The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-08-08
Aselfis su..l n..,e.

RaeifIe Mail Rssse.
Tha route selseted ~ the President for
he overland transmission Of The mail, seems
= elicit mcritsd sastigasion, Ct the hands
Of the Western people. As We have before
atated, the route selested i the extreme
Southern one, passing through Arkansas,
Texas, and the Gadsden purchase, thus ig-
noring the common central business route,
up the valley Of the Platte. We had sup
posed that the mail road was to be the pio-
neer of the railroad sshence great
national road which il TO cost countless mill
lions Of dollars, one great object Of which is
to convey troops to the Pacifc in case OF
war, is to be located so near the border that
it may be torn up at any time, without
danger, BY small body Of troops sent
across the line for that purpose" But it
seems that We were mistaken-the design
Of the mail road is for no such purpose--the
great Pacific Railroad cannot and will not
be built upon the route selected BY the Pres
ident for the transmission Of the mail. 1t
is too far from the centre of trade and
travel, and passes through the hardest kind
of country-a country SO destitute OF ara
BILE land, of wood, Of water, &C., that it
will not be likely to be brought into occu-
patton and use, even by the expenditure an
nually Of the half million provided by the
President Of the United States. The Tole-
do Blade says that according to the state
ments of Secretary DAVIS and Captain Hun
rHREYs, in vol. l, and according to the
statements Of Messrs. PoPE, PAKkE and
EMERY, engineers, in vol. 2, Of Pacific Rail-
| road surveys, no less than seven deserts, or
barrens, or waste lie along the route, across
which, from one permanent watering place
to another, it is, in case of the smallest des-
ert, measured distance Of ifty-three miles,
across the largest one (the famous Llano
Estacado) ono hundred and twenty-five
miles from water to water! Another is
eighty-nine miles across! The Colorado
desert is ninety miles across! The distance
from Memphis, on the Mississippi, to San
Francisco, is $500 OF 2, 700 miles, and from
St. Louis about 5000, while from Council
Bluffs, up the valley Of the Platte, the dis
lance to San Francisco, is but eighteen hun
dred miles. The contractors are to carry
the mail in four horse coaches twice week,
at $579, 900 per annum. How these horses
and post coaches are to get over these long
arid deserts on which the sun pours his
fierce beams so fervidly, that the barrel OF
double barreled gun cannot be fred with
out discharging the second barrel, BY the
heat, is question which it is not for us to
solve. But as it is all for the benefit of
slavery, we suppose that it will be DONE
A Washington letter writer, sets forth the
reasons for deciding on the extreme section
al route thus:
The administration, in selecting this
route, in preference to the northern and
central routes, the latter of which is moro
eligible and would be more easily connected
with all the principal roads already con-
structed from the Atlantic to the Mississippi,
has given its endorsement to the southern
secession policy, which has been boldly
avowed in connection with this same enter
prise. The principal reason urged in favor
of this route is, that it gives the key of CAL
ifornia aud the whole territory on the Pa
cific coast to the south, so that in the event
Of their secession, they may wrench the lat
ter from the north and hold all the interve-
ming territory.
For the selection Of such a route no rea-
son in necessity could be given, except'it
be, that the want of energy and capital, and
the certain prospect of its unpro6tableness,
when constructed, would have prevented its
being undertaken by any other than the
Federal Government, urged on by the south
for partizan purposes. 1t is not only cir
cuitous, but the wants of the country do
not demand such location. Had it been
eoui-distant from North to South-did it
not pass through an unusually fertile dis
trict, or extensive settlements-if the natu-
raj extension of any Of the principal roads
already constructed from east to west-or
could it be constructed at much less expense,
there would be sufficient reason for such a
location.
But there is yet no road in operation, or
likely soon to be, from east to west, south
of St. Louis; whereas, between St. Louis
and the northern line Of Iowa, there are
four or five roads nearly parallel, pushing
westward with all the energy with which the
large prospective business Of the plains has
inspired them. The Pacific road already in
operation further westward than any other,
the Hannibal & st. Joseph, and all those
crossing tho State of Iowa from east to
west, would naturally converge at some
point two or three hundred miles west of
the Missouri river. The settlements on
those lines extend further westward than
those on any other line, and would create a
local business that would make the road
profitable almost as soon as it could be con-
structed to the head Of the Kansas and of
the Platte. Passing through Salt Lake
Valley, it would carry the immense emigra-
ton and trade Of Utah, and from that d.
verging to Oregon and California, accom-
modate the vast commerce that is opening
upon the whole Pacific coast. This is the
only road which the present wants of the
country demand, and which will eventually
be built, even without government patron
age; and doubtless sooner than the south,
assisted by the Federal Government, will
build the southern road.
Good.
The New York Picayunc, edited by Doe
sticks, speaking of its various contributors,
lets off the following concerning we'll
known writer: ...