The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-02-11

Gov east through Tsxas into The gulf. or through
Arkansas into The Missiasippi, range Of noun
tains high lands must be passed. which arc Gle
waited two thousand feet and upwards above the
level OF the stream. 90 that this river cannot be
reached short Of going over elevation Of from
six to eight thousand feet, and almost immedi.
ately descending two thousand feet. Santa Fe is
ON an elevation Of over seven thousand feet above
the gulf After crossing the Rio del Norte west,
the other high range Of two thousand feet and up
wards above the level of the river must be ascended
and descended before reaching the branches Of the
Colorado or the 0ia and our side Of the GiIa rep
resented as being not feasible for even wagon
road to its junction with tho Colorado, where its
elevation 70 6nly one hundred and seventy feet from
the Gulf Of California, thence to the Pacific ocean;
the Sierra Nevada or cordilcras Of California are
to be crosscd through pass, with an abrupt eleva
ton Of three thousand and fifty feet, and then
rapid descent to San Diego, fifteen miles Of the
cent averaging ono hundred and forty -one and
half feet per mile, and ten miles Of the descent
eraging two hundred and thirty three and a half
feet per mile. We will now go to the Arkansas
river, and it followed up by Colonel Fremont,
gentle elevation. 10 Boiling Spring river, where
eighty nine feet, latitude so 2o Longitude 1000 2O
and then up to it, source, latitude 39o 25 longitude
1902 3O, where its elevation Is ten thousand three
hundred and thirty feet We also ud that the south
fork Of the Platte heads at latitude about 1892 and
longitude about 1902, elevation ten thousand two
hundred and ninety two feet Further north we ftid
the Eead waters OF the north fork Of the Platte. la
tude 4Oo 2U, longitude between 1902 and lU7o, and
west Of the highest range Of the Rocky mountains,
which high range extends north of the parallel OF
49, The elevation Of the head waters of this strcam
10 great; it flows north to its junction with the
Sweet Water, latitude 420 30, longitude little
west of l07o, where its elevation is but about five
thousand feet; thence il turns the mountain range
and gradually flows into the Missouri. Now, from
these facts, it 10 plain that between the head WA
ters Of the Rio del Norte and the Platte Ia to be
found the highest range of the Rocky mountains.
We will now take the map and go west, opposite to
all this range of mountains, and examine all south of
lnttude 42o, and we find that, from these opposite
ranges Of mountains. streams descend into the
Colorado; and west of that river is high range of
mountains which forms division between the basin
Of the Colorado and the Great Desert basin between
which and the Pacific, the Sierra Nevada, or Snolo
we find that the Colorado emptics
into The Gulf of Mexico; and between that and the
Pacific il always the Sierra Nevada. Noio, II may
be possible to build and operate railroad these
several ranges Of mcantain Of ten thousand and
ttceiue thousand feet elevation, and Il may be possible
to tunnsI them for too or three hundrsd miles ertent
but It's not possible for me to do it, eue could haze
all the capital in The porId at my command.
Secondly. Therei Is no other route where the lands
warrant the undertaking. A route is proposed to
start from the mississippi, opposite to Illinois; but
the lands already 80 far disposed Of that they
could not be relied on further than the Missouri
be necessary to look to the public treasury for
means and the work must be carried on by
the Government. A route has been proposed
from st. Louis but the lands could not fur.
nish means; through that State the available
amount would DO small, and west of it, far the
lands are good, they belong to the removed In
dians and cannot be made availablej beyond the
removed Indians the lands are poor-so that for
this route the public treasury would be looked to
for means, and the same for any route further
south.
Thirdly. That the road, if built on the route and
from the plan which have proposed, would pro-
duce the results we aim after; and can undertake
the work with an almost sure expectation of sue
cess; and II is the only route continent
that would shorten the distance sufficient with
other advantages, Glow tolls, &c.,) to change the
commerce between Europe and Asia to it. II would
also allow the different sections of the Atlantic slope
to connect with it more equally and centrally than
any other route. It IL proposed to bridge the Mis-
sissppi in the neighborhood Of Prairie du Chen;
and from examination 1t will be found that, taking
the surveys for the road now in progress, all
ming towards Galena, Mobile would be three hun
drcd miles less distant than New York from Prai-
RE du Chen, and five hundred less than Boston;
while Savannah, Charleston, Richmond, Baltimore,
and Philadelphia would be nearer TO il than New
York or Boston; and it would be less distant from
to Puget Sound by this route than from
Charleston, by Memphis and Paso del Norte, to San
Diego; and less distant from Prairie du Chen to
Puget Sound than from Memphis to San Diego by
Psso del Norte. But il is the means for the accom-
plishmcnt of the work which should decide the qucs
ton, and not the route, all sections of the
try build TO and equally share in all its great
benefits. Yours, truly,
ASA WHITNEY