San Andreas independent., 1857-02-07
From the Missouri Republican.
Letter from California =. The
Big Tree ROute,o sc.
SAN JOSE. SeDtember 1876

Mr.. EDITOR when [ last wrote you,
| was at Fort Laramie. / then promised
to let you and others of my friends in Mis-
souri,, hear from me again, when reached
the sammy side of the Sierra Nevada Noun
tains.
Our company, known as the "Border
Ruffan" train, consisting of twenty-five
men, seven ladies and several children, left
Westport, on the 10th of May, and reached
the town of Murphy's on the 26th of
August, just three and half months from
the time of starting. Here we met with
friends, with whom we tarried few DAYS,
and then came on to this city, which we
reached on the 9th inst
There has been great deal of breath
and money expended by members of Con-
gress, making bunconlbe speeches about
what they were going to do for the emiera-
tion to California and Oregon, yet in the
face Of all these promises, we find emf
grants subject to the most exorbitant char
ges, in the shape Of tolls and ferriages all
the way through Even under the very
guns of Laramie, and at the crossing OF
North Platte, (another military station, J
individuals are suffered to monopolize the
bridges and extort from the traveller as
they please. Why don't the Government
buy up these bridges and ferries and make
them free to the enligrant? If they
would do this, and expend few hundred
thousand in making others where they are
needed, and such other improvements as
might be necessary, people might then
have some confidence in the sincerity Of
their professions. The road across the
plains is already one Of the best natural
roads of the same length in tie world,
and it would require but little outlay on
the part of the Government to render it
entirely practicable for any purpose.
As for military posts on the way, with
the present governmental policy, cannot
perceive that they arc of much advantage
to the Government or emigrant & x
1t would be just about as sensible to en-
ploy a company Of boys with pop-guns to
storm Sebastopol, as to send infantry to
fight Indians on the plains. The effect of
this policy heretofore has been only to
give the Indian contemplate opinion of
the Government and it's resources.
/ wish here to say few words on the
practicability Of carrying into effect the
proposed plan Of your Pacific, or Califor-
MIA Overland Mail Company-to carry a
daily mail from St. Louis to this country
Now, this is the second trip | have made
across the plains, and my knowledge of
the country induces me to say, without
hesitation, that the Company have prom
ised what it will be impossible for them to
perform. A semi-monthly might do, and
possibly nreehly, but a daily never. In
the first place, they can't have stations
every ten miles as proposed in their plan,
nor every twenty, nor even every forty
miles, for there are many stretches of from
fifteen to thirty miles without wood, water
or grass, and there are ten places between
Fort Kearney and California, leaving out
Salt Lake and Carson Valley, where even
sufficlency of vegetables could be raised
for the support of the hands which would
be necessary at a station But suppose
they establish stations every ten miles
what then? Their hands and horses must
live, and as it is impossible to raise proven
der and provisions on the route, they would
necessarily have to be freighted from the
State of Missouri, Salt Lake, Carson Val
ley and California. When it is known
that the Government must pay eight dol
lars per ere7y hundrea pounds freight
they get at Fort Laramie, we might rea-
sonably conclude that the operation would
be attended with considerable expense;
probably, even overrunning the profits,
and the consequence in year or two.
would be a .faizure of the "California
Overland Mail Company" / would be
the last man to propose any obstacle to the
accomplishment of an object of such vital
interest to our country, but [ like to see
men talk and act nationally 1t is very
easy matter for company of men to meet
In snug room in the Planters House,
and over basket of good champagne,
with pen, ink and paper for their motive
power, send train of cars, or line of
coaches, whizzing from St. Louis to Sac
ramento. but when they come to reduce
their plan into practical operation, they
md 1t does not go so easy as champagne
and oysters. When left Missouri, from
the statement of correspondent to that
effect, they were of opinion that their ten
mile stations were already established near
y all the way up the Humboldt river
This is ridiculous humbug. There is
but one prominent post on the Humboldt
river, and that is at the Sink"
But if they think they can accomplish
all they propose, it will justify some of
them in travelling over the route next
spring, when, like me, | think they will
conclude they have made their calculations
little too large.
TO return to our trip: In Carson Val
II Il