The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-11-18

N SoubiuuiCattVu iIOW Gan IbucloCO,
California, addressed to one Of the editors Of
this paper, and which occupied just thirty
days in its transit from San Francisco to
st. Paul-via the Los Angeles, I'll Paso
and st. Louis route-conveys forcible H.
lustration Of the character OF the recent
achievement by Mr.. BurTxRyIxLD, under the
auspices Of the Government, 10 opening
mail route from the Mississippi to the
Pacific.
The importance Of that achievement in its
bearing upon the question Of Pacific Rail
road, cannot be over estimated. The first
overland mail successfully landed at 81. Lou.
is. brought the question Of grand CONT
mental highway to California, out of the
shadowy domain Of theory, Of Congressional
speeches, and reports Of Government engi.
necrs into the very path Of actual accom-.
plishment. The question of mighty Ap-
plan Way, which shall bind together the
antipodal extremes Of the Empire, has thus
been stamped with the seal Of the national
recognition. Yet, although the successful
establishment Of a semi.woekly post line has
demonstrated the superiority Of over.
land carriage, over the Panama and Tehu
antepec lsthmus routes-it has by no means
settled the superiority Of the particular
overland route or routes which have been
preferred by Official patronage for the pres
t,ge Of the first success. Indeed nothing
has been better demonstrated by the quality
Of Mr.. BUTTERFIELD' success, than the en-
tire iutilty OF the claims urged for the par
ticular route followed by him. There is no
more conclusive argument needed against
the feasibility OF the BurrERrIgLD overland
mai! route, az the line Of permanent com
munication with the Pacific, than the sim
pie fact that while the distance on direct
line between st. Louis and San Francisco is
only about seventeen hundred miles-the
shortest distance by practicable route for
land travel is proved by this experiment to
be twenty-seyen hundred miles. The route,
in fact, from st. Louis vna Fort Smith, III
Paso, aud Los Angeles to San Francisco,
describes the arc of circle whose chord
trayerses seven degrees Of latitude.
The narratives OF the journey which have
been published by journals in the interest
Of the Southern and Central routes, DO not
90 very far TO recommend it to travellers.
a desert tract Of nearly ninety miles in
width, without wood, or water, or grass
burning plains Of sand, which bury travel
lers in driving whirlwinds Of dust--are
among the interesting incidents Of the route
Nor will the recent application Of Mr..
BUrrERFIELD to the General Government for
military protection against the hostility Of
the savage tribes through which it passes
have tendency to establish it in public IA
vor as All avenue for the transmission of
valuable packages.
But the main feature of the route to
which we wish to direct attention is, that
with all i,s disadvantages of circuitousness,
and with all its difficult and repulsive topo
graphical features, it is still the best of the
proposed routes, having St Louis for their
terminus on the Mississippi Besides this
great semi weekly overland mail stage route
which is intended to uLite the Central with
the extreme Southern interest, the Post
Master General has established q weekly
mail from st. Joseph on the Missouri river
through Utah, by way of Placervillc, to
San Francisco, and also monthly mail
from Neosho, Missouri, through Albu.
querqa, to the Tejon pass in California. 1t
Is remarked that the Los Angeles Express
beats the Placervie line by several days to
st. Louis, notwithstanding the latter fol-
lows the parallel oil st. Louis very closely
for the whole distance and is, by several
hundred miles, shorter than the South.
ern route. Yet this immense advantage Of
distance avails it nothing against the obs,a-
cles which nature has n,erposed to overland
travel on this line. The Government pref
erence is empha'icaly expressed in favor of
the roundabout Southern line, BY the i'm.
mense patronage which it bestows upon that
line over all Others.
In addition to the annual appropriation
Of 5000 900. which rewards the enterprise
Of Mr.. BUrrgRYIsLp, the route is propped
up on all sides by branches or feeders, pro-
tecicd and encouraged by special eontracts
The Paocrviile and Salt Lake route has
only S260,000. To the Southern line is
awarded semi-~.ekly service, 10 the Pa.
cervi-le only a weekly. But all the three
routes which have 81. Louis for their fnal
E,sfern ,cymnua on the NisSiss;,n; ..a