, 1855-03-31
Overland Mail to California.

OVerlOuO Mdl " CALIFORNIA.
! The subject of the overland mail and
/! wagon road, from some point on the Mis-
souri, to California, is engaging very gen
eral attention throughout the country-in
the cities of the western states, and in Cali
fornia Meetings are being held in the
: larger towns and cities on the Pacific
committees appointed, and funds raised for
the examination Of various passes in the
Sierra Nevada mountains. We may ex-
pect soon to have reports on those differ
ent rontcs, and the public will then be able
to judge which is most feasible, and best
adapted to the purposes of this great work
When the whole people of California unite
with energy in n project of this kind, fully
realizing its vital importance, there is little
doubt but that it will be prosecuted with
vigor, and speedily brought to n successful
completion.
In the meantime, the territories Of Wash
ington and Oregon should be alive TO q
sense of the Importance Of extending, from
some eligible point, branch to intersect
the main trunk, for the diversion Of our
mail matter, and such travel as might be
desirous of directing its course to this sec
tion of country; and we cannot but believe,
much as VIC may dislike peculiar incorpora-
: tions, bnt that the joint action of the legis-
laturcs of Washington and Oregon terrific
ries in the formation Of a company with
r that object in view, with limited powers,
and under wholesome restrictions as to
time, &c, would be second in Importance
only, as far as the interests Of this section
of country is CONCERNED, in the event Of its
being successfully carried ont, to the com
pletion and operation Of a railroad to the
= Pacific
, Possessed, as this territory now is, with
a wagon road leading over the Cascade
mountains in the direction Of Fort Walla-
walla. and with rccen appropriations by
{ congress, of limited suns, for the construc-
! tion of military roads leading from the
shores of the Sound, by way of Fort Van
: couver, up the Columbia river TO the
Dalles, we know Of no enterprise in which
capital can be engaged, at present, to bet
! ter advantage, than in being expended in
immediate connection with those appropri-
] atoms, in opening up thorougfare of
travel for line Of stages connecting with
the line, and forming an intersection with
the road from the Missouri to California,
! when once established. Our mails would
thus be made to reach US directly, and at
: once, and an advantageous communication
I with the western states be forever estab-
lished. At all events, the appropriations
! for the roads alluded to, should be expend-
j ed without delay, and renewed efforts made
to obtain suficiency from congress to
complete them in somewhat respectable
manner.
, Calculations have been made at Sacra-
mento, that $3.50, 900 would establish the
overland stagc line referred to, from the
I. western frontier Of the other side, to Cali
fornia, and that the monthly current ex-
! penses, including interest on capital, wear
and tear, &C., would be $57 1000. The re-
! ceipts from passengers, have been estima-
ted, would amount to $4,000 monthly, at
the rate of $3.50 for each-leaving a
monthly profit of $lS,5OO, besides COM
, pensation for carrying the mail.
We hope the enterprise Of this portion
of the coast will set itself to work, in the
making out Of q connecting calculation,
and give the public the benefit Of the re-
, suit.
The following is the joint resolution in
troduced into the United States Senate
from the committee on post Offices and
post roads, for the object alluded to. We
arc not informed, by our last advices from
,, Washington, of the disposition made of it /:
"That weekly mail toand from San
Francisco, from some point on the Missis-
sippi, be established the trip TO be four
teen days, the postage on the letters to be
, fifty cents per half ounce, and prepaid, the
mail not to weigh over two hundred pounds,
, and the remuneration to be six thousand
, dollars per trip; and If from any cause the
mail be delayed beyond sixteen days, the
pay of the trip to be forfeited. Three sue
cessive delays beyond that time to cause a
forfeiture Of the contract. The contract to
be commenced within one year, and to be
continued FIVE years."
Read and ordered to be printed"
THURsroN COUNTY CoNvESrIoN.-Black