Washington telegraph., 1852-06-23
From the Westorm Journal and CiUilian.
:uroad from st. Louis to New
Orleans.

OrIeanSs
I.te number of the Western Journal and
c.l;I;an IL we noticed the peculiar relations which
u, Gulf of Mexico presents in respect to the prin-
m mn.I geographical divisions of the earth, and en-
cPN. TO show how much the future prosperity
e.hs region watered by the Mississippi and it's
o. atutaries depends upon the channels through
Lbcb its inhabitants may carry on their foreign
trade.
i afned TO river navigation and labor saving ma
'I, T;narv the Gulf of Mexico would have been al
.rS regardcd as the natural and most convenient
S~~,,nprciaI thoroughfare between the valley of
Ia Mississippi and foreign countries. But the
1a.omotve and the Ocean Steamer are producing
,ovoIuton in commerce which must, in great
i,rrpe. affect the private and public economy as
we'll as the commercial and social relations OF
rarv civilized people, And although these NIGH
- engines are rapidly overcoming the principal
itacles TO commercial and social intercourse, vet
Wing to their tendency to centralIze commerce
and capitaL it has become necessary, in an econ
amical point of view, that the people of every
yyS4,te and indeed of every county, should adopt
1 .oroe measure to protect their own interests
| spainst the monopolizing power of steam.
4 We have so often remarked upon the ruinous
,olicv ofcarrying on our foreign commerce through
.5s Eastern cities, that refrain from discussing
II Ibat tonic III TIE pltScII n SldICc dt d
nan exhibiting the lines of railroads projected,
and now in progress of construction, from the At
i,ntic to the Mississippi, will show that, when
i those projects shall have been completed, the en-
j 4rp commerce of the West will be placed under
Go control of New York, and other Eastern cities.
i And, instead of becoming commercial emporiums,
1 "r towns will be reduced to the condition of mere
/ iepots for receiving and forwarding commodities
/ in traasitu: unless we can devise some plan that
will counteract The influence of the railroad sys-
| TEN which Is designed to connect the MISSISSIPPI
with the Atlantic coast.
! The Central railroad of Illinois, in connection
with the Mobile and Ohio railroad, though con-
hmng in its direction to the natural laws of trade
< foo remote from the Mississippi to increase its
commerce or to enlarge materially the growth of
be river towns Its location is well calculated to
i momote the interests of the region through which
tpasses; but it will add little, if anything, to the
commerce of the Gulf of Mexico. Nor will its
i connection with railroad to New Orleans be of
much benefit to the people in the immediate val
ley Of the Mississippi river. And hence we must
look to more direct route to New Orleans than
| can be obtained through the States of Illinois,
Kentucky and Tennessee. We must have a route
connected with the commerce of the river located
| with view to the development of the resources
Ofthe States west of the Mississippi.
A line drawn from st. Louis to Helena, Arkan-
ss and thence South until it intersects the rail-
uad proposed to be constructed from New Or
cans to Holly Springs, Mississippi, may be regard
ed as the shortest practicable route between the
! valley of the Upper Mississippi and New Orleans.
On an air line the distance from St Louis to New
IOrIeans is about six hundred miles. and the rail-
road proposed by the way of Helena, would pro-
5ablv not exceed $50 miles, and might be travel
ed from New Orleans to st. Louis in twenty four
hours.
The distance from St Louis to New Orleans, by
he route here proposed is less by about four hun
ired and fifty miles than from st. Louis to New
York. And estimating the cost of railroad trans
prtation at three cents per ton per mile, which
nav be regarded as the average rate on dry goods,
ie charges on this class of merchandise from
New Orleans to st. Louis will be less by sixty
seven cents on the hundred pounds than from New
York This would doubtless make the Gulf route
the cheapest from st. Louis to any part of Europe,
and enable the merchants of this place to import
their goods on better terms for the country than
| purchase in the Atlantic cities
With this road completed we should have moth
Ing to apprehend from Eastern competitions; but
without it the time consumed. and delays incident
% river navigation will cause the principal part of
tAe foreign dry goods consumed in the West to
tome through the Atlantic cities.
But doubts may arise as to the practicability of
II A4ihllS lIOli LOUIS W INcW OIltdllS
on the line proposed, and also as to the probabil-
y OF raising the means of accomplishing a work
Of such apparent magnitude. It's true that part
oi the route has never been explored with view
10 the location of such work, but we have been
seeking information in regard to the country
\ through which the route is proposed for several
years, and tse are persuaded that from St: Louis
% the Iron mountain is the most difficult part OF
the route, west cf the Mississippi. We are in
brmed that narrow ridge of high land, west of
/ The st. Francis river, extends from the Southern
line of Missouri to Helena, and that at the base OF
this ridge on its Western side the country is almost
adead level, presenting a route as favorable for
the construction of railroad as can be found. per-
! laps, In the United States! We can say nothing
u respect to the character of the swamp opposite
Helena bat We imagine that it presents no greater
\ cfhcutes than the low ground on both sides OF
he Ohio, at Cairo.
The principal difficulty to be overcome in this
aSm the accomplishment of all great works in ou1
country, is that of raising the money required to
carry on Its construction. Were such work as
railroad from st: Louis to New Orleans proposed
Uy single city or State, its accomplishment might
well be regarded with distfust; bat when we di-
vide the building of six hundred and fifty miles Of
nlroad between four States, the magnitude of the
enterprise diuinishes TO proportions that might
encourage the most timid to embark in it:
The railroad now in contemplation from New
OClTea,ls to Jackson and thence to Holly Springs
mississippi, which in time will doubtless be built
VIII probably pass within forty miles of Helena
and 1t cannot be doubted that the owners of that
Nad would make branch to the Mississippi, op-
PoSte Helena, in case railroad should be made
nom st. Louis to that point. That would leave
'OUut 275 miles to be constructed by Arkansas
ana Missouri. A work about equal in magnitude
F" The Pacific railroad from st. Louis to the West
en- boundary of the State. By the people of His.
scul this enterprise is to be regarded in twofod
view; first, as local work calculated tc develop
iesources of the State by giving encouragement
@ssrculture, mining, and manufactures; and, Sc.
.UAa; as great project calculated to produce a
aSSOlutlon ~ IN the present commercial system Of
ae @ valley of the Mississippi, which will secure to
SlS region the benefits of the boundless wealth
provided by the Creator for the enjoyment of its
rilaOltants. As local work, penetrating the
neral district of Southeastern Missouri, it would
tne means of bringing into active and extensive
Frel1ness the ores of the Iron Mountain and Pilot
Auoo.o;-among the richest and most abundant de-