The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-05-10
The Pacific Railroad.

In ais recently published book, "Our New
west, gives the following interesting histori-
cal and statistical sketch of the great trans
continental route that is to be opened to-day:
There will speedily be other railroads across
| our continent The rivalries of sections, the
| temptations of commerce, the necessities of
our political system will add at least two more
through lines within generations time. But
| this, the first, will forever remain the one of
| history, the one of romance. Its construction
| in so short a time was the create triumph OF
modern civilization, indeed. Inc WORK was
seriously begun on the California SIDE IN 1864
| on the eastern end in 1866; and the early par .
| of the year 1869 witnessed its entire compile
| ton Considering that its length is over
| eighteen hundred miles; that much OF it lay
| through an almost unknown and UNEMPLOYED
| country; that it crosses two great continental
| ranges of mountains and almost nnumerabIe
| sub-ranges thatseven the feeble centers of pop
ulati0n along the line were five hundred miles
apart; that for distances of from two hundred
to five hundred miles there was no timber for
ties; and for distances of fifty to two hundred
miles there was no water for even drinking
uses, and NO grass to feed animals; that all the
iron for one-half the road had to be shipped
around Cape Horn or across the Isthmus OF
Panama and for the other to be freighted
across the country from Pennsylvania,-think
ing of all these elements OF delay, difficulty
and cost, and surely neither argument nor
rhetoric is necessary to place this work In It's
true proportions and its true relations before
the world and in the pages OF history
The generous government grants WERE "
course the moving power in this wonderfully
rapid work. They proved more royal tnan II
was supposed they were wnen maue; uuI tney
lay practically unimproved for some tnree or
fonr wears But wnen their wealth OF gilt was
realized and the war renewed the faith of the
ca initial and liberated the labor OF the country,
the two companies, chartered to execute the
work, the one beginning in Celitornln and NOV
ing east and the other on the Missouri river
and moving west, entered into race for the
completion and possession by each of as much
of the line and as much of the generous gov-
eminent bounty as could be secured Though
the California company began first, the heavy
labor OF grading over their mountains forbade
them to move so rapidly as the Eastern compa-
N.Y. whose first five hundred miles were over
the open, level plain, and whose next three
hundred miles had littleot heavy or expensive
work upon it. The result is, counting the
line from San Francisco to Omaha, that the
California or Central Pacifs company built
about seven hundred miles, and the East
ern or Union Pacific about eleven hundred
miles, and the point of conjunction is Salt
Lake. The government money bounty is aver
aged at thirty thousand dollars to the mile, or
over fifty millions of dollars in all; while, by
its acceptance of a second mortgage as securi-
ty for this, the companies were enabled to is
sue and sell an equal amount of first mOr'gag
bonds of their own. Thus their. cash funds to
10 the WOIK amounted TO Sixty JuOuSduu uOl-
lars a mile, or over one hundred millions dol
lars in all. Despite the expense of construc-
ton through SO new and in same places barren
and mountainous country, and the waste
consequent upon such rapldlty, the cost has
undoubtedly been considerably below this
For their boldress and their energy, the men
who have performed this great work, have won
immense fortunes The direct profits cannot
well be less than twenty millions, and behind
this there remain the capital stock OF the two
companies, whatever it may prove to be worth,
and the royal land grant OF half the real estate
for twenty miles each side the road, or twenty
five millions of acres in all. Besides all this,
the California company had direct local aid
and grants worth four millions dollars. Never
was an enterprise so richly endowed; never in
America SO grand speculation as the con-
struction and ownership of this road. The
profits are on scale with the work; and both
are worthy of each other But even the ex-
cess of bounty was good investment for the
nation; the time gained, in the completion of
the road, by such appeal to cupidity, was
worth all that slch excess has taken from the
government. And the business already seek
ing the road proves clearly enough that with
honor on the part of its managers, the loans of
the nation will be returned with interest in d.
rect repayment.
The manner of the construction of this great
work has been much discussed. With such
haste, there must have been not only waste,
but imperfection and incompleteness, in the
increase the distance for which the govern
ment would issue its bonds, circles have also
been substituted in some places for straight
lines. But the builders have, after getting
ahead with the line, gone back to improve and
perfect it; and though they may not bring it
up to the highest standard of American rail-
road, the more intelligent judgment is that
they have made ald are making fair return for
their opportunity. The road is so sure to be
valuable to own and operate, that selt-interest
fhot,a TO- md cafo
throughout; and the government will not be
likely to let go its hold upon it's various grants
until this is secured.
To the East. TO the world at large, the OPEN
ing of this railroad is an opportunity for new
wealth, revolution in the courses of COM
merce, by putting America into intimate rea-
tons with Asia, and sending the traffic of the
Indies across our continent fresh impulse to
civilization, and the founding of new empire
on the Pacific coast. But to the pioneers in
the mountains and on the plains of the interi-
or, and along the States OF the Pacific shore, it
is something more, and deeper. 1t is moral
and social refreshment and rehabilitation.
1t was touching, even to tears, when we first
visited these regions in 1865 to hear the APP
Deals OF the people for this that they now have
50 much more quickly than than they then
dreamed Of The first question. from man or
woman, was OF the Pacific Raroad?" "When
sciU it be bullt?' "Do use your influence to
tasten it on. We starve in soul and in heart
and in pocket for that" 1t was the hunger,
the prayer, tue hope of all these people. For
then, and without this chord of quick sympa-
ty and communication, they did not feel at
ease or at home in the far West. None of
them ever spoke of California or Nevada as
their home. Home was in the East They
were talking of going "Home." when was
home last; II mean to go home next year.
or, "just as soon as the railroad is done;"
have never been home since l came OUT 'I
fear l shall never see home again, these and
kindred phrases, uncOnsciously uttered almost
told where the heart wag-told of the yearn-
Ing hunger of these pioneer spirits, not simply
for "the cots where they were born,' not
merely for the circles of their kindred, nor the
hills and valleys amid which they we're reared,
but for the close contact and quick sympathy
with the eompleter social, moral and intellec-
tual life of the East, the absence of which
every earnest spirit orphaned in far away
regions feels above all other lackings
The railroad is the cord along whose quick
lines mo res this food for the early settlers of
our New West 1t brings them home; more, it
carries home to them Though they may new
er see its rails or ride in its trains, they will
feel it's influence and be more content and
richer in their lives. 1t puts the great sections
of the nation into sympathy and unity; it
marries the Atlantic and the Pacific; it de-
stroys disunion in the quarter where it was
ever the most threatening; it brings into har-
mony the heretofore jarriDg dscords of a con-
tinent of separated peoples; it determines the
future of America as the first nation of the
world, in commerce, in government, in intel
lectual and moral supremacy. Who shall say
that any price was too great to pay for these
results?