The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-12-15

from indispOstion The bands will be broken up unless
some set apart for their maintenance This
can readily be done by appropriang sufficient for
the purpose out of the fines and foreures of the army
This fund could not be devoted to desirable object
OREGON AND WASHINGTON CLAIMS
BY a law passed the 18th day of August, 1885,
commission directed to be appointed for the purpose
of ascertaning the of money fairly due 70 the youn
sers Oregon and Washington Territories for their
vices In the Indian which threatened TO lay waste
those Territories In compliance with this law, Captain
Smith, of the first dragoons Captain Rufus Ingalls, OF the
quartermasters department and Lafayette Grover, esd,
of Salem Oregon appointed to examine the accounts
aud Claims and TO make report IN conformity with the
law and upon the facts they existed 10 tr at least an
il was possible to ascertain them.
These officers entered upon their duties on the 10th dry
of October 1885, and seem TO have abored with great
asduity and patience in discharge of them until the 10th
day of October last when they were brought 10 close
have examined this report very carefully and conclude
that from the data they adopted for their guide as to the
prices of and subsistence and time of service ren
ered by the men, IL is not probable just aecu
rate result could be attained than these gentlemen have
arrived at The amount ascerained to be due is very
large one and Congress will have to make provision for
its payment If it is intended they shall be qudaed OF
which, presume there can now be no doubt
BREnoH LOADING r.ri..
The appropriation the purchase Of the best breech
loading rife has been nearly all expended for arms OF d
ferent constructionsome for experiment in the hed,
thought be far the best test and have been pur
chased for in the army having been already approved
think there existed Of the sort at the time the
appropriation was made which has not been materially
improved SINCE and much of this improvement has taken
place since the trial made of this sort Of arm last summer
at West Point under the direction of board of officers
appointed for the purpose The variety of hdng
arms is extremely great and the ingenuity e%iA ied III
constructing them highly credabe Some oi ttse arms
are best for one of service whilst others answer best
for another and the purchases made have been determn
cd with view to this object improvements are still go
ing on in the construction of this particular arm, and.
with further encouragement, Valuable results VIII
doubt be attained.
Some of these combine, in very high degree,
celebrity and accuracy of fire. with great force at long
range ats
TYPOGRAPHICAL BUREAU.
The clear and complete reports from this bureau will
fully apprze you of its abors during the past year. and
its present condition
AoUEDUcT CAPITOL AND POST OFFICE EXTENSION.
These works are still under the direction of the officer
heretofore in charge of them and his report Will show
the progress made in their prosecution as well us his es
Inmates for money to carry the work in the future
ouARrERMAsrrn GENERALS BUREAU.
The operations of this department for the past year
will fully appear from the Quartenaster Generals report
herewith transmitted. t..s
are extremely large, but the duties performed very
great and the necessities for the payment OF immense
sums of money in this department. seem unavoidable
This vast expenditure will to be matter OF sur
prise to any who with proper information reflects
fully upon the extent and character OF the country over
which our military operations are conducted
We not apt carry along as an element OF reiec-
ton in drawing contrast between the present and former
expenditures the increase of distances to be
traversed and the difficulties which multiply themselves
from transportation wild, barren sterile unin-
habted waste. 8....
Our territory living between the Mississippi river and
the Pacific ocean is about 200 miles in length from
north to south its breadth from east to west in latitude
40 deg is 800 miles in latitude 3S deg, 1890 miles
,,,l IN, ftnIn Iar mil
about 2, 600 900 square miles ....s
The meridian of l05 degrees west longitude divides this
Territory into two nearly equal parts The eastern half
is great plain rising gradually from the Mississippi river
to the foot of the mountains along the meridian of l05
degrees where its elevation the northern boundary
is $500 feet in the middle latitude 600 feet; and
the southern boundary, 900 feet above the sea-
The western half is mountain region, the chains OF
which, far as yet known, have, generally direction
north and south.
If draw line nearly ooincidng with the meridian
of 90 degrees west longitude dividing the great plain into
two nearly equal parts shall find that portion east OF
this line differing entirely from that west OF it, The east
cIn part is fertile the western arid and sterile The
width of the fertile district from 400 to 500 miles, OF
the sterile from 800 to 400 miles. The surface OF this
uncuvable REGION along the routes generally travelled
is sandy gravely and pebby 1t supports no trees eS-
cept few willows and cotton woods along the streams
to which mezquite s added in the southern ATTITUDES The
grass sparse varieties of cactus are abund
ant Portions of the river bottoms where the soils OF
the different strata become mixed and where water
can be had for irrigaton are to limited extent cul-
tivable The minor streams frequently disappear in The
sands.
On the western border of the plain the mountains rse
abruptly from it, The routes explored by the Pacific rail
road parties entered the mountain region through the
lowest known passes, whose attitudes vary from 1000 to
10000 feet above the The mountain ridges and
peaks rise above these passes from 1000 to 5000 feet
Nearly the entire distance to the Pacific occupied by
mountains separated by desert plains basins The two
great chains forming the east and west border Of the
mountain region have the greatest elevation enclosing, as
it were, the Others.
Great aridty and sterlty characterize the mountain
region except the Pacific slopes of its western border,
and generally the aspect dreay and desolate in the
treme .... s..
To be sure at the foot of the western slopes of the
highest mountain chains and spurs fertile soil and the
of irrigation often found. And there are small
mountain valleys that hre cultvable and also river bot
but the plains may be called barren, and, with
exceptions, the soil only be cultivated when the
means of irrigation at hand Occasionally belts of
forest found among the mountains but the instances
are exceptional
The great uncuvable belt including plain and noun
tain regonthrough which all routes to the Pacific must
pass has width northern boundary of l, 100
miles in latitude 3S deg, of 200 miles, and near the
southern boundary of 1000 miles The length of the
roads through the belt is of course greater.
Over nearly this whole region and distances quite
great these the Quartermaster Department il
called upon to furnish transportation and supplies for
troops, who keeping up continual patrol Of that
vast territory and great portion of the time engaged in
warfare with the and hardy savages who range
perpetualy those boundless wilds Heavy expend
Il