San Andreas independent., 1856-11-29
The Wagon Road Question--The
Claims of the South.

In another column Will be found an able
communication on this all absorbing topic.
The writer's views are based on know
ledge of facts and figures, he having passed
over the Sierra Nevada by each of the
routes mentioned, and having actually
surveyed three of them, his statements
are entitled to full credence.
1t appears, that after the act was passed,
appropriating 100000 in bonds to build
the road, and the advertising to receive
bids to do the work, had taken place,
some of the wise-acres interested in North
ern routes, discovered that the Act did
not provide any means to pay for the sur
vey. The $4,000 to be expended in the
survey was not forthcoming, and conse-
quently nothing was done towards sasurvey
of the route, until late in the season, and
SO the commissioners failed to locate the
route at that time
In the meantime the bids to build the
road were received, and duly passed upon,
according to the Act, and the contract was
awarded to Messrs. Leach & Frost, farmers,
residing near Stockton The contractors
being practical men, were prepared to 60
on and complete the work, previous to the
arrival of the coming emigration of 1856.
Their knowledge of the different routes
influenced them to prefer the Big Tree
Road, as the most direct and easiest to i'm
prove, of either of the routes surveyed
As soon as the friends of the northern
routes discovered the preferences of the
contractors, and that Calaveras county had
far superior natural advantages to their
own, then it was that defect in the law
was discovered, and that the Act must
(not being definite in its provisions), prove
abortive
During the last year, notwithstanding
the immense efforts to prevent it, one-third
of the overland emigration came by the
Big Tree route; and after another season
it will be the only route travelled by those
wishing to settle in the southern portion
of the State For this result we are in
debted to private enterprise alone. The
citizens of Stockton, and of this county,
subscribed freely, and built the Big Tree
Road, because nature had marked it out
as the only route suitable for the emigrant
road. Those who are familiar with the
different routes, positively assert that a
railroad can be graded to Carson Valley by
the Big Tree route, with less money, than
can macadamized road be built by either
OF the other routes. If legislative enact
ment does not crush us, by taxation, to
build roads where nature never designed
they should be built, the same enterprise
that opened the wagon road by the Big
Tree Grove, will yet build railroad by
that route to Carson Valley.
The San Joaquin Republican, in speak
ing on this subject, says:
"The Sacramento Daily Union republishes
from the Nountaia Democrat, the comments of
that paper upon the Importance of Wagon
road to Carson Valley. The Democrat says
their endeavor is to revive public attention to
the Importance of an enterprise to connect the
northern mining counties with Sacramento city
and shows clearly that unless Sacramento
city now takes the initiative steps, the great
trade OF Carson's will be directed and passed
through Marysville or Oroville, and from thence
Dy railroad to Benicia. The simple facts are
these; If railroad is to be constructed from
the Levee city, it will be found to the adyan-
tage OF capitalists, to run that railroad bv the
way of Stockton to Oakland, and in the event
that the enterprise of the capital of the State
is lacking, then they lose the trade and travel
of the emigration. Now, it is well known
that the navigation of the Sacramento river IS
yearly becoming more difficult, and the chances
are, that owing to the mining operations of the
northern counties, the tributaries, and conse-
quently, the main channels of the Sacramento
must and viii accumulate sediment, that event.
ually will shut off all communication with the
Bsy by large class Of boats. The reasoning