The Montana post., 1869-04-09
The Policy Of Extending Gov
ernment Aid tO Additional
Railroads To the Pacific.
Extracts from the Report of Sena-
tors Stewart Drake, Conness,
Ramsey, Abbott and Rice.
CONTINUED from Second Page,
ONE LINE INSUFFICIENT.


line is not sufficient Your committee
believe that with the present population
and business of California, Utah, Colora-
do, Nebraska. Oregon. Nevada and Da-
kota. the single track railroad from Oma-
ha to San Francisco will be wholly in
capable of performing the service that
will be required of il. The increase OF
population and Industry and traffic that
will be effected in those States and Ter
ritories by the operation Of the road will
be enormous. The local traffic upon the
road will Immediately be large. The
through domestic traffic will be im>
mense. When to both of these is added
the trade from China, Japan, and India,
not only by existing steamship lines, but
by others certain to be put on the route
by the English, it is clear to US that
single track railroad cannot possibly do
the business that will be crowded upon
il. The road will clog. What service
will be performed will be done under
such disadvantages as to damage the
character of the new route from India
TO Europe, to injure property, discomfort
shippers, and make widespread trouble.
The calculations of the adequacy of
single line to the Pacific have been based
on the overland trade and the business
of the Panama route. The Union Pa
cifc railroad will not only take the larg-
er part of the traffic of both these routes,
but il will create wholly new business
which did not exist before, and whose
growth will parallel that of the Pennsyl~
vania road and the New York Central.
The single track of the Pennsylvania
trunk lide, between the Ohio valley and
the Atlantic, had TO be doubled. There
are tour powerful rivals to the road-the
Erie canal. the New York Central, the
Erie and the Baltimore and Ohio. Not
withstanding the division of the trade
OF the Ohio valley between these FIVE
competing lines, the volume of that
trade is so enormous that the Pennsyl-
vania road is unable to carry its share
upon its two tracks, perfectly built and
perfectly equipped, and is now building
third track over the Allegheny nouns
tains. The majority of the committee
feel sure that the most experienced rails
road operators in the United States will
agree with them in saving that within a
year after the Union Pacific is opened it
will be unequal to the traffic that will be
crowded upon il.
In addition to this the gradients and
curves of the line at it's passage of the
Sierra Nevada present difficulties of the
most serious character. Some of these
many of the curves are 500 to 200 feet
radius. Six locomotives will be required
at these points to do the work of one
elsewhere. a double track cannot be
built except at a duplication of the cost
of the road. These engineering obstruc~
tions, as they may be termed, Will of
themselves and alone necessItate other
railway connection with the Pacific. No
single-track road that crosses the Sierra
Nevada will be able TO do the duty re-
uuired of q transcOntineutal railway. liz
is a suggestive fact, and one that should
be admOnitory 10 US, that while on the
whole length of the Northern Pacific
railroad, 1, ,125 miles, not over 25O miles
will have an elevation exceeding 5000
feet above the sea, 100 miles out OF the
total length of the Union Pacific's line
Q,6j7 miles, are more than 1000 feet
above the sea, and more than 500 miles
of it have an elevation of 800 feet above
the sea.
SINGLE LINE WILL BE A MONOPOLY
,. Two additional lines are necessary
to avoid the danger of monopoly GER
tain TO be established by one and the
only line. This evil might be cured by
another evil, the intervention az the gov
eminent in the business of the road, anC
its prescription of fares, freights, anC
timetables; but il had better be cureC
by avoidance. With three lines acros
the continent, there would be compe-
tition that would keep down charges .,
living rates and fair profits; there woul'
be an effort TO make fast time and pune
tual running; attention would be givel
TO the comfort and safety of passengers
care would be taken of freight, and al
unrelaxing struggle would exist to viii
the favor and patronage of travellers an'
shippers.
THE NORTH Is ENTITLED To \ PACIFI
ROAD
L. There is no argument that hai
weight to determine the construction O
the Union Pacific road from Omaha west
that will not support the claim of tn
extreme northern States and Territorie
TO have a connection with the Pacific a
Puget sound and the mouth of the Co
lumbia river, and share of the trad
that is TO be diverted from the Cape @
Good Hope across the United States
Washington and Oregon object wit
reason 10 go ZOO miles south TO get l 30
miles east, and the people of Georgis
Alabama and Mississippi Justly will in
sist on starting at their own homes 70
the Pacific, instead OF going mp To Ne
braska to commence the journey. n
answer can be found TO the argument
sure TO be urged by the inhabitants G
the northern tier of States and Terrific
ries and the southern tier Of sugar an,
cotton States and Territories, that the
have a right 10 be exempted from th
loss Of time. loss OF increased expense
damage to freight and enhanced risks
inseparable from a commerce whie
sends them and their property long dis
tances np and down lines OF Longitude
in order TO get on latitude OF trave
The feeling north that the north is en-
titled 10 a Pacific road Is equally SINGER
and strong. In both cases the teelin
is founded on a conviction of the lOcs
necessity and national Importance OF IA
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