The Van Buren press., 1868-04-24
From the Gllresfpn Ne,es.
The Great Enterprise.

"By reference To the railroal map il
will be seen that the roads from Calves
ton, from New Orleans, from Nicksburg,
from Memphis, from Cairo, and from ST.
Louis by way of Van Buren,, will be con-
centrated at Dallas, Texas. on the thirty
third parallel, and thence connect with the
Pacific road at Van Buren,
This is an extract from recent lengthy
and able letter in the San Francisco Alta,
written by Hon. volney L. Howard on
the subject of the Importance OF Con-
gress onal aid 10 the Southern Pacific
Railway''-un5oubtcdly the greatest en-
tcrpri-c ofthe times. 1t is now universal.
/ ly conceded that there is 10 comparison
! between the route of the Central and the
Union Pacific road and that which has
been recently selected by the Kansas
Company of the Eastern Division. We
are satisfied that this company believes il
has obtained incalculablc advantages by
the Congressional act of July, 1866, al
lowing it to build its road up the Smoky
Hill instead of the Republican river; and
that these advantages are chiefly depend,
ant upon the change of direction to the
southwest, beginning at the western
/ boundary of Kansas, thence through the
southwestern corner of Colorado lone of
the finest countries in the world--and
thence through New Mexico, Arizona and
Southern California to New Mexico
The company has discovered immense
beds of the finest coal on that portion of
/ the route which lies in Colorado, AMI
Lieutenants Whipple and Beale have both
officially reported the most splendid az
ricultural and mineral resources, includ.
ing abundance of coal, along the route on
the thirty fifth parallel from the Rio
Grande to the Colorado Of the West. AS
to the resources of Southern California,
nothing more need be said than that they
are all that could be desired
! But Mr.. Howard says the most impor-
tant road to California is that chartered
by act Of Congress, July, 1866, beginning
at or near the town of Springfield, No,
thence to 4 point on the Canadian river
thence to the town of Albuquerque on
the river Del Norte; thence to the head
waters of the Colorado Chiuuito; and
thence along the thirty fifth parallel to
the Colorado river; and thence to the
most eligible route to to the Pacific. This
branch from the point at which the road
strikes the Canadian, eastwardlv, along
the most suitable ronte to 4 point on the
western boundary of Arkansas, at or near
Van Buren, within few miles of Fort
Smith. Congress granted to this road
forty sections of land to the mile. The
route from Van Buren Connecting there
with Memphis, by way Of Little Rock to
the Canadian, and thence to Santa Fe and
Albuquerque, is one Of the best in the
| United States. The Secretary of War. in
1855, said the general features which had
determined the position of the route were
its passing " through or near more cult
vable areas its more abundant supply of
water as far west as the Colorado, and
the greater frequency and extent offorest
growth The country through the In
dian Nation and from the Arkansas, for
the first four or five hundred miles is
equal to any portion of the valley of the
Mississippi. Lieut.. Whipple, in his of
fetal report, says; Following the south
bank Of the Canadian for nearly one third
OF the whole distance to the Pacific, we
pass into the valley Of the Rio Grande
Del Norte near the centre Of New Mexico,
where the soil is more fertile, the popula
ton most numerous and the mines are
the most productive of any part of this
interior portion of our possessions
The fact that the route of the Kansas
Company, and that of this Southern
Company ARE the same from Albuquerque
westward, will, we suppose, increase the
certainty Of its being constructed; cspc-
cially as all good judges say that the
route by Omaha, etc, will be fully occu-
pied with way business, and that several
roads will be necessary between the At.
lantic and Pacific.
As the system Of railroad between the
oceans will not be complete without in
cluding Oregon, Mr.. Howard advocates
the policy of doing this by means of a
road from the most suitable point in Ore.
gon to Maryville in California. He re-
iers also to the Texas road on the 32d
parallel, from Shreveport to FL Paso, and
says it will he speedily completed after
the State shall have been restored to the
Union. This route passes through re-
gion of great agricultural power and
which has also much mineral resource :;
and as the construction Oft would" take
too long q time ifthe company were com.
PEELED to rely on the sales OF land, there
is no good reason why Congress, should
not advance bonds to the amount of SIG,
0O0 per mile TO the extent of the advance
to The Central road
After cnumerating the companies, Mr.
Howard admits that there are some con
ilicts between them, and says it is of"thc
utmost importance that reconciliation
should take place. and that this can be
done only by the terms Of n new grant
through which Congress could harmonic
the conflicting interests SO that all would
push forward the great work to the com
mon goal He advocates a loan Of thirty
4 ,nilliona IN tho Southern Pacific and tho