT
4 The required portion Of the public l1 mos
\ ldisposed Of to better advantage N-y,
q nv whole public domain were e1ehans
I. c.. nsvnI6cent work like this Touio
! Ss,,.r c,S the county than to have The an
= Ssss. \, .~"v wear ser year, with Pqpao
or rive results 70 squatieES m4inlI'
N As Consequence q he sntiFe -, -
atlsoa q tho work By tho Government ~