Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-03-07
NEVADA AND THE RAILRoAp,

NEVADA AMI lee hA1AhOAD..
The advantages we would derive from
system of railways in the Territory cannot
well be too highly estimated. The immense
amount of transportation now being done by
means Of animals, and also the certainty of
its rapid increase demands that some other
cheaper and more rapid means of conveyance
should be provided. 1t is estimatedithat the
people paid out over 100000 for freight
and travel over the different roads from Ne
vada to California last year. This makes
everything we use or consume very costly,
and consequently greatly enhances the price
oflabor, and the cost of working the mines.
Whenever it is we want railroads, every
body echoes back, railroads, railroads. AL
seem to see the necessity, but no one moves
to make them. A little more than one year
ago, Congress made most magnificent grant
TO an enterprise, which will, when COM
pleted, yield enormous profits to the share
holders, and be of the greatest value to the
new Territories through which it passes.
This enterprise-the Pacific Railroad-has
not met with the success which it deserves.
The minds of the capitalists of the eastern
cities are too much engrossed in obtaining
"shoddy" contracts to give attention TO this
great undertaking in the west, and men Of
this coast seem to prefer TO grasp all the
feet" they can, than hold less number
and develope them, and so without attention
aud capital the work has gone tardily along,
so tardily in fact, that but little progress
has been made. Congress has been the best
friend TO the undertaking, for only few
days ago the telegraph brought US news 1t
additional grants had been made BY tina
10 hurry on the accomplishment Of the IN
dertaking. The Territory of Nevada will de-
rive more benefit from the completion
OF the Pacific Railroad than any other Terri
tory that laws along the route, and this oene-
fit will extend both to the people and to the
mines. Ii that part of the road which will
extend from its western terminus eastward,
as far as the Reese River country, were COM
p!eted, nearly all the freight which would be
used in this Territory would be transported
BY steam along the great highway, and in
less than year after the road was completed,
there would, probably, be four times as much
freight as there was before. The mines that
are away east of US could have wood brought
them. They could get machinery without
paying such enormous prices for freight as
they are now compelled to do. Mills would
be erected at convenient places, and mines
would De worked with rich results, which,
without the railroad, would be idle for years,
il not forever. An unparalleled tide Of emf
grafton would set in. Branch roads running
to all the mill and mining towns would in a
short time be constructed 10 carry them
wood and haul their quartz. The large level
plains which extend their arms among the
mountains all over this sTerritory would
make the cost of constructing railroads this
side of the Sierras comparatively light
The benefits from a road Of this
kind would come to all classes Of our peo-
pie. II would benefit workingmen, because.
First, it would diminish the cost of living.
Second, it would create more employment.
Third, it would enhance the price of "pros-
pecting claims, of which it is presumed each
has full supply. The capitalist would be
benefited, because, first, it would very mate
rally diminish the cost Of working his mine
and crushing his ore, thereby leaving him
much larger dividends second, it would in
crease the market value Of his mining stock;
third, the new improvements made would
give him more opportunities to invest his
money advantageously. The Pacific Rail-
road is an undertaking, fostered and aided
BY the General Government, for the benefit
of the whole country, yet the direct benefits
which we will derive from it, are so great
that il almost seems as If the great work was
for the especial benefit Of Nevada alone.
Then let the men whose interest it is to
have this railroad across the mountains, sub
scribe literally to hurry the work along. Let
the rich corporations of this Territory con-
tribute each part of the money they will
save By the completion Of the road, to hasten
forward the undertaking. If the people Of
Nevada are not willing BY this or some other
way to aid mammoth undertaking, rebound
ing so much to their own good, then let them
no more complain of the work being carried
slowly forward. Let's have no more cry Of
"slow coach" The enterprise is not as
slow as the coach in which they prefer to ride.