Washington telegraph., 1849-08-22
THE PACIFIC RAIL ROAD.


some new suggestions to offer, and many,
desirous of having the road located thro
or adjacent to their respective localities,
are endeavoring to set forth the advan-
tages which the routes they propose pos
sess over any others.
A writer in the last Democrat, who
resides in Polk county, has discovered
that the route from Little Rock to Mt.
Ida and Dallas, thence to the cross Inn
bers in Texas is admirably calculated oy
nature for railroad, as there is not
sinple mountain to cross on the whole
route. This is truly an age OF discovery
and remarkable events. Either the re-
cent heavy and prolonged rains nave had
a wonderful effect in leveling down the
knobs on the route proposed by the Dem
| ocrat's correspondent, or that portion OF
the State has been greatly slandered, as
it has been the generally conceded opln'
ion that it was rather undulatl'ag for the
favorable construction of a railroad.
While some are busily engaged in por-
traying the natural advantages Of this or
that route, others are endeavoring to
throw cold water upon the whole project,
declaring it impracticable and chimerical.
To this end, the editor Of The New Or
leans Bulletin has spent some time and
labor That gentleman is of the opinion
| that not more than fifty miles of the road
could be completed in any one year, and
as he estimates the distance to be $500
miles, and the duration of the timbers laid
down to ten years, it follows OF course
| that the first sections laid down would
have to be rebuilt four or five times, before
the last sections could be completed, and
consequently it would be necessary to
two or three times before one would be
ready to travel upon. These objections
might be considered almost insuperable,
if they really existed any where save in
the imagination of the editor, but as that
is the only place they are to be found, we
trust they will not be considered suffi-
ciently strong to induce the friends of the
project, those who have hitherto deemed
it practicable, to abandon it altogether.
A correspondent Of the Copcordia Intel
ligencer so efectually knocks. the props
from under the Bulletins objections, and
explains so clearly the feasibility Of the
project, that we give it place in our
columns. The writer appears to be well
acquainted with his subject, and handles
it in such a manner as to convince the
most skeptical of the practicability of the
undertaking.
The idea of railroad to the Pacific
originated we believe, with MIR. Whitney,
and the object was to connect the Allan
tic with the Pacific ocean. At the time
the subject was first broached California
belonged not to us, but to Mexico, and the
mouth of the Columbia river was then
considered our best harbor on the Pacific.
The route proposed by Mr.. Whitney was
to commence at Lake Superior, and pas
sing through the almost interminable
SHOWS of the Rocky Mountains, termin-
ate at the mouth of the Columbia, on the
Pacific, and even this project was looked
upon as practicable by many of the most
eminent scientific men of the country.
How much easier, and more feasible
would it be TO construct road over a
country, where there are no SHOWS or frosts
to obstruct, or no rocky barriers to over
come. Now that we have acquired a
more Southern, and far better harbor on
| the Pacific, than the mouth of the Colum-
bia, and route can be found through a
territory of our own where these obstruc-
| tions do not exist, would it not be wise
policy to adopt it instead of one upon
which there are many almost insurmount-
able distractions and to which there are
| thousand insuperable objections. The
nearest most practicable and least expen-
sive route should be selected regardless of
what particular section of country would
be most Immediately benefited The
whole country is interested in its speedy
completion and in the shortest and cheap
est route being selected with due regard
to the public interest, and if due conside-
ration is given to those objects, we have
no doubt it will pass through some por-
ton of Arkansas, and we think, with due