Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-12-09
A Question Settled.

hoA A'iSA hilcSl ioutC " tuC must
have great advantage over the Central,
or the Southern one, from the fact that it
is very much shorter. BY that way we
shall not only reach the great Western
ocean sooner than by any other, but, when
there, We are much nearer to the Oriental
World, whose commerce is thought by
some to be very extensive and profitable
affair. 1t is not only much briefer jour
ney from Lake Superior to Puget's Sound
than from St. Louis or Memphis to San
Francisco, but from there we can reach
Yedo or Canton with two days less steam
ing. This fact has caused the Northern
route to be regarded with respect even by
those who are most anxious that some other
line should be fixed on. But still very
serious doubt has rendered its advocates
some what uncertain and backward. 1t has
been surmised that possibly no good pass
could be found to conduct the road through
the barrier of the Rocky Mountains, and
it has been feared that however excellent
and favorable the country on both sides of
that great ridge, it mi ght be ssary af-
ter all to renounce this line and to settle
either on that advocated by Col. Benton,
Or that of Texas.
This doubt has now been extinguished :.
Gov. Stevens at tho h"~a e II 49,
Exploring hxPc,.iucn reports that there
were several good passes, one Of them com
bining every desideratum, and there Is no
hinderance to the construction OF the road
over the line he has traversed. His letter,
which appears in The Tribune this morn
ing, is highly explicit on this question
The entire line has been investigated by his
own party going vest, and by that Of Lieu
tenant Saxton, who started from the Pacif-
ic and came eastward and though it can
not be said that the whole country has
been explored on both sides, and every
mountain pass examined, so that the best
possible line can be exactly laid down for
all the distance, not a doubt remains that
the Northern Route is perfectly feasible,
and indeed siugularly favorable for the
execution of this highway.
And not only do the mountains inter
pose no obstacle, but the country from
Lake Superior to the Pacific is described
as c>ceedingly fertile and adapted for set
tlement. The case is not so encouraging
for either of the other lines. The Central
line runs zig-zag, and traverscs barren
districts where fuel and water do not
abound The Texan route lies along the
Gila, whose craggy gorge can not be used
for railroad bed or else it crosses the
border of Mexico and makes long stretch
through region not our own. Non" Of
these Inconvenience attach to the Pugets
Sound line. That runs with great direct
ness through highly productive territory,
we'll wooded and well watered, and has at
its western terminus one Of the noblest
harbors of the world The sole objection
that can be raised against it is the accu-
milating of snow usual in northern latl-
tudes in winter On this head important
facts will no doubt be given in Gov Ste
ven's official report, which will be III Wash
ington in season for the opening Of Con
gress. But certain it is that on the great
er portion of this route there are no such
SHOWS as fall on the railroads in the cen
trail part of New YORK, and that at the
worst there is nothing more troublesome
than is constantly experienced on the rail
roads of Maine We all know how much
these roads are obstructed in winter; when
the SHOWS drifts upon them, appliances al
ways at hand soon clear the track; and the
circulation is never delayed beyond day.
On the Puget's Sound road 1t would not be
more serious; and at any late there would
/ be no such terrible depths OF snow there
as Col. Fremont had to encounter III New
Mexico in 1850
The clearing up all doubts relative TO
this line is not the only good done by the
Expedition. 1t has settled many other
questions with regard to the natural fea-
lures of that vast aud hitherto unknown re-
gon, and has opened 10 our knowledge and
our Interests a splendid portion Of the
national dominion to which We have been
Istrapgers.-N T. Tribune, Nov. "a.