The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-03-16
(Ero.usstbe New York Tri5uno.]
Have We a Pacific Railroad!

Treasury testify that we have. The is
sue of Government bonds to the Union
Pacific Railroad, to an amount exceed
ing twenty millions of dollars, pretty
sharply suggests the existence of such
Il highway. The holders of the mill
ions of mortgage bonds issued by the
Union Pacific Road are certain that the
line is not myth. But what is rail-
road? An auger that can't bore is not an
auger, but scrap iron. A bridge that can't
be crossed does not connect the oppo-
site banks of ariyer, and is not bridge.
A railroad which can not be used is not
railroad, but only the probability, or
possibility, or suggestion Of a railroad.
The American, European, and in part
the Asiatic idea of Pacific Railroad is
that it is a highway Of commerce, travel
and mail transportation, that can be
used three hundred and sixty-fve days
in the year That certainly is what the
world wants out of line of American
trans continental railway, and that, GER
tainly, is what the American people ex-
pected to get, and, in effect, contracted
to have cut Of the Union Pacific line
when they 50 lavishly endowed it by act
of Congress, But they have not got it.
On Saturday last the Postmaster gen.
eral received telegram from D. B.
Ball, special agent, dated at Laramie
City, stating that. for fifteen days the
Union Pacific Railroad had been block
ed by snow for distance of two hun
dred miles west of Cheyenne, and that
between $4,000 and 10000 pounds OF
mail matter were detained upon the line.
On Monday the Post Department
directed Postmaster Kelly of this city to
send all mails for California and the Pa
cifc coast by the Isthmus of Panama,
and to retain all mail matter for the Pa
cifc coast after that shipment, for the
Aspinwall steamers of the 11th and 21st
of March. Advites received from the
West on Monday afternoon stated that
the Union Pacific road was not yet open,
and that it was impossible to say when
the mails detained in its snow=bound
trains would be gotten through.
The report of the majority of the
Senate Committee on the Pacific Rail
road, made twelve days ago, predicted
the very condition of things that now
exists. Speaking of the necessity OF
two additional trunk lines to the Pacific
in order to have uninterrupted commu
nication, the majority of the COMMITTEES
say.
sit is an undetermined problem if the
Union Pacific Railroad between Omahs
and Sacramento can be operated
throughout the year. OF the elements
to solve this question there are: First
The known effects of drifting snow up
on the railway lines Of Central Illinois
and of the hilly districts of New Eng
land and Pennsylvania. Second: The
known depths to which snow falls in
portions of the Rocky Mountain re
gion. Third: The extraordinary height
of the grades and sharpness of the cur
YES in the passage of the Sierra Nevada
Trains i'll Illinois have often been snow
ed under, and travel and traffic in ant
out of Chicago have been completely
embargoed. Railroad communication
in Massachusetts, New York and Penn
sylvania is often suspended in winter
These vicissitudes take place in States
where labor is abundant, where the sta
tions on the lines are very near togethe
where fuel and food, drausht animal
and tools, are plentiful and accessible :
But the line between Omaha and Sacra
mento is at present almost continuous
wilderness-portions of it never viii
be settled. Population is scarce; hell
in trouble can not be had outside Of tn
train; the stock Of accessible fue
may be limited to the supply on the cars
In the deep cuttings, and in some of tn
canons Of Dakota, Utah, Nevada ant
: California, snow is well known to drift
choke full to the top and to pack hard
The depth of snow in places travelled b.
the overland stage sleighs has been cred
IDLY reported at from thirty to fifty feet
and it was not melted till June. Grant
ling the efficacy of roofing, granting tn
adequacy of machinery to accomplish
as much on the Union Pacific's line a
on the Chicago and Northwestern, o
the Albany and Boston, there remains
risk, which must be constant with tn
recurrence Of winter, that the operation
of this Pacific road may experience Ion!
and serious Interruptions, accompanied
occasionally with shocking misfortunes
i If such Interruptions should take place
the effect upon the new trade from Asi
to Europe, across the United States
. would be very damaging. They woul,
characterize the route as one not to b
relied on by international commerce
But there is no doubt that railroad o.
the 35th parallel of latitude could b
operated to San Francisco 365 days il
the year. Nor is the:e any doubt tina
a line between Puget's Sound and LAX
, Superior could be operated without Sc
rious obstruction by snow. Its grade
through the mountains are all compara
lively low, and its line is within the iso
, thermal line of mean annual tempera
ture of 30 degrees" :"
The complaint that the Governmen
aid to the Union Pacific Road has bee
,, pocketed by its constructors, while the
built the line out of the proceeds of it
) first mortgage bonds, is general and sor
If there is TO be added to this grievanc
the inevitable result of mistake in 10
eating the road on the snow-line of tn
continent, that its use is to be annual.
: interrupted for long periods of time
the Legislation which underlies this en-
; terprise will prove to be a reproach an
a shame to our country.
, Mr. CresWeI.
Mr.. John A. j. Creswell, the new Pos
t Master General, has an interesting poiti