The Placer herald., 1867-03-02
=3 For the Placer Herald.
The Pacific Railro ad-..Their OrGan..'and
the Chinese Question.

constructed through oui Cpu"l: 90" "' =
happen to to be somewhat familiar with
the whole matter. from The beginning. with
your permission will give Iliet history Of
The great enterprise"
The Stars and Stripes in an article last
week, headed The Chinese question: clear
Is becomes the organ and champion OF this
close corporation.
Theodore d. Judah was the pioneer in
this ENTERPRISE and but for his iudomiIabe
perseverance there woull not, in my opin-
ion. TO this day have been ground broken in
the construction OF tie road. Eight years
ago Judah commenced reconnoileriDg the
various suggested routes through the foot
bills OF line Sie!ras, and finally commenced
an instrumental survey. The first route run
wa. from Lincoln to the California House at
Neiislurg. Judah then, in connection with
two other palties, commenced the construr-
ton of the Eastern Extension Railroad"
from Lincoln to an imaginary town called
"Cen,raia." This project afterwards fell
through after the road bed was nearly com
pIe;ed, principally on account Of some dis
agreement with Col. Wilson, of the G. G.
Railroad. In the meantime Judah went east
partly on business connected with the enter
prise, and while in Washington he origiua
ted plan for an independent survey fer "A
railroad from The waters of the Mississippi to
the Pacific. This measure falling, he then
formed company. on paper, as a prel'ml
nary measure to The application for Govern
ment aid. Ills first list contained the names
of Major Ilrnslev, T. J. Henley, I. d. Jn'
l.l ,,t
time the California Steam Navigation Com
pany had partial ~ agreed to furnish $4,000
per month towards the enterprise, on condi-
iioas that would drive eff all opposition to
The Company's steamers. The above named
parties declined to incorporate, and conso.
quen,ly this second effort Of Judah fell
through also
Judah then enlisted the present parties,
who j. cofporslel and made him Cbi-f Engi'
neer, and Placed BIN on half pay. He was
then sen! on to Washington, on this bali
pay-on which he would have starved had
it not been for Senator McDouga Chairman
cf The Pacific Railroad Committee, who APP
pointed him its Clerk at a per diem Of :6;
afterwards Judah MAS made Clerk Of lhe
House Subcommittee by Sargent, thu, en-
abling him to live comfortably. and giving
him at the same time the privilege Of the
floor Of both houses These positions he
held Until. he secured tie passage Of the Pa
citic Railroad Bill. granting more means than
enough to construct the road. A. soon as
the passage Of The bill WAS known the six |
men. who now virtually own the road. COM
bned to control the great franchise and have
SO far succeelel.
The stock Of the Company was fixed at
$4,000 900. believe, and books were open
ed, limiting the subscription to S3,o00O00
Near one million of dollars were subscribed
tN tho "i-'.; --5-->-'..io. ono dollar OF
.h,h think. they will never see agai'; bot
whom ire San Francisco capitalists were APP
Piled to. they sad: open your books for the
whole So 600, 900 and we will take it al in
one day. This offer WAS rejected, solely |
suppose because it wouli have taken the
control out cf the hands Of Stanford, Creek;
er e. Co, ard leave them in tho same fix
that they have left the Sacramento L;nnes.
Now let US see what the Fl m ge! for con-
strueting the road, and wha, it costs 10 build
it.
Judah, in a careful estimate, computes
the entire COST from tide water to the eastern
State line, n disancs OF l40 miles, at frac'
lion of over $4,000, 900. Ilore is the cost
of the work in California.
Now Let us see what the donations, ~ es'
timaied principally ty their own Chief En-
gineer. amounts to: For tie first seven
miles from Sacramento to Arcade Creek,
LincoLis bose of tie Sierra Nernda noun.
It. -
$ll2 1000 in bonds, and the right t. issue
and sell tha same amount of first mortgage
hords, thus making in fact a total Of 1924,
600; and for the other hundred and thirty,
three miles they get in tho same kind Of
bonds the enormous sum Of *l2,766000. or
n grand total Of bonds, for constructing l40
miles Of road, of SIP 992 900, actually ex-
ceeding the cost Of the road. In addition
to all this, the government grants them half
the public lands for twenty miles on each
side Of the road. and where any OF these
lands are mineral. they get tho timber
Judah estimates the timber, fit for lumber,
at one dollar per thousand standing. at $40,
600 600 in money, and Sl00,00O,00O worth
Of freight, or instead 25,00O,0O0 cords Of
wood at S25, 100000 aud SlOo,O0O,O0O
of freight. In these estimates the
value Of the land granted is not computed.
Added to these enormous donations from the
United States, the State Of California has,
in effect, given them 81 1900, 900 in coin.
while San Francisco, Sacramento and Placer
counties have given them s05o,O0o. without
tho interest, which would nearly
double the amount. Here We have grand
total Of donations Of the astounding
sum, at the very lowest estimate, OF
over $40 600 900, when the road is only
to cost Sl2,ooo,ooo, or surplus of s2s.
100000 to be divided between six men, if
common report is trne-only little over
fire million dollars apiece, after being the
owners Of The road. Now think Of these
parties discardug ten thousand white labor.
ers to make way for the same number of
Coolies Chinese slaves) simply, according
L. i. e II,