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

ABOUT the same length Wolld connect with
the Hannibal and st. gosephis railroad
at the north, but its continuity would be
interrupted by the Missouri river.
1t is scarcely probable that the advan--
tages resulting from the establishments of
a base of operations at Fort LeaYenworth.
would compensate for the considerable di
vergence from western line which would
be necessary to get there. If Bridger's
Pass. or st. Vrain's, just south of it,
prove practicable. aline from Kansas City,
up the valley of Kansas river, through
this pass, would unite the advantages
claimed for route from Fort Leaven-
worth & -
But itmust be understood that all such
speculations with regard to a Pacific
railway are, thus far, simply speculations.
The public and the newspapers are fond
of talking as if an enterprise of this sort
were to be completed in year or two, by
what is called the "indomitable energy
of the American people," In fact, two
bids have been offered to Congress. offer
ing to build road from the Mississippi
to San Francisco in fye years. If two
hundred working days could be crowded
into each year. besides the exceptions ne
cessary in the mountains, in winter, and
those arising from storms and other inter-
ruptions, this would be at the rate of t.0o
miles Of railroad dag, half of which,
through the great mountain plateau de-
seribed, is through worse country than
railroad was ever carried through, COM
pletely destitute of supplies, and often of
water.
To begin to build a great route of COM
munication to the Pacific, the first neees-
sity is to begin to talk reasonably about
it. And first, it will require population
through which it is to pass, SO far as the
country can support a population. The
emigration to Kansas will give it that
population for two hundred miles, per-
haps three hundred miles, further than
now exists. Settlers who establish them
selves along the valley of the Kansas, and
between Fort Riley and Fort Kearney,
may indulge the hope that the great line
of western communication viii one day
pass near them. At present, as has been
said already, the great line of emigrant
travel is along the military road north
west from Fort Leavenworth.
The largest number of overland emf
grants which crossed the plains in one
year was eighty thousand.
A military road is now in progress from
Fort Leavenworth to Fort Riley.
We have spoken of these routes togeth-
er, because they passed in OF near the re-
gions of Nebraska and Kansas, which will
be first settled. 1t remains to speak oi
theremarkable passes much further north,
explored, in 1853, by Gov. Stevens. This
officer, after rapid reconnaissance of a
line through the Territory of Minnesota,
from the city of St. Paul to the neigh
borhood of old Fort Mandan, carried a
survey along the north side of the Mis-
souri, river to the neighborhood of Fort
Benton. West of this fort he examined
two passes, one called Cadets Pass, the
o.her surveyed by Lieut.. Mulian. He
represents the level of Cadets Pass as
three thousand feet lower than that of the
South Pass, as measured by Col. Ere
mont His full report is not yet publish
ed. His sketch of the surveys west OF
the mountains does not appear very en-
couraging. But the officers who winter
ed in the neighborhood of Cadets and
Mulian's Passes report that these were
but little encumbered with snow. Itmay
yet prove that the supplies for Oregon
and Washington Territories may be for
warded by the Missouri and one of these
passes. The main difficulties will be
found, not in the mainridge Of the Rocky
Mountains, but in the Territories them
selves.
1t may be well to repeat here what has
already been stated. that the Missouri
river can be navigated by. steamboats, te
the Great Falls.
The Yellowstone has been nayigated
eighty miles from It's mouth.
! Itisnavigable by latboats two or three
hundred miles further.
The FL PaSo steamboat assembled The
Nebraskt four or five hundred miles, il
the spring of 1858.
Steamboats, ascend the Kansas river t.
Fort Riley.
4 steamboat has ascended the Arkan
sas, during high water, for nearly a hun
dred miles above the south line of Kan
sas.
These are the only navigable rivers ii
the two Territories.