The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-04-27

The Pacific Railroad...Rep0rt OF the
House COmmittee---Thc Proposed
Bill.
The select committee appointed by the
House OF Representatives, to whom was re-
ferred all matters relating to Pacific
Railroad, has agreed upon report and a
bill. This committee consists of CURTIS, of
Iowa; FARNswoRTH, of ILL.,; PHELPS, of NO.;
DAVIS, of Nd; Scorr, of CAL; RICE, of
Mass; FENroN, Of N. Y; Smith, Of Va;
TAYLOR, of La; KELLOGG, of Mich; BLAIR
of Penn; ALDR1cH, of MIMI; HAMILTON, o.
Texas; FRENCH, of Me-; STOUT, of Oregon
and HINDMAN, of Ark. The report and bill
are very lengthy, but their importance justi
fies us in making liberal abstract of their
provisions
THE SHORTEST ROUTE.
The committee in considering distance,
state that Pacific Railroad should either
start from permanent navigable rivers, or
from exterior points of our Railroad system,
and that all lines should be terminated at the
bay of San Francisco, or what is the same
thing, the. Sacramento or San Joaquin riv-
ers, at the head of navigation for vessels
transporting 200 tons of freight. They say
terminus at st. Diego or Puget Sound is,
like the Isthmus routes, unsafe, being too
far from the great Pacific emporium, to
which we should seek to have safe com-
munication in times of war. The distances
are thus given by the committee
Southern line, on the 32d degree of lati-
tuQe. II $50
Line on the s5th parallel, Memphis and
Fort Smith. Observation-Disclosures. 2,l4l
Platte Valley, or Central Route.
From Council Bluffs, ON the
Missouri, (nearly the same as
St. Joseph's, to San Francisco,
according to measurements
shown on the same map. 1887
| Add fifty miles to equate the start
ing point from St. Joseph's,
Missouri, where the railroads
now terminate. .............. so
| Deduct the navigable waters of the
Sacramento, as stated by Lieut.. 2,037
Albert, of the Typographical
Engineers. Observation-Disclosures. 265-1,772
| The Northern Route, via St. Paul
and Puget Sound. From St.
Paul to Vancouver, as shown
on the map. ..................1,S09
From Vancouver to Fort Reding, on
the Sacramento, by survey. $685., 309
The Committee upon these figures, assert
that the Central line is not only the shortest
but it is 278 miles shorter than the line of 30
degrees and 369 miles shorter than the
| Northern line
| BRANCH CONNECTIONS.
The location of the Central route renders
it especially convenient, the Committee
claim, for branch lines, as "they can follow
the great river channels in approaching the
main trunk. For instance: from Memphis
follow up the valley of White river from
Fort Smith follow up the Neosho from
st. Paul follow up the valley of the St.
Peters to the south bend of that river, and
thence, via Sioux City, approach the main
trunk" 1t is claimed further
That for Pacific branches this line is especi.
! ally convenient, and the only one that can &C.
commodate bran ches to all the Pacific ports. A
Southern route would not accommodate Ore.
| gOn and Washington. A Northern route would
but from the Central line you can branch from
| the Salt Lake valley so as to accommodate all
those Western States and Territories:
Puget Sound is especially important in a
| military and commercial point of view, and our
look to an early connection with that growing
and commanding point on the Pacific.
| The corresponding bay of great importance
| in the Southwest is the Gulf of California, and
although that inland sea does not belong to US,
| we must look with interest and favor on such
honorable arrangements as will give our Pa
| cific main the benefit of such harbor, and our
railroad system early and easy connection
with it.
On this subject, which has elected more
discussion than any thing connected with
the construction of Pacific Railroad, the
Committee says:
1t would be folly to present only the bright
spots in the long and mainly unsettled, uncul.
tivable line of every proposed route for Pa
ciic railroad, or to pretend the route is uni
formly easy. There are bad and good, rich and
barren, rough and smooth sections on each
line. The best proof of the greater advantages
existing on the Central route is found in these
facts: first that nine tenths of the overland
emigration have adopted this route; and second
ly, the settlements are larger and rapidly aug.
menting only on, or very near, this route.
The new gold mines of Pixies Peak, the forty
| thousand Mormons, and the new and import.
tant Washoe silver mines will be accommo.
dated by Central route; and the latest news
from these mining districts is exciting new
flood of emigration, unparalleled in former
years.
The report then enters into an examina-
ton of the official surveys, made by FIRE.
MONT, SrANsBuRY, BRcKw1rH, LANDER,
BRYANT, WARREN, SIMPSON, and others
and concludes with the statement that
the obstacles on the Central route are not
more formidable than those on each of the
other routes.