San Andreas independent., 1857-04-04
WAGON ROAD Convention.

Wagon Road Convention, published in
another column The strong language of
President Buchanan in favor of Pacific
Railroad, the passage of the Wagon Road
Bill. and the bills In favor of mail route
and telegraph line to connect St. Louis
with San Francisco, firmly convinces us
that the "powers that be" are determined
to do-even at this late hour-justice to
California. 1t therefore bchooves the cit
liens of Calaveras interested in that call
to act, to work, to be true to themselves,
and not allow others to carry away the
golden prize that God, Nature and Con-
gress have placed within their grasp.
The objects of the Convention are mani
fold and varied; and we warn the trae
friends Of the Big Tree route, to be
on the alert, or outside influences will di-
vert the actions of the Convention into
other channels than the objects for which
it is called. The call is an anomaly, yetit
will subserve all interests, and the conyen-
ton will be vastly beneficial, if conducted
by intelligent, working men-men of ster-
ling worth, Of capital, energy and enter
prise. See to it that the delegates be
active, intelligent men; men who will go
there, representing not only their constit-
uents, but their own homesteads and fami
lies; men who would not consume their
time in making buncombe speeches, in log
rolling, and in underhand working to get
the disbursement Of the funds collected
into other hands than would subserve the
interests of the Big Tree road.
We speak thus, as in the call we dis
cover an anomaly. 1t emanates from Sac
ramento, city that has ever administered
" cold poison" to Stockton and the Tulare
valley. The Convention is called to meet
at Mokelumne Hill, town on the most
northern extremity Of the section Of coun-
try to be benefited by the road. Mokel-
umne Hill is on a line with the route by
which Sacramento expects to tap the i'm
migration east Of the Big Tree, and divert
it from entering California via Stockton.
The convention should have been held at
Stockton, which city is the most central
point within the counties named in the
call; a point where delegates would have
met fraternal feeling among the inhabi-
tants, and which could have been reached
at less expense than the one named
Calaveras County is to be more benefit
ted by this Big Tree Road enterprise than
any other, therefore it is the duty of her
citizens to meet other counties more than
half way in the work. The Convention
should have been called where the most
means, In all reasonable expectations, should
come from, and where the largest number
of delegates would be likely to assemble.
These are only suggestions, not thrown out
to dampen the ardor of real friends, but
to keep back such, as from their positions
and antecedents cannot render the enter
prise any material benefits. We serious
ly believe that thirty thousand dollars can
be raised within the counties named, by
private subscription, if the business is con-
Quoted under thesupervision of good man
ogemeat The road is already opened by
private subscription, paid in, year since.
Stockton then led off, as she will now, in
subscribing the largest amount, and paying
the cash down. The contractors went to
work on the faith of other subscriptions,
and completed the road-but those +" other
subscriptions have not yet been met and
the contractors yet remain unpaid and suf-
fering financial difficulties from the loss of
money that is honestly their dues. We
are informed that a large proportion of
these unpaid amounts were subscribed at
Mokelumne Hill We would simply ask
the contractors if any of the amount sub
scribed at the Hill was ever paid? The
citizens along Mokelumne river and espe-
cially of Mokelumne Hill, have long been
endeavoring to tap the immigration east
of the Big Tree, by directing it through
by the West Point route, and in this, Sac
ramento, Jackson and Volcano have been
aiding and abetting them. These infuen-
ces we do not fear, as the hardy emigrant
will be hard to persuade off of the Big
Tree Road at so short distance from the
Big Trees, when fifteen miles further tray
el will enable him to see the greatest nat
ural curiosity in the world. Once this side
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