Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-08-23
THE PACIFIC RAnRoAD-A LETTER FROM
SOL. BENTON.

OCL. BEN IOE.
FROM THE ST. LOUIS REPUBLICAN.
The President of the Pacific Railroad Company has
placed the following letter from Col. Benton in our
hands Tor publication:
WASHINGTON, July 80, 1851.
To Messrs Thomas Allen, James II Lucas, James
E Yeatmsn, Hudson Bridge, and Edward Haren,
Committee ofthe Board OF Directors of the Pacific
Railroad Company
GENTLEMEN: / did not receive tour invitation to
be present at the commencement of your great work in
time to answer it for The day To attend could NOT
if the time had been longer reasons connected
with the OF Nj Bentons health and an occuDaio
OF my own, put 1t out OF my power to return 10 ST.
| Louis before September.
take great interest in the success of the road of
which you make beginning. Ii is the c ntra route
and every national consideration requies it to be made
and with the aid OF the National Government ST
Louis, San Francisco, and Washington CITY are on n
line, and that line is through the heart and cenre of
the Unon, and the eyes OF the Federal Government
should be liked upon it. Ulhappily thew spe,n tn he
fixed upon Southern sectional roule hardly yi,hir
the limits othe United States | send 10 The addra"s
OF the President and Directors OF your Company do.
zen copies OF document Just printed being repoyt of
different reconnaissance for Southern n p,so
route to San Francisco-heng the seven exnoreJ
within the last year by as many different officers and
exclusive OF those previous made, and also exonsva
of the survey which the Mexican boundary commission
is to make the ella river a continuation OF tho E
Paso route; aud OF which the ainputaton of I'll Paso
from New Mexico and giving it TO Texas was also an
| auxiliary measure. This document should omen the
eyes OF the people OF Missouri to danger which The
central route has TO encounter and the forced adoption
of another condemned by every national consideration
1t is true that "Gfurcation (Which [ believe sioni.
flies fork this E Paso route is intended to be con.
Quoted TO ST. Louis, which, il done, will be favor lost
as no man in Missouri would any more think of going
to San Francisco by that rouIe than OF coming 10
Washington city by way OF East Florida the CEN
trail the only national one and the only obstacle
is the Rocky Mountains and that no obstacle at all
the county rises gradually and imperCepblv 1000 TO
5000 ee before their base is reached, and there are
then many passes between the head of the del Norte
and South Pass-be ween 80 and u degrees-verv
practicable, and already marked out by the Buffalo
trails. In a speech which made this route at the
last session OF Congress pointed these animals as
the original and most unerring of Typographical enni.
neers, the first finders of all good routes and the safest
guide to all road makers: and gave instances did
not know then that the gre Humboldt had previous
y written the same thing, aud in tact given the same
instances, but have that he did, and now add
what he WROTE for the sake of convincing those who
yield to authority the conviction which they refuse to
reason. lie says
at is worthy OF remark that the American buffa-
10 has exered an influence in the PROCESS of peoora-
ply in trackless mountainous regions.
"Inese animals wander in the winter in search of
milder climate, in herds of several thousands to the
south OF the Arkansas river In these migraons their
size and Unweldness make it difficult for them to pass
over high mountains. When, therefore, well-trod-
den buffalo path met with, it is advisable follow it.
being sure to conduct to the most convenient pass
across the mountains. The best routes through the
Cumberland Mountains, III the southwest part OF Vr-
gina and Kentucky, in the Rocky Mountains, between
|
between The southern branch Of the Columbia and the
Rio Colorado OF California thus marked out be.
orehand by buffalo paths "-AspectS Of Nature, D. g.
This is all true, and the mountain men can show
these roads and passes in little time as horse can
travel to Them There therefore, plenty good pass
es for the central ronte and as for the snow it is drv
and but little impeachment to locomotive; and besides
where deepest IN 1aylnes and gorges where the road
is raised and the wind blows off the dry snow IT is
thus that the railroad from Moscow to St Peiersburo
is made-a raised road and dry snow which presents
In ,,,,l
There is no difficulty IN finding practicable pass in the
Rocky Mountains about the latitude 80 and 49, that is
to say, on the straight line between ST. Louis and San
Francisco. have no doubt the whole road will be
eventually made, because believe great object which
the welfare of millions will in the end succeed
over all opposition II not made by the Federal Gov
eminent, as 1t should be, it will be made piecemea by
companies and communities. Thus, you have begun
three hundred miles OF it at end the people of Cal
itornia propose beginning at the other end and the
MoGmons propose make from the great Salt Lake
to the Sierra Nevada But TIE Government should
take the whole upon ITSELF compromising companies for
what they have done and make it free road save the
repairs. The public lands have long been considered a
proper fund for making national roads; and now that
they squandered by the hundred millions of acres
In bounes, which 90 to spectators the only way to
hem from spolialiop and 10 m Ike them available
Tor present and future public good is apply them in
mass to this (and other great national objects. wish
you success within State: further than that you do
not go. Inc Government should be pressed without
cessation, and frst to make common road from the
frontiers Of Missouri to California; which would be
summers work for a hundred men, under practical
country road maker, with some moanlan men to show
The buffalo trails and passes.
The various projects Tor getting the public lands,
pressed upon Congress by ind viduals and companies
to make railway to the Pacific, only schemes OF
specuaton to make land stock be sold in market
The honestes OF them "a Boston company openly pro-
pose to found banking establishment upon theirs if
they get it. an Whitney's projects to him and his
"aSsigns." Strike out the assigns, or put an amend
men into his bill that member OF Congress- nor any
one related to member within the Levitcal degrees of
prohibited ma images shall be assignee and his pro
ect would never be heard ofagan. A circulating land
stock, or circulating jobbing stock is what they are
after; and the prospect Of sharing in hundred millions of
projects absurd npudent and watch it would be
as criminal for Congress to grant the Yazoo
fraud But, courage The right prevails in the end,
but not without perseverng exeron.
Very respectfully, gentlemen your obliged fellow
citizen, THOMAS II. BENTON.