The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-02-17
INTERes TING CORRESPONDENTS

PEIlApELrnIA, jan "a, 1883.
| Dear sir,
| From The haste with which my last lette
was written, am apprehenslve was not sn
ciently explicit respecting the line Indicated a
the proper toue 10 be trayersed IN constructing
a railroad from the Upper Mississippi 10 the Pa
cific Ocean, and there lore am induced to ad-
dress ven again in reference to the matter.
take il for granted that Congress will, at an ear
i liz day, cause TO be surveyed not less than twt
routes Tor railroads through the public domain
westward 10 California and Oregon, and tina
one Of said routes will traverse port ons OF thu
States oil Arkansas. Northern Texas, and The
Territory OF New Mexico, have MT the reno
| test d9ubt.
| That an available pass across the Sierra Ma
DIE. for a railroad to California exists, think i
| fully established BY Col. Washington, in his re-
| cent Military Reconno sance from Saata Re 10
the Navajo country. Beyond the point reached
by Co. WASHINGTON westward, the VALLEY oil the
Zuni river affords most probably an eligible
route for railroad to the Colorado river, be- ond
which river, TO the Pacific. the country IS ia, Or
able, no elevated mountain Oh in inlersen'ng.-
Tie read suggested would afford our fellow citi
zens Of the South western States an eligible line
for the construction OF an iron highway 10 our
Pacific frontier, but while THIS route would al
ford the people Of the South and Southwest a
desirable line oil communication 10 the ''El Do
RADIO" of the Union, it woaii not answer The
purposes oil the Great West and North, il being
entirely too far South 10 accommodate the trade
aud migration between the Middle Northern and
Western States, and California and Oregon.
The New Eng land, Middle, Atlantic, West
ern and Northwestern ates must therefore look
10 another avenue through our country in ordef
70 reach The Pacific front oil our Republic. Sew
erai propositions are now before the National
Legislature 10 open one or more national high
wa 10 the Pacific, and am oil o Iinien that he
proposed avenues VII be commenced in few
ears. In constructing such avenues several
considerations will doubtless octapy the serious
attention OF the government, and decide its ac
ton II deciding and adopting the route or routes
oil The avenue Of avenues from the valley of the
Mississippi 10 the coast of the Pacific. Med
crate gradients on the entire line o. travel so as
TO avoid inclined planes fuel ard WAFER for the
use OF the locomotives, and SO lar as practicable
in travelling 80 long route. as little divergence
from due east and west line, from The valley OF
the Mississippi TO the western terminus, will be-
yond question, be duly considered. We are oil
opinion that the Northern Road to the Pacific,
as we'll as the proposed Southern highway ii.
California. will be obi ged to ir verse probably
hefn's fass through the Sierra Nevada in aii-
tude 81 or 35, or seek another Pass In the region
oi32 or 80, North Li,iu ie TIE northern ave
nue. to he Pae tic should traverse he centre oil
the eruiaFg ofthe great valley, from tie bank oil
the Missi.si P 70 the base ofthe R9cky Moan.
tdins, az nearly midway a- PCS Tile between the
parallels Of 10 and -, n rh l. ttifnde
Between HE pa a els mention Il, and extend
ing from tte pase i the Ategh4nies 10 pant
cen iieIahly west u he Missouri. il embraced
m most productive portion Of our Union. III
already eon'a ms population ol several mil
lions Of industrious and enlightened treemen.
~ Ia IL .trt.+, ~ a. a 4
coniorts 81 lie 10 population Of iofty mill rs
othnmaa being is fully conceded. Ii il nov
aud viii ever eoutjnHe TO he the garden Of the
Union. The grafton fron,hs splendid and
extensive region 10 California is annually a. NJ
merous, aud probably greater, than from the en-
tire res due OF orr country.
4 great b. hway to the Pacific. cammpRciaa
on the Mississippi river at IL 80. North Latitude
ard crossing lire Missouri a Council Bllts, ana
coutlnn NJ theace westward 10 Salt Like City,
IN ttah, would not diVeg in trayeTsiag the en-
tire distance ffom Rock Island, via b iiger's
PISS The Rocky NJ uufai.is, iati ude al 80
more than fiity fal-s from / due westGin4 salt
Lake is 10 latitude 40 a. From the bank Of the
NJ ssogTi a uncii Bluffs ~ the sHtnmt al
Bridger's Pass, the average grade OF tie roid
would not exceed ten feet per mile From The
r ~, 10 The bank II the Coiorad river. descend
ing the eal!ey oil Bitter Gee 10 tile Color a. The
descent i very mode ate, AMI hr ng lout BittrII
Creek rales from il sources 10 it, mouth, blu
Mao" coat aboaadf, 1t app as again on N
vest sd Of me Colorado, IL tie vale OF Is k a
+ RI, and SIS qaalt Is htghly iarn ed b,
Mr.. Brtdzer, VITO uses Il al hi. Fort TIE dis
cpyery Of thi. deposit Of b.tnin iasc Al i, OF the
utmost importance. know OF 40 cotl IN M
Itntue tote vicinity OF the South or South, y e ~
Pass. nor do believe thai the Goa tiiScnt erai
extends from Bitter Creek hUfthwdfd to the Sou b
or sRertwafsF Pa IS.
+ have fully understood C1pt. S anstury.
he seems 10 en- eitaIn no doHbt that an ehgibicI
route ior railroad, with moderate gradients,
can be loand from Hacks Fork 10 Salt | ak,
CITY. Fort Rrdger, latitude 45 10, head wa
tiers Of Weber rver. kamas Prairie, and Tim
panOgas River. Capt. aasbury saysssihe ka-
mas Pfairie, from ore end to The other, from
the W cher to the Timpnnocas, Is one level p ain
and affords passage .rom one stream 10 the
other as perfect ascculd De desiredn Such Is
his desrrIi ton of thai portion OF the summit OF
the Nahsatch Mountains, and It's approach il
perfectly practle bic. The descent The Great
sin, via the T.mpaHogs, is reported 10 be
easy, and The Canon BY which Ii desc nds 10 Nh
Level Of The Salt Lake BASIN is reported to be
sufficiently wide for the construction VI road
Inc Captain very property adds" When
once the tvrl al Tie Basin il attained the way
from Utah Lake, either north or south, app ar
to be pen.' The discovery OF practicable
route for an iron highway from The valley III the
Colorado 10 The great Silt Lake basin, dispensing
with inclined planes in crossing the Wahs1tch
or Dear River Mountain, we owe 10 Capr.
-tansbuFy, OF the corps Of Typographical Engt-
neers.
The entire feasibility ofa railroad route fion
The Pass in the Rocky Mounains, VIA tier
Creek, Blacks fork, Weber, Bear RIVER, Ka-
mas Prairie ana Timpanogas 10 Utah Lake in
the sJieat BasB, We deem fully established. and
the next consideration that is forced mp n us in
connection with the SUBJECTS which Of the sew
raj lines indicated, easg otthe Rocky Noun
raiGs, TO the Missouri Or Mississippi rivers, i.
entitled 10 I'd pton The line should, in our
judgment, iotlnw due cast course TO the Mis-
-ouf and Mississippi rivers
an the line OF The proposed road, the fewer
curves the better! High gradients and ire
lucnt curves greatly diminish speed. have
no personal or pecunary interest involved in the
Selt ction u either Vi the lines recommended. nor
an /, Us you know. even resident OF the valley
d The NJ sslssIppi, and therefore in advocating
fug paritcaiT route, | wiii not, trust, b.
charged with Interested or selfish motives M,
reasons Tor pfet4nihg Tie ronie previously mem
toned will 'riukly state. In the hrst place,
would adopt Il ~ preference h any other, be-
cause"t lts superior geographical pesrion.--
ftayefsing The actual centre ofthe richest agr-
lcutnrai p"Tllon 81 The Ini0n---a region destined
tn a short time 70 con'anan immense populatI on
1t would bring to the rad, from the day of IT'S
lcotaplrtion, vast amount u pecuHiurg aipleait
This VISTA prudent mtn should have It's due
"a. a che ,ss