New-York daily tribune., 1858-09-28

The Overland Mail Company. contractors for
semi-we~kly mail between st. Louis and Memphis
on the east snd San Francisco on the west, started
their first mail from st. Louis and Memphis on the
18th inst The mail from San Francisco to come
east was TO start on the 20th We shall sooE. there
fore have an experimental test Of the practcabity
Of the route selected b. the Postmaster General
for this important overland communication, point
which has been very much questioned. The set of
Congress providing for this overland mall connec-
ton with California, passed just at the close of
Pierce's administration. II authorized contract
for Fix years, for a sem-monthly weekly or semi
weekly ms, at the option Of the Postmsster-tien-
ersl. az an annual cost not to exceed for the semi
monthly service $500 900; forweekly service $3.50,
GOO; for semi.weekly service $780, coo. The mail is
10 be carried in good four-horse coaches or spring
wagons suitable for the conveyance of passengers;
each trip TO occupynot more than twenty hive days
The act did not fix the route, rs that wass point on
which there existed great diversity Of opinion;
but left that matter to be arranged between the Post
Office Department and the contractors. Asthe line
il TO be kept up Winter well as Summer, the route
by the South Pass seemed out Of the question, and
the principal competition was between two
routes which may be distinguished as the Middle
and the Southern. The former proceeds from st.
Louis vs Albuquerque, and thence along the thirty
fifth parallel Of latitude to the Colorado at the
mouth of the Mohave, following up the valley Of
that river. crossing BY the TETON Pass into the
valley of the San Josquin. This route has great
deal to recommend If. 1t forms almost direct
line from New York TO the TETON Pass, which Is
the common point of crossing the Sierra Nevada,
both for this and the route which was actually
adopted. 1t is far enough south to be free from
snow and practicable during the Winter, while fol-
lowing or crossing a. it does the valley Of the
Arkansas River with its Salt and Red Forks, the
Canadian. the PecOs, the Rio Grande, the PuercO,
the Colombo and the Mohsye, it is far better sup
piled with wood and water than any other known
route across the continent. The explorations of
Capt. Whpple, recently carried out by Lieut..
Beale's camel expedition, prove it to be ex-
tremey smooth and practicable, and TO be almost
entirely free from those wsterless deserts snd ABB
rupt and difficult passes which all the other routes
have to encounter 1t has besides, this advantage,
that, passing through Albuquerque the largest
| town OF New-Nexco, and through the center ofthe
settlements op the Rio Grsnde, it would bring that
| territory into the line ot communication and save
| the necessity Of smother mail for that purpose.
Here also might be obtained horses and forage.
This was the route selected and proposed by Messrs
| Butterfed. Fargo and Others the present con.
tractors, though they sgnifed their willingness to
| adopt any route which the Post-Ofice Department
| might select.
The other route. and that which succeeded in
obtaining the preference in spite OF the utmost ef-
forts of the contractors to prevent it, follows, to
| great extent the line OF the proposed Southern
Pacific Railroad, and WINS warmly patronized on
| that ground BY the whole Southern Interest," cir
cumstance which, constituted as the present Ad-
ministrsion is and based as il is upon the prnci-
| pie of yielding everything to the South. Was, OF
course, decisive over al other considerations The
only concession made TO the North is the allowance
of o bfurcstion At Fort Smith on the Arkansas, on
the western boundary of thst State, whence one
branch proceeds 10 st. Louis Wis Springfield
| Upton and the Pacific Raifrosd, while the other
| goes to Memphis. II was only by the most strenu-
ous exerton. Of the contractors that the point Of
divergence was fixed at Fort Smith instead Of Lit.
| tlr Rock, upon which the Administration had IN
| sisted. From Fort Smith, the Line adopted pro-
ceed. 10 Preston on the Red River, ot the mouth
of the Little Wachita; thence 10 Fort Belknap on
the besdwaters of the Brssos. This is the end of
the habitable country. Thence the road, following
pretty much the thiry.second parallel Of latitude
crosses the waterless desert Of the Llano Estscado
TO the Rio Grsnde at Ii Paso, whence it proceeds
across deserts and mountains 10 the hesdwaters of
the Gils cruising the Colorado and proceeding
thence by another desert to san Bernardno, and
thence over tie TETON Pass into the valley Of the
San Joaquin. The whole distance from II. Louis
to San Francisco. according TO the measurements
OF the exploring party sent out by the Company
i. 2G5l miles 80 that to tosccomPish the rcdte With
in the limited period Of twenty-five d'y', Will re-
ouire upwards Of hundred.iniles day. Beside its
favorable bearing on the prospects of the Southern
Pacific Railroad, Of which il is fondly regarded as
the pioneer sud oreTunner. this route Was strongly
urged by the Arizona spectators as likely to pro-
mo,s the settlement and TO facilitate the defense
of that ncw district. That the part OF the route
extending from the Peccs Oh The western border ct
the stshed Plsin To Paso, and thence by the ' ai'
les of the ella 20 Fort Yuma is practicable, 10
far as the ner. passing over it is Concerned, Would
seem to b4 proved by the fsct that monthly mail
from Ssn Antonio, in Texas, to san Diego, on the
Pacific has been carried for nearly year past over
that part cf the route The distance from San
Antonio to San Diego i, ,4l0 niles but little more
than half that from ST. Louis 10 san Francisco