The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-07-05
KANSAS RoUTE,
NEBRAsKA ROUTE.
Total, 80 800

10 r.
R RiI'aaa @ SO go 7,a.y, s- b.
Total. $500
In these estimates the sueculativ. 6a-
ares have been cut down, aad sometime
ike correct census is Approximarod /.
The. Whole population of Nebraska is
about one filth that of Kansas, and the
| disparity of settlers along The two rail
roads about the same. The Kansas road
duringthe last month earned SI45.OOo.
Ii IS probable thai The Nebraska sarpad
$50, 600. Its local traffic cannot be more
than one fifth that of lis southern com
pelItor, and the branch travel and freight
ing thus far has been pretty equally divi>
ded. 1 s7sTa7 1 80 -..
While the Kansas road has advantages
in climate, fertility aud territory, tributa-
ry population and natural resources, it is
not likely TO be the first in meeting the
California end, aud completing the great
Ink between New York and San Frant,is.
GO. The Nebraska line is TOO tar ahead
Il is becoming evident that the Kansas
company doe not aim to extend it's track
Indep evidently to the west until il meets
the California branch. A Junction with
the Nebraska route at some point north
west OF Denver vail probably fill It's aspi-
rslloDs in that latitude; but meanwhile il
will seek a southwestern path to the Pa
cltic, via New Mexico. Two Pacific roads
ouly two hundred miles apart would he a
W2sielul prOPnquty. Better build
across the mountains a thousand miles
apart, fer then one or the other must be
available all the year round, and each
will have magnificent territory TO drain.
Some saDgufne persons think the cont.
Mot will be spanned in Eve years. If it.
Is accomplished IN ten, some the best
lntoEmed friends of the enterprise will be
grauhed. There are still 200 miles to
be built. nearly half of which are through
a mountainous region. To complete the
work In ten years wIllreqQire the annual
Construction OF lz0 miles % ack. This.
counting the working season at, eight
months in the year, is at the rae of half
mile per day. If the iron horse crosses
the Rocky mountains at that gait, it will
be the most slashing it ever struck M.
On the other hand there are croakers
who say that all this Pacific Railroad
building viii. stop at the base OF the Rocky
mountains as there the Government subsi-
dy of S4S. 900 per mile viii not nearly
meet the cost of construction. Such
prophets would do we'll to study the his
tory of the Republic, and Judge of its flu
ture by the past. Even if SPECTATORS
should drop the enterprise it would be
pushed on again by the irresistible geni.
US OF natural development The work
may slackeu, but il can neither fslter nor
fail. Fate has traced it across the cont.
nent, and men may hasten it's building.
but cannot prevent it. The world wants
new ways, aud who is it imagines that a
handful of spectators can block the road?
The work of building the Kansas and Ne
braska roads has been pushed SO far be-
yond civilization that, owing to a lack of
Typographical information only to Is OBJ
tanned from old residents, the road beds
IN some places ars subject to overflow.
The Nebraska road suffered seriouslI not
long ago from freshet in the Platte; aud
the Kansas road has had its turn with
flood IN the Smokey. These mistakes in
engineering are expensive bat unavoida
BILE, for where their is no old settler to
show the high-waler marks of the past,
they must be guessed al. Forty miles of
he Kansas road beyond Junction City
are too low. The work of banking them
up will be commenced at once, though il
will be prosecuted in a way not to inter
rupt traffic over this section. This line
has now entered on divide, where it
will be pushed very rapidly for the rest
of the season; and by winter may reach
the western boundary of Kansas four
hundred miles from the starting point.
Here tie Government subsidy for the
Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division,
ends. No doubt Congress will continue
its aid to any reasonable extent. Il is
equally certain that such additional aid is
warmly desired aud. judging from past
achievements. richly deserved.
J. w. N.