Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-06-01

Upon the Sierras, where snow
sometimes fall to the depth of 30
feet, % miles of snow-sheds protect
the track. Once or twice, portions
have been swept away by avalanches
causing a few hours detention, but
in general they answer their purpose
so well that Is miles more are to be
added. OF the 1900 miles between
Omaha and Sacramento. not one>
Thirds really mountainous, but more
than twosthirds were so counted.
and received the higher Government
endowment-S32, 900, or $48,000 per
mile. Much of the Central Pacific
traverses a fiat country, yet not one
milo received less than $4,000. The
Union Pacific obtained the highest
mileagc-$48, 000-for $50 miles, the
region is really one long, inclined
plane-''as fine country to build q
railway through as lies on the face of
the globe. Building and equipping
the entire line probably cost on an
average $4,000 per mile. The Gov
eminent bonds issued averaged $780,
600 per mile and the companies first
mortgage bonds sold for $50, 900 more
leaving net cash profit of seventeen
million Of dollars upon the e0nstruc-
ton alone, in addition to the owner
ship of theroad and it's magnificent
land grant. Carver was right the
builders s'eXclusive of the national
advantages, have indeed reaped
emoluments beyond their most SAM
guine expectations. And they hav G
finished the road year earlier than
its most enthusiastic friends expect
ed. One of it's early results will be
to secure us two additional ines--a
Northern and a Southern. We need
them TO develope vast mining and
farming regions now lying idle; to
#end, once for all the Indian troubles
and to enable US to command that
vast commerce of the Eastfor whicb
all nations are striving. a French
company, after working ten years
and expanding "a hundred millions oi
dollars. has completed ship cana
across the Isthmus of Suez, shortening
by thousand of miles the old SCI
routes to Asia the Emperor OF Rus
STA is building a railway across III
IBERIA to the borders of China auo
English capitalists are beginning one
from the Mediterranean, uiG the Val
ley of the Euphrates. the Persian
coast, Upper India, and Southern Chi
ma, to the Pacific. The foreign com.
merce of China amounts to $500, 900.
600 per annum. Hitherto, it has
been chiefly in British hands. The
resident English merchants still out
numbered the Americana, but th'
latter is gaining steadily, and are
much the more popular with the ma
tives China offers limitless fiele
for the introduction of railw avs
steamers, telegraph lines, machinery
Yankee Notions, and MANUFACTURED
goods, in addition TO the enormous
shipments of wheat we are already
sending 10 her. India and .Japar
too, invite American enterprise.
| The Atlantic is nearer to the Ia
cific than Now York was to Boston
so years ago. Going to California
by our luxurious, eating, sleeping
and drawing room cars, is q wonde
and delight5as contrasted with TIL
old tediousness of plains and moaa
tain, or ocean and isthmus travel. a
noon in New York it is 8 A. M. il
San Francisco. The line across tn
Continent is so long that trains upo'
| 1t are run by eight or ten differen
times. Ultimately we shall have
double set of hands upon all watche
one for local time and one for gen
eral time--uniform all over Ia
world. "a