, 1858-07-30


tinuous settlement along the line. u.
But it is objected, again, that we have,
on several Of those routes, snow and ice
that you cannot work in the construction
Of the road for long time in winterj and
that you cannot run the road many days
in wiuter after it is completed. Well, Mf..
Chairman, can only say that this idea OF
snow and ice is the veriest myth which
ever hung around the brains Of sensible
men. 1t exists in the face of all our expe-
rience. Our immense railroad develop
ments have not gone on in country where
snow and ice are unknown. The greatest
railroad development Of this continent is ia
the northern States Of this Union and the
Canadas. When went to school as boy
10 the old Bay Stale, had to trudge
through larger snow-banks than any to be
found upon the divides Of the Rocky noun
tans on the northern route. speak from
personal and most careful information. liz
l853-54 my parties crossed, in the depth
of winter, the Big Hole Pass, He'll Gate
Pass, the Little Blackfoot Pass, and Gael
OTIS Pass and the greatest depth Of snow,
except when drifted, was one foot and
where drifted, never to exceed two feet.
Through these passes, every winter, the In
dians Of the eastern portion Of Washington
pass-not single men, but whole tribes
with their men, women and children, and
their animals laden down with meat and
buffalo robes. Nor will there, in my judg-
ment, be any serions distractions from
snow on the South Pass route, or any Of
the other practicable routes. As johnson
once said to Boswell, empty your head
Of Corsica" do beg men 70 empty their
heads of this bugbear Of snow and ice.
The idea should not be entertained as Sc
rious objection TO any route. ..,.,.
And now l will come to the defense Of
the southern route in one particular. ! be-
eleVe the difficulties there, In regard to
the heats Of summer, are OveFestimated,
1t is said that men cannot labor thore
three months Of the year. cannot speak
Of that from thorough knowledge. as /
can in regard to the snow and ice Of other
routes, but have had some little expert
ence in somewhat similar region Of coun-
try and from the information possess, i
have no question that, By little mansge-
ment in the hours Of working, party could
be kept at work there all the year round.
/ would like TO give my reasons ior that
Judgment, but my time is nearly out, and ]
have two or three more topics to touch
upon. XIX. +.
In The remarks which / have thus iar
submitted, Mr. Chairman, ! have refrained
from going into any elaborate statistics.
They do not convince much they simply
weary one, and have preferred 70 rest my
case upon obvious and ascertained facts
which come within the experience Of all in-J
telligent men. -..'.s,. a..ii.e. ~.
But wish, new, to enlarge upon a topic
which will require me to refer 70 some sta
tistics, and that IS, that the country re-
quires three routes, and that each Is ma
tional route. AS regards the southern
route, its Office Is not simply 70 carry freight
aud passengers from the Atlantic coast to
the southern portions Of our Pacific empire,
but Il has relations with powers south Of.
it, and hence Il becomes emphatically ma
tional There are silver mines in Arizona
which will supply the whole country with
that metal, and probably the world. There
are silver mines 10 Sonora, also and the
wealth Of Sonora, and other parts Of Mexi-
co, will find its outlet through that road.
That road becomes national, therefore, as
regards the whole country, looking to the
products Of the mines and is influence On
Power.
As regards the South Pass route, I wiz
observe that there is larger population on
the western slope, on this route, than on
either Of the others; that It has the direct
relations with the great centre ofthe couHt-
ry aud in all respects, except coniiguity 70
foreign Powers, and the carrying trade
from Asia to Europe, IS entitled 70 consid-
GRAFTON with the other two. ..,
The northern route is, however, pfe-en-
inently q national Que, for the question
there Is, shall the road which must pass
from the great basin Of the St. Lawrence,
from the great chain Of lakes, to the shores
Of Puget Sonnd aud the Georgian bay,
pass through American or through British
territoryi That Is the question 49,.
Sir, great injustice has been dom 70 the
country between 49e and $40 40. Rejoic-
ing in the acquisition Of Arizona, only
wished that her southern line had gone
still further south, 50 as to give us good
port in the Gulf Of California. trust We
will have Il yet Bot It has been our mls-
fortune that we have lost that rich and In
yitine country between 49s and 50' 40--
country rich in mineral wealth, in mines
Of gold, and lead, and platinum, and copper.
and r-extending from the shores Of
the ocean to the Rocky Mountains. AT
this moment, miners are going to that
country from California, aud to the north
ern portion Of Washington, where there
are equally extensive and rich gold fields,
by thousands; aud the information which /
have is entirely reliable as 70 the large re.
turns which labor has got there this spring
Now, the English Governments are look
ing to their communication with the Paci-
&c coast They have had On examlnation
Of the country lying north Of the forty
ninth parallel, east Of the Rocky Noun
tains II is an avtansive rraTinr country