New-York tribune., 1869-05-10

tains IL was TO follow as far as practicable, the Yas
ievs of these rivers and their tributaries. The cnltl
diyection of the work was intrusted to Gov !, l.
Stevens of Washington Territory, atterward HIslih
pushed in the war for the Union and killed ~
5,bantiily i'm Virginia in 1862. Gov. Stevens under
took the personal supervision OF that part ol Ino
work living east of the mountains and left the west
gushed as a tactcian and builder of bridges, put
unfortunate both as military and polltlcal isauos
The work upon this route embraced wider nel9 VI
exploration than any OF the others ana greu
of information gathered respecting the country
and its resources Seven passes through the IIoehS
Mountains explored; Clark's Pass Oeing w; tno
one believed by Gov. Stevens to be tbe mosb pIaosu-
cable for railroad. McClean's part OF the eApeul,
ton organized on the Pacific coast ana htl T
with the survey Of the Cascade Mountains III ,i1 me
report, already referred TO, after compllhehliHS
Gov. Stevens in the highest terms, Jefl DAVIS sai
the examination Of the approaches and passes ot
these mountains presented reconn2lsioe oi g,u and
resources of the officer by whom the reconnaissance
was made. =, . -, ,o1
In speaking of the route near the 4lst and 42d
pararls tLe Secretary of War said that about one
half the distance from the Missouri RIVER 10 forI
BTidger had not been surveyed WITH specal leleIeCO
to the practcability of railroad, ana Tor lhIon"
tan respecting the country referred to the reports VI
Col. Fremont and Capt Stansbury Inc surveys VI VI
that part of the route between Fort Brdger anu or
Reading on the Sacramento River, were maze ny
Lieut. Edward G. Beckwlth, now Breyet Brisadiel-
General and Major of the 2d Artillery Lieut.. BECK
with also made the report in relation TO the route route
near the 3Sth and 39th parallels The eXporaI!'VWns W
were conducted under the direction OF capt. =. W.
Gunnison who together wit some OF his assocates,
lost his life while in the discharge OF tins duty AFTER
his death Lieut. Beclwitl completed the work from
the point where it had been LETT uphnlsnesi. III an
the other cases. Will be observed 10y the Iorego
table an estimate of the of the construction ol
the road by the route surveyed, accompanied Ile
report. THIS survey was an exception 10 me Ile' I'
and the reason Of this exception was, that the dl.
cuies of engineering and the cost OF construction Oh
the portion of the route from Cooche-tOpa Pass to
SEWER River on the Great Basin, distance Oh ooo
miles was so great as TO be impractlcabIe
The survey OF the route near the 35th parallel was
conducted by Lieut. A. w. Whipple OF the lOpo-
graphical engineers Though there Is httledlherenco
in the distance between this route and the Others
tile estimated of construction was much greater
and the sums of ascents and descents were SO great
almost 10 equal the inpracticable line by Cooche
The route near the 82d parallel was the one recon-
meuded by the Secretary OF War, who argued SIREN
uously in its favor at the conclusion OF ms report
The exploratious were conducted by different parties
under the direction of officers aferwaId distinguished
iu their cOmry's service against tue heoellon.
Cant John Pope conducted the explorations from
Preston on the Red River, to the Rio Grande ana
from the Rio Grande, near Fort Fillmore to the
Pmas villages on the Giln, the work was IN charge
of LENT John G. PaTke. From the Pmas villages 10
the mouth Of the Gila n reconnaissance made by
Major w. H. Emory III 1896 at the time OF the Mcxl-
can boundary disputes. was adopted as suhciehuy
fn and complete and from the mouth OF the Glla 10
San Francisco the previous explorations OF Lieut. X
| S. Williamson furnished the data.
THE SELECTION or ROUTE.
The construction of a work presenting SO many
obstacles both real and imaginary, was likely to be
| ell
begun One of the original causes Of del lay was the
selection of route The two sections OF the coui-
| try North aud South, were not more divided upon
! the question OF Slavery and slave territory than
npon the proper course for railroad to the Pacific
! Ii was not 20 he expected that the Eastern and
Northwestern States would SO lar forget their conf
merca importance and overlook their vital interests
as to consent To the adoption Of the sd parallel
route. When the South demanded {. and Jef; Da-
Wis urged t, II was only another exhibition oi inc
grasping and dOlnlncCrng spirit OF tho slave OIL
garchy of which he was the Chief Before tho route
had been determined, the section which
had so persstently endtaVored 10 OBTAIN OBTAIN
of the whole country, had gone 10 war Win
the Government of tho United States ana whlie tho
oppo,iion 10 a more central line was withdrawn IT'S
Imperative necessity became the more manifest ne
numerous surveys for the purpose ct determining the
Feasibility of the road, which have already been
noted showed that railroad to the faclhc night
be built and in spite of the arguments oi TIE Stcfe-
tary of War from point on the Missouri RIVER us
readily as the 3Sd parallel In leIo Geh Iieeh
Vile NJ Dodge now Chief Engineer of the Union
Pacific Railroad, thoroughly explored the seVefai
lines of approach TO the Rocky Mountains, And
pointed ont the special advantages OF the route
finally adopted This route-Hp the valley oi ihe
Patte-Was the sauTc which the overland stages
and much Of the overland trayel used 10 pass Pass,
Every body can recall how. within the past tnIeo
YEAR the trips of transportation teams ana Stages
became shorter aud shorter as the iron horse unged
deeper into the wilderness and among the mountains
Now the slower modes of transportation give place
altogether to the power OF steam ana newer forces
| of civilization. - .... ,
FORMATION OF TIE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD CUM
PASY
Even after Congress by the act of July ]. 1862, had
incorporated the Company which completes ITS great
undertaking to-day, the progress Tor long tc was
slow Aside from the dilcultY of inspiring pnbllc
confidence IN the project and procuring the means
for carrying forward 80 great Work. the company
were met at the outset by objection on the part OF
the Government to a proposed detOur WITHIN a lew
miles Of the initial point at Omaha and between that
point and Platte Valley. The original route was E5
miles i'm length and the one hually agreed upOn 81
miles; bnt tile difference III grade II was believed
would than cornterbaance the increase ~ dls-
tance. Tho question. however was moi nally deter
mined until IN the month Of September, 1865 after
which preparations were at once made To build the
road and the progress which has been made since
that time is so great as to be truly wonderful.
PROVISIONS or THE CHARTKR.
The Union Pacific Railroad Company was organized
in October 1863 under the acts OF Congress Of July
and July r. 1862 The original charter was called an
Act to aid in tho Construction Of n Railroad and
Telegraph Line from the Missouri River 10 the
Pacific Ocean, and 10 secure TO the Government the
use OF the same for Postal Military and other pur-
poses. The capital stock OF the Company was fixed
at SOOOJ0OJO the shares TO be Of 900 each, after
ward fixed at 500 each, and 1t was also provided
that no one person could subscribe for or hold moro
than two hundred shares Of the stock. The Govern
mcnt granted the Company the right Of way over
the public lands to the extent OF POO feet III width
each side of the road, beside grant Of ten alternate
sections Of land 70 the milo on each side Of the rail
road together with the right TO use timber ard other
material necessary for the construction Of the road
wherever found upon the public lands. The Govern
ment also granted in per cent bonds. the interest
payable in gold, $4,000 per milo for the whole
road, but in tho most mountainous and
difficult parts Of tho road, for $50 miles
from the eastern base Of the Rocky Mountains,
wc3twardly, the grant was for $4,000 per mile.
From the termination of tins section 10 the CalOr-
mia hne, the grant OF bonds was $4,000 per mile.
These bonds were issucd only upon the completion
Of each section of 20 miles of the road, the certificate
Of three Commissioners appointed by the United
States Government being first obtained that the
road was thoroughly built and adequately supplied
with all tho machinery. equipments and fixtures