Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-04-13


accordingly found difficulty in believing that the road
would readily avoid any obstacles which might be presented
the shape OF mountain ranges and easily reach the oasn
In pronouncng upon the praccabty OF road through
this section proceed therefore, upon my general knowledge
Of the face of the country, upon information received from
hunters and residents in New Mexico, and upon the esab-
hel fact that has only been travelled bur At all sea-
Of the year, and is OF the travelling routes from
New Mexico to California.
The third section Of the map is from the Wsh-satch noun
tain the Sierra Nevada and thence the Bay OF San Fran
CISCO This route rayeses the Great Basin three
different lines which you will lind Indicated on the map
Repeated journeys have given less knowledge of
the country along these lines and consider all Of them prac
cab although the question OF preference remains to be set
tied The northern ne is that the Humboldt ve which,
although DETECTING from the direct course to the Bay COM
nands in its approach the mountains several practicable
passes the lowest of which only 1850 feet above the
The Southern ne which in crossing the Basin has not the
same freedom obstruction enjoyed by the open river line
of the North still entirely practicable and the
advantage of crossing the Sierra Nevada Remarkably low
depression called Walkers Pass commonly known as
the Point the Mountains, and being in fact termination
of one of the mountains which 60 to form that chain
This pass is near the 35h degree Of aude and the
head Of the beautiful and fertile valley Of The San Joaquin,
which the road thence would follow down to It's junction with
the Sacramento, point on the Bay MS route
defects to the south about much the other does to the
NORTH but secures good way, and finds no obstacle from
the Sierra turning that mountain where II has sunk down
nearly the level Of the country Among the recent pro-
ceedngs the California Legislature resolutions were INTRO
duced in favor of bringing in the railway at this pass
The third line which is the middle and direct line, and
that which give decided preference is less known to
me than either of the others but believe fully in It's pra:
tcabty and only the principal obstacle TO be overcome,
the Great Sierra ITSELF which it would strike near its centre
That obstacle is considered insurmorntabe, the
present Of railway science, sufficient 10 turn US from the
direct route pass known, indicated by the line upon
the map which labor would render practicable Other passes
are also known TO the north and south and if tunneng
become necessary the structure the mountains is such to
allow tunnels be used with the greatest advantage Mar
places presented where opposite approach each
other and wall of two three thousand feet often
separates points which may be than quarter half
mile apart its base. II will also be remembered that the
Great Basin of the Sierra Nevada has general eleva
ton of four thousand feet, that the mountains would
be approached the east at that elevation and on the west
the slope wde though descending the level of tide
water.
The foregoing remarks emhody all the general information
able give upon this ne The first section OF il,
fom the Missouri frontier to the head OF the Del Noe
explored and needs further It is ready
for the location of the road by practical engineer The
second and third sections require further explorations to de-
ermne not upon paccab, but upon the preference due
TO one over the others.
party of 800 men, skfy directed, with the assistance
Of three four practical road engineers would be sufficient
lay the whole routes, and clear and open common
road in the of the spring and summer SO as to be
passab for wagons and carriages and rapidly trayersed as
any Of the common roads in the United States.
The obstacles which have not mentioned are the winter
impeachment of SHOWS and the temporary from the hosi
~
ons sending military patrols clear and the line
The sns less formidable than would be supposed from
The great elevation of the central part of the route They are
dry, and erefoe readily passed hrough are thin in
the Valleys and remain only during very brief winter The
winter Of my last expedition of unpeceden,edy deep
and early SHOWS yet in the valley of the Kansas and Akan
thin the valley Of Huerfano, none and in the
valley of the Del Nore at the end OF November but few
inches deep. Even in this winter the of De-
cembe the greatest elevation crossed by the eastern
ton Of the line, being in the pass between the Ar
kansas and Del Norte, the only three feet deep
the thermometer at zero midday.
The weather in these high mountains and deep valleys OF
character adapted such ocaes-extremey cold the
mountains while temperate in the valleys have seen il
stormng for days together the mountains in to be
destructive all animal life exposed to it. while in the valley
there would be pleasant, sunshine and the animals feeding
nutritious grass Beyond the Rocky Mountains, the cold is
less and the become less and transient obstacle
These my Of route for the road roads
mon one is first wanted from the Mississippi TO the Pacific.
II fulhls, my opinion, all the conditions OF route for
national thoroughfare. b. *"' .,@ ~
LIST. is direct The course is almost straigh, line from
end to end ST. Louis is between SO, 80 San Francisco is
about the the route between these parallels
ly between them, the whole way.
3D. Ii central 10 territory 1t is through the territorial
centre west of the Mississippi and its proongaon to the At
anc would be central to the States Of that river
also central 10 business and population and unites the
greatest commercial point in the valley Of the Mississippi
with the greatest commercial point the coast of the Pacific
3d. combines the advantages for making and preserving
tue inhaDItalon
va,ion.
4th. It is healthy route No diseases of any kind upon
and the valetudinarian might travel in his vehicle,
horse, foot for the restoration of health
and recovery of spirits.
II not only fufls all the conditions Of national route, hut
preferable to any other preferable to the South Pass
from being four degrees further south, free from
open plains and from the crossing Of great rivers Its
parallel with the rivers, there being but Che Upper
Coorado directly crossing its line. There passes at the
head Of Arkansas in the THEE Parks and north of them but
equal to this by the Rio del Nore There route
north Of that comparable 10 it believe there pac-
ticabe route south of it within the United States The dis
aser which turned me south from the head Of the Del Nore
and sent down the valley Of that river and to the
tans around to the Upper ella, enabled satisfy myself
that point.
went middle route-a way-between the ella river
ard the road through the Mexican province Sonora
and satisfied that route for road be had that
ne except going through Mexico, then crossing Great
Colorado Of the west the mouth of the Ga cross
the desert arrive San Diego and still be six hundred
miles by land and three four hundred by water from the
bsy of San Francisco which h and forever be,
the great centre of commerce. wealth. and power the Anne
rican coast Of the Pacific ocean.
In conclusion have say that believe in the practical
lily Of this work, and that every national consideration
qures to be done and TO be done once and national
work, by the United States.
Your obliged fellow citizen,
J. G. FREMONT.
SOIJATTERS IN CALIFORNIA