The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-09-21

~ ri " For Uniou
Northern Railroad Route from st. PAurs, on
the Upper Mississippi, to the Pa0tnc Ocean.
Recent arrivals al ST. Louis from the Upper Missouri
furnish intelligence from the exploring PARTY uAder the
conduct OF Governor Stevens dated Fort Union, At The
motion Of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers. end
we think the information received will entirely satisfy
The bic OF the mpolcy of locating ths Pae6c rlsoad
on The intended ID be ioow.d BY the governor Of
Washington Territory.
That portion Of the surveying corps who traced The
proposed route from the Fas OF the mississippi 10 Fort
Unon frankly admit that they travelled Tor eight con-
.scstve days siihou. seeing tree, wood in a1y
shape and hey also admit ihere were evidences also
sAar aach oil The country subject TO annual over
ssw 1n9 considerable portion OF it was marshy land"
nsast os be overlooked tina, the region jast described
a. beyond csyt, The eligible portion of the trace
4tsxe he rzvers-d by the party mentioned from The
\ Eas.A.slpSl uysr TO the Pacific ocean
ii TIE rrkaOn wsstw4rJ Of Fort Uaion" 10 the Rocky
rsounlaas will be ioaEd rough and broken, and
tsrstoss es& favorable Tor the OF railroad than
ne region previously uaversed and we therefore,, feel
-.Ie4 trccslns that the impfoprety OF recommend
laz nEiy Siberian and Gu. Of the way trail 10 The
szFosx..e consideration OF The general government.
ea.se eligible line for an iron highway 10 The west
err ocszs will be fully realized by the Ofcer charge
Of The expedition. after he shall have scaled the summit
OF The Rocky mountains and succeeded IN descending
re llole TO the village OF The Fla-Head 10.
The mountain csln between the 43d and 49th degrees Of
norh latitude will. jucsm en present elevation
| s.pfosening 9. GOO ieel above tie ccsan.
i Few countries be canned, in any quarter OF The
GLOBE more broken mountainous than those pof.
/ uons oi Oregon and Washington Territories lying BE-
tween the Rocky and Cascade mountains. embracing
distance OF 600 mer The ioUous courses OF The Co
umba and lis fflaenls Of the Cascade range.
well satisfy ANY toposapher tina, the county drained BY
the Columbia and It's branches is in s structure ruggs
Wild and noun lanous and therefore available
route or trace for an iron highway avenue from The
valley OF the Mississippi to the Pacific ocean.
| The route now being surveyed by Govsrnos Stsvss
has It's terminus the Mssisspp near B, An.
tony falls lat IS north. 80 long lude and nsnes
1t raverses a wes,wardly course 70 the valley oil Ned
nver Of lake WinDepeg, beyond which river The line
defects strongly 10 the northwest up the valley o. The
Shs, enpe -ogu, It's head, and thence still man'snne
coune strongly northwest acIoss the Cou'esu Dc
Prairie continuing raid trail around the upper bend oil
the Missouri For Union lat As north. i03 ives,
Longitude, beyond which point the cousoe Of Ne tae
" Ill be sonth OF wesl 10 Fon Benon, about lat ~ deg
NORTH near the base Of the Rocky mountsns
The dl.ance from For, Uainn Fort Benton 10 about
400 miles That portion OF the Iosle already traced BY
Governor Ssvens embraced between the MssissPP and
Red rivers. contains extensive patches OF timber, many
folly explored ia by gone years by the late NJ Nieo
let gentleman OF high character and great proeses9eA
merit Bot westward OF Red river, Dot oay % Fsn
Union. at The mouth Of The Yellowstone, bat sni ~.
ward across the county to the base Of the Rocky moan
tans the whole region 10 almost wholly destitute Of ~
her, II il, in ruth, open prairie region. over wbsa
The total absence Of timber on 20 long Trail. extend
ing IL does iron ,be valley oil the Red rivsr Of ne
moth, 0o west 10 the eastern bass OF ihs Rocky mosn
tsns IL liz west, covering sbon esveniern degrees
OF Longitude renders the region described wholly ana
valuable feasible trace Tor rsrosds Iron ihA vaur
OF the MissisSpp TO the western sceun.
Nor has coal been found on any portion Of The pr
posed route, from s eastern terainos 10 the great nosn
tain chain q distance Of 100 0ss. The region -
scrbed being noioriousy desute Of the necessary W.
Der The protected road, and equally desuut
pf r. a ri q ID
the event OF the compilation Of the road. ssvsty no ss
81 being viii evnse sufficient hardhood TO ask the ~
essnsIves Of the people 10 locate and coosuuct an r
hig h way the trace sdscaisd. IS 4lae $ ~
We desire TO be fully understood in rsisrsnse TO or
hostility 10 the route pow henG Naversed ~ 0cveat
Stevens end his corps OF engneers- That rhs phyde.
sruc,urs OF tsoe o the region mentioned extending fep
the Great Falls Of The mississippi to the Rocky ncsn
ains, viii not present. any formidable impeachment 'p
s wholly an andslas,ng legion and msy Be ltsvsf-ea
throughout ito entire breadth without encouh,snE e'e.r
Ted aud abrupt ssceots- We have doubt The GRADS
will prove extremely moderate, and that the rous w
no, !, asy point presen, any serious obstruction.
The impfaeiicabllsy Of locating line on the uacen
tended 10 bs followed BY Gov. Stevens will be encoun
tered westward OF the base OF The Rocky rpooa
tana From tho point last mentioned, 10 the Pacihc
ocean. on anv known western line. north II the Sod'n
pass, latitude sxess 3onorih. 10 the norhsr, bound
airy OF Union. feasible route fcr ssilenad srs
and that such will be the ultimate decision n all 'ne-
gent and sc,entsc men, set We shai have received bs
Official report Of Gov. Sssvsoss rsesnsoisaancs. We I"
n
The bold and precpi,ous character Of the eastern f:es
OF the Rocky mountains north Of the South pass 70 me
English linz. coupled with the entire sbsencS o. any
marked deep depression, any part OF the great enc"
between the limits mentioned WILL in our Judgment y"
prevent The construction Of railroad scfoss or owe.
II between the 43d and 49lh degree OF norm aliiods ~
elevation between the PARALLELS tneniioned wi
exceed Ten thousand feet and remedy the obesfucoa
by erecting inclined planes 10 overcome he sdmmi woon
moi be tolerated by the American people.
But aside from fixed nonbeet IN the availability
n railroad trace through Oregon and Washington Tern
tories on the route Indicated, owing TO the Alpine ana
broken character OF those regions, we further object 70
the proposed line IN consequences OF lie great length ana
high northern position. tHs gMi
Much The larger portion Of our fellow citizens the
Pacific ffontisr ressdsps cT California ard southern
Oregon San Francisco located ia latitude 81 deg ~
min north, with population present nssnberng nssi-
y fifty thousand inhabitants II ia now, and will douh
less continue to be- the emporium and centre Of our eo"
MERGE enterprise, and population on the Pacific COAST
IN considering eteat thoroughfsre OF hEewyo
iron from The valley Of the Missssippi 10 our se'smes
on the wessro ocean, policy - we'll a. prudence YOU