The weekly Butte record., 1862-11-29
The Pacific Railroad.

N
railroad route to unite the navigable waters of
the Atlantic and Pacific and when the won
deriDg people asked the results to be OBJ
tanned By this bold and gigantic scheme. be
pointed 10 the commerce of the " Indies that
golden fleece for whose possession the CONNER
mercial nations of the earth have struggled for
time out of mind, ard which. once possessed
unfailingly procured wealth and supremacy to
the people whose vigor and wisdom seized it.
Whitney applied TO Congress for aid, and
spread before them the magnificent vision of
making the United States the del pot of the
commerce Of the world, and Of transferring the
great money mart from London 70 New Y ork.
Congress turned to him deaf ear but the
germ thus planted took root in the heart of the
nation when California was acquired, aud pour
ed her golden food through every channel of
trade, and San Francisco sprang, as by the
touch of the magician's wand from the earth,
full grown city, sending its winged messen-
gers Of commerce TO explore and develop the
riches of the Pacific archipelago, The Amoor'
with its thousands of miles of navigation, and
teeming millions, invited trade; Japan and
China, hitherto sealed books, opened their vast
wealth 10 commerce. Thus, sudden and new
impulse was given to the project. Political
parties rode it as hobby, and the voices of
the nation clamored at the Halls of Congress,
that this great iron highway should be opened
The grave and cautious Senators of the nation
hesitated through twelve long years. The
frowning submits Of the Sierra Nevada-snow
capped-bid defiance. They doubted-not
that attitudes could be surmounted-but, that
pass sufficiently depressed could be found, to
permit the iron horse TO ply, uninterruptedly.
That formidable barrier-the almost perpetual
snow of the summits-seemed an objection in
surmonntable for if interruptions and delays
were to be suffered, the project would be a
failure. But assured that there were defles of
the mountains, where the storms and SHOWS
were sufficiently light, to be overcome by
means and appliances attainable, Congress
passed the BILL and with lavish generosity en-
dowed this new birth of the nation with prince
u munifcence, committing its construction and
Development to maturity TO three companies,
and assigning to the Central Pacific Railroad
Company that portion hitherto dreaded-the
passage of the Sierras from the State line to
the navigabe waters of the Sacramento, in full
faith that its magnificent trust would not be
abused, nor the exutaut hopes of the nation
disappointed.
Scarcely had the telegraph spread the glad
tidings upon our shores ere we were informed
that the Central Pacific Railroad Company
had organized, and, more, that it already had
selected its route-Sacramento City its initial;
Dutch Flat an intermediate point, and the
State line over the Truckee pass, its eastern
terminus. The Truckee pass historic by the
melancholy fate of the Bonner party -
seven thousand feet high, and covered with
impenetrable snow for a large portion of the
year.
Thus, route has been adopted having for
its principal feature the most obnoxious obiec
tion urged against the whole project, and one
that cannot but destroy it, as the channel of
the commerce of the eastern and western hemi-
spheres. The reason why it is chosen is ex-
planned by the Sacramento Union, (which
seems to be its chief advocate, and the exposi-
tor of the views of the company, as follows ::
& That it is the shortest and most direct route
between Sacramento City and Was1oe" The
report Of the engineer of the company iterates
this, and is filled with estimates of travel and
trade between Sacramento and H-asAoe. One
of the Bay City papers suggested the extension
OF the road to San Francisco The Union at
once ignores the extension, and says: Tray
elcrs prefer steambOating up the river TO
dusty railroad, and the little freghting from
the Bay can easily fall into the trade between
Sacramento and Washoe.'" The press of the
State object, and call attention to other more
available routes but the Union magnifcently
answers, lit is not the direct route between
Sacramento aud Washoe' In fact, tie only
route surveyed, or attempted to be surveyed
by the direction, or at the instisation of, the
company is, the direct route between Sacra-
mento and WaShoe."
Take the map, gentle reader, and run your
eye across the western coast Of the Pacific :;
look at its vast and desely populated shores
Russia. Japan, China, Ilindostan, Australia.
and the countless multitude of Islands that dot
its bosom, all within two weeks steaming of
San Francisco, and whose vast wealth stands
ready to be poured along this iron highway in
exchange for our products and manufactures.
Is it not prize well worthy country's ambi-
ton and nations grasp? Is it not a pent-up
and abouuding food of national wealth and
grandeur? Put it in the scale Of thought and
balance it against the trade between Sacra-
mento and Washoe" Think of this mighty