The Montana post., 1869-04-09

l
TO solve this question there are: 1st, the
known effects of drifting snow upon the
railway lines of central Illinois, and of
the billy districts of New England and
/ Pennsylvania; I'd, the known depths 70
/ which snow falls and packs in portions
of the Rocky Mountain region; Sd, the
extraordinary height of the grades, and
sharpness of the curves, in the passage
of the Sierra Nevadas. Trains in Illin>
ois have often been showed under, and
travel and traffic in and out of Chicago
have been completely embargoed. Rail-
road communication in Massachusetts,
New York and Pennsylvania, is often
suspended in winter. These vicissitudes
take place in States where labor is abun-
dant. where the stations on the lines are
very near together, where fuel and food,
draught animals and tools, are plentiful
and accessible. But the line between
Omaha and Sacramento is at present al
most a continuance of wilderness-por~
tioDs of il never Will be settled. Popu~
latiOn is scarce-help in trouble cannot
be had outside of the train-ihe stock
of accessible fuel may be limited to the
supply on the cars. In the deep cuttings
and in some of the canons of Dakota,
Utah. Nevada and California, snow is
well known TO drift chock full to the
top and to pack hard. The depth of
snow in places travelled by the overland
stage-sleighs has been credi5ly reports
ed at from 80 10 90 feet, and it was not
melted till June. Granting the efficacy
of roofing. granting the adequacy of ma
chinery To accomplish As Iuuch on the
Union Paci6c's line as on the Chicago
and Northwestern, or the Albany and
| Boston, there remains a risk, which
I af hE uif ha
of winter. that the operations of this Pa
cifc road may experience long and Sc
rious interruption, accompanied occa-
sionally with shocking mJstortunes. If
such interruptions shoulG take place,
the effect upon the new trade from Asia
to Europe, across the United States,
would be very damaging. They would
characterize the route as one not to be
relied on by international commerce.
| But there is no doubt that n railroad on
the 35th parallel of latitude could be op.,
Grated 10 San Francisco 800 days in the
year. Nor is there any doubt that
line between Puget's Sound and Lake
Superior could be operated without se>
rious obstruction by snow. Its grades
through the mountains are all compa-
ratively low, and its line is within the
isothermal line of mean annual temper
ature of 40 degrees.
TWO MORE ROADS MILITARY NECESSITY
We have shown that two additional
lines of railway to the Pacific are neces-
sary TO the internal and external COM
merce of the country. We believe that
they are necessary to the government
as a part of its military system. They
are necessary to move troops and sup-
plies at the minimum cost and greatest
speed into the Indian country. War
with the Indians will endure for years
and years. 1t is not in Indian nature TO
| meekly accept the loss of hunting
/ grounds and forcible change of their
traditional life. 1t is not in the nature
of the American to abstain from new and
unoccupied soils; he will have them.
/ The causes of war will continue while
/ the large game lasts, unless sooner the
| Indians learn their inferiority and SUBJ
nit TO its destinies. Indian cavalry
/ perfect in hOrsemanship, unattached to
| fixed abodes, and free from the ties of
accumulated or fixed property. deadly
with the arrow, and armed with the
= best breech leaders, are slow to learn
that they cannot with impunity scalp
and rob white borderers and travellers
TO the gold regions. Indeed, till Gene
raj Sheridan came, their teaching had
all been the other way. This Parthian
cavalry roam, hunt, pillage and murder,
from the British possessions To the boun-
Diary of Mexico They attack trains.
camps and ranches, with a suddenness
that is generally fatal surprise. They
come unseen. They are out of sight
and beyond pursuit in a moment Ogr
warfare upon them is a tardy pursuit OF
vanishing trails. To fight them with
infantry and cavalry in the season OF
grass is to fight shadows.
PACIFIC RAILROADS WILL SETTLE TIE
INDIAN QUESTION.
They can only be permanently con-
quered by railroads. The locomotive is
the sole solution of the Indian question
unless the government changes its sys-
tenn of warfare and fights the savages
the winter through as we'll as in sum
mer. The railroads will settle the coun-
try as they progress. The water sta
tions and freight stations built on the
lines Immediately become the germs o.
towns and the centres of military opera
tions. Farms follow the roads, and 9
column-front of self-sustaining settle
ments moves slowly but surely toward,
the Rocky Mountains. As fast as the
roads go by military posts and forts
b THESE OGCSLAC uoCACSS anu aOdudOucu
, The roads push the border farther wes
every day AS the thorough and fina
! solution of the Indian question. by TAX
ing the buffalo range out from under
the savage, and putting vast stock anC
grain farm in its place, the railroads t.
the Pacific surely are a military neces
sity. AS avenues of sudden approach tC
indians on the war-path, and ot cheaI
and quick movement OF supplies Il
troops, they are equally military ne
: cessity.
: And what is the cost of our IndiaI
: wars as compared with the cost of tn,
} Pacific railways. which will speedily enc
, the Indian wars A compilation from
! the official records of the government
show that these wars for the last 81