The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-05-18

in the passes We had work before U.S. We were
determined to 60 to the valley Of the Columbia
and to Pugets Sound.
After reaching Fort Tcaton We had communi-
cation with the American Fur Company, who for
20 years have been in that part of the untry and
neither they nor the Black Feet Indians knew alb
sOlutely ANYTHING about the snow in the Mountain
passes. Their best opinion was, that 1t would be
safe for TO go through the passes at an early day.
Hence We left there, not knowing how we were to
make good our survey TO the Pacific slope On
approaching ST. Mary. IS Valley, We came IN COM
tact with the honest. simplc-hearted, truly rell-
gious Flat Head Indians, the noblcst Indians on
this continent brave as white men, who sc0rn 10
tell lie, and who in their many conflicts with the
Black Feet have shown themselves to be brave III
battle and merciful in victory. (Applause)
/ met these honest and good Flat Head Indians,
and learned that they never went to Fort Benton,
and that they crossed the mountains in winter, and
that their favOrite time for crossing was between
Christmas and New Year. / did not doubt their
words. We went to work, and we will give you
the general result. As told you, MIR. Grover
crossed in January There was one foot Of snow
there then. Mr.. Mullan, between the 2oth No
vember and the 10th of January, crossed the noun
tans four times, and the greatest depth Of snow
was fifteen inches; and l lave letter fire ].
Mullan, dated 9th January, stating that before
spring, he would have explored every lass from
the South Pass to 49th parallel.
Here is the reply TO all the talk about snow. 1t
is strange-wOndrOus strange, but true. l can give
you some facts cOrrObOrative of these conclusions
Fort Benton is in latitude AZ 30. about 100 miles
cast of the Rocky Mountains. The American Fun
Company have occupied that post for twenty
years. RecOllect, my officers visited this post that
winter, and they told them that they never had
snow enough to be able to carry their goods Oh
sleighs. The finest cattle have ever seen, were
in the beautiful valleys between the Missouri and
st. Mary's river, all browsing the buffalo grass
of the winter pIairies The whole country is bro
ke down into spurs, and with regard to the eleva-
tons, let me present you with few of the facts.
The level of the South Pass is 1900 feet, and on
that route 1000 miles have elevation of be-
tween 5000 and 1900 feet On the North route
there are only 200 miles IF between 5000 and 5000
elevation above the sea, and two miles and half
are between 5000 and 5000 feet. l have carefully
made these observations, but l expect that on
closer scientific examination the heights may be
reduced some 200 or 300 feet. On that route one
party are still at work, waiting orders from the
Secretary of War in regard to their disposition,
and we hope to be able to establish the facts, We
want that route fundamentally surveyed by the
spirit level and the transit in the regions Of the
mountain passes. 1t will be impossible to get cor
rect estimates without this careful survey. We
want to establish communication between San
Francisco, through the Valley of the Sacran ento,
and Willamette. We want to determine the re-
tOns of California with the Great Salt Lake, and
thence to the western frontier Of Iowa and Missou-
ri-it is foolish to talk about route being practl
cable which has not been explored.
rccollect that Walkers Pass is now known to
be utterly impracticable, and yet before the stru-
mens were used every one supposed that 1t was
emnently practicable. In consequence OF the
survey Of Mr. Williamson, the passes at the head
waters of the San Joaquin have been we'll devel-
opcd. The coast range, from San Diego to Los
Angeles, ought to be developed, and local inter
pSfS nr.,h9 q
country lying between the Sierra and the Colora-
DO which has still to be developed. We don't
know what asses through the Rocky Mountains
in the general reg on of the South Pass, will give
the best access to the Salt Lake Settlement There
are difficulties in all these explorations, but the
difficulties will be surmOunted. Gentlemen. the
great work the country has to do this year and the
next is TO continue these exploration till we Ind
out the facts as to the routes.
The country is working out the great Pacific
Railroad. Let us fold our arms in regard to the
Pacific INSTRUMENTATION, and local interests
will bring together the two great oceans. Ran-
roads increase 5000 miles per year. and who tell
where they are to end Three months since, III
addition to $4,000 miles actually i'll operation,
$4,000 lies were under construction, and a great
many more miles of read pr, ectcd. The $780,
Oo0O0O invested in railroads are not laying 10y idle,
but are returning proht many OF them, OF ten per
cent. per year. What will be the result of the
abroad movement in three or four years ? Iour
will run reads up the San Joaquin and the Sacra-
mentO Valleys; we of Washington, Will connect
Pugcts Sound with the Columbia river, and the
leople of Oregon will run their roads up the W ILL
annette, to seek a connection with your roads from
the Sacramento. 1 think, therefore, with this
great impulse from capital-with this great ten
dency to branch west and east-that 1t Is the duty
of the Government at once to employ large force
for the exploration of the whole country.
In other respects much can be done. Matters
can be arranged with regard to the hostile dian
tribes; we can extend the survey OF the public
lnds .andmake geographical exploration OF the
whole country, and make known every mile that
is adapted to settlement we can make known the
resources of the great interior. Tha' is what we
want to do (Applause) We can pass general
railroad law, giving aid, in land to all the through
roads The country can do this now.
Fellow citzens-bcfore l leave this subject,
wish to present a few facts, showing that the
building of these railroads is not so great all UNI
dcrtakng as the people of the country seem to
think. We can take striking example of rail-
road enterprise from the North, and still more
striking sample from the South When was
stationed in the State of Maine, an humble Sub
altran in the Army, the city of Portland, with only
$4,000 people, with no aid from the State, in con-
junction with the city of Montreal built the At
lantlc and st. Lawrence road. The undertaking
was pronounced visionary, but they went to work,
built the road, and the cars arc now running, and
line of steamers plies between Portland and Llv-
erpool. (Applause.) More difficulties were APP
pretended from SNOW in the mountain passes and
from steep grades ON that road than we have found
on the Northern route The example from the
South is furnished by the Wilmington and Weldon
road happened to be in Wilmington year and
half ago, aud was astOnished at the example OF
enterprise and energy which vii. nington gave to
the whole country. 1t was then small place,
with only 1000 people, and its whole taxable pro-
perty was not one million of dollars, and yet she