The Daily state register. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1870-1872, 1871-12-29
THE THIRTY-FIFTH PARALLEL
PACIFIC RAILROAD.


PACIFIC RAILROAD.
1t will not be many years before
the continent will be spanned by an
other line of railroad. For the route
of the Southern Pacific railway two
lines have been suggested and Jul
veyed-one near the sd parallel
which would cross Arizona near or
at Tucson, thence to the mouth of
the ella near Fort Yuma the other
several hundred miles further north,
along the line of the 35th parallel,
crossing Northern Arizona through
the valley of the Little Colorado,
striking the Colorado river at Fort
Mohave, thence westward toward
Los Angeles. This route would
cross the mining district, nov at
tracing considerable immigration,
known as the Sacramento or Huala-
pal district. The subject of this
proposed road is treated by the San
Francisco Alta in an article of some
length. The Alta says:
On the 9th OF July, 1866, Con
gress passed an Act Incorporating the
Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Com
pany, and granting to it 12,S00 acres
per mile in the States, and 2o,40O
acres per mile in the Territories.
The franchise extends from the Col
orado river, where it Is to connect
near Fort Mollave with the Southern
Pacific Railroad of California, to
Springfield. Missouri. The road has
now reached Venitia. near the south
western corner of Missouri, so that
the uncompleted portion OF the route
extends from Venitia, in latitude Sc
degrees to Fort Mohave, in latitude
30 degrees. The intervening dis
tance is lilo miles in a direct line,
including 300 miles in the Indian
Territory in Texas, $50 in New
Mexico. and $50 in Arizona. Several
hundred miles additional would
have to be allowed for deviatiOns to
avoid mountains aud to ace0modate
settlements. In California there I
800 hundred unfinished miles; but
these could soon be hurried up if
the Atlantic and Pacific Company
were likely to complete thelc work
soon. The company, however, have
come to a standstill, because they
have reached the Indian Territory,
which is closed against settlement of
white men, and there is no local
trade. The construction of 200
miles Of road without subsidy and
without a hope of local tradefOr any
indefinite period would require
more spare capital than the Atlantic
and Pacific Company have.
There is, at present, no large and
wealthy settlement on the entire dis
lance of 1900 miles, as the road viii
run between Missouriand California.
There is no town on the line IN the
Indian Territory or Texas; none save
Anton Chico and Albuquerque IN
New Mexico; and none in Arizona,
unless the survey should diverge
| thirty miles to the southwark of the
route heretofore recommended, for
the purpose of passing through
Prescott. There IS, however, much
good soil on tle line and no such ex-
tensive desert as that on the middle
route.
The thirty-fifth parallel route
must have a railroad. The belt Of
country between latitude - and Il
is 600 miles wide, and however poor
much of it may be in agricultural or
mineral resources, it still contains
considerable areas of good soil and
valuable mining ground. Il must,
therefore. be made accessible. To-
biographical considerations would
suggest that the railroads should
run with the meridian, but COM
merce, the more potent power, de-
mands that they shall run the other
way, and so they will, and one of
them Will be near tho thirty-tifth
parallel.