The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-05-20
From the San Francisco HERALD.
EXPLORATIONS By GOV. STES EMS.

On Monday evening, Gov. Isaac ]. Stevens, Of
Washington Territory, delivered an address at the
Musical Hall, in Bush street. on "Ls Survey and
Exploration of the Northern Route for the Pacific
Railroad" The Hall was densely crowded on
the occasion, and several persons unable to pro-
cure even standing rom, were obliged to oaway.
Shortly after 8 o'clock, Gov Stevens made his ap-
pear lnce on the platform, and loudly greeted.
He was introduced to the audience by Mayor Ga =.
rison who said:
7 take great pleasure in introducing to you Gov.
Isaac T. Stevens, of Washington Territory, who
has kindly consented to give you his views, which
are practical, on the all-absorbing question OF
bui,dinp a railroad to the Pacific Ocean. (Ar-
pause)
Gov. Stevens then came forward and said:
Ladies' and Geuticmcn-F cH,or- Citizens Of the
Ctr of San Francisco and Of the Stdtc Of Cah-
fornid:-I congratulate myself for this OpPortu-
nity of addressing YOU Your city. with its Co.
600 PC ople-vour State, with its 3Oo,OOO people
your hundreds of millions of golden dust, and
your enterprise, which las given not Only an I'M
pulse to tie commerce of our common country,
but the commerce Of the world, are the marvel Of
the moo ern century; but it Is net So much your
CITY, or your S ate. or your golden dust, or your
tecmng commerce, that have excited the adnlra-
ton and attention of philosophical aid patriotic
IL, arts as your constitution and your mode OF put
ting it into Opei alton. You came here as MINERS
in the eager pursuit of gold; but y'u Paused IN
mitl-career to organize State, and you have 10 Il
here at tn S early day-On this western coast. the
lid foundation OF empire-yOu nave gwen
most significant indication I" the world OF The
progress Of our pcople-you have shown that III
western movement Of the country to this coast was
no ephcmeral thing, but solemn fact, having an
i If uence on the worlds history-(applause )-and
| have Gene here, fellow -citizeIrs. this evening,
to entcavor to explain somewhat that great 4ucs-
| ton VIII c.i has grown out of your Tast acts Inc
establ shment of internal communications, Is, say,
a question of consolidation of All empire. Gap
pa Sc
Fellow -citzers-Ths subject is too vast to he
approached in sectional point OF view 1t COM
prchcnds the length and breadth Of country OK
tending from ocean to al.d from the Gulf OF
Mexico, flat vast Mediterranean sta, with ITS
S i00000OO0 worth of commerce, To the great
lakes with about the same amount propose.
therefore, to examine first the general subject and
will endeavor TO present the geographical position,
of the country, and TO apply the facts t" our asst
experience in relation to the capacity OF the re"-
pie of this Continent to construct not ono road, but
several roads, to the Pacific Ocean. (Applause.)
! The Gulf of Mexico and the great lakes are the
two grand geographical facts in the connection 81
the shores of the two great oceans by iron b"i'dF.
| These lakes approach within nineteen hundred
miles of the Columbia River and the magnificent
and caIac' Gus Puge,'s Sound, and the Gulf #
Mexico approaches even nearer to San Ffai.-
cisco-San Francisco, whose very name is enough
W thout lusing supcratives. Any scheme "t
connecting the western coast with tie Atlantic
slope without taking into consideration these tw"
great facts would be fatal l., look at 1t care
fully by the experience of the last few years
We have systemof railroads-we have system
of canas-we have system Of navigation by
ocean, by river by lake. What are the facts! On
the large cana's without expensive locking, We
can transport merchant Sc for two or three mills
per ton, per mle-on &c, an voyages VIC transport
merchandise at one and haf per cent. per mile
l-on lakes and rivers courses we transport nlcr-
chandse at two and half three mills per mile,
and sothrough the great lakes. On railroads, with
favorable grades it costs from four to eight milk.
per ton per mile Let me give You some facts
more to the point The merchandise from New
| lork by her HudS' River and system of car ais
can he taken to Buffalo for 81 80 to 80 80 per
ton, and on the railroads from So to s. 30; while
merchandise can be carried to New York ON her
rivers and on her canals, from the great lakes and
even from st. Louis, for about the price us
you must give for mel clandise to Buffalo by the
railroads, not that the canals or lakes are ANITA
Sonistc to railroads. BY no means. There Is no
antasonsm All go together, and have their ar-
propriate place. Thus in the great State of New
York we find them running line after line of rail-
Dads. and enlarging the Erie Canal. Thus, we
find Virginia perfecting her great water commune
cation by the James River and kanawha Can al.
and also pushing forward her railroads. SO mucl,
or the bearing of the great water communication.
About the great railroad communications, let me
present some of the facts in relation to their pro-
:-rnss. We Lave at this moment L 800 miles Of
rar,..1 in nDtrat:on-l forgot flat this was tw"
months ago; ~ tLat we may add 1000 miles at
least. We arc ad,iln. 20 cnr railroads from 400"
5OO miles per month. Wn; t%n months slice
there were more roads in operation in this country
than III all the rest of the world, and exceeding
them by some 800 or 400 miles. (Aprlause) The
N.up nf, 81.
lion Of people during tic last year actually put in
operation 1000 miles of railroad, by two lines
struck the Mississippi, and these roads are now
yieldlnS an income OF ten per cent. They went
through an unsettled country in the beginning
The settlements which grew out of the reads gave
il travel that supported them. This is the way
with WISCONSIN,. have seen, but a few days since
a return that the first road opened in that State
was yielding ten per cent. profit. Such is II G
general experience in all the western roads. Iowa
As already one road under construction, EXTEND
| ng westw ard and soon will have a second read:
Wisconsin is stretching forth her arms to the Fond
du IHc of Green Bay the Fond lu Lac Of Lake
Superior, to st. Paul and Prairie du Chen Nor
has the South been idle. The great State of
6eorg had some years since almost perfect
communication, and the States of Alabama, Mis-
sissippi, Louisiana and Texas are not lapcards in
the race; nor will Arkansas be SD by and by
present these general facts to show that we are
building some five thousand miles of railroad each
year We have struck the Mississippi at several
points frum Galcna to New Orleans We have
crossed the Mississippi and are now running our
cars over the western prairies. (ApIlause.) Now
the question is in this aspect of things what is this
country able To do! With railroad CAPITAL in
vested of five hundred millions, which will be in.
creased every year by one hundred millims-with
many different lines extending across the Mi.sis.
sipPI, along a line of twelve hundred miles-with
our magnificent Gulf Of Mexico and magnificent
lakes. what have we yet to doy We Lave on this
coast two great ports of commerco-onc developed
and the other undevelorod-we have San Fran.
Csc" and Puget's Sound. (Applausc) We need
/ two ports on this Pacific shore hcca1sc with enr