, 1868-01-24
Memorial and Resolutions of the Idaho
Railroad Convention.

The committee on memorial and resolutions
made the following report
To the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States in Congress assembled:
Your memorialists, citizens of Idaho Territory,
respectfully represent that on the 9th day of JAM
uary, 1868, in pursuance of a call issued, res
questng the people Of the several counties Of the
territory to elect delegates to meet iI convention
at the capitol of the territory, met as the dele>
gates to such convention, to consider the pro-
prety of petitionng your honorable body for aid
in the construction of a railroad to connect the
Union Pacific Railway with the navigable waters
of the Columbia river, by a branch road running
westwardly through the valley of Snake river.
And having duly considered the subject of our
meeting, this convention, composed of sixty del
egates, representing every county in the territoS
ry earnestly ask your attention to the following
facts:
FIRsT-That the Territory of Idaho, or such
portion of it as lies south of Salmon river, and
comprising two-thrds of its large area, is in the
extent, variety, and magnitude of its resources,
mining and agricultural, unexcelled and perhaps
unequalled by any similar extent of country,
within the limits of the Union.
SEooND-It is so situated that neither the rail-
road from Omaha to San Francisco or that from
Lake Superior to Puget Sound can meet its wants
and interests, now so urgently requiring direct
and rapid communication with the outside world.
THIRD-That the proposed road can be cons
structed at less cost, by reason of the general
surface of the country through which it is pro-
jectei, presenting fewer natural obstacles than
any other route west of the Rocky mountains.
From the fact that it is the shortest line to The
ocean-that it follows water lines instead of
traversing mountain ranges-that it is never OBJ
structed by SHOWS or the extremes of climate
and by the further fact, that between the point
of its intersection with the Union Pacific and the
Dao g. - aai riV naV inQ.
tion, now in operation, of over one-half the dis
tance of the whole line.
FouRrH-Iu support of the last proposition we
submit the followingi That between Wallula or
Umatilla the highest points at which it is sug~
gested the road would strike the Columbia river,
and the point at which it would join the main
line near Salt Lake, there is distance of $50
miles of the upper Snake river now navigated By
steamboats,, tins furnishing facilities in its con-
struction unknown to any other projected road
to the Pacific. And we would call special at
tentiou to the further fact that one hundred miles
of rnirvud wUuid unite the naVigAbls portion OF
Snake river to the great continental railroad from
Omaha to San Francisco, and that two hundred
miles additional from the lower end of Snake
river valley would unite the active and prosper
Gus navigation of the Snake and Columbia rivers
with the Pacific ocean and the Union racine
railway. .
For these reasons we respectfully and earnest
ly ask your honorable body to grant sucn gov
ernmental aid to the proposed road as Will secure
its construction from point connectlng Tue
Union Pacific road by the most practicable route
to the valley of Snake river, thence westwaTdly
down said valley via Boise City, the capital oil
Idaho, to the Columbia river, by the most direct
and practicable route. -,
Aud as in duty bound, your memorialists Will
ever pray.
Mr. Miller moved the adoption OF the memo
iuo oelV
By. Mr. Merritt, the chairman, the committee
also submitted the following resolutions
Resolved, That copies of the memorial adopteu
by this convention be forwarded by the secfeta-
ries of this convention to the Preslden' Ol tne
United States, and to the President OF the senate
aud Speaker of the House OF ofKePresenta1i'eS' Huc
to our delegate in Congress, with the request 'nA'
the same be laid before Congress:
Resolved. That committee of three persons
residing at Boise City be appointed by the presl-
dent of this convention, whose duty IT snail De
to collect facts and statistics in regard 10 we
proposed line of railroad, and also OF the resour
ces of Idaho Territory, and forward tne same 70
~ cbsirman of the committees of the Senate
and House of Representatives on tue racine raii-
Resolved. further That said committee OF
three shall have power TO convene another con-
vention when in their judgment it shall become
| necessary.
Resolved, That we earnestly solicit the CO.
operatiou of senators, representatives, and dele
gates in Congress, from adjoining States ana
Territories, in securing the same congressional
aid for the road herein contemplated, t6st mas
been extended to the Union and Central FacIhc
| railroad -,
The resolutions were seVeraily auoPteu:
The chairman announced the names OF l.. f.
Cartss. j B. Rosborough and D. W. Ballard, the
Committee Of three, pursuant to the foregoing
resolutions.
MA1EE.-Fcur-ffths of the surface OF the
State of Maine are drained into the Atlantic
Ocean. and about one-ffth into the St Johns