New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-03-16
COL. BENTON AND THE PACIFIC RAIL-
ROAD.

long and able letter 20 the People Of Missouri
on the subject of the proposed Railroad from
the Mississippi Valley to the Pacific Ocean.
strongly advocating the Central route. Ia
consequence Of the sbsence Of Col. Benton aud his
son-n-lsw, Col Fremont from Congress for year or
two past, and Of the numerous surveys which have
been made public attention had been attracted to the
Memphis or Southern route to such extent that il
bad gained immense advantage over the Central
route but the recent appropriation made BY Congress
for the exAnins;ion AID selection Of proper ronts
will in tie opinion Of Col B. give the Central fair
chsnce. After some remarks In regard the eEplora
tons Of Col Fremont, Col Benton introduces the fol
lowing statement Of Antoine Leroux who has been IA
uar with the country OF which he writes for the last
thirty years having carried the business Of bea
wiretapper generally the waters of the Great Col
orsdo Of the West and has trapped the whole country
every river creek and branch from the ella 70 the
head Of the Grand River fork OF the Upper Colorado
On the waters Of the Wah -Ssich Mountain. the Virgin
River &c Mr. Leroxx has been four times Cslitor.
ns and frequently acted a. guide to American officers
during the late with Mexico Hessys:
At the bead Of the valley o. the Del Nore there il
hrosd pas about eight miles wide. called by the Utah
Indians Co0-ckGtops and BY the Mexican SplniAris ~
Puerto ana which signifies in both languages the Gap
or the Gas and has been known the Spsniards
they settled in New Mexico and by the Indians al
vsys Il made by the SeTra Sda Jsaa, which comes
up IRON he south the west side Of the Del Nore and
9ires hCrs and by the SeTd BldEoa which comes
from the esst ike was going to sn the san Juan,
but turns OF north round the head OF the Arkansas Rnt
towards tie Three Parks ami IL eight miles lie Here
between these mountains i the pass which out
level rom the valley Of the Del Norte and looking ike
continuation OF H. which leads % the upper waters Of
the Great colorado Of the West The Del N0rte does
not hos IN lut IN n.
lttls south OF the pass, where there 4 also sumner
Psss but for the winter on account OF the snow IN
II. There IL a sm creek in the pass called by the
same Coo chatope, which comes out from the end
OF the san Juan and ges about eight miles east towards
the Del Nore but stops in small lake. out OF which
hide stream gets 10 the Del Norte-which shows how
level the country w. The Pass is heavily nmOere1 win
large pine trees and with pinon sud there may besone
email osks but am not certain. There Is not much
snow in thu pass and people go through all the winter
aud when there il much snow in The mountains on the
AbigaiH route (Which il the old Spanish trail to Caior-
mia the people Of Taos go round this way and get into
that trail In the forks OF the Grand and Green rivers
There are trails through H. but alter you get through
tbeIe are many trs-, some going to me Abqun rGal
ard some up or down the country. This pass u laid
down on a map in the War Ohice, made by Lieut.
Parke and Mr. r. H. Kern and Is there named aier me,
because gave LIEUT. Pafkc information about " II IL
the only map have seen that shows that pass ana me
best one have seen in that part oitho country and with
a little correction would be perfect
As for the country on each SIDE oil tAe pass, VIII ue
IL,
There il large alley to the cast about 80 20 GO miles
wide and near 100 miles long reaching from the Coo
chatope 20 the Taos settlements AZ the Lc Coiralo
The Del Nofte through this valley which IL me
videsf and beat valley In al New Mexico and can hold
more people thsa all New Mexico besides IL ~ all
prairie except the creeks and on the river and on
the noun ain sides, which are wei WOODED. ~ rsh
coil ana covered with good grass ana ~OOded on an me
sttesIps The Spanards called II I'd Vale de san LUIS,
ana il wss formerly famous for wild horses and ouna'
Iocs and since Taos was settled by the Spanaids
-aha. aFlI lffIa here ~
winter Before the Utah Indians became 40 bal, tie
stock &c many 1000 or 6OOOO head oi sheep sn1
cattle have been driven there b. winter which they I'D
well feeling On tie zrass during the day and shelteIing
In The wee a. about the shepherds camp az mt Most
OF The winters hefe s snow along tue t)ot oi the
uountsn on the north side OF THE valley beng sle'
tered from che north and open 10 the sun to The soah
The United states have established military poet 10
til vfUsv not frrfrom The pass Of r. Sanyrs ae Crtp,
and shout two hundred families have gone there % live,
chiefly near the Ort and raised crops there last year
and nov that they have protection the valley VIII soon
be al settled and will be the biggest and best part OF
New Mexico About three families more were pfeer
ing 20 move there. The pos, = called Fort MatsacAu
sCits. =, a..
Blanca into the prairie country on the Upper Arkansas
and Kansas the best Of which u cued III Ssngre de
Chfiio AZ the head OF the hale streams caed Cucha
dss which lan aio tie HueTano, small RIVER iAtAng
,, he Arksnsss uot Far from Bents Fort lis good
pass ana Bent and r. Nran's wagons have passed
through H. end Il y passabe the worst OF winters Tor
Col Beele dragons passed through TIN same "inct
ant nearly the same time, thst Col FFemout went
through another pass further west TIE dt nee through
these passes IL not than i've mes This i the de-
scpon Of the country On the east side o. Cooehatope
ON the wes, side of the pass the country opens out
broad and good for settlement; aud for roads and the
hes, wRersd country ever saw out 10 the Wshsfcn
Mountains and 10 Las IGgas De santa cara A,er maj
the water snd grsss becomes scarce AMI the land poor
IN i. called a desert though travellers nni camping
grounds every night and the great eavaeades Of many
thousand head OF horses from California 10 NewMexico
annually psss aou H. After you 90 through the pAss az
the head vi Del N0rte there are many trails bearing
so,tbest toward the great Spanish trail ~ A5iluu
which they iOin Ia the forks Of The Grand RIVER ana
Green River (orks Of the Greet Colorado Of the W s
whore d. great beaten road, easy 10 follow day or
rgbt The country u wooded the streams with prai
rss between and streams every three or I'VE miles -
the Great Colorado here gathers rs heaIaters from
the Wsb catch and Rocky Mountain ranges, which are
covered ali wHh snow 10 the winter aud nave $40"
upon their ,ops In the sumner, which sends down %
much water and cool, clezr and good And TINS y the
csc gepersv out 70 the WAh sateh Mountains and Las
VEGAS &c santa ClsD-s distance o. near I'VE hah1fed
mi a from IN heed Of Del Nofte. Wagons can now
travel tl route California, and have done Ia me
wear 1871 two families named Slower and Pope, wiz
her wagons ard AeNsans, went iroln Taos that
way.
Col Fremont VS. boxing for Coo-ehatOpe Pass IA
the winter OF ls4s9 snd enough 70 have - en-
h Il II bad not teen hid by the appng Of the noun ANS
when be guide led him of into the mountains, instead
Of keeping up the dry valley, wncn ne wished ~ 90
and hich would have taken him through easy Twas
The worst winter for snow bat he could travel al the
tine in the valleys and passes. wsz below him on the
waters Of The Arkansas the same time aenz a guide
70 Col Besle who was out after the Apache lnaians
with detachment Of dragons and we heard Of him
al tie Pueblos he went III - Hard scrabble and
got corn before he crossed into the valley OF S1n Ls
and we got corn AZ the GreenhOrn Pueblo on me San
Csrlcs Greek about 80 or 90 miles below binl and
heard thai Re Fad passed along and supposed tha. ne
Rad gene safe through and knew 10 better a. he goo
hack % Tsos when told hin ho~ near &c h4i oet %
H. re be was locking for We passed win the drs-
soons through The Pas T. Sangre de CAr;o Blood o.
Chrst ard 20; through easy and that ~3s TIE dead o.
Tbsyei.awsT $50 % the Arkansas 20 got 20 the We
ters Of the Great Coorsdo Il Is By Bents Fo % ne
Pvelo'. and Hard Scrabble, (at al which places corn
and vegetables are rsised ard By W than nsae,y AZ
81 the head Of the river esyisg the Three PAAs 70 ne
ro,fh. Horsemen and stock can 20 TIA. way AAx
wen oi Taos drove OCT between four An1 ave tn0an1
herd Ct sheep and catTle sst sumner insnding "a
- - ks4l .rsaaH a lz.Le