The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-09-01
The California Mail Route.

Southern Route for the Mail Line to
California. We have been satisfied,
from our knowledge Of the country, that
it was most judicious selection; and
we have always been persuaded that it
was the best--if not the only practicable
route, for railroad from the Atlantic
to he Pacific States. Mr.. j. R. Bartlett
who was at the head of the commission
for running the boundary line between
Mexico and the United States in 1850 to
1853, and who was three years traversing
and exploring the country from the Rio
Grande to the Pacific between the paral-
lels Of 80 and 32-gives the award OF
the mail to this route q most decided
approval. Mr.. B. is Northern man,
with strong Republican prejudlces-his
testimony is therefore impartial and
honest. He represents the route, as
easily passable by wagons, even in its
present condition, and capable, with
very little labor, Of being made q good
stage road for the W hole distance Of 1900
miles. 1t presents no serious difficulties
to the construction and maintenance Of
a railroad from the banks Of the Missis-
sippi to the shores Of the Pacific. lie
says:
1.-THE country is we'll adapted for wagon
road, and equally so for a railway. From
fredericksburg, in Texas, all the way to the
Rio Grande, there is natural road, which,
as whole, is bet er than one half the roads
in the United States west Of the Mississippi.
Very little has been done to this road of
nearly 600 miles to render it what it is ; and
a little labor where the streams are crossed,
with q bridge across the Pecos, which could
be constructed with ease and at small ex-
pense, would make the whole OF it equal to
our best turnpike" By sinking few wells
which the Government is now doing-wa-
ter stations could be had every 10 or II miles
with an abundance OF grass.
The district of country bordering on the
Rio Grande at Fl Paso is the widest and rich
est portion of the bottom lands along that
stream, and hence capable of sustaining a
larger population than at any other point.
1t may with truth be asserted that the rich
est portion of the valley of the Rio Grande
lies between the parallels of 800 SO' and %
degrees. FL Paso lies in So AS, where the
mail route crosses tie Rio Grande. The dis
trict of country west OF the Rio Grande, near
which the contemplated mail route PASSES.
was frequently traversed and retraversed by
: Mr.. Bartlett with seven loaded wagons, and
, he found water at easy stages and an abun-
dance of grass; though a portion of the way
they passed through a country that had never
been penetrated by white man, and in
Tie whole party passed from the Rio Grande
to the ella River with their loaded wagons
pack mules, herd OF twenty-five oxen and
one hundred and fifty sheep, through this
unknown region, crossing mountains, ridges
open plains, and desert wastes, without los
| ing or erppling a wagon without suffering
, for the want of water, which was always
) found ut convenient distances until the riv-
, ers San Pedro and ella were reached. In
) some cases where no water was seen they
} dug for it, and in every instance found il
near the surface. Inevery mountain range
: defles easy of access, with gradual ascents
and descents, were everywhere found By di-
verging little to the right or left. Grass
. too, for their large train ofmules, horses, cat
tie, and sheep, was always found in abun
Z dance.
The representation on the map OF con-
: tinuous chain of the Rocky Mountains
through the U. States and Mexico, is errone-
Gus. Along the parallel of 81 and SO Their,
: is a break in the mountains, and an elevated
woodless plain exists, only about 1000 fee
above the sea; and which is reached by al
: ascent from the Rio Grande valley, so gentle
e as hardly to be perceptiole to the traveller
( 1.-The belt Of level plain here noted may
safely be set down ut from 50 to 100 miles il
!. width, and extends from the Rio Grande t,
S the coast range Of mountains on the Pacific
| The mountains present no barrier TO the con
struction of railway. being in short ridges
trCm five to ten miles in length, overlapping
each other, with broad defles or open space
. between, aHording easy passages thro gh.-
h We Travelled, with loaded wa
4
y this district, without once locking thci
% wheels, and this too where there was N
=, road. Every mountain range was PARSE,
through without difficulty; and, in some in
1t stances, so gradual was the ascent and de
n scent as to be scarcely perceptibe."
!. 1t will thus appear that this entire district
from the Rio Grande to the Colorado, wit
~ its broad, open, gravelly plains, is admira
rs bly, adapted for either great wagon road o
lie a railway.
4. From the River ella to the Pacific, the on
9. ly obstacle is the California Desert, abou
:. one hundred miles across. This is very har
and level, with occasional spots of sand.
=" is entirely destitute of wood, and nearly S
s. Of grass. Water in the dry season is only t
m be obtained by digging. By sinking larg
ne wells it could doubtless be found in an
"a quantity desirable. In seasons when til
y, Colorado overhows its banks its waters f
large basins in the desert, where it some
10 times remains two or three years before it
s. entirely absorbed by the sands or evaporate
in by the sun. From this point to San Dieg
ed thcrc is not only water at convenient distan
&c ces, but an abundance of gross.
The route here described from Easter
" Texas. is taken by numbers Of emigrar
" trains.
'lr son my return from California we m,
of cmigrant parties every day after leaving Il
ella, and in one instance drove of l7,0(
4 II