The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1863-06-13
The Pacific Railroad.

Pacific Railroad. A project which was
unable to make any advance during the
long interval of peace since its 6rst intro
duclion to the public, has, since the COM
i.mencement of the Rebellion, become one
of the accomplished facts Of the age. A.
though not mile of the line is completed,
yet it has secured to itself all the conditions
of certain success; 80 that the question is
no longer whether it can be built, but sim.
| ply one of the necessary time required for
engineers to select the best route; for
laborers to grade the track, cut the ties, and
pot down the rails, and for manufacturers
to construct the rolling stock for its opera
tion. 5J s.1lesa. * ls.-
The great credit of this great success
must, in justice, be divided between the
Federal Government, the new States of
California and Kansas, and the City of
New York. A law granting National aid
to the main line through the Territories, to
the California Central Rsilroad, and to Ger.
tain branches from the eastern terminus,
connecting it with the State of Kansas,
Missouri and Iowa, Was passed during the
first session Of the last Congress. This
action was mainly due to the efforts Of the
Kansas and California companies, and fur
nished the first practical basis for the action
of parties willing to invest money in the
work. 1t is not, however, till the present
year, that capitalists could be found bold
enough and strong enough to accept the
liberal endowments offered, and to resolve
on the investment Of the capital and credit
necessary to the work.
That they are now found, is due chiefly
to the enterprise and courage Of two of our
own citizens. The one, John G. Fremont,
is widely known as an eminent explorer Of
the region to be traversed by this road,
while he has achieved fame superior even
to the great wealth which he is understood
to have acquired by his operations in the
gold.felds Of California; the other, Samuel
Hallett, is widely known in moneyed circles
as man Of large financial experience, com
bined with an energy and indomitable will
to which all obstacles are made to succumb.
To such men as these, to resolve is to
accomplish and those who know them will
not be surprised to learn that they have
already made connections which secure all
the money needed fol the work, and are
now perfecting their arrangements for it,
rapid prosecution.
Only the Eastern Division of the road
has yet received location. This will be
built through the State of Kansas, mainly
in the valley of the Kansas River, and so
branching near its eastern terminus as to
connect, by way of the Hannibal and St
Joseph Railroad" at Chicago, with the
great railroad lines of New York and
Pennsylvania and, by the " Pacific Rail
road of Missouri" at St. Louis, with the
"Ohio and Mississippi Railroad I" and it.
southern tributaries. The corporate fran
chise and Government aid for this division
have been secured by the purchase of the
/" Leavenworth, Pawnee and Western Rail
road :" one of the branches favored By
Congress in the act before mentioned, and
which previously possessed princely en-.
dowment of lands, acquired BY treaty with
different tribes of Indians inbabiting the
choicest sections of the State of Kansas
Following this purchase, comes the change
of its name to the Union Pacific Railway,
Eastern Division !" the choice of a new
Directory; aud, with fitness which seems
almost Proyidential, the election Of Gen.
Fremont as President of the Company.
This line alonc covers nearly four hun
dred miles of the whole distance between
the Missouri River and California and is,
at the present time, under contract to be
built. When finished to the one hundredth
meridian, the law of Congress gives the
same Company the right, in connection with
the "Central Railroad of California, to
complete the entire line.
To the prosecution of this work, Gen.
Fremont devotes his energies and his for
tune and it is understood that Mr.. Hal.
let's European correspondents are willing
to furnish any amount Of capital that may
be required in order to facilitate its com.
pletion. Those who are familiar with the
history of the "Atlantic and Great Western
Railway" we'll know that its slccess was
due to the arrangements of Mr.. Hallett
with these same European parties, and will
easily appreciate the great advantage in
this respect which this new and vastly more
important enterprise enjoys.
OF the magnitude Of the undertaking, or
of its value to tho country, nothing need
be said. Irrespective of the influence it
will exert in stimulating emigration and
developing the inexhaustable resources Of
our new mineral aud pastoral States and
Territories in the Nest-an influence in
itself equal to the acqulsitioa Of An empire
it has National importance that cannot
be over-estimated, in the thorough h and facile
connection it effects between our Atlantic
and Pacific possessions. In the event Of .
T. I.Ak..sas nj