New-York tribune., 1870-04-16
ACROSS THE CONTINENT

Twenty years ago, the suggestion of a Trans
Continental Railway, connecting our Atlantic
with our Pacific border by direct overland
route, was regarded by most people as a stu
pendous absurdty. Whoever chooses to run
over file of The Ne,r- York Herald will find
therein editorials in which Railroad hence to
the Pacific is classed with one across the Atlantic
to Europe or through the sky to the Moon.
Such was the opinion of men who prided them
selves on being practical, and regarded all who
disscnted as dreamers and Missionaries.
A Pacific Railroad over the central route has
now been more than a year in full operation.
As the two ends had been pushed across the
Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada re-
Spectively at least eighteen months ago, we
may say that-sO far, at least, as obstruction
from snow and ice is cOncerned-it has stood
the test of two years actual working For
more than two years, passenger trans have
started daily from Omaha and from Sacra-
mcnto respectively, and have crossed the great
mountain chains which on either hand inclose
the Great Basin with facility and with
regularity. We doubt that there has
been, on any part of the long route,
greater detention than has repeatedly occurred
on the Central and Erie lines respectively
through this State, or on that which connects
Albany with Boston. Undoubtedly, SHOWS will
be encountered, in the course of a lifetime,
which will test more severely the resources OF
modern engineering; but then the provisions
for resisting and overcoming these embarrasS-
ments will be annually extended and perfected.
Doubtless. the work itself will gradually be
straightened and otherwise improved as expe-
ricnce shall dictate, and the average speed
of passenger trains will be considerably
accelerated but, were nothing to be
done but to maintain the present capacity of
the road and its equipment, we may safely
place the average time required to reach san
Francisco from Boston, NewYork, Philadel-
phia, Baltimore or Washington, inside of eight
days; while Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago,
and st. Louis, are each considerably nearer to
the Golden Gate. Practically, We may say
that half the people of the Atlantic States are
within a weeks journey of the Pacific.
And this road has been pushed across by far
the most difficult and costly of the three pro-
iected highways to the sunset land. It's
trcmc snd its average elevation are both far
greater than those of the Northern the
Southern route; far more snow falls and lies
on this than on the Northern route, and many
times the quantity that falls on the Southern;
and it is within bounds to- say that either of
these can be built for twO-thirdS the cost OF
this, while the Northern will not be Obstructed
by snow one day where this will at least three,
nor the Southern one day where this will be
not less than ten. The entire problem of over
land travel and trade by rail may thus be re-
garded as concusively solved.
True, 1t may be urged that the pecuniary
phase OF the question is still in doubt;
but that would be mistake Twenty years
will see the present road OvercrOwded, though
its two rivals be meantime cOnstructed-Over-
crowded, even though its reasonable expecta-
tions of an immense freighting business in the
products of the farthest East should be entirely
blasted. Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho,
Utah. Nevada, are to-day in the main wild
wastes and deserts: the year 1890 will return
their civilized population at not Less than Ten
Millions of intelligent, energetic, indus
triOus freemen. The Sugar, Tea, Coffee,
Wares, Implements, &c, &c, which they
must draw from the seabOard States
would support Railroad; while millions of
tuns of Mineral which will now pay neither
for smelling on the ground nor for transporta-
ton to the States will soon be whirled away
to the seaboard smelting-wOfks, and even to
Europe. The abundant Salmon, the Peaches,
Grapes, and other delicate Fruits of California,
will yet fill train after train consigned to the
Helenas and Virginia Cities of the elevated
Mining regions, where such fruits cannot be
grown. As yet, shipments from either coast have
mainly been experimental, tentative, specu-
lative, and of course moderate in quantity !;
while the population of our Alpine territories
is but handful compared with what it soon
must he. Whoever lives to see 1880 may see
hourly trains, laden wholly with Peaches, Pears,
Grapes, and Figs, leaving Sacramento con-
signed to hundred different cities eastward,
and among them to Dubuque, St. Paul, Chicago,
Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Albany, and New
York. Let those who still doubt watch the
developments of the two next years only, and
they viii be abundanty satisfied
THE INCOME TAX