Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-09-28
nina Racian Railroad.

VIVA ALAPS4b0ANeS w
tinental railroad.
The ants OBJ iec. that the General Gov
eminent has gr,snteda charter for the road
and can have nothing more to do with it:
That the road must and will be located
where it will best answer the interests Of
the company. That a representation in
Congress from Colorado could have no in
Auence whatever on the location or con-
struction Of the road.
The Government reserved to itself the
right of altering, adding to, annuling, or
repeating the so-called Pacific Railroad
Charter. The first Act Of Congress pro-
viding for a Pacific Railroad, has the fol-
lowing clause in its 18th section:
"And the better to accomplish the OBJ
ject of this act. namely, to promote the
public interests and welfare by the con-
struction of said railroad and telegraph
line, and keeping the same in working or
der, and to secure to the government at
all times (but especially in time OF war;
the use and benefits of the same for pos
tai, military and other purposes, Congress
may at any time, having due regard for
the rights of said companies named herein,
add to, alter, annul or repeal this act
This act was passed at the second ses-
sion Of the Thirty Seventh Congress. At
the next session, in accordance with this
provision, an amendatory bill, even longer
than the first, was passed, to- which the
following was appended:
SEC, %. And be it further enacted,
That Congress may. at any time, alter, an
null or repeal this act"
So that no man nor set of men other
than the Government Of the United States,
holds an ~irrevocable charter for the great
Pacific Railroad. Further, it is PLAIN
from the above clause that IN absolute ma
tional necessity, or noncompliance with
the conditions of the bill granting q char
ter, would justify Government interfer-
ence. r,E '7,r'ssraN
Does not the necessity exist if for no
other reason, because of the present gigan-
tic Indian war, which every day is in
creasing in extent and bitterness, notwith-
standing the efforts of the Government to
curb the Indians and afford US protection.
The events on the stage route west, about
the 3lst Of July last, prove that we are as
insecure as we were q year ago. There
exists the same necessity for the building
of this road by the Government that there
did during the late war for the Union for
Its building the Tennessee railroads.
Without them, Atlanta and Savannah,
and Mobile and Charleston, and Raleigh
and Richmond, would still be in the hands
of rebels. Without this, life and property
on the Plains will be as insecure next
year, and the next, and the year thereaf-
ter, as they are now. And how does the
Government feel on the subject now :
Ask Senators Doolittle, and Sumner, and
Wade, and Foster. They consider US the
aggressorS, and the Indian quite as much
entitled to protection as we. And we
haven't a vote or voice in the National
Capital to correct this feeling. With the
Government entertaing such ideas. backed
BY the entire press Of the United States,
are we likely to convince it of the neces-
sity of THE RAILROAD to the settlement of
Indian difficulties, Uithout a representation
in Congress- Let demagogues evade or
deny the force of this question if they
can. Then who is to watch with Argus
eyes hat the conditions of the charter
be vigorously complied with. if not
Colorado Answer us that. We know
that one branch is already engaged in a
deadly quarrel with the law, "that sweet
procrastination," has been invoked. The
other is undecided whether to start from
Omaha or ten miles below, notwithstand-
ing ground was broken in November,
1868, and one hundred miles were to have
been finished by the close Of the present
year. In opinion, the n~on-compli-
ance with the charter already exists. 1t
Is the belief of everybody that these par
ties do not design to build the road beyond
the good lands bordering the Missouri
river. Mr.. Ross told US so, and Old-Line
Democrat as he is, wonld favor taking the
charter from them and the construction Of
the road by the Government. Not long
since, the chief engineer on this branch
resigned, because the contractors were
getting $4,000 a mile above what it cost
them for building a hundred miles Of the
road, and he would have no part in such
a swindle.
2. THE road" say the Ants, unjust
60 where nature has provided a way and
where business demands"
Now it is undeniable that nature has
favored the North Platte route, 80 far as
surveys have yet disclosed her secrets.
And, therefore, Colorado must make IN
effort and a serious one to thwart Nature.
If she were the only mining country in
the mountains she might fold her arms
and trust to events, certain Of triumph.
But she is only one of a dozen, and as
things 60 now it is quite likely there will
be q dozen more before the road is IN
structed. Recent explorations about the
Medicine Bow Mountains, exactly on the
proposed Northern route, show them to
be rich in placer, gold, and silver ledge
mines. Another season will doubtless
develop anew FL Dorado in that vicinity.
What then becomes Of the argument that
our business will bring the road here any
how: We have obstacles to overcome in
securing this vital object to Colorado, and
it is certain we can not overcome them
without effort.
8. And finally, if it shall be found i'm
possible to get the main trunk Of the
grandest route of travel in the world loca-
ted through the heart of Colorado, the
next best thing we can do is to get the P.
r. R. charter amended so as to allow a
junction Of the numerous feeders of the
road at a point further west than the
Hundredth Meridian of longitude. Dur
ing the Congress before the last, a bill
was introduced in the Senate for this pur-
pose and was beaten by one vote. Had
there been two Colorado Senators there,
it would have carried by n vote. And
that's hop Colorado could influence the
location of the road, or at least of its
branches. Let the st. Louis Branch come
up the Smoky Hill and join the main
trunk at Denver, or the mouth Of Cheyenne
Pass, or wherever might be best, and we
will engage to be satisfied.
1t is worse than idle-it is criminal to
claim and maintain before the people not
particularly blamable for knowing moth
;no that Colorado throuph a~renresenta.