Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-12-21
THE LATRoBE RAILROAD.

By reference to the Assembly proceed
ings of yesterday, it will be seen that q
series of resolutions was offered, by Mr.,
Cutter, and referred to a select committee
urging upon Congress the encourag ment
of the railroad enterprise from Latrobe in
California TO Virginia or Carson in this
State. The resolutions ask Congress to
give the corporation or corr .ationS,
which shall complete that road, tine sum
of ten millions of dollars in United States
six per cent. bords, at thirty years or less,
provided that the road shall be completed,
without break or interval of stage trans
portation within three wears from the
fourth Of March next. The importance
OF the early completion of a line Of rail-
road across the Sierras has been TOO much
discussed, and is too generally admitted
10 need any more argument in favor Of
the proposition. y railroad from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, is admitted by the
whole American people, to be the great
necessity of the nation, and the western
division of that road. the division which
has to encounter the formidable natural
barrier of the Sierra Nevada. is the one
requiring the greatest outlay of time and
treasure. From the eastward, the road
constitutes its own line of transportation
of material, and that end is progressing
rapidly towards US. The western end
must, from the nature o. the country
which it traverSeS, proceed more slowly
and at an enormously greater expense.
Il is TO this end that the General Govern
ment must extend the most liberal en-
couragement. Its grants, subsidies, and
franchises to the California Central Road
have been of the most liberal character,
but that corporation seems 10 have in
volved itself in apparently inextricable
difficulties, and TO have come TO some
thing that looks very much like either
stand-stin or "freeze-or-" at point
not very far from the starting-point.
There was time when the people Of both
California and Nevada looked forward
with hope and confidence to the active
prosecution and speedy completion Of that
road. and the California Central was re-
garded as the route across the Sierras, and
in all probability the only route that
would be constructed for years 10 come,
if ever. We have frequently expressed
the opinion, and are of that opinion
still, that the Central route is the
easiest, cheapest and best. across
the mountains but the Flacerville route,
although more difficult, IS still feasible,
and presents no obstacles which money
and labor cannot overcome. While the
confidence has been, and with sufficient
cause, very much shaken in the good faith
and ability of the central company to full
fill its agreements with the government;
while that road has been the favoIsl Of
the government and - franchises OF the
most princely characte-, while the road
itself has been to all inte&ts and purposes
abandoned, pending lawsuits over local
subsidies which the corporation had no
rigt to expect, and which formed no part
of the original plan of construction; while
such has been the management OF the
Central Pacific Road Company, the Pla-
ceryiIle Company. with private capital
only, and totally ignored by the Govern
ment, has been steadily pushing its road
toward the mountains. The Gods help
those who help themselves" says the old
proverb, and we consider that the energy
and enterprise displayed by this company
are deserving of encouragement. 1t mat
tiers not to the people of this State, OF Cal
;fornia, or of the nation, tchich route IS
nnrsued; what is wanted is road; and
that corporation which gives the best evil
denee of bona tide intention to prose-
cute its work vigorously to completion
deserves best from tine Government. Inc
present phase of affairs is most decidedly
in favor of the honest intentions OF the
Placerville Road and under these cir'
cumstances we hope to see that corpora
ton receive the encouragement recon-
mended in Mr.. Cutters resolutions.
IT,. ,,or,;po Par Lam