The weekly Placer herald., 1852-09-11

Is SS14 447 ,19U, making the entire Cost vi
the road, turnouts, depots, cars and flx-
lures from the navigabie waters OF the
Bay of San Francisco to Independence on
the Missouri, S5l ,0SO,29O.
The southern rouIe will cost from the
Bay of San Francisco to the M Mohave, 474
miles, $50, 900 per mile, is $l4, 900;
from the Mohave to San Diego, 675
miles, 100 per cent added, say 5000
per mile, is S23, $685. 900; from San Diego
to Nachitoches, $50 miles, SO l-S per cent
added, $22,9S3 per mile, is $lS,O57, ,17O,
making the aggregate of Il complete rum
ming road from the Bay of San Francisco
to .\at:l :litoches on Red River, $55,-
9O2,l7O.
1t appears, and 20 me clearly, fellow
citizens, that this road, upon either route,
can be constructed at about one four h the
amount estimated by some of the igno-
rant and dreaming Spectators OIL the At
lantic.
This great road, so essential to the con-
federacy as binding it together, so es>en-
tial to its defence, lis enabling it to throw
current Of armed life fro y the great
heart of the nation, the Valley of the lis
ssSippi, upon the shores OF the Pacific, If
danger threatens. Better detences for the
republic than sides of oak or walls OF
granite. SO essential to the nation us Sc
curing the commerce OF the Pacific, and 4
Iconlrollln. influence over the commerce
or the world, can be constructed and set
in motion at an expense not exceeding
one half of the annual exports of Cali
fOrnia.
In late paper find table showing
the extent of railroad enterprises under
taken by single States. find poor ag-
ricultural State, that contains no large
city, that exports nothing but wheat aud
corn, and pork, that digs no treasure from
the earth except such as Adam dug, that
has no commerce except her own local
trade, has constructed and in process of
construction, | $50 miles Of railroad, be-
sides having completed canal uniting
the waters of Lake Michigan with the
waters Of the Mississippi, at ii cost Of
l2 100000 dollars. Another w eStern
State, without amy commerce from abroad
without a single city, and with nothing
but agricultural wealth, has over 500 of
railr q Is, be ldes canals, and yet there is
hardly money enough IN either OF these
States to pay our annual taxes.
In the United States 500, 100000 dol
lars of capital is now employed in rail-
roads, and all Of their roads together are
not of SO much Importance as this. Those
roads are built to connect small cities, to
carry off the crops of stnall valleys, to
furnish communication between small
manufacturing towns. We propose a
road that shall bind the world together,
and that shall command business cor
responding with its Importance.
This is in reality not SO vast an enter
prise as it has seemed to be. If those
poor new States ] have referred to have
carried and can carry out their enter
prises, affirm that California, exercising
her young yet giant strength, could, if she
willed, carry out and complete the great
work alone. II it was necessary, and the
strong will Of California was concelltra-
ted, we could do it and we would do it.
But we are IA busy people here. In the
hurry Of the present business, we have
but little time to work for the future, and
none to work for posterity. We scarcely
have time to attend to our necessary bus
mess of government, therefor" it is not
probable that we hall immed ate ly inder-
take the whole job on our own account.
Ht VuCSti''u tiiCI IS3 hO" 10 ~ " uOllc.
If it is TO lie done somebody must do it.
W hat is everybody's business is nobody's
business. Our friends beyond the mum
tains, particularly the Senators anu Rep
resentatives OF the western States, take IL
warm interest in the road; they would
AS sst us by every means IN ther power,
but they have their own local interests to
represent, and are too much engrosSed
with other matters to think or act except
lis assistants to the work. We need sup
ply but small part of the capital, but we
must supply the will and the labor, the
plans and the combinations, we must put
our servants to the work, back them up,
and keep them at work by the force Of u
united and earnest public sentiment.
We must take the initiative, and in ear
nest. How then shall this he done talk
ing wont do it; newspaper paragraphs
won't do it. propose that we begin the
work next winter, at the next session of
the Legislature; and call your attention
particularly ~ il plan that | shall now
present for concentrating our forces to
ensure success. Let the Legislature grant
the right Of way for the railroad from the
waters of the Bay of San Francisco to the
line of the State boundary, (ixin! no ter
minii,) to twelve persons. The Leglsla-
ture cannot incorporate a company, but
they can grant franchise. Let seven he
selected from Calfnrnia and FIVE from the
Atlantic States; and as it is an imp 'ria If,