Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1862-01-18

further west. Chicago seems to be indebt-
ed to the Missouri rebellion for ber direct
connection with the line, but as that city
is destined to be the New York of the
Lake,, all plans of crossing the Continent,
whether by Telegraph or Railroad, will,
suppose, have reference to that point
Now turn to your maps and observe
that the South Pass is a lille north Of due
,ccst from Chicago, 90 that every mile Of
southing, after leaving Chicago. must be
relraversed before entering the Pass, and
a route running sou,hwesterly from Chi.
cago. must be as much further than one
directly west, or towards the Pass as the
two shorter sides Of triangle are longer
than the one side. No unnecessary varI.
alton from a due west course should be
permitted except to bear sufficiently north
to strike the Pass. That great variation
is made will appear when we consider that
Fort Des MONIES is south Of Chicago,
Omaha still further south, Fort kearney
further sill, compelling the necessity of
crossing the Platte, whence the line bears
north westerly to Fort Laramie, and thence
east by north to the South Pass. The
| precise distance cannot estimate from
maps, both from want OF perfect accuracy
in the maps themselves, and want Of
knowledge of the necessary Emergencies
to suit the face Of the country, and | have
no other means before me OF knowing the
actual distance between the points indicat-
ed. But Of the route Of which speak l
know more.
From Chicago to Dubuque by railroad
is abou. 200 miles. Sioux City is directly
west from Dubuque upon the same range
Of townships The distance by the ranges
Of township lines is 292 miles, and by
feasible road it is not over 32O. Upon
this route the Dubuque and Pacific Rail-
road. have surveyed their road, have
rich grant Of lands, and have completed
about 100 miles to Cedar Falls. In going
from Chicago to Dubuque the greatest de-
fection is made from due west that occurs
/ upon the whole route, making about 40
miles nor,hing to latitude ~ deg 80 min,
! about 3 min north Of Fort Laramie and
still less north of the South Pass. If the
Pass is approached by the upper Platte,
the usual route, believe, taken by travel
| ers, it will be necessary to 60 almost as
high a. the 43d parallel, or some thirty
miles north of Dubuque and Sioux City,
so that Dubuque is still! south Of the ap.
proach to the Pass. The Dubuque and
| Pacific Railroad. as laid, approaches
Sioux City from The n. L. by the Floyd
river valley, and western connection
abou, 20 miles above, would bring the
/ traveller across the Big Sioux into Oak kots
/ Territory, and on line with the general
/ course of the Missouri to the mouth Of the
! Niobrarah, as soon as he would reach
Sioux City, so will place the Big Sioux
/ $40 miles from Dubuque. 1t is twelve
townships, or - miles west by township
lines from the Big Sioux to the mouth Of
, the Niobrarah, and the Travelled distance
TO q suitable crossing place over the Mis-.
souri, above cam OF be one hundred miles,
/ This par, Of the route is the best possible,
and doubtless tie bcs. between Chicago
and the Pacific. The valley of the Mis-.
souri, upon its northern hank, from the
mouth Of the Niobrarah or Running Water
to the Big Sioux is the richest | have ever
seen, whether you take the river bottom or
the table land above. Fortunate will be
the town that shall command the future
trade of this valley and Of the great couu'
try above
Fort Randall is considerably above
where the crossing should be, probably
twenty or twenty-five miles, but it is at
present an important point, and is usually
made my travellers, have before me the
journal! OF two parties between TT. Randall
and Fort Laramie, both made since Lieut.
Wsrren's trip in 1857. one by private
party, and one By Iieu,. c. D. Anderson.
Of the army, in comma ID Of $50 men, and
twenty five wagons heavily loaded. They
both took different routes from that taken
by Lieut.. Warren, and different from each
other. The former made the distance 3jS
miles and the latter 34T. Actual meas
urement might vary these estimates Of
distance. The scale upon Warren's map
makes it much less, and men Of the most
! knowledge of this country believe it no.
over 800 miles. Now, Randall and Lar
anne are both out of the true route, the
| former being too far north and the latter
too far South but, as have not the dis
tance beyond Laramie. will estimate on
ly to that point. We have, then, the
whole distance from Dubuque to Laramie
within 800 miles. and this estimate is
doubtless from 80 to 100 miles too much.
Donotsuppose my object to be to cri,ic;se
the action Of your Telegraph Company,
for starting as they did, no other route
could be taken, and the present settlement
below. would of itself invite them there.
But for railroad, an euisrant wagon or
telegraph route, the one have indicated,
from Dubuque. is greatly superior to the
one below. Distance is rot the only ad.
vantage. There is more wood, more wa,
ter, more grass and less snow upon this
than upon any other route to the Rocky
Mountains. The Telegraph Report speaks
Of transporting poles 24o miles! There
is timber almost in sight upon tho whole
Dubuque route. the most destitute portion
being probably N. W. Iowa. There is not
. mile upon the route where grass is no.
rich and abuadant, and il the poor cattle
and mules left by the Telegraph Company
to perish in the mountains could have been
driven to the islands and such of the bo.
toms of tho Missouri and its tributaries in
Dakota a. are protected from Gree, they