The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-05-25

Routes 70 California.
mere rs no Tact more strongly impressed upon the
genera American mind than that the interest, of the
republic require the speedy establishment OF route or
routes OF inercommuncation between the two oceans
between inc States Of the east and the California and
Oregon territories OF the wessuch ss will meet the
wants and identify the interests of two such remotely
separated portions OF the Union In Ill the psnoDly Of
unexpected gold California PUSHES into sudden isence
full grown and full armed like Minerva-or. rather
to take german illustration from the pagan nv
thology Of own hemisphere. like Nexit the Mexi-
can war god who came into the world warrior with
sword and spear with which he Immediately fell into
bloody strife with his brothers and sisters the less
sanguinary children OF common parent A foreign
province ready to be made Stateor rebel republic
territory lately in wilderness, and now filed with an
immense host OF adventures, drawn from all the outside
hooks and corners OF the world; land Of gold rich
at least in imagination-hat men madder there
about its Arabian Nighs-like treasures of the earth
than here; region already without laws, in state OF
anarchy, where sailors mutny and troops desert. and
the gentlemen independents OF the pickaxe and revolver
talk OF resisting American authorities, and setting up,
just they choose for themselves such country and
such people ought not to Dc left At the distance Of SIX
journey by land from the capitol eighteen thousand
miles distant by the and three thousand miles by the
stretched desoation OF the pares and Rocky mountains
intervening Everybody feels that there ought to be at
least good and available route practicable for all the
countrya route to be had and enjoyed posi-
bic, without any unnecessary delay. And it is because
everybody feels So that we have many projects for
and California, well many schemes for sea steamer
and railroad routes across the various ishmuses OF
Mexico, Central America and New Grenada, and that
all OF them are more or less popular having greater
less hold upon the public mind Shall have rail-
road from the Mississippi to the Sacramento shall il
question that vexes the public mind or has vexed L for
long times but which,, OF late, has been, apparently,
growing day by day less difficult Of solution An over
land railroad OF 1900 mileswhich ultimately, nowith-
standing it's immense magnitude, will undoubtedly be
human being, believe has sup
posed can be constructed within less than ten years.
But within ten years what becomes OF California; We
cannot wait so long Most assuredly not, while have
it in our power, within year or two-wihn few
months perhaps-to open routes through the gulf and
Caribbean sea, by which we may send men, mails. and
stores, travellers troops and commodities TO San Fran
cisco in twenty or twenty-five days; nay. while have
such route al. already established By which mails and
We have often written the subject OF Pacific rail-
road from the Mississippi but have always expressed the
rather the fact, for it is obvious onehat
it will be work OF time and expensemuch time and
expense-a work which ought properly to be pre-
coded by the most careful and thorough exploration OF the
whole country west of the States from the ella up
the 49th parallel ian exploration which would be itself
labor Of years and by such modification extension of
territorial system would give population and value
the public lands along the chosen route But in the
far overland routes within our own
territory concerned what really wanted at present
is Improvements OF the existing emigrant roads-such
Improvements as are natural and practicable and will
give at least safety and praccability to them. We
military stations and Conveys protect the
vans from the hostility OF the 6avaKes ana we want
grass and stations provided in those terrible desert
ornadas of forty, fifty, and sixty miles, which found
On all the routes west of the mountains. and which
have to apprehend that many emgrants will
this year lose their cattle, and Of them their
lives. These difficulties might all be met by sinking
lew wells these desoate places, and forming few set
LeInents or agricultural stations on their borders.
The idea that railroad could, under the present
ltion of things be safely commenced and successfully
constructed between the Mississippi valley and the Pacific
ocean appears to particularly wild one. We have
amarzed ourselves with the project but is in reality
OF the most that the human mind ever con-
,eived What were the pyramids, or even the Chinese
WALL railroad OF l,600 1,S0O or 1900 miles long,
Every mile of it, too, through uninhabed land, viii
lerness. and than half of ii bowling desert! The
financial ones are still more formidable Where is the
money TO come from The constitutional scruples OF
whole political party, comprising half the people, prevent
he possibility of its coming directly from the Golfers of
he government. From the public lands They must be
made valuable first by population there is no intrinsic
value in prares, plains, and volcanic
,ven in the rich soils of Bear River valley, and other
,u of the way hooks of the Rocky mountains. Time
here the true and Indispensable element of vaue and
The value will come only with time We want some
more trustworthy estimates of expense and calculations
Of resources than have yet been favored with, before
we can feel certain of ability during the present gem
Grafton, to establish railroad communication between
The Mississippi and the Columbia or Sacramento.
We commenced this article with the intention to scru
nize some Of the estimates which have been made of
he probable of Pacific railroad but has already
extended such length that must reserve our remarks
for subsequent OCCASION
ALLIGATOR FIcHT.-An incident Of the Crevasss.-The