Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1867-11-02
The Fl Paso Railroad.


The great project OF a railroad
from Norfolk, Va, (Which has tho
largest, deepest, and bcst sheltered
harbor in America Ia Guaywas,
on the Gulf of California, via Nom,
phis aud I'll paso, Is one to which
the attention aud energy OF ovcry
ono interested Ia the future at Mem,
phis should bee fully directed 1t is
II work OF vast importance to the
commercial prosperity of the South,
and we shalt take occasion hereafter
to refer To il more fully, Meantime
We tako come iorciblo remarks on
the subject from u recent number oi
the Little Rock Republican, That
paper says there il no need of point
ing ont how the iron horse can
reach Memphis, the commercial hub
Of the Mississippi basin, from Nor,
folk and other Atlantic cities, or
how heavily laden steamers of two
thousand tons can work their way
from New Orleans TO Jefferson, Tex
as, the pivotal point ofthc Memphis,
I'll Paso and Pacific Railroad. These
connections are all achieved facts
or are in progress of achievement,
Nor is the bridging Of the gap be.
tween Memphis and Little Rock an
enterprise in the clouds. That road
is now progressing rapidly to u COM
plction, thanks TO the energy of tho
live men OF Memphis and the prac.
tieal efforts of Colonies Dcnmcad
and Robertson and General Forrest
who now have the matter in hand,
and promise us dcIivcrcncc from
this commercial thraldom in twelve
months.
Meantime the TcXar!ana and I'll
Paso Railroad Company, Ghlch was
incorporated before the war by the
State of Texas, under the most fl.
vorabIc charter, TO build n railroad
across the northern part Of Texas,
south of the Red River, through the
Cross Timbcrs, piercing n tract Of
twenty million acres Of virgin cot
ton lands, surprising any in the
world for the growing Of cotton, is
so far u fixed fact that one hundred
and twenty miles arc already under
contract, and the whole route will
probably be completed before we
shall be able to reach Red River
from Little Rock by rail.
As soon as the road from Little
Rock to Memphis is completed, we
are informed that the line will be
continued to Fulton, leaving the Hot
Springs little to the right, and
thence to Texarkana by Texas con-
nections, from whence it will con-
tinue southwestward to the Rio
Grande, which will be crossed at or
near FL Paso. From the point of
crossing the Rio Grande, the dis
tance to Guaymas, through Chihua-
hua and Sonora, is only four hun
drcd miles The grants for build
ing this part Of the line in Mexico
have been assured to General Frc-
mont by the Mexican Republic, so
that the silver regions will certainly
be pierced by railroad, whose
highest elevation is only five thous-
and seven hundred feet, passing
over the snowless ranges Of the 81
ezra Madre, and through country
whose Indian inhabitants are peace
ful citizens of our sister republic,
and not quasi-conquercd tribes, as
in our country.
Thus it will be seen the compile
ton Of this great route is almost
within our grasp, and we may rca-
sonably predict that the first shrill
whistle of the speeding train, with
its load of living freight from the
Eastern seaboard, will echo along
the shores of the Pacific at Quay
mas, nor will cold winters, unfath
omablc SHOWS, perpetual ice, or de-
structive avalanches interrupt The
constant flow Of wealth through
this great commercial artery.
The distance between these great
future cities is about two thousand
miles, and, except about two hun
dred miles across the great Amcri-
can desert, there is scarce II foot Of
unproductiye soil along the line OF
the road. What a contrast with the
vast rocks and rugged mountains
to be traversed by other CON
templatcd routes? And. in addition
to the native wealth Of the country
traversed by this road, which would
fully justify its construction Il glance
at the map will serve to show that
Canton and the japanese Islands,
the Sandwich Islands and Guaymas,
are on a direct line so that the Pa
cific steamers are provided with II
coaling depot without deviation
from their course. Thus the bene-
fit of the great silk, tea and opium
trade between Earopc and the East,
would fall into our hands, and
America be made the commercial
centre of the world. When this
shall have come about, who will
venture to predict the future great
ness of the Southwest ?-Wemphls