Daily national Democrat., 1858-12-29
The Sierra Turnpike Company-what
Marysvilie Ought TO DO.

hnd in the columns of the Sierra Democrat.
Ito the Mechanics, Merchants, Business men
and Capitalists of Marysyille," in which h
sets forth the advantages to be derived b,
this city from the construction of the turn
pike road, under consideration, and urges tn
parties, alluded to, at once to invest in tn
enterprise. We second his wishes in this re
gard with all our heart The prospect open
ed to Marysville is magnificent one and, i
she docs not improve her present opportuni
ty, we firmly believe that she will rue it tC
the latest day of her existence As having
the interests of this city at heart, and being
identified with all that most deeply concerns
her in the future we call upon the citizens
to arouse themselves to the Importance o
/ this movement The advantages attendant
upon 1.-THE almost immediate and never
ceasng advantages-are so perfectly appar-
ent that no intelligent man can fail to per
ceive them at glance We have already
shown the entire practicabilty of the work,
at cost not to exceed the paltry sum of
$50 900, (S20,O0O of which has already been
advanced } and to be completed, if the means
are at once subscribed, in six or seven
months time The road, as we have before
stated, is to have its termini at Downieyille,
in Sierra county, and Garden Valley, in
Yuta county, the road from Marysville to
Garden Valley being already very nearly
completed. The space where money is now
to be expended is between Downieville and
Garden Valley. Branches are to be run to
Forest City, Allegheny and Smiths Flat.
The heaviest grade on this route will rot ex-
ceed one foot to the rod, fact which at once
demonstrates its feasibility and silences all
objections on the score of natural obstacles.
The connection of this road with the other
side of the Sierra Nevada is thus described
by Mr. Platts circular:
The road is intended to meet the demands of
trade and travel from Downeville and the ada
cent region of country, to Marysville, but it is
also, in fact but link in the chain of roads that
will, when completed, connect your city with the
Great Central Overland Mail route.
ley, up the valley of the South Fork of the North
Yuba, is twenty-five miles.
The pass through the mountain from the South
Fork of the North Yuba, to Sierra Valley, is low
er, and has narrower snow belt and less depth
Df snow, than any other pass through the Sierra
Nevada range.
From this pass the route to the Sink of the
Humboldt is now good natural stage road.
The route runs nearly parallel with the Hen
ness route so called, bat is shorter and better.
The Henness route runs on a dividing ridge be-
tween the Middle and North Yubas to the sum-
init, and is impossible in winter, while the route
up the South Fork OF the North Yuba, through
the Yuba pass into Sierra Valley, crosses the
summit at a lower altitude, and is passable at all
seasons of the year.
On the proposed route of the Sierra Turnpike
to Downieville, and from thence by the way of
Sierra Valley to the Sink of the Humboldt, Ma
rysvilIe is nearer to the Sink of the Humboldt
than Placerville; and with the Sierra Turnpike |
and the road from Downevie to
Sierra Valley completed, stages could run direct |
rom the Sink of the Humboldt to your city, over
more direct route and better road, and could
make the trip in shorter time than the trip
rom the Sink can be made to PacerviIle.
We make this statement concerning the route .
rom Downieville to the Sink of the Humboldt to .
show you that, with the Sierra Turnpike COM
pleted to Downeville, a long stride is made to-
Il
rysville, across the Sierras that will be lower, |
shorter, and better, than any other in the State;
which should have bad (but for some unaccount- /,
able reason never has had the favorable consd- |
GRAFTON of the public.
We are justified in saying that the lowest
shortest, most feasible and only direct route and
natural pass from the Great Salt Lake Basin into
he Valley of the Sacramento, is from the Sink of
he Humboldt through the Truckee Meadows |
Long Valley, Peavine Springs. Sierra Valley |
thence down the valley of the North Yuba, by
Downievile, to Marysville.
From the above it appears, that on this
proposed route, the Sink Of the Humboldt is
nearer to Marysville than it is to Placerville
This fact alone should demonstrate the i'm
portance of the immediate construction of
the Sierra Turnpike. Why should We not
have branch mail at once to the Overland
Stage road near the Sink of the Humboldt
and thus receive our letters and papers in
less time than they would reach Placerville,
and without having to wait until they had
been jolted around for three or four days
longer over the Placerville and Sacramento
route? With the completion of this turn
pike, an express could Immediately run from
this point to any Part of the Salt Lake stage
road that it saw fit, meet the overland stage
and bring us the latest Intelligence from the
East, before the same intelligence would
reach Sacramento.
Why we should lie supinely upon our
backs, and see great highway for emigra-
tion and a channel for the flow of intelli-
gence from the Eastern States, made from
the Plains, into Placerville and Sacramento,
over a route upon which nature originally
heaped the most stupendous obstacles, while
we have lower pass through the Sierras,
by fifteen hundred feet, than any hitherto
discovered, and a director route with all
the natural advantages denied to every
other route in the country, needing the eX-
pendture of not more than one eighth rs
much as any route south of us has already
cost, or will cost, it certainly would be hard
10 determine. The fact is that nature has
lone everything for as that it has denied to
and other places, in respect to
,ass through the mountains and an easy con-
lection, in direct line, with the great Salt
lake Basin, but we hare done nothing for
,urselves and the result is that we must play
econd fiddle as far as this matter may be
oncerned, to Sacramento, when she should
,e playing second fiddle to us. Give us
Dad straight through from this point to the
,ink Of the Humboldt, and we will venture
o say that it can be Travelled when the Pla-
erville route cannot and that we shall give
lews to Sacramento over the Salt Lake route,