The mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1863-1943, 1865-01-28
r.<n o1rx AND COUNTY
IMPORTANT RsrOsr.-we have received from

InPORTAxr REPoRT.-We have received from
T. a. Bishop, Chief Engineer Of the San Fran
cisco and Washos Railroad Company, bis clear,
able aad reliable Report on the survey aud
cost a construction Of the San Francisco and
WashOs Railroad Of California, crossing the
Sierra Nevada mountains from Placerville 10
the Eastern boundary of California, on the line
Of business from San Francisco to the silver
nliNas ofNevada." The report fully demon
strates that the PIaceFEiIle route 10 not only
feasible for railroad purpOaea but that the zap
proach 10 the summit from the California side
Is on the shortest possible line compatible with
easy grades that the altitude Of the pass is but
kaAle'grsater than that ofOthers better known !;
aud that OWING 70 the peculiar conformation of
the ground there is twO.thirds less Of SNOW line
rxS nEapaAirG !esS hsC.iAu0f -scaTH..5HosSD aEy
other route leading into Nevada. These facts
arc established by actual survey, and must con-
vince the most prejudiced that our route is the
shortest, best and least expensive on which to
build the Pacific Railroad. The road can he
constructed cheaper and more expeditiously on
this than on any other route it is the only
route on which the depth of snow will not i'm
pede the progress OF the work, or interrupt
communication with Nevada. With all these
important advantages in our favor, prudence as
well as economy and desire 10 construct the
road ct the earliest possible moment, will in
duce capitalists TO invest in the enterprise. 1t
must prove q safe, profitable and permanent
investment, aud capitalists will be convinced
Of this fact by reading the report. The report
says-"The advantages claimed for q line Of
railroad on this route over all others yet report
ed, and which the information obtained sub
stantistes, are, cheapness in first cost Of con-
structiou, lighter gradients, easier curves, less
snow line, and less depth Of snow; its general
cirectness to Virginia City, and its location in
the great channel Of trade between California
and Nevada" With these great advantages in
its favor-advantagesw which cannot be disputed
advantages which must forcibly strike CAPT
talists and commend our route to their consid-
eratiOn,-bave we not reason to believe that
the means necessary TO complete the enterprise
will be speedily raised? The road can be built
cheaply and speedily on our route; on any
other, it must be an expensive and tedious and
uncertain undertaking, and capitalists are not
apt to invest in extravagant and uncertain en-
terprises.
Mr. Bishop estimates the cost Of construct
ing the road to the State line, distance of 90
miles, at $,0l5,56S 90; average cost per mile,
$751; On this subject be says: al will here
remark, that in all estimates of kind, have
been guided by experience gained from the
construction of the p. 4 s. V. X. K. Aud in
many instances where the estimates must nc
cessarily be somewhat speculative, the prices
have been placed high enough to cover such
contingencies as may arise, endeavoring, Il
possible, to avoid the too common error Of low
estimates"