The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-12-15


was eaboIaiey discussed during that session. but mol
finally acted upon. bring The measure forward at the
Of the session, with earnest hope that
il viii be acted upon nj an carly day.
confne my efforts. MIR President in favor OF this
measure. to the boundaries OF my own State. The bill
avoids all constitutional difficulties Ia the construction OF
this great national highway asks Tor grant Of lhs
public domain to the State 10 and in its construction
The President n his annual message, avofs tnis pocy
Congress has heretofore adopted u IN several OF lns
States 10 wit: Illinois. Mississippi. Alabama Missouri,
and Arkansas The policy OF thus disposng OF poI-
ton Of the public domain IN these States has been eni'
nen,ly successful and will prove to be so IN all the
States aud Territories, If wise pecaalion governs our
Legislation. making the grant TO such works as VIII un.
doubleday develop the resources oi the counuy. KNOW
this bill will meet with opposition, from the quantity
Of land that it proposes to donate TO The State Of Cali
anticipated this difficulty. and am prepared TO meet i
have documents beisra me which will read 10 tho
Senate in order that they may thus reach the Commit
lee on Public Lands to aid Them in their deliberations
on This bill, which shows the vast difficulties that must
be overcome In California in tue construction OF this
great national highway. have, during the past kual-
mer travelled great portion of the route in Cali.
fornia. and corroborale the statements will now
read 10 the Senale:
DEror CAnr. Posx Ca,
August w. 1853.
DEAR sR, Darlng our Interview the Dry creek,
(where unfortunately, unwcll to talk you
m uch as wi,hed) yau requested write you be
soa concerning our aoad A. have an
nifty Of sending Fo Miller tomorrow, and may not have
Alter we left you. we came direct 10 this creek where we
depot camp. there being no grass on Kern
servaon left with small surveying party for Walkers
Pass and thence followed along the backbone Of the Sierra
ridge ill came to the rejon. then went through the
Canada de los Uras the basin the northeast
Sierra crossed the plains to The end Of the Te
pass, (wagon road and through this pass. thus
getting ino he feon. by Which mean the portion
went some twenty-five miles TO the westward, examined
the Canada de San Arminio and finally reached here last
nj iehf, having been absent twenty days
have had very satisfactory trip, as have obtained
thorough kao Wedge Of The mountains fsom Walkers Pass
the north to the coast range am satisfied that there
pass depression the mountains that has not been
srrmssd, and am prepared TO go to work. under
ia mountains themselves, they much higher and
sleeper than expected to fad them Il is ditfaul, in
ttud. gained, aud the slope and Whist sppears fine,
ge.y ascending valley may upon calculation, prove 70
mile The Teon Pass Tor instance, which you ascended
ha, about Tour Thousand five hundred feet above
miles, or be reduced by unneling The Canada de
los the lowest OF tho Sierra and is three thou
sand hundred iee above this place These numbers
are approx IN lions tom rough calculations.
We shall camp at from here 10 the Tcjon and
and cnan through the Tsjon Pass the Canada, &c and
you may assured that shall leave these
lans till have data from which make u report. based
upon numbers aud calculations which dispute
From have SAID, you will that the difficulty Of
OF the difficulty not vt present able TO sste
and will be iii have made As 10 the prae
ine Teion conceive Walkers Pass be almost Of
b ady situated.
Truly and respectfully yours,
Lieut. U. s Typographical Engineers.
'''''' San Frsnc..so. California.
Drror CAmr, California. Con Pose C.set.l
August q, 1853.
MAJOR Since our arrival and tho way here, i have
had something Of opportunity Of Obtaining considerable
hoping may be Others will sive il Tor what
dod that the character oi the great Tnascyaey
We from what most eops have
posed Although had bosh ends OF IL several years
ago. had ofmed opiuloa s its valus aud advan
tsges A, the southern extremity saw a very pretty
bio spot and idea much larger
In extent than really The case and that there were Other
gin the northern nifty and come SOUTH describing
itat 10.
rosd San Joaquin the TETON Pass. is
about hundred and uinety-seyen miles ia Iengthsay
average about fy miles in wdth or in area seven thou
hundred square miles. From the San Jos
Kings river il 10 dry arid plain. o, Kings river
10 narrow bottom, averaging about halt mile wide
by twenty-five long-t~eve and ons.third square miles
From Kings river the first OF Four Greeks dry plain
Here is one Of the beautiful fertile spots Cali
fornia In extent IL about twenty-five mies by en and
other half will require great expenditure Of labor in
draining. to make portion OF IT habitabiesay two hun
ard Main s az 10 s,,h" .ud oa Tas
Kern barren plain On Kern river there may possibly
be twenty miles Of hababe land From Kern river
Telon Pass sand plain Al this point there may
hundred and hy miles OF toersbly good land
though IN some portions Is handsome, and the soil
OF excellent qualify Through the whole length sf this
valley tnia marsh. which expands IN some places
ino lakes These fakes during Of h- time,
nected by sluggish stream OF wafer, and bodered by
marshes Of uia but during very dry seasons these canals
channels dry aud the lakes nearly quite
Mr. Anderson tells me he crossed the valley om east to
west, TO about middir l54t and found the whos
valley dry, with from mountain mounta in.
ue ayeFA from tne Seffa on th0 At
10 this marsh about twice the distance from
The marsh 10 the coast range OF mountains the west As
there nre no streams making down FROM the
nto h- marsh, except very weather, whole OF
thar portion west OF tns Tala Lakes Is worthless
tcms.
Tho proportion. them of this immense valley which can
possibly b- looked upon nhabiable Is small indeedin
all not more Than three hundred and sevenyve square
miles, or ooe-iwenueth part With the exception
places above mentioned, there 10 ue through
oat the length and breadth OF the whole valley The fn-
in ali this paa of Csorn,w) appear have no par
tic cnar for oi their laxe plains noun
tsns but call that that potion OF either occu pied
by them. after the name oil hs psrtcular tribe ranchsa
living there. The derived Of those portions o
the Great Tuare marsh whers
into lakes. are commencing at tho NORTH Tsche Cn-a
che. Choam, Tu-ium-ac or Kern, sod Tu-is-n, (com-
monty calcd Buena VIss) lakes Kern river,
expands Kern lake. s called, by the Indians Po
ena; hknsn aP ns an 70 ~ me n9nn,ains
che. Ii is great pry that the lndsn names Of the differ
features OF the country could not be preserved
instead OF replacing them by those Of Psnedo d,coyere
lame great expenditure OF good taste, common
snd common psllce Ia few years more these Indian
will be sl that remains OF once ptwefiul bu,
Idly decreasing people, vlcns OF cfneV, ,nlnsuce and
the various d which follow in the wake OF civzs-
ton The Indians ,ha.ve 10 'hs valley reside Tor the most
part OF the ume along the base OF the mountains They
nave pernsnen, noes down In the plains.
Of the great which they exerionce IRON
The mosquo-s ants aud other insects. They CONS dJwn
hauw he