New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-11-23
rvr U0BLD'S HIGHBAY.

The phenomena Of growth in America, now The
most cheering study Of the economist were one time
rudcly marked by the building of new country roads
between what now appear only as pioneer towns.
The frontier of civilization seemed IN those primitive
DAYS, ere Fulton had conquered the watcIs with their
own element, just as we may have yet TO subdue the
navigablc air, very remote halingpaco TO lumber
inc teams and Concstoga wagons. That early boun-
dairy defues very ordinary business journey in these
brisk timcs and our intellectual travel over the same
route would be incouccivably brie to the people who
got late news OF Fultons invention though il Is now
such matter of everyday vitality to the many
minded multitude who receive news By lightning from
London without a wink Of surprise. The muscle Of
man and beast once counted for much but mans
mind, with steam aud electricity, have wrought
wonders The tracks Of national growth were once
marked out by the hoof later by the railroad steam
boat and the telegraph recently, by vast addition
Of all these, the latter invention. acting as no other
can as the mercural, inspiring spirit, Of all new
marves Of enterprise. Thanks TO the telegraph weare
building a swift passage between two seaboards,
thousands Of miles distant which otherwise might re-
main comparative strangers for generations. The
continental undertaking of great railroad to the Pa
ciic urged and inspirited not more by Watts steam
than Morses electricity, will make the remote seaport
of San Francisco known to NewYork as brother is
known to brother
Here progress, it seems, might reasonably pause II
only to recuperate But the journey Of civilization is
never done; the world never rests. New-Iork and
San Francisco do not complete the story of national
growth; it has threads in spinning by which the sea
must know new cities, new communities, new peo-
plessuch magnifying ofhs discovery as Christopher
Columbus never dreamed. Perhaps Norfolk aud
Chicago will know each other better than San Fran
cisco will know New-York. Doubtless, Virginia will
be brought amicably and irresstiby in the plot, and
the problem of complete and perfect union between
North East South and West solved more by railroad
reconstruction than by any other. Make worlds
highway between San Francisco and New-York, and
all these things may be added unto and the world
We yesterday received our mails from the eK-
IRENE continent Of Australasia for the third time. by
an American route. Heretofore, Australian news has
reached us by way of India Suez and London, after
about &C days, or more than two months. BY the
Panama route these mails may arrive in New-York in
% DAYS or three weeks sooner than they could come
by way of London. Though the telegraph on the
Suez route has shortened the news journey to London
and the Atlantic cable has brought the great continents
nearer, we hold that tho advantage derived from the
American route Is signally important in respect to
news. But the gain, in a business sense, has a
far wider significance. We know that New-York can
communicate with Australia twenty days sooner than
can London, and that England reach to her dis
tant possession at least week earlier by way OF
Panama than by way Of sueE. Ittakes about 90 days
voyage to London by the route of sneI and India,
willis !, can DO little moro by the Panama route than
x 6eSs. Here is a mammoth prize Of time-saving
which the commerce of America ought to know how
to use bountifully.
The geographical superiority of this continent in re-
.cact 10 commerce with both Australia and China has
been long spprociated but 1t was only with the recent
onsnnr Of the golden gates Of tho Panama route that