New-York tribune., 1868-06-17
THE KANSAS UNION PACIFIC RAILWAY
SCHEME.
To HORACE GREELEY.

dollars in further aid of the Kansas branch OF the
Union Pacific Railway that it may turn southward
into New-Mexico and form part of a second trunk
line 70 the Pacific. Mr. Wilkeson gives plausible
reasons in favor of the project but are not the fol
lowing objections to it strong and insuperablef
l. II is too early 20 endOw second road across the
Continent. Upon the Central line, now building the
locomotive will run from Omaha TO San Francisco in
twenty months at longest perhaps in thirteen.
Congress has yet much TO learn about the wisest,
safest and most economical mode of assisting these
roads and can only learn it from the practical work
ing of the first after its completion. Besides, the
Central will be amply sufficient for our trans-Conu
mental business for the next three years
9 Even if the time were come to ald a new road, q
Northern line has the first claim From the upper
Mississippi to the Pacific stretches one OF our richest
belts of territory. already largely populated and
containing heavy and rapdly-groWlng business IN
teress Minnesota has immeasurabe forests OF excel
lent pine and the best wheat growing region of tho
United States Montana holds some OF our ucheSt
gold and silver mines and has good agricultural ca
pacity Idaho turns ont several millions of dollars
of the precious metals every year. Oregon and
Washington have exceedingly valuable mines
of gold, silver iron, and coal; heldS
that produce grass, grain. and fruit IN
wonderful profusio9 and the richest forests
of pine. spruce cedar. and fir in the known world.
Puget Sound, the natural terminus of Northern
line and the largest and best harbor on either coast
already enjoys an enormous lumber trade with every
quarter of the globe These great interests ought to
have an outlet to both oceans. Moreover road
along our Northern frontier would do more to assim-
iate British America and hasten our acquisition OF 1t
than all Stewards diplomacy or all McCuOchs treas
uYy notes. No company has yet appeared sufficiently
represcntng the important local interests along the
route TO Justify granting subsidy, but within the
next year or two one will doubtless be formed.
Clearly cur second road TO the Pacific should be
Northern one.
g. Tie Kansas line is breaking faith rih The GOrerR-
mcf 1t was originally endowed rs a branch of the
main or Nebraska stem of ene Union Pacific Road, to
connect with it at the 1CUtA meridian near Fort
Kcameyl and give Kansas Missouri and other central
Stacs direct connection with 1t. But two years ago,
it obtained permission from Congress to join the
trunk line 800 miles further West, and near Den
YER agreeing to build the last 200 miles from its
own resources. The sole condition upon which IT
was allowed Thus to change its route and retain all
its subsidy is explicitly stated in the words of the
law which authorized it:
Tloridcd That said Company shall be entitled TO only
the SINE amount of the bonds Of the United States 10 ald
in the construction OF their line Of railroad aud telegraph
they would have been entitled to they had connect
ed their said line with the Union Pacific Railroad on the
1OOE degree Of longitude as now required by law ana
JpOriGCG butheT Tint sdfd COmpdhH StdH connect Mcr
Inc or roroad and telegraph h he Unio, Pacific Rail
road bt not at point more than fny miles weSrardiy
from ne meridian Of DenUer ul Coorddo
Now, after receiving and expending the Govern
ment subsidy and utterly neglectng to fulfill their
contract this company have the effrontery to de
mand of Congress: " As we have broken express
agreement to build on to Denver from private
means, issue eight ten millions, more or less,
in new bonds TO enable TO turn sOuthwaTd
over the desert into New-Nlexico. and thence across
the mountains toward California, because it could
be pity TO dispese our labOrerS and stop cOrkj
This is quite like the young Frenchman who, con-
victed of numbering hs father and mother and
asked by the Judge what he had TO urge why SEN
teuce of death should not be passed upon him,
replied trust that the court will be meTciful TO
apoor orphanw reluctant to disperse its laborers.
why don't the company live mp to its agreement and
employ them in completing its line to Denveri
4. This road is 400 miles too far north to be the
proper eastern end of line which is to follow the
thirty fifth parallel from the Rio Grande to the Pacific
AS far as competed-the entire length of Kansas-it
runs within 200 miles of the main Pacific Road of
Nebraska and is nearly the fortieth parallel
Now it is proposed 10 make a sharp elbow south
ward, over barren, uhnhabted plains, for 400 miles,
to Albuquerque, New-MeXIco. There is no natural
trade whatever on this north and south line.
Private capital would not build railway upon it for
the next 40 years road from the Pacific along the
35th parallel should obviously come from the Rio
Grande directly eastward, through Texas and the
Indian TerTitOry-the very richest body of land on
Continent and soon TO be open to settersto Fort
Smith, some other point in Arkansas. Thence its
main stem should continue direct TO Memphis with
a Southern fork to Vicksburg New-Orleans,
and a Northern one to st. Louis, leading
through the rich Lead Region of Missouri.
Why should this Kansas line have a subsidy
to make il Continental thOToughfaTe in papabe
defiance of geography the laws of trade and the in
tereSts of half dozen Statesl
8. 1t is less entitled to aid than several other
roads starting from the Mississippi and already run
ming for considerable distance in the general drec-
ton of the 35th parallel These roads have been
built from private resources and from State aid,
without dollar of Government bonds. The South
West Pacific already extends nearly 100 miles
from St. Louis toward springfield and Fort
Gibson and the Cairo and Fulton, the Memphis and
Little OK. the Vicksburg and Shreveport and the
New Orleans, Alexandria and Fulton-have COM
pleted manysniles of their respective roads. Why
give a company which has not built a yard of its
main line toward the Pacific without Government
aid. such enormous, unjust preference over strug
Cling roads which have earned right TO recOgni-
tioni Do Congress and The TRIBUNE propose to
put premium lack of enterprise because it is
coupled with rayeDOus fondness for the public CRIB
and rOars its demand for More with throat of
brass and adamantne lungs p
Every word that Mr.. Wilkeson says about the be-
nefcent effect of railways in settling our new Terri
tories developing mines and solving the Indian
problem is true in its general application. The S5th
parallel route too is easy and good one. 1t con-
meets with the San joaquin Valley of California, one
of our best grain regions, and leads to one Of the
richest slver-bearng districts on the globe. At the
prOper time. uu1er nrOper restrictions nrohah1v a