The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1868-05-02
THE sIULLAN ROAD.

The government could not invest
800, 900 in an enterprise that would
more Immediately or materially benefit
the same number of people than by ap-
propriating that amount to repairing
this national road across the Rocky
Mountains Originally constructed by
the government as a military highway,
at an immense expense, it is now impas.
sable for two hundred miles except for
pack animals, and each year is adding
to the difficulties of transportation which
n small appropriation would entirely
obviate. The necessities for it are
1. 1t is the only road crossing the Rocky
Mountains north of the 43d degree of
latitude, leaving six degrees between
Snake river and the British Possessions
without other means of communication.
2. It would connect communities num-
bering not less than one hundred thou
sand people, only Eve hundred miles
separrte by this route, and two or three
times that by any other. g. 1t would
give the Walla WsIla Valley, producing
annually from 100000 to $1,000, 900
bushels of grain, 10000 head of
stock and inexhaustible fruits, q good
market, four hundred and fifty miles
distant, and frequently dependant
upon outside supplies. A. 1t would
give constant means of transit to
Montana merchants and consumers now
dependent on the Missouri river. only
navigable for short season each year,
and frequently too low for boats to reach
the upper ports, and relieve them Of
carrying over immense stocks or suffer
ing the oppression of triple prices. 5.
It would reduce freights from Caiifornis,
Oregon and Washington to Montana,
now 25 or 80 cents per pound, to 10 or
12 cents, enabling the transportation of
machinery from California at low rates,
reducing materially the price of neces-
saries, and preventing by constant COM
munication, mercenary monopolies ,of
particular and essential articles of con-
sumption during the winter and spring
months. 6. The road cost the Govern
ment an enormous amount when it was
built It is now an hundred times as
necessary as il was then. 1t will cost
but q moderate sum to place il in repair.
It is of invaluable Importance to large
and industrious agricultural and mining
communities. can be used at all seasons
of tine year, and for these reasons we
urge the Government to repair it.
The Third Legislature of Montana
asked an appropriation of $75, 900 the
Legislature of Washington Territory
asked 800, 900 for this purpose, believ-
ing these amounts would answer the
purpose, and every paper in the north
west has seconded their petitions. While
other appropriations and measures
are needed and asked for, although
hitherto unaccomplished this takes
no second place, and we urge it
upon Mr.. Cavanaugh to press the matter
in Congress. We ask the "few hot heads
there" to give it favorable consideration
and make sufficient appropriation to re-
open this dilapidated highway. There
were once one hundred small bridges on
the st. Regis Borgia and Cnur d'Alene
rivers on this road and their recon
struction" is an essential to US as that
of Alabama. There are 1,5o0 pack ami
mails now picking their way over an
abandoned national road. carrying US
hundreds of tons of the necessaries of life
with an "infernal revenue" of fifteen
cents per pound on it that benefits no
one. We ask redress of these grievan-
ces. We ask that an engineer corps be
appointed to re-survey the route over
the range, and if necessary, in view of a
more complete knowledge of the country
than existed when Lieut.. Mullen's
survey was made, and the probable
route of the Northern road, to locate it
where best ada pied to meet its requir-
ments. We ask that 100000 be appro-
at this Session Of Congress to re-establish
this great avenue of travel and COM
merce. We ask it as a matter of justice
and economy, in the name of a hundred
thousand people directly interested and
in the name of all who are interested in
the development of the Northwest, as
sured the outlay will be an immediate
relief to us and ultimately remunerative
to the govern ment.
LOUIS ". BoGY, late Superintendent
OF Indian outrages, is writing letters in
Missouri. favoring F. p. Blair for Presi-
dent and John T. Hoffman of New York,