, 1860-04-19
:. Plat:e ya.Isr. Or CsntTal Eouts. From
Ceuncn Fluff ou le M1tEaati tnsatly tie
sane u s.. jos.fhs} 70 Htn traIestsa. ~
sasns map - 1.ss:
AGi tty mIlss 10 r1uste the stating FOisa
: from St. Jos~p!s'A M!Atotr:!. where tho rail-
ru7ct now il tfuasnate, ate,,s.........,......,.., n

: from St. Josrp.A M!stotr: whete tho rail-
i, ruzG. now tes11,usts. tt
e,es7 "
: Deduct the na:.sattc Esters q the Eaesx
Hsatc ,t.t s.tst II L.. L:as Ast q 'S' g.,
! 1ea .chEth os tic cent7. une.....::..:-,, LIS
l. II s9 Kes,9e'1 tna tRoa's u ;,; II; rnl saa "
s ysaseass. = - : FIX FIX x.e,as, oa liz So 's'
saaaIte. ~ aarvtT....-........-......... res
Tsialissgta Of IT, Northern ,.ae 2s3 !.
From this eompayisou. 1t Bill he sccn ~
Seosea! route IL emily l,ssss2 miles Ions ma...
asaaE afom me exterior point OF tl:c Hannibal
ta nno q: soseph Railroad to ihe naricabIe Wa.
~ ~, y. t1S ~ Sacramento 1t will also be perce
put II u 218 mllea shorter thun tbe Ina nf 10
EnEs EE1eeT; III aes miles shorter than the Nnr.bern
.M*. LINUS proving tue Central route e7a u1;|ra
'neFtsf tnsn The shortest riral -uate.
a. q s;aHce At the tna7 will verify gcoractricaIls
;ns tsla'.sc length Of the various routes, slow
oSstas taai sns central ae starts three dgrces of
Proposed lines, ard, leading 10 t1e same point
" semi -d!aMetcr. it is shorter than tul -x:e.
t1or lines-. Ey adopting tue Central route.
Hnieo IL to much tho aoottest, much time aoi
money viii he saved to the United States.
asAscn coss.cr1oxs..
A%4o CEAkthA fRkaA'0A VI tuiH lluG IunkCS 4GG
su.n Of the Branches from the south and the
n"-.h not on1y matheu,aticaliy shorter than
they otherwise would be, hut 1t il cspecia3lF
Convenient for branch lines, as thcJ can follow
the Srest Iiver: channels In approaching the
1psin trunk. For instance: From Nemphis
follow up the valley oE White river; from Fort
Smith follow up the Seotho: from St Paul fol.
Ion up the valley Of The St. Eetcr's to the south
bend Of that river, and thence, ria Sioux City,
spproach the main trunk. It will be seen that
our rlrcr ra!ieJs make convenient approaches
for rxtltohd lines.
But is for Pacific branches that this line is
especially convenient, and Ehs o.ly one that can
1eW&nmdd1t< branches 10 aHkhe Fee4Et ports. Il
Southern routc would not accommodate Oregon
sud Washington. 1 Northern toute would not
accommodate Utah or southern Califoenia; hut
from the central line you can branch from the
Salt Lake valley 40 IS to accenmodate ali those
western States aud Territories.
This convenience OF branches. especially to
tie Pacific ports. seems to conclude The arEu-
ment ia favor Of the central route. To make
trunk line Inaccessible to Oregon and southern
California !7ouid be ah6fed, and accomplish
only fraction Of the oh Eta proposed.
Puget Sound is e+165ec'nlly important in =
military aud commercial point Of REV, and our
commencement ot railrozd systen should look
to IN carly connection With that g.oring acd
commanding point on the Pacific.
The corresponding. bay ct great Importance
~ t&IC t1lA.AHEal IL luG 4Iul1 N2llt0THlh. ana
z!:hougl tilat iptaua sea does not belong 10 us,
VIC must look With interest and favc. on such
honorable arrangements as will give cur Pac,Gc
main the benefit OF such harbor, and cur rail-
road system early and easy connection with it.
raAc7,cAu1r1rr or CENTRAL ROUTE.
It would le folly to present onIy the br:glt
spots IN the long and mainly unsettled uccuiti.
Vaoie Line Of eFery proposed route for Pacific
railroad. or to pretend tho route is uniformly
casy: There are hxd and good, d,ricb and barred,
rough and smooth sections on zach l,ne- The
best proof Of tie greater advantages existing
on the Central route is found in these facts:
first, that nine-tenths Of the overland emi.,ra-
tlon hare adopted this route; and secondly, Tie
settlements are larger .nd rapidly augmeutirs
only on. Or rery near, this route The new pcld
mines OF fike's Peak, tie forty thonsa.d Nor
aaoca, aud tho ne# and important Washo silver
alaea "11 ~ oe accommodated By Central
route and the latest news from these mining
dissrscta ,s exciting uew flood Of emigration,
unparalleled iu fotlncr veare,
aat yuur committee will present The Hue ns
sho"n BY The Government surfeys; this being
toe most reliable data upon which to base public
legislation.
Yhs ot1isiel ...freys on this route hare been
Vase " ss..onel Fremont, Captain StnnsburJ,
L.eas.. M ...ant Dsckwitb, Colonel Lander, L,rnten,
w.. REyaut, aad Lieutenant Warren who At
different times hare examined the different ser
tjons; and by uniting their testimony very
correct iden may be formed Of The entire route.
The travel which passes through Missouri and
1oTs concentrates on the Platte valley, whict
a1ords hn easy approach to the Rocky Noun
taSus for all kinds OF roads- Speaking Of this
6rxt section, Lieutenant Warren Eaya truly:
"The RSd{te river is the most important trib-
utsry Of 1he A1asnuri in the TeRios under con-
*iderst5ou, its broad aud Erass-corered valley,
leading to tue west, furnishes Que Of the best
xarfc Sfi "a NTH IN &gnn 1fe
mouth TO the Forks The bluffs are from two to
hve mites from tt.e water, making an intersnadi-
sic bottom valley Of fran four TO eight miles
vide From the Forks to Fart Laramie, the
bln{fs occasionally come down to the water'a
edge. and tue soad has to crors the points Of
the ridges From Ash follow 10 Fort Laramie
the road il sometimes heavy with sand Fine
cottonwood grows alo 6 tbs eanks, and on
the islands from the mouth to Fort Ktarney;
from, here mp it Is scarce and Of small Alze Ce-
dar is fouuu in the rax1nes Of the bluffs, and in
the nelghborhood Of the Forks, and abose- The
sandy bottom; when the banks are full it is
about six feet deep throughout, having q 70.
markabfy leraf bed; but it il Of ne use for naT-
igation. rs the bed is 50 broad that the water
seldom atta.ns q euflcient depth, and then the
rise is Of short duration. The water IL 5o,nc-
tinlss SO low, as Was tho cese last season, that
it can be crossed xoywhere without difficulty,
sands"
The settlements are NOW extended ono hun-
drcd AID fifty miles up the Pls1tc. and follow
Ing the sox:n fork snd Loaee-po'e Creek, pro.
this testimony rsiases TO 37s and half mites, rs
Lieut.. Warren followed the NORTH fork when ne
sneaksof the rad besny "somstaiags heavy
with eaud."
Lieut. Bryan extended surveys mp thesouth
Platte aud Lod2e-polo Greek 10 the tacuntain
30 fr11, rhun3 1tn,1r& ,ra.t
il tlftr miles soutl,) the rer gold discoveries
sre made, aud miners are gathering by thous-
ands. According to Lieut.. Byy~2. no zes5ous
difficulties occur IN this section, except sc4rci-
u Of tlnbor. lie says, {Tol. 2. part =, Ii. Doc.
125@-8pzEe 4Ss:i
From tile Laramie crossing to the lead Of
Lo1se.pole creek, tho supply ofgood water Is
constant. The grass is generally short. as on
The up!ands, though there ere spots occasaonal~
" met with where more liberal supply than us
ual lnay pe had From the head Of Pole creek,
yer&lis vest fork OF the Laramie river lss.d-
gera Pass, thers ia but oae route 10 he followed
aud, Is sit has ulready been described. need
| not speak Of it again here"
We aupporc be refers to the report Of Capt.
StaasbuEy. La.ge grores Of pine aud other tim
! her haze Keen discovered by the miners, SO ne
thirty rr s'rtv miles .outh of Lodgs-pols creek.
! ..a> U.s. sus ieuethy. We refer to his detailed
report.
/ From ths head ef Loage-pole creek to Salt
/ Luke City, VIC pass the Rocky and Nasa.ch ran.
I ges Of mountains; We also pass tbs valley OF
Green river, where, for about tw hundred miles
| al various places, coal is found in strata from
two 10 ten feet thick Cnpt. S!ausbury e1plor.
ed this region, and we refer 10 his work. iron
p=sse Ell 10 page .is. On pase 2s5, speaking ot
| coal, lie says:
Tbs ouie,pp vas about eight feet vide, b,
/ fcrr feet stick.
! 1t e.1other poirt, oue hundred miles fprthe.
| east he says, page 2o4.
4At ,,oirl, thirteen miles from the mouth oi
! Bitter creek, We found bed o! bisuniiuucs coal
cropping ont Of tbs roth bluff Of thu valley
with erery indication Of its being quite nbun
dant,"
% psse a3b. fpenkius Of The portion hires
| hundred and thirty. .ouc miles further east, be-
! tween summit fthe Rocky Mountains and Sail
Lake, he say-:
1--WE broke out, from bed twelve feetthiek
aorac beautiful specimens of bitrninoux coal
Which burned in our camp fses with clea1
Eellow Aame."
| 1t longitude Jos deg, lat:tuds Al deg, he .as.
"Sandstoue.cliffs bouId the rallev on the
north side, in which observed stratum Of coal
which was exposed for hundred yard, and was
at least ten feet in thickness"
| Haviu'. closed his surrey Of the route, he say.
(pase l4a):
with the exception Of the rough ground
near the head Of she Muddy, which offers no OBJ
struction Of consequence, \ perfectly feasible,
| aud, indeed, most excellent route, whether
for wagon or railroad, has thus heea traced
presenting fewer obstacles Of construction oi
ether than almost ary tract OF the saune length
in the country. The grades sill be easy, tbs
bridging comparatively light, and, with tho cx-
cept:on rf crossing TIC Tkllcy at the 1fuddy,
where long aud heavy cmbanRsnent n1ar be
required. tho cutting ard Cling will be entirely
! T~.%.