The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-09-07

The advocates of the various pro-
posed routes for the Pacific Railroad
are waxing warmer and warmer, in
their attachment to their several
schemes, and the railroad, if ever
built, does not now look like being
very pacific one. AT present, there
would seem to be as much prospect of
having half dozen rival routes to the
Pacific. as of having single one.
Our Canadian neighbors have not yet
relinquishcd the idea of building a
road through British North America
to the western shores of the continent;
and on the other hand, instructions
have been given to Gen. Gadsden, our
new Minister to Mexico, to negotiate
for right of way through Mexico for
the road about the parallel Of thirty
two degrees Of latitude. How many
other routes have been mapped out,
between these two, we will not venture
to say. We see it stated that Col
Fremont has just started, on his own
account, to explore the country be-
tween the Mississippi ard the Pacific
especially in the Rocky Mountains and
Sierra Nevada. He proceeds to the
Missouri frontier, and will 90 over the
route which he proposed in 1S4s 40,
when he was stopped by deep SHOWS.
This expedition of the intrepid colonel
has doubtless some connection with
the railroad route which his father-in-
law, Colonel Benton, is advocating
with so much spirit.
But these rival interests will be
harmonized, and Pacific Railroad
will be built so everybody says, and
Of course it will be as the people say.
The opinion seems to be pretty gener.
al, that the President will fully commit
himself to the enterprise, in his next
message to Congress. Already two
members of his cabinet have come out
fatfooted in favor of the project, and
the President cannot do more popu-
lar thing, or more sensible one, than
to follow their example. In the course
of few months, the government will
be in possession Of the reports of the
various parties of engineers now en-
gagged in surveying the several routes
and, with the best one asccrtained be-
yond question, Congress, relieved from
the struggle of rival interests, will
have little to do but to authorize the
construction of national highway ,and
appropriate moneys and lands for the
purpose.
In regard to the various proposed
lines to the Pacific, the shortest and
most feasible is probably the central
or Missouri route, advocated by Mr..
Benton. 1t is calculated that by this
route, the journey from st. Louis to
San Francisco will be accomplished in
three days. St. Louis being fifty
hours distance from Boston, the trip
from this city to San Francisco will
require but five days and two hours.
A Bostonian having fortnight Of
leisure at his command, may then visit
San Francisco, make a tour to the
mines, spend day at some Pacific
waterins-place, and be back at his post
within the allotted time, and consider
it nothing but pleasure excursion
a mere holiday affair. The distance
from San Francisco to Shanghai is
but 5775, and with a line of feet
steamers on the route, as there will
be in few years, at farthest. a visit
to the Celcstials would require but
few additional weeks. This is no idle
dream. Its realization will be wit
messed in our own day. With the
sanction and aid of government, and
the prodisious energies of the Amcri-
can people, assisted by the hundreds
of thousands of laborers with which
Europe is ready to supply us, the road
can be built in ten years, perhaps even
in six Or eight. :" 1t is but to will il,
to have IN. E. Farmer.