The true Democrat., 1854-09-06
From the Cummins Philadelphia Bulletin. Ell PaSO Del NOrte.

In our article yesterday we endeavored to trace the causes which will give the Pacific Railroad enterprise, as now projected at St.. Louis, southern Reflection. If the conse- quences of this tendency were to prevent or im- pede the connection of our cities with the Pa cific seaboard, we should regard it as tenden- cy to be deplored and resisted; but 1t will ap- pear that this collateral agency leads to the most direct approximation to an air line to San Francisco, which practical men, anxious to approach what is difficult by finishing what is easy, can possibly contemplate.
 The first great point to be attained is, mani testly, the avoidance of the unshipment and reshipment of goods and passengers between the west coast and the east. We cannot ex- pect, tor long time to come, to connect aW the ports of the Pacific with those of the atlantic by means of railways, and thus dispense en- tlrely with navigation in the transportation from ocean to ocean; we aspire to nothing more than to reach one point on the Pacific coast, whence to have complete connection by railway with the Atlantic and by sea with the other Pacific ports. In making the selection of this partic- ular spot, we must strike balance between conflicting considerations San Francisco nat CTS, as being already the seat of the greates
 
 to concentrate all the rays of Western inter- course But there are overwhelming reasons against making it the ananaeliate goal of our ef- forts. It is situated at the westermost point of the continent, precisely where the continent is of the greatest width from west to east, and where, consequently, the longest expanse in- tervenes between the west coast and the cas- tern settlements San Francisco is 46 deg. west from Washington. Not many degrees south of it, the west coast suddenly sweeps eastward approaching to within fl deg west from Wash ington, at San Diego. Here then is a saving in point of longitude, of five degrees. But San Diego itself is nearly opposite that remarkable indentation of the coast, which migh be SUD- posed to be friendly approach of the ocean itself to meet the advances of its eager visitors: the Gulf of California brings the navigation of the Pacific to the thirty seventh degree of west longitude, being full ten degrees farther east than the point which is usually kept in view. If 1t were required to designate the point of Pacific navigation nearest to St. Louis, Balti- more, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Charles ton and New Orleans, the answer could be none other than the head of navigation on the Colo rado of the West or the outlet of that river in- to the California Gulf. To build a railroad to that point is, therefore, certainly the most prac ticable method of ultimately obtaining a rail- road to San Francisco.
 Besides being immeasurably longer the di- rect route to San Franisco labors under this disadvantage, that it will be entirely unremu- nerative so long as any portion of it remains unfinished. We have shown that the product iveness of all roads depends upon their being short cuts between points connected by more circuitous routes. Now, no point on the line of the direct route from St. Louis to San Francis co is already connected, by any route worth mentioning, with any other, except only the final termni of the entire line. In reference to the Texas route, we have shown already that the section from St. Louis to Galveston will be remunerative, if nothing beyond it should ever be finished, and would be remu- nerative if the Pacific ocean were entirely in- accessible. So far as the difficulties of the man project go, the Texas route therefore of 1ers none beyond those incident to the inter- val between Houston and the mouth of the colorado. while the direct route imposes on us the whole task of building from St. Louis to San francsco In adopting the direct route the advantages to be derived from the Pacific commerce must be the sole stimulus to build 2,5OO miles of road; in going by way of Hous. ton they are only needed to stimulate the con. struction of l, 100 miles, the average distance from Houston to the head ofthe Cuff of Cali fornia.
 If, then, the cost in either case were sso GOO ner
 mile, the speculation would cost, in the former
 case ................ .$75, ,OOO OOO Ana m the latter. S3 ,OO0, ,OOO Difference in favor of the Texas route,
 or 56 per cent. $42 900 .000
 This calculation assumes that Houston would be the westernmost point to which railroads would eyer extend, if the Pacific schemes had not been entertained. That such is not the case appears from the fact that a company have commenced, and will probably complete, the next two years, road from that city to Austin, which will bring the railroad within 1000 miles of the noint dasinnatod Rr4 4h;o ;a mt oil