Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-01-21
Senator Wilson on the Disunion
Route"

A portion of Senator Wilson's remarks
on the Southern Pacific Railroad route,
in his recent speech, is rather too rich to
be withheld from the public. Among
the authorities cited is Lieutenant Mich
Ter, one of the gentlemen attached to the
boundary commission, who went over
the whole of this route, and crossed, in
twenty-three days, from San Diego to
Fort Yuma, distance of two hundred
and seventeen miles. Senator Wilson
quotes him, and comments as follows:
Lieut.. NIichler says: The heat.
commencing to be excessive in May, be-
comes almost uncomfortable in the months
Of June, July and August; even in win
ter the sun is so hot, and the direct, as
well as the reflected, light upon the sand
plain so dazzling, that, excepting a coup
lie of hours after daybreak, and an nour
before sunset, it is only possible TO see OBJ
jects through the best instrumental teles-
copes in the most distorted shapes-at thin
white pole appearing as a tall column of
the whitest fleece
think this reflected light, which daz-
zles the eye, by which you cannot see
things except in distorted shapes, even
with telescope, by which a white pole
becomes atall white column, explains why
certain gentlemen have recently had such
visions Of the beauty and fertility of that
region. think that is the natural phi
losophy Of the matter; but I hope that,
at this distance, this reflected light will
not so distort the vision of the Senate as
to pervert its judgment. Lieut. Michler
continues:
1T was the most dreary and tiresome
/ have ever experienced. Imagination
cannot picture more dreary, sterile
country, and we named it Nal Pals
The burnt-Hmelike appearance of the soil
is ever before you; the very stones look
like the scori@ of a furnace. There is
no grass, and but a sickly vegetation,
more unpleasant to the sight than the
barren earth itself; scarce an animal to
be seen-not even the wolf or the hare to
attract the attention, and, save the lizard
and the horned frog, taught to give life
and animation to this region
/ have read to you, sir, from the re-
port Of Lieutenant Saxton, where he
spoke Of the innumerable herds of bufffa-
10 that range all over the northern region
Of the continent, of elk, Of deer, Of herds
Of cattle. Here is a country through
which it is proposed to construct great
national railroad-a highway between
Europe and Asia-where the lizard and
the horned forg are the only animals
which enlyen the scene and suggest the
existence Of animated nature.
The eye may watch in vain for the fight of
| bird.
suppose the reason why birds do not
fly there, is because they could not live.
They must carry their provisions with
them in their flights in that neighborhood,
and that would be rather difficult un-
dertaking for them.
The eye may watch in vain for the
flight Of bird; to add to all this is The
knowledge that there is not one drop OF
water to be depended upoa from the Son
oyta TO the Colorado or ella. All traces
Of the road are sometimes erased by the
high winds sweeping the unstable sell
before them, but death has strewn a con-
tinuous line of bleached bones and with
cred carcases of horses and cattle, as mon
uments to mark the way
This is the route that the last Admins.
tration and the present Administration
have done all in their power to select
and they expended $lO,000,000 to pur.
chase region like this; and they sen,
to Asia and imported cameIs which could
go ten days without water; and | com.
mend them for their sagacity in that. fol
think the camel is the only animal fit.
ted to travel that country at all. They
have expended hundreds of thousands o.
dollars to find water, aud have failed: and
then TO add to all have given a contract
for more than half a million dollars tc
carry the mail down on that route in order
that railway may follow it,"
To DOUGLAS DEMocRATs.-Col
forney thus addresses this class of hi,
fellow citizens, upon what be deems tbei,