The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-02-10

Hidt1On W OICStI pdScCSt of.u cttriVct al
that to California. The emigrant route
follows up the north fork of the Nebras-
ka river from Fort Laramie, in order to
pass the dividing line Of the mountains
at this favorable depression. This re-
guires course SO far northerly as to
make a considerable detection in the
route of those proceeding to California
or Utah; and in order, ii possible, to find
more direct pass, Capt Stansbury, in
returning from the valley of the Great
Salt Lake, in 1850, made reconnois-
sance of Bridger' Pass, which is so called
after Maj Bridger, who has charge oi
Fort Bridger, an Indian trading post on
the Black Fork of Green river. This
pass is at the head waters of the northern
tributaries of the Grand river, called
Muddy Greek, just above where it unites
with St. Vrain's.
There appears to be no depression in
the mountain range south of Bridger's
Pass, OF. of st. Vrain's Fork, near it,
which offers, even to the most sanguine,
the idea of route fit for railroad, until
under the parallel of 3s deg.-nortIl Of
the Spanish Peaks, but south Of the high
land around Pixies Peak. Col. Fremont
suggests this region as the line for the
projected line of railway and the late
Capt. Gunnison was directed to explore
it by the government in 1853.
To come into the valley of the De-
Norte, several mountain passes were in
use by the mufeteers; four of which
were known as the Sangre del Christie
Pass, the Roubidoux or Musca Pass,
Williams's Pass, and the San Luis Pass
Once in the valley of the Del Norte, by
one of these passes, the traveller has to
get out again, and there are open to him
westward the Coo-ehi-tope Pass and the
Leroux Pass. All of these passes were
examined by Capt. Gunnison. The first
four named proved quite useless for any
purposes of railroad /; indeed, the ''San-
gre del Christo,'' which was improved
as supply road for Fort Massachusetts,
ON the Del Norte, Is but difficult wagon
road. Capt. Gunnison himself discovered
a better summit level very low, ovel
which even railroad can easily be made
from the plains of the Arkansas to Fort
Massachusetts, in the valley of the De-
Norte.* He also explored the San Luis
Pass, and thought these more practicable
than the others These passes are JUS
west efthe western line of Kansas, which,
as it viii be remembered, is ON the divid.
ing ridge over which they cross By
the last but one of these passes does Col
Fremont proposes to carry the Californis
railroad into the valley of the Grand River
of the west. 1t was free from snow, Dec
9th, 1858.
/ The survey which Capt Gunnison wa:
conducting in the valley of the Great Sal
Lake was interrupted by his death. HI
was killed by the Indians on the Goth o
October, with thirteen of his party. Hi,
first officer was Lieut.. Beckwith, who re
manned with the remnant of the party ii
| the Great Salt Lake City through the
winter. to complete the survey and draw
ings. His report has not been published
The traders route to Santa Fe doe.
not follow the valley of the Kansas riyel
far. Capt. Gunnison found a line b,
which, following the valley of that river
a road could cross the Saline and Smoky
Hill Forks. and pass directly to the Ar
kansas, without following the bend of tha
river or of the Smoky Hill.
The usual route to Santa Fe crosses
line of country easier than these describ
ed so far as that city A line yet furthe
south has been surveyed along the valley
of the CimaTon, joining the traders rout'
near Vegas, eighty miles south of the linz
of Kansas. The greatest height ON th'
traders route, as observed by Lieut. EN-
ory when he crossed with Gen. Kearney
is seven thousand five hundred feet.
e. :
The various routes of travel westward
are all which have been in fact followed
by persons crossing with goods or heay1
siores from the one ocean to the other.
A southern route contemplates lin
drawn from ST. Louis to the southwes
corner of Missouri, thence westerly to tn
! neighborhood of Bent's Fort, where
; would unite with that already described
The various southern rou.es, converg
, ing from various directions in Uppe
Texas, propose to pursue route almos
west, through Ell Paso and the strip c
territory purchased of Mexico by tn
treaty of December 5oh, 1853, to Sa
Francisco. But these routes, though eS
, plored, have not been travelled on by EN-
igrants or merchants.
, The great practicable routes, thus IA
, used, lead through Kansas, or the vale
! of Nebraska river.
There are various detailed question
already agi.a:ed as to the route which
railroad should follow on leaving the va
ley of the Missouri, and at what point {
that valley it should begin.
The Hannibal and st. Joseph's railroad
, running through the State of Missoul
from the Mississippi river to the Mis-
E souri,, nearly westward, is already in pro
, gress of construction. The friends G
, this enterprise are eager in pressing it
continuation westward, through Kansas
as the beginning of railway to tn
, Pacific.
i Further south the :. Pacific Railroad,
!, so called, of Missouri, which is ope
about forty miles westward from S
Louis, is to run to Kansas city, at tn
mouth of Kansas river. Col. Benton an
Col. Fremont, in proposing what is Gale
+" Fremont's line of railroad," sugges
that it should be continuation of thi
road, and run from Kansas city. Be
,, tween these lines. Lyneeus, the anony
!. nous author of a remarkable pamphle
|. published IN 1853, in st. Louis, urge
|. that any road undertaken BY the govern
ment should run from Fort Leavenwort
: by Bridger's Pass. 1t would thus pas
! through the great fertile "divide y be
, tween the Kansas aud Nebraska rivers
and, avoiding the passage of any wild
river, proceed nearly westward to tn
Sail Lake CITY