Grass Valley telegraph., 1856-03-04
San Franei.co and .saeramento Rail-


We have received copy # the Report of
the Engineer of the proposed eSan Francisco
and Sacramento Railroad y The report is
very full, occupying forty pages of reading
matter, and comprising ghyaluable statis-
tical information about the freighting busi-
ness throughout the central and northern por
tons of the State The title by which the
company is designated is, a misnomer. It
should read the Sacramento and Benecia
Railroad Co., (" for such It is, and must ever
be. The placing of "a line of boats on the
route from Benecia to. San Francisco, will
never makea railroad-of that portion of the
route, and the name as it now stands will
only create confusionEw
The road will ba5S miles long, and the to-
tai estimated cost of construction, with all
its equipments complete for running is $S,-
100000 = fraction short Of $50 900 per mile
The estim@5ed profits of this road over and
above all expenses is 20 per cent On the capi-
tai investla. This estimate is based upon the
present. sinoas 81 theSiyer. anu on a reiuc-
ton ofpy llAlf on the exisisting rates of
e.ss9sasa ~ asssglss Tsse ssFns
raj inereass business upon the route, By
the advance of population, and the improved
facilities for travel. saili afford abundant
margin for any ander estiuIate IN cost of con-
struction or running. The road must not
only prove good paying investment even
at Caii1orais rates--but will afford greatly
improved and much needed fac cilities for
travel and transportation between the sea-
board and the interior.
The Report is accompanied with map,
giving the route'6f the road, as also that of
the Sacramento Valley Railroad, which is
now in operation twenty-five miles out from
Sacramento. We are pleased to learn that
the construction Of this road is in the hands
of gentlemen who are able and determined to
put it through at an early day.
Notwithstanding the generally mountain
Gus character of the state, nature has fur
nished us with NEARLY perfect grade
for system of railroads by which we may
penetrate into almost every portion of our
territory. From Benecia to Sacramento,
thence to Folsom, and along the foothills
northwardly to Shasta, a distance of about
25O miles. there is natural grade for road
not exceeding three feet to the mile, with no
difficult obstacle whatever to overcome. To
this main trunk lateral branches could be
run from every important point in the noun
Koi onH0r To ah nff
rect and speedy communication with Sacra-
mento and San Francisco. The amount of
freight money now paid monthly at the ex-
treme northern point of this route is SET down
by. the local paper there, the Shasta Repub-
lican, at $4,000 monthly This is for freight
alone. This amount Includes the freight that
passes through that city to places beyond
but does not include an immense amount of
produce which is conveyed thither from va
rious points along the Sacramento valley
In addition to the freight business, no lesg
than $4,000 per month is paid by passen-
gers to the California Stage Coin all, ST.
200, 900 per year is paid in hard cash at the
extreme end of the route The road in reach
ing its upper terminus would have to pass
through the entire length of the most popu-
lous portion of the. State; every important
point Of which would abundantly sustain its
own portion of theroad. Can another route
for Railroad be found in the entire world
presenting superior inducements to capital
lists? This road being continuation of the
| Sacramento Railroad 200 miles to Shasta, %
Of winch is already completed, and in success
full operation, can be eruilt and equipped, for
one third less per mile than the Sacramento
and Benecia road or a total cost of $g,000,-
600. 1t has been estimated at $4,000, 600,
which is evidently rather loose ealculotion.
However placing IFS cost at even $4,000 600
there can be nqdoubt that it must prove
most profitable investment. Without any
increase of trade4or population whatever, but
at the current rate of charges, the business
of Shasta alone, with the country beyond,
and dependent UPON it, would pay the entire
working expenses of the road while the saw
ing of time by the increased speed of trans
mission would be immense With these fig
ures and facts, who>can entertain doubt of
the eventual completion of this work! The
completion of the first 22 miles, and it's sue
cessfnl operation, even for so short distance,
will soon attract the attention of business
men and capitalists to its early extension.
The FOURTH OF MARoH.-One year from
to-day the present administration goes out of
power, and new expression of the popular
will must be inaugurated at Washington, eI-
er endorsing the present national policy or
initiating a new one. It is one of the wise
acts of the founders of the Republic, that the
administration Of public affairs should be
limited to four years duration. Why the
Fourth of March was the day fixed upon as
the anniversary for its recurrence is not ap-
parent but it is a fact, not little remarka-
bic, that this national Inauguration Day"
cannot fall on Sunday for period of 800
years to come.