Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-03-31
the JUNCTION OF THE PACIFIC
RAILROADS.

graphic AND OTHER MATTER.
THE JUNCTION OF THE PACIFIC
RAILROADS.
The fact stated by rs yesterday that the Sem
ate Committee on The Pacific Railroad had de-
cided TO report in favor of making Oyien. IN
Salt Lake valley, the point Of junction for the
Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads,
created considerable surprise. as the Union
Pacific Company have already built twenty
i've miles westwardly beyond Ogden, ana
should they be required to make the junction
with the other road At that point this anountof
track will be utterly worthless. BY their char.
tiers the Union Pacific Company, beginning a
Omaha, In authorized TO build west; and the
Central Pacific Company, beginning at Saa
Francisco. Is autheriz-d to build east, until the
roads shall meet There has been warm rival
~ between these companies as 10 which should
construct the longest portion Of the road. and
the Union Pacific Company, by their great ac-
tvity and energy, have perhaps got past the
point that the Central Company hoped to reach
as q meeting place; but by the terms of the
Charter accepted by them this was a contin-
Eeucy to be- counted upon as the esult of free
open contest. Had the Central Pacific out
stripped their competitors in the race, and sue
ceeded In building their road many miles this
side Of Ogden. before the Pacific Company met
them. the latter would have had NO Just cause
of complaint
There was a somewhat analogous contest
between the Union Pacific railroad and the
Kansas Pacific railway. BY the terms of their
charters the road that first reached the l0Otn
meridian was to go on 10 the Pacific as the
main stem. The former, by the same energy It
has put forth in its present contest with the
Central Pacific distanced its competitor, and
the Kansas road gracefully accepted the situa-
ton IL will b noticed too, that in this case
the Central Pacific road Is not only nowhere
near Ogden, the point of junction named, but
has absolutely not completed the track {,
within one hundred and fifty miles OF 1t. TO-
der these circumstances It seems plain 10 as
that the action OF the Senate committee mus,
have BEEN under q m,sapprehension of the
facts, and was probably carried al a thin meet
ing, and without any adequate discussion Of
the matter.
There Is another point in this railroad con-
troversy that needs thou gh tful consideration
MIR. BIZ CHAINS resolution directing al IN ves,I-
CATION INTO the issue of -, iOO,CVJ Of Govern
ment bonds 70 the Central Pacific Railroad
Company just before the expiration Of An.
drew Jonnson's administration, states that
proofs on file In the Treasur Department
show that the acceptance Of a map of the
route OF the Central Pacific road by Secretary
Browning was illegal, and thai the certificate
OF the ornmissioEers on which the bonds Were
issued Was false and fraudulent certifying
That the value of the work done was s2n.UO
per mile, when, In fact, 1t was not more than
$4,000 per mile. Mr. q. p. Huntington,
OF the Central Pacific road, in a card, pro-
nounces these charges UNANIMOUSLY false, and
asks an immediate inves igation.
Inc Central Pacific com pany claim tina; they
have IN good faith done the work on acc punt
OF which the bonds We're issued; that the certin.
cate OF the commissioners Is true. and that they
were legally entitled to the bonds, and that the
hurryIng through of their issue on March 3
during the expiring hours OF the late Admins
tration had no special significance. On the
other hand, IL Is asserted that the issue of the
bonds was trick OF the Central Pacific road
for the purpose Of covering a greater portion of
The route OF the line to the Pacific than that
TOAD was entitled to; that while the policy OF
the Government has been 10 allow both the
Union Pacific road and the California TO I'd 10
build toward each other, each road striving to
do its utmost till junction should be
effected, and while the Union Pacific road
has been pushing forward Its track and
getting Government bonds only as fast
as its track has been completed, the On
trail Pacific has reached out for over go miles
in advance of It's completed track, and obtained
partial issue OF bonds upon uncompleted road
many miles nearer 10 the Union Pacific rail-
road track than TO its own track. Toe Uniju
PacIhc railroad assert thai the purpose OF OBJ
tanning this unfair ad vantage the Central Pa
orhc road procured Secretary Bsownmg to ac-
cept ON the 20th Of October last Q Up Of
route never really located by them, and which
was not properly nor legally certified and
proved; snd that after getting this acceptance
they procured their chief engineer. Monta que,
and the California commissioners TO certify
that over one hundred and eighty miles OF this
route, commencing more than fifty miles from
tneir OWE track and extending TO within less
than twenty 1--WE miles Of the completed track
ofthe Uuion Pacific road, work necessary to
prepsre this one hundred and eighty miles
for the rails, had been performed by
the Central road, amounting IN value
10 45,6Oo.0eO, or sI0,0O0 per mile,
upon which certificate the partial issue of
bonds TO the amount Of s2,i60.Oy0 was rushed
through on the I'd Of March without the
knowledge OF the Union Pacific roaf, and
against the protest OF Secretary SenonsId.
They also say that the certihcste Of the CON-
mIssioners was false ana fraudulent, and that
n fact work had Lot been psrfUrmed upon the
one hundred and eighty males 70 the value
OF more than $1,000 per lille; and tina. the
bonds were issued IN violation OF the repeated
hedges OF Secretary Browning and SECRETARY
HeCulloch. They claim that the issue OF the
lends was not only a fraud upon the Govern.
rnert, but upon them, as their completed track
already extends over twenty Ave OF the one
hundred and eighty miles, and will extend over
the whole eighty miles before the Central
Pacific meets II with their completed track
In an issue Of this importance, and as q
matter OF justice 10 both roads, there should be-
thorough ana searching investigation into
the truth OF these positive and definite charles.
Inc Indian committee OF the Senate will re-
Port against the Stuart and WEIGH scheme for
neahng with the Indian question. They have
NO objection to the appointment OF a c1mmis.
fioD OF nve or seven persons for advisory pur-
poses, out cannot see the wisdom or proprie,v
oi putting e9,ooo0Oo into their hands, a. wa
Proposed The probabilities seem To be ina,
some member OF the Senate may ON his own
responsibility move the plan in tina, bodv :.
an amendment TO the Indian bill. when I.
Comes up tor consideration Thu comui,,s.
Will report large number Of amendm.p,. %
that ball, involving over ss,ooo,oOO, the greater
NAM which n for rarrvfp