The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-04-09
SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD.

The report of Col. e. A. Blanch, announc-
ing tlat the trains are now running on the
twenty mile section required by law to Sc.
cure the charter of the Southern Pacific Rail
road, meets in exact time the admirable let
ter of Mr.. Campbell, OF the Road Bureau, in
which, after lucid comparison Of the differ.
ent routes to the Pacific this on the line OF
80 is proved to be the most Immediately fea
sibIe
The State of Texas provides magnifcentiy
for the construction of the road across her
domain, which is about 500 miles, or one hall
of the entire line from San Diego, on the "a
cific, to the existing rail connections with the
Mississippi. From the Mississippi and its navi.
gable tributaries bewildering wealth OF
railways stretch their iron fingers TO the great
lakes, to the Atlantic ports. and to the Gulf
of Mexico, and hold together with adaman-
tine strength, the wide spread sovereignties
of this Union.
Each cluster Of States has something pecu-
liar to itself to buy or to sell, to share or to
sell, to share or to exchange with all the rest;
and to do this happily and proiitably, It must
he done fpaferual,y, under Jhe genial gov:
ernmeut. with no forbgn imPosts or tanatical
restrictions to check the free circulation OF
mutual benefits.
Tho value of this road to the industrial in
terests and political harmony of the Union,
cannot be calculated in cold metallic arith.
metic and not the least of its merits is that
it advances action on the collateral road
from the lakes TO some other terminus on the
Pacific Two roads to the Pacific is national
necessity, and, therefore, an economic GER
talnty. The idea of only one line OF trade
and travel across continental zone hfteen
hundred miles in breadth, is a narrow minded
fetter which our Representatives in Congress
should dismiss with all possible haste from
their legislative heads.
The road through Texas is the most easily
constructed and the most instantly paying OF
any, for Texas gives sufficient means, in cash
| loans and large land donations, to make 1t
Immediately; and these favorable circum'
stances must hasten its operations. at the
same, its Northern parallel must also work
its way through in due time, from the Upper
Mississippi to The Pacific; for there must be
two routes across the broad zone. The char
acter of the Texas route is summed up in Mr..
Campbel's letter of the 9TH instant to the
Hon Guy M. Bryan of Texas; and this ought
TO be decisive authority; as Mr.. Campbell,
from his position OF the head of the Road
Bureau had access to the surveys ndreports
bearing upon it, in addition to his own per-
sonal observations in this region in the years
of 1858 $3.50.
The vast dry plains of the Central Plateau
narrow down to by no means formidable
width on this route for the rich and gently
undulating region west of the Mississippi
\ 'proiects like vast peninsula of well water
ed and well timbered country, adapted in q
high degree TO agricultural purposes to with
| in less than three hundred miles of the Rio
Bravo" Here, on quitting the rich agricul.
tural region, the road after crossing the nat
ural range for camel raising, about the Llano
Estacado, enters upon the richest and most
extensive mineral region in the world North
western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and
Sonora are one vast deposit- of precious me.
tals and it only wants road through this
region to endow the Union with another Cali
fornia. a s =.
III. Campbell complies from Captain Mar.
cy's report, and other high authorities a gra-
phic sketch of the line Of this road, as he
found it on his trip from the Rio Bravo to the
Mississippi.
The first noticeable feature is the dry plain
of Llano Estacado, once spoken of as Saba
ra of desolate barrenness. "Our road, says
this accomplished officer "here runs across
Llano Estacado for seventy eight miles, upon
perfectly level prairie as firm and smooth
as marble. 1t then descends from the high
table land about fifty feet into rolling prai-
rie country, where the Colorado of Texas has
| its source Thus far, there is but little tim
| Der or water on our route except at certain
points noted upon the map; but these points
can be made from day to day with loaded
teams. AS if, however, in compensation for
the absence of other favors, nature, in her
wise economy, has adorned the entire face of
the country with luxuriant yerdure of diff
ferent kinds of gramma grass, affording the
most nutritious sustenance for animals, and
rendering it one Of the best countries for
grazing large focks and herds that can be
| conceived Of
"Immediately after we descended from the
high table lands, we struck upon an entirely
different country from the one we had been
passing over before. BY a reference to the
map, it will be seen we kept near the plain
upon the head branches of the Colorado and
the Clear Fork of the Brazos Here we found
smooth road, over a gently undulating
country of praires and timber, and abound.
ing with numerous clear spring branches for
two hundred miles, and in many places COW
| cred with large groves of mezquite timber
| which makes the best of fuel. The soil can
not be surpassed for fertility. The grass re.
mains green during the entire winter, and the
climate is saubrious and healthy, Indeed it
possesses all the requisites that can be desir
ed FOR making fine agricultural country; and
| venture to predict that at no very distant
period it will contain a very dense popula.
tion. 1t is only necessary for our practical
farmers to see it, and have protection from
| the incursons Of the Indians, to settle it at
once.
'Soon after crossing the Rio Brazos, our
road strikes out upon the high ridge lying
between tho waters of the Trinity and Red
rivers; ard it appears as il nature had tof7a-
| ed this expressly for ROAD, as 1t runs for a
hundred miles through a country which is
frequently much broken up on each side with
hills and deep ravines and the only place
where wagons can pass is directly upon the
crest Of this natural defle. 1t is as firm and
smoth as a turnpike, with no streams Of mag
nitude, or other obstruction, through the en-
tire distance TO near Preston, where we left
it and crossed the Red river-from Preston
to Fort Washita, and thence to our outward
route upon Gaines creek, the road passing
through the Chckasaw country, which is roll
ing, and in many places covered with great
variety of large timber, and well watered
with no mountains or high hills to pass over
Hence you will perceive that from Dona Ana
| to Fort Smith, a distance of 994 miles, our
road passes over very smooth and very Uni
formly level ground, crossing no mountains or
! deep valleys, and for five hundred miles, up.
on the eastern extremity, runs through the
heart OF country possessing great natural
advantages"
This description gives fair idea Of the