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

vested of five hundred millions, which will be in-
creased every year by one hundred milliOns--with
many different lines extending across the MISSES.
sippi, along line of twelve hundred milcs-~with
our magnificent Gulf of Mexico and magnificent
lakes, what have we yet to do? We have on this
coast two great ports of commerce-one developed
and the other undevelOpcd-we have San Fran.
cisco and Puget's Sound. (Appause.) We need
two ports on this Pacific shore because with our
giant enterprise, we intend, and God has willed
it, that this shall be the highway for the trade of
nations, and that over the iron track shall pass
large part of the commerce of the world. APP
plause)
Fellow citizens, having viewed the subject in
general manner, we will now proceed to an ex
animation Of the routes l have referred to the
two great water lines. The question is now, as to
the cOnfiguration of the country from the Misss-
sppi valley to the Pacific slope. We must have
several routes and not single route for all this
vast network of roads. Gentlemen, it was my
fortune, in another branch of the public service
to have given some attention to the question OF
railroad communication. 1t was my fortune to
have known personally all the gentlemen engaged
ILL the recent explorations. The lamcnted Gunni-
son was a brother cadet of mine in the Military
Academy; Mr. Whipple was also brother cadet
of mine i'll the National School; and MIR. William
son, a citizen of your city, whose name has only
to be mentioned to refer your minds to an accom-
plshcd and able man. l had the fortune to meet
Mr.. Williams IL in this city. l had not the for
tune to meet Mr.. Wh.pple, but [ learned this
striking factthat what two yearssnce was believed
by the best informed neil in Washington-otiicer
and surveyors, who had collected information i'll
reference to the routC-tO be the best route, is in
one point impracticable. l refer to Walkers Pass.
| recOllect at this time with high admiration, the
efforts of your energetic and indomitable Senator,
Dr. Gwin (Great applause) DIR. Gwn in max
ing his report, and in submitting map was un-
firing, as | personally know, in getting informa-
tioE as to all the routes, Why, five years since a
friend of mine, Capt. Ord, a man who did good
service to your State, collected information from
priests and rappers that this certainly prac-
ticablc route. / doubt not that our American pro-
gress and American enterprise have simply to ell
counter difficulties to overcome them. / have no
doubt that from San Francisco good route will
be found to Texas and the Southern States, and
the Gulf of Mexico, with good connection with the
Middle and Northern States. In the subsequent
portion of my remarks shall refer to this subject
again, in reference to what l conceive TO be the
duty of the government at this luncture.
We have, lOw-citiZens, a great continent, and
in the heart of this continent is the Great Salt
Lake the colony of the Mormons. This, it seems
to me. in view of the great progress of Iowa and
Missouri i'll railroads, must be point of railroad
communication. If the route be found practicable
the roads from Iowa and Missouri ought to be eX-
tended to the Great Salt Lake. and from that
point we may be able to push a road through
Mobiles Pass to the Sacramento Valley. Gentle
men, there is a third route, too in an unknown
region, an undeveloped region, rich in resources,
and destined to lead to a great port of trade.
refer to the route it was my duty to explore. To
crafty what l suppose may be the wishes of the
audience, will give brief view of that explora-
ton. (Applause) And when do so, it is SIM
ply to illustrate the general question, and to viii
dlcatc the grounds have TAKEN that must not
have one but several routes to the Pacific Ocean.
citizens, through the partiality of the At-
mnlstration and the Department, which thong, t
only too highly of my se,vices, was placed i'll
charge of the exploration of the Northern route
That route connects the great st. Lawrence Basin
and the great roads moving through Canada and
the Southern shores of the basin-by the Northern
shore of the Missouri river, to pass at AZ 30 to the
Columbia Valley AID Puget's Sound. The II N was
to operate in three partics-Onc starting from the
Missssi pi river, and moving westward-the Sec
cond was to start from the o'umbia river, for the
purpose OF exploring the Cascade range; and the
third party was to move from the Columbia river,
make rapid reconnaissance of the country, and
establish depot i'll the heart of the mountains
and meet us in the passes of the Rocky Mountains
Fellow-citzens this is in brief the plan of opera
tons do not intend to weary you with proliX
details. We moved from the Mississippi river i'll
three parties To one was assigned the duty OF
surveying the Missouri, to ascertain if it Was
adapted to the purpose of supplies for the build
ing of railroads. The two other parties moved
across the Plains, and carly in August we rcndez-
voused at Fort Union From Fort Union we pro-
ceeded towards the Rocky Mountains, and there
surveyed the various approaches for some twenty
days Fort Benton is one hundred miles east OF
the mountains, and small party remained there
during the winter to make observations III regard
to the snow. Having crossed the Rocky Noun
tains, we finally rcndeZvOuSed i'll the beautiful
valley of St. Mary's, on the last day of Scptem-
Der, and there another party was planted of 10
men, with orders t" turn their faces to the noun
tain passes and not leave them till they were
driven out by the SHOW Gentlemen, this was a
very improper order, as l have since found out,
and have sent orders to cOuntcrmand it-thcrc Is
no Snow to drive Mc,n om At Fort Benton, cast of
the mountains, another party was despatched down
the Missouri for the purpose of surveying the pOr-
ton above Fort Union and then to return, in order
that they might cross the mountains with dog
tran and they did cross, starting on the I'd of
January; and when they crossed the Rocky
Mountains, Lieutenant Grover found it necessary
to disband his dogs The party sent back over
the mountains returned by new route taking
more southerly line to the Columbia. In the
meantime, Capt. Mcclellan having organized
party at Columbia Barracks, made the survey of
the cascade range, from the Columbia river to
above the 49th parallel. There were two or three
concidents of this surveying party that were
somewhat remarkable My advance party, under
Lieut.. Grover, and the party of Lieut. Saxon, from
the Columbia river, met in the very pass in the
Rocky Maintains that u,s had fixed for a meeting
in the city of Washington. left Capt Mcclellan
in Philadelphia at A. M. on the morning of the
10th of May, and we reached Colve, on the Up
per Columbia, the appointed place of meeting
| from the Mississippi and he from the Pacific
coast-On the 18th October the very same day,
and that without once having heard from COM
municated with each other in the meantime
Gentlemen, we have gained these results from
that exploration. We have established the entire
practicability of n railroad rOute from the pro.t