San Andreas independent., 1856-12-06
The Wagon Road Question.

In all ages,--ln all countries, ivilized
and barbarian, Public Highways have
claimed the attention of the greatest men
in the land The history of Rome is but
description of roads and the records Of
conquering armies that passed over them
The pride of the nation was centered in her
military roads, and the builders thereof.
Throughout Asia and Europe, from the
Amoor to the Thames-from the North
Cape to the Grecian Archipelago, the re-
mains Of these everlasting structures-
Roman roads, s,-straight as the meridional
line, are yet visible. If the necessities,
of half-civilized people, forced their
rulers to make such improvements at that
time, to facilitate travel and trade, and
supply their wants, how much more impor-
tant does it become our present Legislators,
both State and National, to assist in build
ingou Public Highways. The merits of
the Pacific Railroad we do not at this time
intend to discuss, ss,-leaving that for future
period, and to ADLER hands; we will confne
ourselves to what must eventually be the
fore-runner of the rail road, and the iden-
tification of the route-we mean the great
Wagon Road over the Sierra Nevada
Mountains"
In another column we publish the Act
of April %, 1855, appropriating one hun
dred thousand dollars in bonds to build the
road, and the further appropriation of
$4,000, in cash, to make suitable surveys.
This law has become bone Of contention
between the citizens of different sections
of the State who, recognizing only theirown
views, oppose all other routes that conflict
with their individual interests.
There are now seven routes through
which the overland emigration thread their
way to California-the ella, Tehone, Pla-
cerville Gold Hang Town. Johnson's Cut
off, Beckwourth's, Mobiles, and the Big
Tree roads. The friends of each of these
routes advocate that theirs is the best, and
have the greatest natural advantages
But does facts, substantiated by experience,
award the preference to either? Is not
the Northern routes impossible one half
the year on account Of extreme cold and
the deep snow of winter months? In the
South are not the Gila and Tehone routes,
during the summer months, impossible on
account of the burning deserts and want
of water, to subsist life for man and beast
Did not these barriers exist, the routes
are located in out-of-the-way sections,
neither convenient or practicable, on ac-
count of high mountains or immense des-
erts, with nothing but +" the enchantment
distance lends to the view," to recommend
them. Yet there is predominating selfish
ness enough, interested in these routes, to
clamor for an appropriation to build roads
over these almost inaccessible heights and
barren deserts, where God and nature
never intended they should be built.
Let us now turn our attention to the
Big Tree route where, within year, a
road has been built, that surpasses our most
sanguine expectations, in facilities and ac-
cess; over which gentlemen have driven,
in fourteen hours, light buggy wagon,
from the Big Treeto Carson Valley. This
route never freezes up, and always has
sufficient water and grass, has but one d.
vade, and that gently sloping mountain,
over which railroad can be graded, with
out the aid of an " inclined plain" The
Big Tree roadruns on adirectair-line, East.
from Stockton, to Carson Valley.-the
points intervening are some of the princi-
pal towns in the richest mining district in
the State We will name Jenny Lind,
Double Springs, Latimers, North Branch,
San Andreas, Lower Calaveritas, Forman's,