Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-08-18
Kansas Pacific Railway.
From the New York Tribune.l

1t is now proposed to unite this city
with the East by an extension of the
Kansas Pacific Railway. To do this
it will be necessary to build 90 miles
of road. The managers are wise not
TO defer it, in the vain hope of being
able to induce Congress to vote them
large subsidies. The Government has
built one road to the Pacific at q great
expense. Private citizens are quite
ready and willing to build another,
especially when those who ask their
aid can show as good balance sheet
as the Kansas managers. st. Louis is
on the natural route from New York
to the Rocky Mountains and San
Francisco. It is the metropolis ofthe
mighty Valley of the Mississippi; and
the extension of this road is new
and important step in the great high
way between st. Louis and San Fran
cisco. The Union Pacific (Omaha)
Road has as much business as it can
manage; and we have grave doubts
whether it will be able to keep open a
through route amid the midwinter
snow and ice of the Sierra Nevadas.
A through road must finally traverse
the warm countries of New Mexico
and Arizona, along the thirty-fifth
parallel or below it. Gen. Palmer has
has SURVEYED a route where snow
rarely falls-every mile of which
opens rich mining deposits. 1t en-
braces the oldest towns on the cOnti-
nent. The country demands such a
road, and this extension is step to-
wards completing it .-..
1t is interesting to note the progress
of railway which draws its business
from a country ten years ago cOnced-
ed to the buffalo anu the aborigines.
In April the Kansas road earned. in
gross income, S217, 1874, 40, of which
S93, ,29i 81 were balanced by expenses,
leaving a net profit of S124, ,622, ,SS. In
May the earnings were SOD, ,163, ,046;
the expenses Sl07, ,9S7,77, leaving a
profit of S114,1T5, SO. Two months
aggregate, $23S, 1857. There are few
roads in our older and ripper states that
would not be content with as good a
result. But the truth is, these new
countries have much growth in them.
We have but to touch our Western
prairies and hills with the iron wand,
and cities spring up, towns cluster
along the streams and highways, and
broad plains blossom with wheat,
corn and barley; school houses and
churches take the place of the block
house and the fort, and the great riv-
ers are disturbed by steam and water
wheel. So our civilization has march
ed over the prairies, is advancingOver
the plains, and in a few months we
shall have the vast treasures of Colo
RADIO and the gold countries under
contribution. The President in his
last inaugural, pointed to these hills
as the 'tstrong box" whose treasures
would pay the national debt. This
railroad is the key to open it. We
| therefore look with pleasure upon this
effort of private citizens to carry an
othe road to the Pacific. We must
have at least three railways across the
continent. We must enable the
States respectively to reach the furth-
est West by the most convenient way.
| We look upon the State of Kansas
with an interest not far removed from
affection. This child of tears, and
blood and agony, now marches to the
dignity and grandeur of an empire,
and well deserves the proud, fond
name Of "the Massachusetts, of the
West" To this road she owes much
of her prosperity; and now that its
owners propose to carry it to Denver,
and wed the Rocky Mountains to the
Mississippi Valley, we hail them as
men doing great national service, and
earnestly hope they viii receive from
our people prompt and earnest sup
port. the loan they offer is certainly
a good one. 1t yields high interest in
gold, has many years to run, and is
secured by large grants of land and a
profitable railway, and is indorsed by
men whose word gives it the force Of
an irrefragable guarantee.