The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-08-28

This great enterprise is progressing with
considerable rapidly, as may be seen by our
correspondents accounts of its progress, from
the highest points Of the mountains in Wyoming
Territory, which we published yesterday. The
track is being laid at the rate of from five to
eight miles a day, and 1t appears that the
eastern portions of the road, which were rather
hurriedly constructed, are being carefully
Overhauled, the ties replaced and the bridges
and culverts supported by stone piersL This
was much needed, as in many places the cross
ings at the small ravines and creeks were in a
very shaky condition, being sustained simply
by banks of sod, which suggested constant
danger to the traveller. There can hardly be
any limit fixed to the value which the Pacific
Railroad is destined to become to the country.
When completed it will leave the great cities
Of the Western States in the centre of our
civilization. Our two frontier towns will one
of these days be New York and San Francisco,
the heart of the republic will lie between,
while commerce will for thousand years to
come hold its throne in the metropolis of the
Atlantic and the Pacific coasts. Even now
the people in the little mushroom and NOV
able towns on the Plains speak of the cities of
st. Louis, Cincinnati and Chicago as ''away
back east" Their faces are turned towards
the western shore, whittier the Pacific Railroad
leads their interests and points out their
future. A new market for tho products of our
far Western States and Territories is yet to be
-, At
mercial relations with China and Japan are
perfected, as they soon will be, the Pacific
Ocean will become an easy highway for our
commerce to the great centres of Asiatic trade.
1t is thus, as grand connecting link between
the Atlantic and Pacific, that the value of the
Pacific Railroad to California is, as we have
said, beyond limit. And, apart from the
foreign trade with which it will bring us into
immediate connection, we have to consider the
vast tract of territory which has to be supplied
with all the wants of man; the growing settle
ments, with their families Of pioneers, the
rising towns which in the necessities of prairie
travel must spring up, even though they
vanish as civilization and tho railroad get
ahead of them, and follow upon the track of
these twin agents Of progress.
But in proportion as this road becomes an
important enterprise 80 does it become incum-
bent upon the government to see that it
does not assume the form of an oppressive
monopoly. Congress has been liberal in its
appropriations to the Union Pacific Rail-
road, both in money and lands-so liberal,
indeed, that it may be said to have been built
so far at no greater cost than the subsidies
voted by Congress will cover, and at little or
no expense at all to the company ITSELF The
public, therefore, are entitled to some advan-
tages, and it should be the duty of Congress
to put wholesome check upon the manage
ment of the road as regards the regulation of
freight and passenger fare and the proper con-
struction of the track, so as to insure safe
cheap and speedy travel. The company should
be held strictly to the terms of its compact.
1t should not be permitted, for instance to
run the line several miles out of the direct
track in order to save the expense of bridging
a ravine or cutting through mound while at
the same time it is drawing its subsidy of
sixteen thousand dollars per mile for the extra
distance, as surveyed, amounting in some
cases to seventeen miles in q hundred. All
these things Congress should look after, as
well as ascertaning whether the commissioners
Of its own appointment are faithfully perform
ing their duty in examining the road and
reporting thereon. The Pacific Railroad is an
enterprise of too much Importance to the gen
eral public, which is praying for its construc-
ton, to be permitted to fall into the hands of
monopolists, as it is likely to do if Congress
does not keep a sharp lookout after lis man
agement. What with the generous subsidies
and the grants Of land which are clear profit
to the company, it is very paying concern,
and the public have right to expect their
share of the advantages arising from ii in safe
and cheap travel.