Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-05-21

leen moved BY one mind and Purpose of stretching
hs routes over mountains, valley and rivers from the
asnuc on IN east the Lakes o.. the NORTH TO the great
West an this they have acco mpshed with perseyer-
lncs against apparently the most insurmountaoe Cd
,les and with OUTLAY of capital without parallel
Now let us turn other side of the pctare and see
what remains be done carry out the great design OF
the American people in this system OF improvement we
find that the SUFFICE yet TO be improved oy Is
situated between the Mississippi river ana tne racine
ocean or meridian of nineteen degrees anu
degrees Of west longitude from Washington, extending
from the twenty degree TO the degree
of nrth latitude embracing the States OF Missouri, Ar
kansas Louisiana, Iowa, Texas, California, and the Ter
ritones of Minnesota Utah. New Mexico, Oregon, Ne
braa the old Northwestern and Indian Territories cover
ing surface 2343 SOP square miles, or 499 2o0
acres with a board the Pacific Of 800 miles,
and gulf coast the south of about eco miles
from the mouths of the Mississippi westward including
the southern OF Louisiana and Texas. Over this
port,n of oceanbound empire having coast ocean,
and gulf of 30 miles, and being twothrds OF the whole
territorial of the American Union and within
which eeyen-twefths of the public domain, the Go
yernnent of the United States has done comparatively
thing whilst citizens, cut Of their own resources,
have accomplished much in that region Of country
Of the Mississippi, and have already shown at
u cost approaching 500, 100000.
bring before the Senate project by which 1t is
proposed that the Government shall do its part In the
great work Of establishing permanent and enduring
of land communication between ocean frontiers
The plan proposed requires that the main trunk OF
great Pacific railway system shall commence at San iran
CISCO in California and passing around the southern arm
of the bay Of San Francisco through Santa CARA san
Jose and in northeast direction across the coast range
of mountains, through Stockton to point nearly soun
of the of the Stansaus river thence along the
foot hills of the Sierra Nevada range and the east OF
the San Joaquin river and Lake Tulares to point ue-
sgnated the map walkers Pass !; thence east
wardy on and near the parallel of $50 Of north latitude
To Zune long tude go west the Sierra Madra
mountains by weknswn passes through which there are
wagon roads in use, Albuquerque, town on the
fork of the Rio Grande and continuing east on SAID
parallel point thirty five miles south OF Santa
Fe in the meridian of 20 of west longitude from wash
ngon thence southeastery to the source OF Red river
and along the left north bank of said river to FULTON
the Southwest of the State of From
this great trunk railway St Louis branch will begin at
point nearly due south of Santa Fe taking
erly direction will fall with the road from Santa re to In
dependence Missouri at or near San Miguel, "a town
the Rio Pecos, and keeping with said road as near as
practicable the of Independence Missouri thence
by the located roads in that State to ST. Louis thus con-
Meeting at that point with the great eastern thorough
fares of the Northern aud Middle States already made or
in process of construction.
From this main ST. Louis branch at near the point
where it ntersects the Arkansas river DUBUQUE branch
proposed Council Bluffs Kanesve, the Nilsson
ri river in Iowa. and thence the middle OF that
State in northeasery direction to Dubuque on the Mis-
ssspp river connecting there with the great lake sys
of railroads already in operation in the process OF
From FULTON branch viii ENTHUSIASTICALLY through
LITTLE Rock and FRANcIsvLE situated near the footof
the New Madrid swamp to MEMPHIS, Tennessee, another
important point of connexon of what may be denomna
ted the middle system of railroads. already completed or
progress from the Atlantic coast westward and at the
time connecting with the Southern system OF routes
From the same point (Fulton) New ORLEANS branch
will run enthusiastically by the way OF alexandra anu
0peousa through the middle of the State of Louisiana
New Orleans connect with the southern coast
railways This branch will nersec the Shreveport and
Vicksburg Mssisspp railroad, thus connecting with
the middle system of Southern routes by way OF jack
son, Mississippi, Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, to
Savannah, Charleston and Pensacola.
The Texas branch begins at the source OF Red
river thence in southeast direction to the source OF
the Colorado and along the east bank of that river
through Austin to Matagorda, the Gulf of Mexico.
The Oregon branch will begin south of the of
Stanslaus river in the State of California and proceed
thence northwardly the foot hills east of the
Sacramento river its source thence along the foot
hills the west side of the Cascade Range of noun
tans crossing the Columbia river Oregon city to
Fort Nisquaily being safe and commodous harbor ut
the head Of Pugets Sound.
Miles.
The whole length this great route from San Francisco
10 memphis Is Z,oOo
From San Francisco to st. Louis l9oO
From San Francisco TO Dubuque 20l5
From San Francisco New Orleans 2l50
From San Francisco 10 Matagorda 500
And from San Francisco to Fort Nisquay, in Oregon nv
Making total length in miles of O695
This aggregate length Of will be formed by
Maes
From San Francisco, via Fulton, in Arkansas, to Mem
phls.... z,VVV
The ST. Louis branch from point the main trunk,
thiryfve miles south of Santa Fe, to St Louise. 9l5
4 A..