The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-01-09

With thes.ception Of the FIRST 20 miles,
there are no impediments or serious obstruc'
tions on this route-nothing but the gentle
undulations of level bottom to overcome.
This is ON the line of the new military road.
All the streams are now bridged, With the
exception of the Loupe Fork, where good
ferry is in operation. This route is well
settled as far as Fort Kearny, and we'll wa
tered, with timber in abundance. In addi-
ton to this, r. W. LANDER, Chief Engineer,
has discovered route through, to connect
the California Wagon Road, 200 miles near
or than the old route, and 500 miles nearer
than by any other overland route to Califor-
nia-equated length being 1859 miles.
Now, lot US look at the extreme Southern
route, near the thirty second parallel, ria
Texas, New Mexico, Ell Paso, and the ella,
to the Pacific. Estimated distance from
Fulton in Arkansas to San Pedro, on the
Pacific, 1918 miles-equated length, allow
ing for accents and descents, 22s9 miles, or
$50 miles farther than by the Platte Valley
route. The drawbacks of this route are,
TINT after leaving Arkansas, it is continu-
Gus arid desert to the Pacific, without tim
Der and without water, except at an oasis,
here and there, at long distances apart. To
supply these deficiencies, Artesian wells
would have to be constructed, and the nee
sssary timber to bridge over the desert
would have to be transported from the two
ends Of the road. t..E e-a.
But now, suppose it can be demonstrated
that this extreme Southern route, upon which
the President stands committed, is practica-
bic, will it satisfy the country, and answer
the vast demands Of commerce and inter.
communication9 To our mind, nothing 10
clearer than that it will not. As pertinent
to this subject, We adopt the remarks of the
Ohio State Journal, ~ clearly setting forth
the various advantages possessed by the
Platte Valley route: "Let the reader place
himself before map of the United States,
and trace thereon these several routes. Let
him examine . railroad map Of the Union,
and see where are the great lines which now
transact the business and carry the travel of
the country. He will find these lines reach
ing out from the seaboard from Baltimore
to Boston, and penetrating the great West.
He will End them convsrging, and passing
through Ohio, and from thence, reaching
on to the Mississippi. None of them pro-
pose to reach that river lower down than
st. Louis, and they will cross it at various
points between that city and Dubuque.
Between the parallels of SO deg. and IS deg.
north latitute, COWS the great and rapidly
insreasing tide Of commerce between the
East and the West, 1t does not reach the
Mississippi south of 80 deg. From the
Mississippi, these great lines are oil looking
for an extension westward to the Missouri,
and the virgin, yet intellectually rich prairies
Of Western Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska.
"Hers 10 the true parallel of enterprise
and business energy. Look at the great
routes through New York to Buffalo and
Dunkirk. Trace them westward to Cleve-
land, Toledo, Detroit, Chicago, and Rock
Island. Who're else in the world do VIC find
equal life and activity in all the channels Of
business ? Who're 10 progress and devsl-
opnent % vigorous and rapida This tre-
msndous energy and power accumulate
strength as they travel westward. Already
Eve lines Of road are projected through Iowa
to the Missouri. They are al looking to
the Pacific. The wish frat to tap the vast
riches Of the Missouri valley, ~ they will
soon be developed in Western Iowa and Ne
braska, but they look for road up the
Platte and over. the plains to the Paoi6s.
/" These are patent facts, known to every
intelligent American citisen. Is it not folly
to talk Of sending the business Of ill these
great lines away down to the 50 parallel Of
latitude, before they are to begin 70 start
for the Paeifc2 II any man 90 insane - 10
ssppcse, for anoment, that the great CON-
mercial interests Of the North and West viii
acqaisscs in such sehems7
g We think the route on the 4lst parallel,
up che north side Of Platts river, il tie
route that must eventually unite TIE com