The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-02-22
3joIitiral.
CHICAGO AND THE PACIFIC
RAILROAD. -s ~
a Forecast of Twenty.One Years
Ago.

which will be read with much interest by the
residents of Chicago and of California to-day.
1t is report made to the United States Senate,
an tho 3lst of July 1886 nearly twenty-five
wears ago by Hen. Sidney Breese, OF illinois,
then Chairman of the Senate Committee on Pub
lie Lands. on the construction Of National
railroad from the Mississippi TO the Columbia
river. in Oregon. This report was made, 1t Wall
be seen, before the acquisition of Califorma,
while the Mexican war was in progress, and be-
fore the immense gold discoveries which have
populated the Pacific slope. Chicago was then
nothihr-a mere village Of 1000 inhabitants or
so-and SO insignificant that Judge Breese feels
compelled to apologize for presenting the idea
that a National railroad should ever start from
such q place. Indeed he nowhere mentions
Chicago 10y name bat speaks of it as "a point on
Lake Michigan" He foresaw however, that it
was to be the great center OF commerce Tor the
world point from whence iron arms would
stretch to all quarters of the Union, and where
traffic would center in four days time from the
Atlantic, the Gull and the far Pacific; that
through this central point the English merchants
would draw their tea from China, and the pro-
ducts of their last possessions in India and Aus
tralia How strangely, how rapidly, and yet
how completely has this dream been realized
The prescience which thus saw SO far into the
future cannot but challenge admiration and
wonder
Judge Breese argues in favor of the selection
of point for starting this road on Lake Michi-
gan, instead of the Mississippi, as follows
1.-THE committee will here state that point
on this lake must be selected:
because it is the only point where the public
lands suitable to produce funds to accomplish
the work can be had:
Because it is the only point where material
particularly timber can be found, and which
! - I'd {ho
road progresses to the mountains
"Because it affords cheap and easy water
communication with the Atlantic cities to take
laborers, materials and settlers to the starting
point which necessary and important advan-
tages cannot be had from any other point, except
subject to long delays and great expense;
Because it is the only starting point which
has settled country, such as Michigan, Illinois,
Indiana and Ohio to furnish provisions for the
laborers and settlers until they can produce for
themselves So
because it has direct water communication
by canal and lakes, with Pittsburgh, where the
iron must undoubtedly bo made;
because it is nearer to all the Atlantic cities
than any other point;
"Because it is more central, and in the same,
or nearly the parallel of latitude as the pass
in the mountains and gives freer and better
opportunity for fair competition for it's
benefits.
"The Committee would also state that New
England and New York, Pennsylvania, Mary
land and Virginia are all pushing their railroads
into or to the State of Ohio, where they will all
meet and 20 on in one, to join this road where it
crosses the Mississippi river, or between that
river and Lake Michigan. And when South
Carolina shall havo completed her road to Mem
phls, or through Nashville to the Ohio, the web
will thon be completed, and our vast country
will be brought together at the grand center, IN
the short space of -FOUR DAYS; allowing us not
only to transport passengers, but all descriptions
OF merchandise and produce from this grand
.center-to New Orleans, Savannah, Charleston,
Richmond and Norfolk, Washington, Philadel-
phia, New York and Boston, and to the Pacific
in the same time-,four doy; and FROM TIE
PACIFIC to any of the above cities in less than
oighl days: AND TO CHINA in taesnty days;
40 that we can bring our vast country together
in FOUR DAYS, and the extremes Of tie Globe in
THIRTY DAYS.
Z" A cargo of teas from China may then be de.
ivered in any of our Atlantic cities in THIRTY
DAYS, and at London or Liverpool in less than
FORTY-FIVE DAYS"
The report, after examining in detail the trade
and resources of the Sandwich Islands, the pop
ulation and trade of Japan, China, and India,
showing the "marvels and riches of all the coun-
tiASN tuus W De SptLcU W gives tuc
numbers Of the populations, and their respective
industries in all those vast regions Of country,
and the great rivers, plains, and mountains
(which they occupy 1t shows that the Chinese
provinces of themselves contain from "45O, OOO,-
900 to 100000 OF the most temperate, order
ly, frugal, intelligent and Industrious of any
people Oh the globe; not one of whom arrives at
mans estate but can read and write
The population of India i. estimated at some
1S4,O00,0O0. Besides which, Australia, Polyne-
STA, New Guinea Java, and Borneo, with their
trade and populations in the South Pacific, a.
The report contends, "will furnish a coasting
trade to American vessels and steamers running
up and down the coast from Oregon to South
America, producing changes Of commerce, such
as tho world as yet offers no parallel to, whom it
IL considered that American energy and our
wonderful ingenuity and resources are 10 DO
brought 10 bear, by the construction of this road
upon countries SO popu!ous and fruitful" Judge
breese must have even then beheld, with his
'mind'seye, the great city of San Francisco, the
faefhc mail steamers, and all the grand results
winch are even now astonishing the world.
Here is VIVA. the rcpor. saws of the trade OF
China alone:
They take our lead and copper, our ginseng,
our furs and our -four, and if we could send to
them, short OF the long voyage twice across the
equator, almost sure to destroy all produce AMI.
nal or vegetable they would take our Indian
corn IN any quantity, our rice, our tobacco our
pork, beef, hams, and lard All foreigners now
there depend upon for these articles as we'll
as for butter and cheese both Of which your
Committee are informed, are being sold fire..
>grSntty at one dollar por pound. 1t appears
that IN 1888 they commenced taking leather and
hides from Russia, and the amount more than
doubled in four years. A, they keep but few an.
imals they cannot supply themselves with leath-
er, and This is no donht the cause why il has mot