Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-04-12
The Highway 10 the Pacific.

rev persons are familiar with the progress
which IS being made upon the Great Pacific
Railway. the Ink which is 20 bind the golden
limits OF ;he country, and bring US nearer 10
the pop1lous empires Of Eastern Asia. Il has
teea 50 long talked about, aud 30 long desired
y eur kiusi0lk II the Fsr-West, and indeed BY
all well Bishers Of the community, that We hal
come % coasider it as q thing which would be
Welcomed by the next generation. Information
comes % band, however, which puts its com
Iletion beyond reasonable doubt at so early q
day as 1896 and the most critical portion OF il
al much earlier period. The Companies AZ
each end Of the road were authorized to issue
an amount Of First Mortgage Bonds, Of equal
amount. and alike IN tenor, date, time Of matu-
rity, AM kir1 Of payment, as the bonds issuei
hy the Government, which should be the 6rs,
len upon the road, its property, fran
ehises, &c, which is TO say, that supplementary
loans might be made 10 construc; the road; AMI
the Government, in view Of the immense bene-
ats Il would con fer upon the Far-West, would
lock to small tax upoa its future traffic for the
T-fayment Of It's own generous advances. With
these tempting aids, in 1866 the Eastern link
the UniOn Pacific Railroad, had completed 300
miles west Of the Missouri River, AMI viii prob
ably reach the base Of the Rocky Mountains.
700 miles further, the present year
On the other end, the Central Pacific Com
1any, less affected by the presence Of war. and
more earnestly inspired by the immense traffic
Which was waiting fer the r1sd, pushed reso
lutely forward with sll the energy and all The
means II could summon, though a Young STATE
with hundreds Of millions invested in her Iucrs
tive mining enterprises, scattered over thousand,
OF square miles, found money TO keep a small
army Of laborers employed builiing the road.
oPSat1s OF thirteen millions year had been
spent u hiu.ng freight across the high noun
iains separating her from the Territories. exelu-
sive Of the return freight upon double that snr,
ci precious metals This was in itself a suff
cieEi motive for the utmost effort in buildinr
the road- The result Is tha. in November lasi
they had nearly hundred miles Of road in
running operation. This, however, is equal in
cost anu expended energy 10 1--WE hundred miles
over the iefel plans on the eastern en- so that
today the western portion Of the road. not
il IS SO much further from its bss,
Of supplies, IS relatively farthest ahead. Both.
however, are so far done. and have such pow
eTIlI sumulants Immediately before them, that
with the munihcent Government encouragement.
the gap will be rapidly CLOSED.
Nowhere is the grade Of the road greater than
ihst Of tie Baltimore and Ohio; and the rosd
IS in all respects well built, as bef,s it. semi
national character. Iron has been purchased
for 200, and material been prepared for abou,
l]y mil5s, eastward Of the mountains; so that
with the opening Spring the work will be
pushed ahead with alacrity. The enterprising
-GIi1rnlans have already passed. their greatest.
and almost their sole, difficulty; and while the
Union Pacific Is climbing over the Rocky Noun
iains, the Central Pacific will be Speeding on
ward through the great Salt Lake plains with
comparative ease. Both parties will extend
heir tracks so isr during the present year that
rot more than 900 miles will remain unfinished
4 the l 80 between the Pacific coast and the
Missouri River
One Of the beit assurances Of the early CON-
lletion Of the other end Of the road is the sue
ess which has attended its operations thus far.
the manifest disability Of its
erininus being, for the greater portion Of the
ime, among the Inaccessible mountain preci-
'ices. It's gross earnings during $50, with from
= 10 o. miles Of road in operation, were
,o53,Ol6 20 IN gold. Such are the rates for
reight and passengers (Which are readily paii).
hat tNo-thirds Of this sum were net profit; al
hough among the operating expenses we're many
xc5puonal payments incident to a new and in
omPlete road. This is more than any similar
ength Of road can show in the whole country,
SuppOsing the volume Of business to remain
he same, the Company would be earning, by
uiy next, with the same transit rates, orsr
-9Hif Be net Profts. since the ratio Of opera;-
ns expenses diminishes as the heavy grading is
Ell behind. But, in fact, there is good reason
D believe that the traffic will be doubled or
when the terrible mountain drsught
Al be done BY the stesm-horse; so that with
ui estimating the through travel which must
hen f'll TO its share, the legitimate business Of
be road is enormous
by reference to the advertisement Of the F.
AHciai agents Of the Central Pacific Company
4 another column, it will be seen that the First
loriglgs Bonds upon this portion Of the road
re now offered in the msrke, by Nessrs. Fisk
Hatch, the well known bankers, Of New
ork. The security Of these bonds is Of the
cry bCst, they yield 6 per cent, principal and
,terest being payable in coin. and as the Com
any has large and increasing income with an
.teres, charge Of only about "A per cen, upon
5 outlay. there can be few safer or more profit
bic permsnen, investments for capital.