The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1853-06-23

able to collect it will be found the bes,
route.
The intense cold and deep SHOWS pre-.
sent grave objection to some of the more
Northern routes proposed. perceive
by an extract from a st. Louis paper oi
the 9TH May last, that Mr.. Culbertson,
of the house of Pierre Chouteau & Co.,
had just returned from the upper Mis-
SCUM, and reported that the cold was
SO intense in the middle of April last
that mules were frozen dead upon their
feet. .z -...........-
The route from Fort Smith by Albu-
quergue is nearly the same followed by
Capt Marcy in his reconnaissance
some years since, which he describes
in an able paper, lately read before the
American Statistical and Geograph-
ical Society,"" as being broken and pas
sing oTer that great North American
desert, called the "Llano Estacada, or
staked plain" extending about 400
miles between the parallels of NJ lat.
800 30'and 900 20', in some places 200
miles vide, embraced within the meri-
dians # 101 and 104 West longitude.
1t is an ocean Of pathless, trackless de-
sert praries, where the voice of man is
seldomheard and where no living being
permanently resides.
The almost total absence of water
causes I'll animals to shun it." even the
Indian 70 not venture to cross it except
at two places, where they find few
small pads. The Arkansas, Canadian,
Brazos, colorado, and Pecos rivers, have
their sdlrces on the borders of these
elevated table lands, and where they
make thnr exit from this plateau their
beds areconfned to sleuces or conons,
the sidesof which rise very abruptly
TO an eiOrmous height of eight hun
dred feet in places, above the water.
He speak of having passed through it
four diffeEnt times.
These eatures present serious obs
tacles, built is possible that they may
be Overcome, or route TO avoid them
may be fond.
The roue for the main trunk laid
down in TIN map with Senator Gwin's
bill appeaE to me to be preferable,
though | an of opinion that far better
route will q found through the north
ern part OF Texas, crossing Red River
al or near Elton, and following pretty
nearly the road travelled by Captain
Marcy on hi return from the Rio Gran
de to Fort Smith, he describes il as
being "a smooth road over a gently
undulating cuntry fpraire and timber
and aboundirg with clear spring bran
ches for 2O0miles. The soil cannot
be surpassed For fertility" Again he
says, our roat passes over uniformly
level ground, Erossing no mountains or
deep valleys, Ind for 500 miles on the
eastern extremity, runs through the
heart of coukry. possessing great ma
tural ADVANTAGES. There are as few
difficulties to encounter as any other
route that can le found in our country.
1t would appea to have been assigned
by the Great Achitect of The universe
for Railroad. From FL Paso 10 Red
River is abouT00 miles. | conceive
this to be deciddly the best overland
wagon route toCalifornia, for several
reasons. 1t ca be travelled at all
times; the gras!remains green during
the entire winsr, and the climate IS
salubrious and halthy itpossesses all
the requisites thu can be desired for
fine agricultural country country. 1t
would force a dect line with Cooks
road to the Pacik, shorter by several
hundred miles han any other. This
route would mak the main trunk to
Memphis about he same length as
that laid down orSenator Gwin's map,
the branches TO s Louis and Dubuque
would bevery itk longer. The BRAN
ches to Vicksbut and New Orleans
might be some lite shorter, but there
would be no matehI difference in any.
It will, however, } liable TO the obiec-
ton that it passes though the sovereign
State of Texas, here the General
Government owns b land, but will not
Texas give its assist, and make as IL
beral a grant of Ian as Congress, if so,
it would immediats be found the best
route, because the soute can be con-
strncted at less cos, nd it runs through
as fine an agricultrhl country as any
in the Union, whilst ii the other routes
proposed must 60 trough countries
partly uninhabitable
I can give the ssurance that the
branch to New Orlkns will be con-
structed without anyid from the Cen
eral Government, ashort extension
from the western enlof the New Or
leans, 0pelousas andGreat Western
Railroad now being INSTRUCTED, will
meet the main trunk. A company has
been formed to constr4 that road from
New Orleans to the 1xas line, about
$40 miles. About 81, O, 900 has been
subscribed, including 5000, 900 on the
part of the State, z miles of the
tract il completed, afut forty miles
graded, with the iron lady to lay it |
down, and a contract sade to grade
173 miles to Washingtorln the parish
Of ST. Landry, and the ira to lay down
that distance, with the hrs and loco
motives ordered in q orddto put part
in operation by January ext, passing |
through one Of the meshgriculturai |
portions of Louisiana
The branch tn ViekSbSr will also |