Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-01-29
sailing vessels, the burden cars of the sea, be-
hetveen the eastern shores Of Asia and our
concf

-noCV0cn IA1O SsS
.,te to Asia lies through the N.
These winds blow betwe
wess s.s,ssae. north and the E9uat
nThe.foU L 4lII[ his route usually I
Trade Winds. een inc ps.sa
unc pa an9i y, oo ~ '>av
across the broad Pacific bet>, u .14EI = "a &.
of 18 deg. and % deg. north,
Trades are strongest. Returning tn>.
the Great Circle Route, the shortest dista.
and keep well up to. the north; for now the
"brave west winds" of those extraetropi-
cal regions, which would have been adverse
for the outward voyage. are fresh and fair
for the homeward run. So you perceive that
vessel trading under canvas between our
Pacific States and China describes on every
round voyage, an elipse coming out of the
Straits of Fuca or the Columbia River, for in
stance, her course is first to the southwark,
as though she were bound round Cape Horn,
until She gets into the N. E. Trade Winds.
her course is then east until she enters the
waters OF the China Seas She then hauls
up 10 the north and west for her port On
tne return voyage, her course on coming out
OF ner Aslauc port is to- the north and east
until she gets fairly within the " brave west
winds" With these she steers to the east
ward, following the Great Circle Route, grad
ually shaping her course to the south Of east
until she reaches our own shores again. TO- .
If she be bound to San Francisco, her
route, until she gains the ofRngs of the Straits
of Fuca, would be the same as though she
were bound into Puget's Sound or the Column
bia River. IN ..gt =. s.3.'-a. z
Thus you perceive that on the Eastward
voyage, San Francisco is on the way side from
Puget's Sound and Colun bia River to China;
whereas, Puget's Sound and Astoria are on
the wayside Of the route from China and ia
pan to California. ..,, r,--- "a
To see how one road only would work, let
US first suppose it at the North running from
ST. Paul to Puget's Sound. Let us now fol-
low q package of merchandise of GIN
seng-that is sent over this road from Mem
phis to be bartered in China for tea. The
ginseng would first 60 north up the Missis-
sippi to get to the road; thence it would cross
to the Pacific; arriving at Puget's Sound, it
would then be shipped for China. Now it
must come back to tie South again to get into
the trade aoind region.
Thus you observe it would have to 90 more
than thousand miles, up the Mississippi, out
of the way and when it reaches the Pacific,
it would have to return again as far to the
South. n, ~.t.... ..-. - ...,
Being exchanged for tea id China, it would
be nearest for the tea to stop at Puget's Sound,
take the railway and come South on the Mis-
sissippi, instead of coming south by sea along
the Pacific coast. ., ~. -.-... 49,.
Now let us in imagination place the road at
the South instead Of at the North, and take
bale of furs to illustrate the route of trade and
travel. The fur, we will suppose, is sent from
St. Paul. 1t comes down the Mississippi to get
to the road that would not be out of the way
for the fur, for it is bound South for the N. E.
trade winds at any rate; and it would be in .
national point of view, perhaps, more desir-
able to have it 60 South by the Mississippi
than by sea in the Pacific. But, when the
silk for which it has been exchanged in China,
on st. Paul account, arrives, on its return, off
the entrance of the Straits of Fuca, it has to
turn out of it's way. Instead of finding rail-
way transportation to take it through from
Puget's Sound across to Minnesota it has to run
away to the South. Perhaps week after it
might have been in Saint Paul by Northern
road, it arrives by sea in California, and is
carried by rails to Memphis. Now it has to
double upon itself-to go North and recrOss
euery parallel Of latitude that it crossed after
turning out of ats soay from Juan de Fuca.
This doubling will require two or three
weeks of time, besides risk and expense With
two roads there will be no doubling-hence
two roads will bring China and Japan and
Russia very much nearer to the Mississippi
Valley than one can do. The distance saved
will be in furlongs nearly twice the length of
the Mississippi River, and in time, some two
or three weeks.
Whether the government therefore aids in
the building of these roads or not, these cir.
cumstances will of themselves call for the
construction of at least two roads to the Pa
cifc-one at the North, the other at the South.
Northern capital and Southern capital will
assist in both. ,. ..
have thus endeavored to make clear the
paradox with which set out, and I hope l
have succeeded in showing to your satisfac-
ton that at least two railways, one at the
North, the other at the South, are required to
| the Pacific.
There are no toll houses on the Lakes !;
and none on the Gulf of Mexico.
The commercial voice of these two waters
could it be heard, would be raised, each
trumpet tongued, in favor of these two routes.
The nearest way from Brazil and the Anna
ION, as well as from the West Indies, to Chi
ma, would then be by the South Pacific Rail
way.
| Yours truly,
| n RopERTsoN Esq