Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1848-12-30
RIVAL TO MR.. WHITNEY.


fore Mr. Whitney entered the field as its
"original protector" Itseems to us that the
merit OF Mr.. Whitney does not consist in the
suggestion of ralroad-that hundreds talk
ed Of years and years ago-but in offering TO
the public and to Congress feasible plan
by which such a road might be constructed.
However. we give that portion Of MIR. Dows
communication, in which he sets forth his
claim to having anticipated Mr. Whitney.
'Seeing notice in the "Union," that my
native State, Connecticut, had presented
resolutions TO Congress in favor of Mr.. Whit
ney's plan for railroad TO the Pacific, l can.
not refrain from calling the attention of my
countrymen to the fact. that long before MIR.
Whitney had presented his plain TO the eye
of the public, had made an estimate for a
railroad from Independence, Missouri, to the
Pacific Ocean, and had submitted the same
to several members Of Congress. had esti.
mated, also for steamships on the Pacific,
notwithstanding Philosophy and Dr.. Lardner
had asserted that steamships could never ma
vigate even the North Atlantic in safety or
with profit. In the year 1887, proposed 10
John Jacob Astor, TO command an expedition
OF exploration, reconnaissance, and trade, to
start from Independence, and proceed TO the
great Western Ocean, and urged upon him
the great importance of such jount, both in
national and pecuniary point of view. Mr..
Astor declined my proposals, urging as rea-
son his having Withdrawn in great mea-
sure from the fur trade of the northwest. My
object in that expedition was TO explore
pathway for the iron horse through the wes-
tern wilderness, and select site upon The sea-
board for connecting link with the commerce
of the vast Pacific. ltwas bright dream of
my young fancy and had our western Ro,hs-
| child been more enterprising in his yellow
leaf, believe that years since, my football
would have startled the eagle in his solitude,
and my hand have gathered the golden sands
from the rivers Of Ophir and Parvaim."
Mr.. Dow differs from Mr.. Whitney as TO
the places from which the railroad should
start, and TO which it should run. There is
some force in his suggestions on this point,
though we cannot positively commit oursel-
YES TO their correctness: the subject being one
with which many explorers of the prairies
are familiar. Neither is Mr.. Dow favorable
10 railroad over the isihmus Of Panama,
But TO the card, in other words TO those por-
tions Of his letter, discussing these subjects.
I'll should rot begin too far north; for then
it wonld be closed by the great SHOWS, and
be sectional in its fruits. It should not begin
too far South for then it would be incom-
moded by parched desert, and be liable 10
depopula,ion from the strangers fever be-
sides assuming a sectional aspect that would
be prejudicial 10 lis usefulness. 1t should
not begin al the Rio Passo, in Vera Cruz bay,
because then it would run through foreign
rickety republic 10 Tehuantepec and when
it reached that bay, the vessels connecting
with it would find themselves embayed out
of the reach of trade winds, and liable to en-
counter all the bad weather of the Gulf of
Mexico. 1t should not pass the ishmus of
Panama, because it would require the Allan
tic steamers bound to England to run over
1000 miles along lee shore--the coast of
the United States-wlh scarce harbor for
one-third of the distance of sufficient depth
of water 10 admit them-would expose the
passengers TO the vicissitudes of all tempera-
lures, from the frigd to the torrid zone
which would give them long voyage on the
western shore to reach our own seaports on
the Pacific, amid tempests, earthquakes, and
'',he pesiilence that walketh in darkness and
wasteth at noon-day, commerce
from or country, and concentrate it in a wild
and defenceless pass between two bays that
could be sealed up by the English navy in
week against the world, and this, too, when
France and England are endeavoring 10 grasp
the same-the former by right of survey on
the part of pilgrim engineer with 80 years
charter from government that Mr. Stephens
our charge d'afaires, hunted after for eight
months, and could not find and the latter by
title derived from nuneupative will, made
by a bare-backed Indian king-the king of
mosquitoes and mahogany-whereby Queen
Victoria became heir apparent to the wild
lands of His Royal NAKEDNEss.
The great Hesperian railroad should con-
meet with the Atlantic near the capital of
Maryland; it should Iun through the city of
Washington, cross the Ohio river at Wheel
ing, pass through Columbus, the capital of
Ohio, thence through indianapolis, the capital
of Indiana thence through Springfield, the
capital Of Illinois thence across the Missis-
sppi, near St. Louis, Missouri thence over
the western border of Missouri to Westpon,
near the mouth of the Kanzas river, and
thence as. far as practicable along the banks
of rivers, until it reached St. yrain's fort on
the south fork of the Platte, or fort Laramie,
on the north fork, and thence to the ocean by
the route less exposed to storms OF snow and
most convenient to the water courses. Artesian
wells should be constructed at convenient dis
tances on the route where the rivers failed to
afford an ample supply, and permanent en-
campments of dragons and artifcers, protec-
ted by tents of Indian rubber cloth, with iron