New-York tribune., 1869-01-20
TWO MORE PACIFIC RAILWAYS.
TO me EDITOR Of the Tribune;

TO the Editor Of The Tribune;
SIR: Do ace reed hCo more rdIrdys TO The PdcifcI
Some presses and speakers cOntendng that we do
not VIII you permit me to mention q few OF the
many reasons why we dot
l. The original plan OF Congress authorized and
chartered three roads, Northern, Central, and a
Southern That plan met the approval of our
ablest business men in all sections, and its wis
dom grows more and more obvious. Three trunk
lines are necessary as outlets from our present
railway centers in tho Mississippi Valley to the
Pacific Ocean. They are also essential to the
development of our mountain States ana leI-
rtories and particularly of the Pacific coast Wulcn
alone is larger than all Europe, Russia excepted.
The Central Road now almost completed, runs
Substantially upon the forteth parallel from Omahato
San Francisco, across Nebraska, Southern Dakota
Wyoming, Utah. Nevada, and California, $50 miles
Its eastern forks make it equally available for ST.
Louis, Cincinnati. and Chicago.
The proposed Southern Road follows the thirty
parallel. Starting at Fort Smith, Arkansas with
forks to ST. Louis. Memphis, and NewOreans). it
crosses the Indian Territory, Northern Texas New
Mexico Arizona and Southern California. and then
turns northwest toward San Francisco, the only
good harbor in the Golden State.
The projected Northern Road follows the forty
sixth parallel. Starting from the navigable waters
of Lake Superior connected by railroad with Chicago
and the entire Northwest. it tTaverSes Minnesota,
Northern Dakota, Montana, Idaho. Oregon, ana
Washington. to Puget Sound, the best harbor ON our
entire Pacific coast.
The Northern and the Southern roads are each 400
miles from the Central and each follows great belt
of country richer and varied in resources than
that traversed by the Central, and equally needing
outlets, both to the Mississippi and the Pacific
O. Oar political interests require two more lines.
The Southern road will place the commercial and po-
litica future of all Northern Mexico in our hands
Ii will hasten permanent Reconstruction more than
anv other possible agency. 1t will develop the great
resources Of the South. and stimulate her manutac-
tures bv opening new and vitally important outlet,
TINS showing the disaitected that she Is TO share
eoually with the North in all the privileges and bene-
fits of "a restored Union.
On onr northern frontier aid is being solicited from
the British Government to secure the extension oil
the Grand Trunk road of Canada to the Pacihc,
and leading English writers are urging that
it should be granted at The great North
en-. tLoyOvgtJare across the american Continent
must be upon our soil Nothing else can so
assure our political and commercial dominance and
SO hasten the assimilating process through which
British America will ultimately drop into our hand
like ripe pear.
If Hthetenmillions of dollars, currency recentlypaid
outright for Alaska had been expended in aid of
Northern and Southern Pacific railway at the rate
of 100000 year. interest bonds, for five years
its benefit to the country would have been hundred
times greater. As the Vice-PTesdent elect wisely
urges, Let us purchase more territory; but let
us so stimulate ournatona prosperity that our neigh
bors on every side will be anxious for tho pJirtge OF
coming into the family.
s. Our internal trade requires them. No axiom is
better established than that the commerce OF coun-
try grows in exact ratio with its railroads. In 1880
we had 10 miles. Now we have 5000 miles or two
ffths Of all the railway line in the world. At the
moderate estimate of $4,000 per mile for building
and equiupng these roads have cost S20OO0OO0O0,
fOur-htts the amOunt or entire national debt.
Since We began To build railways, in 1850 the per
cenage Of our increase in wealth has been s6rea times
greater than that Of Great Britain. From 1850 to 1850 it
was orer 1e6 per cent Can IL be doubted thut
railroads have proved Temunerative, tenfold to the
country and that our wonderful development is due
more to them than to any other one agency1
T. Ournear future will require them still more. Few
comprehend tho rapdity of our growth ana its cor
responding necessities. Since the first National Cen
sus in l79O our population has increased with such
striking uniformity that its future be predicted
with great certainty. This is the per centage of
-r,,v+i, for norL 10 wears.